Polity: The Greens’ proposed pre-election deal

Written By: - Date published: 2:45 pm, April 10th, 2014 - 58 comments
Categories: greens, labour, MMP, nz first - Tags:

polity_square_for_lynnThe original of this post by Rob Salmond is here.

Last night, via One News, the public became aware that the Greens had proposed a pre-election coalition with Labour, but Labour had rejected it.

To understand the contours of the possible deal, you need to know a little about pre-electoral coalitions in general:

First, pre-electoral coalitions are quite common. According to Penn State political science professor Sona Golder, about 20% of post-WW2 elections in advanced democracies result in a government that was conceived in a pre-electoral coalition. There have been over 240 pre-electoral coalitions of parties running together in advanced democracies since 1946. So there is nothing weird about the Greens’ proposal.

The proposal for a proportional cabinet, by the way, is also entirely normal in other PR countries. The political scientists have even christened a law called Gamson’s Law that describes this very common method for sharing out cabinet seats.

Second, however, pre-electoral coalitions are more common in electoral systems that are not quite like New Zealand’s. New Zealand has an especially pure, fair form of proportional representation (so long as you can pull 5% of the vote). A single national district for sharing out list seats, along with the Modified St Lague method we use for assigning them, are the elements that make New Zealand’s system so fair.

In many other proportional systems, there are various ways to provide disproportional rewards to the single largest party or bloc. Sometimes these are based on electoral formulas or districting schemes tilted towards the largest party/group, sometimes there are even explicit bonuses. Prof Golder finds that it is in electoral systems featuring more of these Biggest Group Advantages where pre-electoral coalitions are most effective, and most widely used.

The basic idea here is that a pre-electoral deal is an especially good idea if it gives the group of parties a leg-up in the mechanical process of transferring votes into seats.

New Zealand does not have any of those advantages for the Biggest Group, so the incentive to form a pre-electoral deal, rather than just wait and form a government post-election, instead, is not as strong as in many other countries.

So while the Greens’ offer is nothing unusual internationally, New Zealand’s comparatively fair electoral system doesn’t provide Labour much incentive to accept it. Which, I think, makes Labour’s rejection of the proposal much less noteworthy.

58 comments on “Polity: The Greens’ proposed pre-election deal ”

  1. blue leopard 1

    A deal between these two parties would have have provided a clear illustration of the good working relationship between them. As I mentioned elsewhere, as the larger party Labour could have responded to the Greens idea by asserting areas that they were not prepared to share. This would have made it much clearer to voters where Labour stands and a good idea of what path a Labour/Greens government would be taking.

    Instead we are, yet again, left in the dark as to where Labour really stands.

    There comes a time, Labour, where you have to define yourselves. I really don’t think prevaricating and keeping your options open is really going to get you the popularity you both crave and need. I think people really like and want something and someone a bit more assertive and defined to govern their country. If you continue to be like floating leaves on the wind – that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence as to how the country will be run under your party.

  2. Tracey 2

    a pre election coalition would make it harder for labout to be national lite. the hilarious thing is that labour believes being national lite will win them the election.

  3. Some will see it as Labour not wanting to scare middle NZ.
    Some will see it as Labour hedging their bets to go with nz1st or the greens depending on the vote post election result.

    Some, like me, will see it as a missed opportunity to show a united front against national and all their dodgy coalition prospects.
    Personally, I’d like to have seen all the opposition parties (pre mana selling itself to .com) sit around a table and tell it like it is, stating we will work together after the election to get key out, so a vote for any of us, whatever your flavour, will achieve this.
    The only variable left is cabinet seats to divvy up according to the share of party vote, and that’s up to the voters on election day.

    How effing hard does it have to be?

    • Tracey 3.1

      yup, labour too scared to work together to bring down national. maybe they are scared greens will push 20%

  4. fambo 4

    Probably a mistake for the Greens to ask and a mistake for Labour to be so blunt in their rejection. It just gave an easy point to the opposition

  5. George 5

    Who is in the “leadership group”?

  6. Ant 6

    What’s in it for Labour? it just means that they’ll get bogged down having to defend all their own crap and all the Greens crap as well.

    99% of the people who support it seem like Green voters who ignore any downside to Labour because they only care about the upside for the Greens.

    • Zorr 6.1

      Agreed with this

      Despite the hay that is currently being made by the MSM off this it is nothing compared to the material that would be thrown against Labour if the ShonKey Python thought he could tie Labour to Greens.

      • blue leopard 6.1.1

        Zorr and Ant,

        If Labour could come out and say exactly what policies they will agree to of the Greens and what they wouldn’t work with – that would cut Shonkey’s spin down to the ground. This proposition of the Greens could have been an opportunity to do just that. But hey, why make things clear for potential voters when you can simply obfuscate?

