Pollwatch: 11/02/2019

Written By: - Date published: 10:12 pm, February 12th, 2019 - 18 comments
Categories: act, Amy Adams, greens, labour, maori party, national, new conservatives, Nikki Kaye, nz first, polls, Simon Bridges - Tags: , , , ,

Kia ora koutou readers, and welcome back to the first Pollwatch of 2019, and as our official Worst News™ will tell you, (okay, maybe that’s my opinion of their recent coverage rather than an official thing) it’s a doozy.

Part of the reason I started modelling elections probabilistically myself is that looking at just the most likely result of a poll confuses you. This poll is definitely one of those- you would miss its biggest, most worrying implications (for both left and right!) if you simply looked at the number of seats each party gets in the most likely scenario, and ignored the chances of various governing arrangements and the implications of the approval ratings. Assume my usual cautions about waiting for a second poll to confirm dramatic results are in effect here, please.Roy morgan 11/02/2019: 63.2% chance outright labour govt, 36.8% chance labour-green coalition

This is, on its face, an amazing result on the left: no conservative nationalist party you have to compromise with, National in utter defeat even if they don’t eat ACT like they’ve promised to try to, and the Greens still around… or are they? In actuality, this simulation run had them knocked out of parliament 45.4% of the time. (The astute among you will note that means that 17.8% of the results had Labour winning so many seats that they wouldn’t even need the Greens to pass laws!)

This means that once we consider this poll result probabilistically, however, we see Labour aren’t actually behind the governing threshold. The most likely outcome is that they can govern alone, when you consider the Greens being under threshold and the Greens not being needed as essentially the same scenario. (They’re materially different in some ways, but not in terms of setting broad government policy)

This is the second result showing the possibility of an outright Labour government since Ardern became Prime Minister, and the third where National’s chance of governing relied entirely on the whole poll being rogue. It is however the first showing it as the most likely outcome.

We on the left should be worried about this- we’ve already killed off two of our seven serious parties last election. Even though I’m personally quite happy to see NZF gone, (they are definitively under threshold here) I would still like a more credible centrist party to replace them, and push Labour and the Greens back a bit more to the left.

We should also be very wary of results near the threshold of governing alone. Parties that have been in that position before have found that it tends to make people reconsider voting for the opposition- no election has ever delivered such a result, and with good reason. Kiwis voted for MMP to avoid having only two choices. Not having friendly critics to the left or the centre will merely embolden Labour to make choices that may not be right for all of us. Smaller parties are an important conscience in our system, and we need to either have stronger results for the ones we do have, or have a few more, for our democracy to remain healthy. I hope people seriously consider that when they vote in 2020.

It’s also worth noting that Labour should want either NZF or the Greens to be polling at the 7% level before the election. 7% is high enough to be completely out of risk of falling under the threshold on a statistical level.

Now, while I have plenty of criticism of Newshub in general and their political section in particular, they have done something really, really good in this poll: they are publicly releasing their approval/disapproval figures for Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, an actually reliable way of tracking how our two nominally most senior politicians are doing. Ardern is of course smashing it, with a rocking 52% net approval. (net approval being the percentage of people who approve of her performance less the percentage that disapprove, basically her margin of awesomeness) Despite his name, Bridges is underwater with an abysmal -28.9% net disapproval, news that would, if National has any intention of trying to win the 2020 election, have him rolled as leader immediately.

Let’s put this in context for a moment- Donald Trump, the President who has apologized for white supremacists, seperated underage children from their families to persecute them for crossing the border, had an immigration ban struck down as racist, put a credibly alleged rapist on the Supreme Court, and basically failed to do anything substantive except tax cuts, controversy, and discrimination, and is basically objectively the worst US president ever, currently has a net disapproval rating of -11.9%.

This is because, unlike Bridges, Trump commands the support of a whopping 88% of Republicans. (to be fair, identification as Republican is going down, too, so it’s likely that this remains high because people are tending to quit his party and claim they’re independents rather than protest him from the inside) If we assume absolutely nobody who voted for ACT, the Conservatives, TOP, or even NZF, Labour, and the Greens supports Bridges’ performance as Leader of the Opposition, (a ridiculously charitable assumption) Bridges would command 53.4% approval among National voters. That’s also abysmal, and let’s look at two controversial US Presidents to show you why- both of them had impeachment hearings.

Bill Clinton, right after his impeachment began, had a net approval rating of about 30%. That’s right, he was above water when Republicans decided to take a shot at him. At his very, very lowest, he still had an 11% net approval. And at that point, he still commanded the approval of 82% of his party, when he was revealed to be a cheater, a liar, and had tried to discredit his own aide to cover up for himself. This is a man whose public supported him more than Simon Bridges.

In contrast, let’s look at one Richard Nixon. At the start of his impeachment, he was underwater, too, at about -36%. (American figures are rounded to the nearest percent for this, sorry) At his worst polling, he had -42% net disapproval, a figure we should regard as an automatic resignation threshold for a leader, as we can hopefully agree Nixon held on for way too long. New Zealanders, for all our faults, are at least very intolerant of the appearance of corruption, and between backing Sarah Dowie who’s being investigated for harmful digital communications, thinking Jamie Lee Ross would make a good whip, going Trump-lite when New Zealanders hate that type of politics, and making the Labour government look competent by comparison despite its scandals, it’s definitely time for Bridges to go by any rational standard.

If Bridges’ approval is in decline, he’s just two or three months away from being in post-impeachment Nixon levels of popularity. That’s an absolute indictment on his stale, by-the-numbers attempt to keep National as a credible opposition-in-one-party. National voters have hung on because they felt cheated by coalition politics and because they wanted another crack at the election. Other leadership hopefuls have stayed united under Bridges because they have recognized 2020 as what it is: a hill so steep that any sane leader would refuse to climb it. So they backed stand-in Simon, and kept on the deputy nobody really wanted. They’re saying they don’t want to constantly change leaders like Labour did in opposition, but the reality is that if you can’t deliver, you need to try something new. National hasn’t managed it yet.

I can see two credible roads from here. One is to admit defeat soon, roll Simon as leader after the party vote continues to fall as he drags it down with him, and elect Collins as replacement. This represents a continuation of their existing strategy, but with the additional risk of alienating their centrist, socially moderate or socially liberal supporters, who won’t have a bar of Collins as their leader, although if there is a ready and credible political vehicle for such supporters to desert to that’s not aligned with the government, this option starts to make more sense.

The other is that someone like Adams, or Kaye steps forward and contests the vote, and wins. This person would still likely fail to win the 2020 election, so they would likely try to delay the vote late enough that they would not be held fully accountable for losing, and get another shot in as Leader of the Opposition. The problem with this route is that none of the people with limited degree of appeal and talent in National really want to try their hand as Leader of the Opposition until it looks more likely that they’ll win, as being opposition leader essentially starts a countdown timer on your career as party leader that might prevent you from becoming Prime Minister.

So either way you look at it, this is a poll that shows continued consolidation of the vote for Labour and National, something that should be viewed as bad news for both parties under MMP. They each need to think about how they make more friends, say, by lowering the threshold, deliberately splitting off parties with genuinely different ideologies with their blessing, or by other types of electoral reform.

I would note that, if we changed the law to allow any party that won their first seat outright, and assume that the Māori Party’s 0.8% is higher than 0.83%, then we would have 1 MP each for ACT, (from their electorate) the Conservatives, and the Māori party. We’d also retain four MPs from New Zealand First. This would be a very easy way to set a natural threshold that keeps out joke parties even on current results, allows small parties to die natural deaths when they become genuinely unpopular rather than simply take a little dip into micro-party territory, and makes it easier to clear that first hurdle into Parliament for new ideas to be debated on the national stage. I also scales well when next we need to increase the size of Parliament, and gives larger parties a chance to eat their friends a little without actually eating all of them.

(We actually have less MPs per person now than we did just before we added another 21 MPs to Parliament, so we might want to think about allowing it to grow sometime, and while we’re at it, changing the South Island quota (it currently just adds electorate seats as the North Island’s relative population to the South Island grows. A better way to handle it would be a minimum number of South or North Island seats, and a minimum number of list seats that the Electoral Comission can adjust without new laws) and the ratio of electorate seats to list seats to a set proportion, so that we still have enough list seats left for a proportional result if National or Labour ever get a result near 20% in a general election)

18 comments on “Pollwatch: 11/02/2019 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. swordfish 1
    12 February 2019 at 11:05 pm

    Newshub Reid Research also asked another (non-standard) question on leadership:

    Who should lead the National Party ?