        I have never voted Greens, by the way Ant, so although people may ‘seem’ like a Green voter when they disagree with Labour’s stance on this one – it might have more to do with how you are drawing your conclusions than any accurate assessment.

        • Populuxe1 6.1.1.1

          Or just possibly the Greens shouldn’t have tried to strong arm Labour by bring the media into what are unexceptional pre-election negotiations. It just comes off looking desperate.

          • blue leopard 6.1.1.1.1

            It might have looked desperate to you, it doesn’t to me.

            I hadn’t considered that Greens would have informed the media – that is certainly plausible. I appreciate the way the Greens consistently communicate with the public and keep us informed.

            Now that I realise that Labour are targeting soft centrist voters I shall be focusing my attentions on the parties that are more closely aligned with my views; Mana and the Greens. Parties that focus on soft centrist voters are too compromised for me. And perhaps Labour need to do fixate on those wishy washy types, or perhaps they don’t. Regardless of that, I would prefer a more cooperative manner from them toward the 3rd largest party in Nz and the largest party they will be working with.

            • Stuart Munro 6.1.1.1.1.1

              Brecht saw this third way rubbish coming way back:
              Would it not be easier
              In that case for the government
              To dissolve the people
              And elect another?

              • Populuxe1

                Brecht was an outrageous hypocrite at the best of times. He had his “worker” shirts made of brushed blue silk

            • Populuxe1 6.1.1.1.1.2

              What you prefer and what will rid us of this National government are entirely unrelated

              • blue leopard

                I’m unclear what you are asserting here.

                Are you saying that you think Labour can rid us of this government alone?

                Or that Labour and NZ First can do so alone without the approx. 14% of support that the Greens bring to the table?

                • Populuxe1

                  It’s more whether centre and swing voters are entirely relaxed about the Greens even now

    • Draco T Bastard 6.2

      70% of Labour members support it and see it as being good for both parties.

      • Populuxe1 6.2.1

        More like 70% of Labour members want National out at any cost, which is fair enough – it has very little to do with being in love with the Greens

        • blue leopard 6.2.1.1

          Draco didn’t mention anything about being in love.

          • Pascal's bookie 6.2.1.1.1

            Nah, Pop just makes shit up all the time.

            The poll the ‘circa 70%’ comes from said 68% of Labour voters would prefer a deal with the Greens to one with NZ first, given a choice.

            Overall 52% of all NZ voters would prefer Lab/Green to 38% for Lab/NZF

            Pge 17 here: http://t.co/Xfic6BlANX

            Pretty obvious which of draco and Pop is closer to mark in describing it.

            • felix 6.2.1.1.1.1

              Curwen seems to think Pop is one of theirs. Makes sense innit.

              • Pascal's bookie

                heh.

              • Populuxe1

                Really failing to see what that has to do with anything, I still want National out and in all likelihood NZF will still be part of a Labour-Green coalition in some for or other. Do you have a point or are you just farting at the mouth again?

            • Populuxe1 6.2.1.1.1.2

              Labour voters = people who want National out.
              Prefer Greens to NZ First = not neccissarily in love with Greens, it’s called pragmatism.
              Not really seeing what you’re getting at.

              • Pascal's bookie

                No one said ‘in love with Greens’ Pop, and a deal with the Greens is preferred to one with NZF by voters at large, and overwhelmingly so by Labour voters.

                And it’s not ‘pragmatic’. It’s a choice about preferances, not dead rats. Hooking up with NZF and his muddle headed gaing of wogistan spouting loons may be necessary, but it’s not popular choice at all, but a pragmatic realisation.

                There are options though, and things that could be done to make the decision unnecessary.

                • Populuxe1

                  “No one said ‘in love with Greens’”
                  Yeah, least of all me – I was referring to the implication that Labour was idealogically obliged to marry the Greens. NZF looks easily to be hitting five percent which rather suggests it is indeed a popular choice, and trying to portray that idiot Prosser as representative of the entire party is like saying Taito Philip Field represents Labour on immigration, race relations and same sex marriage.

                  • Pascal's bookie

                    What people are saying is that Labour cannot form a govt without the Greens, absent some amazing thing happening in the polls. It’s a pragmatic recognition of reality. And it’s about about a marriage, which would be a joining of the parties, but about showing that the two can work together in the way that will have to if there is to be a non-National government after September.

                    Is Prosser being dropped from the Party? It’s not like NZF has great depth, what with Horan needing replacing, and god knows what they will do about Asenati Lole-Taylor, who I assume hasn’t exactly been a great success. What wonders will ya’ll deliver for us next term.

                    And the fact NZF looks like it will get 5% is by-the-by. What we are talking about is whether they are a popular choice to hook up with. Labour voters overwhelmingly would rather not, and a slim majority of the public at large concur.