    (1) All Respondents

    Collins 17.3%
    Bridges 13.4%
    Bennett 6.2%
    Adams 4.0%
    Mitchell 1.5%
    Other 8.0%
    Don’t Know / Don’t Care 49.9%

    (2) Intending National Voters only

    Collins 27.1%
    Bridges 19.6%

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/02/revealed-national-voters-prefer-judith-collins-to-simon-bridges.html

    .
    Here are one or two comparisons I’ve done on Preferred PM / Leader Performance:

    https://thestandard.org.nz/latest-reid-research-poll-result-disastrous-for-national-and-bridges/#comment-1582297

    https://thestandard.org.nz/latest-reid-research-poll-result-disastrous-for-national-and-bridges/#comment-1582604

    • Sacha 1.1
      12 February 2019 at 11:30 pm

      This linking to whole posts rather than specific comments thing is not a good feature, @lprent – any news on a fix?

      • lprent 1.1.1
        13 February 2019 at 7:59 am

        Subject to time. I have found that after spending 5 months working offshore last year that whenever I take a 5 day weekend, mostly what I want to do is read, sleep, do delayed apartment maintenance and play with the kitten.

        However I did start programming on the site last wèek. Hopefully that will continue this weekend.

        The bad news is that I have a new work project and the next round of booked vacation is Easter.

        The good news is that Dermot Nottingham now has a bankruptcy as well as a ankle bracelet. So he isn’t wasting my vacation time with observing court – so I have a lot more of it available.

    • veutoviper 1.2
      13 February 2019 at 8:24 am

      Swordfish made four main contributions on the “Latest Reid Research poll result …” post (plus several short thank you responses related to the four main ones.)

      The four were at comments numbered:

      2.2.1.1 – comparisions of the Newshub poll with election day results

      2.2.1.1.1.2 – relating to NZF polling

      44 – includes some comparisons on preferred PM/Leader Performance

      44.1.1.1 – more on comparisons of preferrec PM/Leader Performance

      So, presumably Swordfish was attempting to link to the two 44 thread comments.

      Well worth looking at these two comments by scrolling one of the general links provided in Swordfish’s 1 above.

  2. Robert Guyton 2
    13 February 2019 at 8:03 am

    “Despite his name, Bridges is underwater”
    Nice.

  3. patricia bremner 3
    13 February 2019 at 8:05 am

    This is a pendulum swing back to Labour and the Greens after Key, and a punishment by those who voted for Winston seeing him as a handbrake on Socialism. The refusal to vote isn’t counted, so it is hard to know if this group has increased since the election.

    Winston has mellowed, he has aimed to encourage a younger demographic to join NZ First, and Fletcher Tabuteau is an example of the new blood. Well educated resourceful and showing a good grasp of political smarts, he is a possible successor.

    So the lull in voter support could be misleading, as NZ First has always performed better than polls suggest. There are many who remember Winston as one of the few to query the behaviour of banks and the one% towards tax during the “Wine Box Inquiry”. and more have come to value the “Gold Card”

    It is pleasing to see the stirling efforts made across a wide range of problems being tackled by the Coalition under Jacinder Ardern’s Leadership being recognised by the electorate.

    The exposure of the seedy underside of the rightwing contrasted sharply, and some will not vote rather than be associated with the tenor of scandal and funding by Chinese power brokers. Had Jacinda Ardern not been even handed, they could have rallied, but she is working for the regions as well as Auckland, so a pause?

    The “Delivery” in 2019 will decide where polls go next.

    • greywarshark 3.1
      13 February 2019 at 9:04 am

      I think the next thing we need is a four year fixed term parliament and I would like to see the general election in October, no later. It gives a more reasonable time for a government to display its policies and implement them, so we can see them working, and know they are delivering what the country needs in the right fashion.

      I have always held back from having this longer period on the premise that it gives another year of backwardness and pain when the RWs get to wreak their malign gobbling-goblin mindset, but events have convinced me that the election cycle enters the consciousness too early with the three year period.