            • blue leopard 6.2.1.1.1.3

              @ Pascal’s Bookie,

              I was looking for where that 68% info came from everywhere and had been unsuccessful, thanks for providing the link.

            • weizguy 6.2.1.1.1.4

              “70% of Labour members support it and see it as being good for both parties.”

              This isn’t the same thing. I absolutely would prefer a deal with the Greens, but not before the election.

              I don’t see how a Labour/Greens coalition can successfully form a government if Labour doesn’t win votes from the middle. Labour and Greens are different parties that attract different constituencies. It appears to me that the same voices who complain about the media’s failure to understand that “largest party” is less relevant under MMP are the same voices who are now trying to nullify the benefits of being able to attract different groups in an election.

              That said, populuxe is also wrong. It’s not a National out at any cost – the question doesn’t even consider that. It asks who you’d prefer to work with in Government.

          • Populuxe1 6.2.1.1.2

            I see you are unfamiliar with rhetorical style – this is known as hyperbole, it is used for effect

  7. Tamati 7

    If these two parties refuse to negotiate some sort of coalition or memorandum of understanding before the election what credibility do their respective policies have? What would be the point in either party (but especially the Greens) releasing major policies if they can’t stand by their promises.

    There needs to be some formal agreement on what policies a Labour/Green government would bring forward and where the two parties would agree to disagree. It’s fine to negotiate cabinet portfolios after the election, when the number of MP’s are known, but they need to agree on some core policies prior to the election.

    • Populuxe1 7.1

      All potential coalition partners do this anyway – it’s standard negotiations. One party puts something on the table, the other considers it, and may reject some or all of it, and then you renegotiate. It seems to me the Greens overplayed their hand by bringing the media in on the assumption they could shame Labour into agreeing to all of their conditions, and Labour wasn’t playing.

      • Tamati 7.1.1

        Without any formal arrangement neither Labour nor the Greens will be able to deliver any concrete promises to electorate during the campaign. Key knows this so will hammer it home for the entire campaign.

        As I said before, what use are policies if you can’t promise the electorate that you will deliver them?

        • Pascal's bookie 7.1.1.1

          Same of course goes for National and whatever deal(s) it finally gets around to announcing with Dunne, Whyte, and Craig.

          Will Craig be given his bottom line of binding referenda, being foremost IMO. A fairly major constitutional change.

          • Tamati 7.1.1.1.1

            Not really. National will always have options when passing legislation so will rarely need to compromise on any of their policies. If they make a promise, they can deliver.

            For Greens and Labour however, they need to agree on pretty much everything. If one of them pulls out, the legislation falls flat. (Nats may occasionally help Labour out though. eg. TPP legislation)

            • weizguy 7.1.1.1.1.1

              “National will always have options when passing legislation so will rarely need to compromise on any of their policies. If they make a promise, they can deliver.”

              If that were true, why would any party support a National-led government? If you’ve paid any attention to the last few years, you will know that they have made concessions, despite having options.

              • Tamati

                Why would any party support a National led government?
                Well, a ministerial salary and nice shiny car and driver for a start. Pet projects and the right to call themselves the Honorable?

                If you’ve paid any attention to last six years you’d know that National has pretty much free reign over legislation. The only concessions they’ve really made has been splashing out on Whanau Ora and Foreshore and Seabed. Key, was probably pleased to ditch the Brash era racism anyway.

                Charter Schools? They wanted them all along.

                Entirely different ball game c.f. Labour/Greens.

                • Pascal's bookie

                  NZF and Colin Craig aren’t the same as Dunne and ACT though.

                  They have actual constituencies for a start

  8. Wyndham, George 8

    The Greens are a white middle class party whose core emotion in conservative: no growth, no change, not in my back yard.

    Cunliffe has a duty to undo the damage to the Kiwi workers and families over the past 30 years by that other Conservative party; National.

    Cunliffe knows that the core Green member is anti economic development. Cunliffe has to achieve rapid and sustainable economic development when he is PM. Cunliffe has to be real to the core Labour supportes: PAYE workers, the disadvantaged, the marginalised, and the new ethnic groups.

    An alliance at this stage with a narrow spectrum white middle class party will not help.

    • Naturesong 8.1

      In other words, you have no idea what the Green party stands for, or the background of the people which comprise their membership.

      You are corrrect however in that there are a reasonable proprotion of academics and small business owners, some of which come from the middle class.

    • framu 8.2

      “Cunliffe knows that the core Green member is anti economic development”

      im guessing you wouldnt know a core green member from a bar of salt

      you make the classic, all to regular and utterly idiotic mistake of thinking opposition to certain kinds of business is the same as opposition to all business. Its not – not by a long shot

      its the same strand of thinking that tries to claim no holds barred, neoliberal capitalism is the only form of capitalism

    • karol 8.3

      I was talking to an elderly woman recently – came from a solid working class family, and still stands by original Labour Party ideals – grew up in one of the 1940s state houses. Says she now votes Green.

      • George 8.3.1

        9 long years of Labour, and we didn’t get the 40 hour week, or other basic rights enshrined in law. Now they’re suggesting these be ‘negotiated’ rather than legislated. Yeah, I want a left-wing party, so I support the Greens.

        • Ant 8.3.1.1

          What have the Greens done? It’s all good being high and mighty when you have never faced the reality of actually governing.

          • freedom 8.3.1.1.1

            Dear Ant. National and Labour were both first term governments once.
            Sure, getting rid of National is the primary goal, but let’s just see what NZ has in store?

          • George 8.3.1.1.2

            As I recall, they consistently and loudly advocated for minimum wages to be living wages, rather than minimal ones. Since they were shut out of government, they didn’t have the chance to make this or other things a reality.

      • Wyndham, George 8.3.2

        Many Labour people drifted to the Greens because of the weak leadership under Goff and Shearer. Greens developed some left wing stances when Bradford was playing a leadership role. As Cunliffe gets into his stride and it becomes clearer that the Greens are not a party of Socialist ideals those voters will come back to the Labour fold.

        • karol 8.3.2.1

          You really are going all out to smear the Greens, W,G, using dodgy statements about history.

          You show you know very little about the Greens. Socialist ideals have been a strong strand in the policies and values since way before they were joined by Bradford – goes back to the Values Party days, and then their involvement with the Alliance. They have incorporated socialist ideals with growing awareness of the challenges facing contemporary society such as those to do with the environment.

          The Green Party webiste on their history:

          In 1979 Values was also torn by internal debate about its political orientation with an Auckland-led environmentalist faction and a Christchurch-led socialist/unionist faction. Those strands are still there in the contemporary Green Party but they are in concert rather than opposition.

  9. Win 9

    Labour may be the majority party on the left after this election – lets hope – but they can’t do anything without the Greens. The wooing of Winstone is only possible if the Greens are with Labour. Labour needs the Greens end of story. At this stage Labour won’t have enough votes to govern with only NZF and Mana. Yip over Labour’s apparent want to ‘please all of the people attitude’, half there, half here approach. Agree totally with Gordon Campbell. SO FRUSTRATING LABOUR! I really want to vote for you! You haven’t got a show in hell of getting the 800,000 out to vote if you, as someone so nicely put it, appear ‘National Lite’.
    My preferred choice for government is a Labour Green government (although I do think the ‘coalition’ should have been discussed much earlier on), supported by Mana, the Internet Party and Winstone’s crew.
    Winstone comes across clearly, strongly, at times ‘interestingly’ and apparently he did do a great job as minister. So he’s not a complete waste of space. Interested husband (who is of the white, left leaning, variety – my litmus test) likes some of the things he says as do others I know – which never ceases to amaze me. And I too find myself inadvertently nodding
    Love the clarity and heart of Mana and can see the Internet Party being a ‘goer’ also. Not sure though about KDC. But yeah nah, if it works we should see something beautiful happen. (come on Māori Party – don’t play the ‘someone owns a Nazi book and therefore love Hitler, scare monger card’ – You know that some will react to innuendo and surface features as fact. Typical NACT tact!)

    But come on Labour open, up, put your foot down and lets get this show on the road. Pleeeassss?

    • blue leopard 9.1

      +10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

    • fisiani 9.2

      Labour were actually quite correct to rule out a formal pre-election coalition with the Greens. It would signal that voters from either party could switch to the other. Labour being the bigger party has more to lose. Why would any party seriously wishing considered for government ally themselves with the Loony Ban Everything Greens. All their wacky policies would be linked to Labour. The Cunliffe was right. Did I actually write that? Wow.

    • rhinocrates 9.3

      Yeah, agree totally. I’d like a Labour-Green coalition… but is it going to happen? Labour has always shown an amazing ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. There’s a Hell of a lot of talent in the back benches (Louisa Wall for example) and Cunliffe has potential, but the aspiring ministers? My God: Goff, Shearer, Thing, Mallard, Hipkins, Sio, Curran, Robertson, O’Connor and fucking Jones…

      I’d have QWERTYUIOP permanently imprinted on my forehead if my palm hadn’t intervened.

      They’re not getting my vote, however passionately I hate NACT. Those lazy, self-obessessed parasites are just not up to the job.

      I want a real opposition, now, please.

    • Win 9.4

      Sorry Winston. Not sure how Winstone got in there.

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    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

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