  4. greywarshark 4
    13 February 2019 at 9:25 am

    That’s a great post Matthew and thoroughly thought through and explained. I note you think
    that Labour getting too strong a position, not balanced by diverging views from smaller mates, would not be good.

    It made me think of the USA ,which since Russia capitulated and lost its position as leader of the communist phalanx, has become overblown with hubris and posturing and is OTT.

    That sage thought – Power tends to corrupt etc. and we wouldn’t want too much of that heady stuff getting into the NZ Labour Party, getting drunk with power and exciting new ideas that would be world-leading, and lead to knighthoods even. While we end up with hoodie nights killing dairy owners for cigarettes. Brave new world Old Labour. We want the New to stick to your knitting for da workers, and da small business, capisce!

  5. rata 5
    13 February 2019 at 9:40 am

    “Part of the reason I started modelling elections probabilistically” :).
    I should have stopped there but breezed the whole article.
    What a load of waffle…
    The article precise is basically that “any things possible”.
    Meaning the writer has no idea what will happen.
    To be fair only the last 6 weeks before the election really count
    and nothing before then means anything it’s just filler.
    And even then a maverick like Peters could upset the whole apple cart.
    May as well let Oliver the octopus decide.
    If nothing else it was enthusiastically presented waffle and
    if you are getting paid to write this waffle good on ya.
    I’m staying with Oliver as his accuracy rate is higher.

    • Robert Guyton 5.1
      13 February 2019 at 9:45 am

      If having your say about electoral possibilities this far out from the election is pointless, as you claim, why are you having your say about electoral possibilities this far out from the election?

    • Matthew Whitehead 5.2
      14 February 2019 at 6:49 pm

      Nobody gets paid to post here, FYI.

      I don’t analyse polls to tell you what will happen, at least not prior to the last week before election day, that’s a fool’s errand.

      I analyze them to tell you what the poll actually tells you about the political environment now. Of course it’s a lot of “anything could happen,” because we’re nowhere fucking near election day. I tend to be bigger on implications and try to be extra careful with pollwatch to actually inform people rather than give them political commentary, although I do a little of that.

      The time before the election campaign counts, but it doesn’t count for a lot because most people aren’t watching carefully, but they will be reminded of some of the more relevant facts.

      Yes, all my posts are going to be super nerdy. If you don’t like it, this blog has other authors.

  6. DJ Ward 6
    13 February 2019 at 10:05 am

    There is always the possibility that National gets a slight margin in party votes with the Greens and NZF below the threshold. You then get a National government ruling on its own.
    Support for National is not absolutely linked to support for Bridges. Few would abandon voting National just because the leader is a dud. It’s not like they have any real voting options. Voting conservative or blue green ends up weakening the Right vs Left vote. So voting will likely be strategic towards National despite the disapproval of Bridges.

    • Matthew Whitehead 6.1
      14 February 2019 at 6:50 pm

      5% is not a “slight margin.” That’s a lot of ground to make up.

      If this were a week before election day I’d say they would be enjoying another term in opposition and Simon would be forced to resign.

  7. AB 7
    13 February 2019 at 3:15 pm

    Matthew – how much volatility in voting behaviour does your model recognise?
    There have been a few events in NZ politics that shift a lot of votes quickly – most recently the Ardern leadership ascension and the Brash Orewa speech.
    There have been other smaller ones – the OPEC oil crisis and the Muldoon ascension to leadership that wiped out the Kirk/Rowling government. And Key’s leadership that seemed to turbocharge what had been the Clark governments slow loss of support.
    My feeling (without any real evidence) is that we may be entering a time of greater volatility that could confound probabilistic models.

    • Matthew Whitehead 7.1
      14 February 2019 at 7:03 pm

      Other than assuming parties that won at least one electorate last term will win one again, most of my assumptions are statistical. I also look at who various parties declare they’ll work with before the election, and in the lieu of such announcements, I assume parties in government will stay in government, (although I position centrist parties in the centre of any relevant graphs) and that the biggest party of the government will only invite into coalition those parties that are absolutely necessary to govern, and will pick the party closest to its own values. (This doesn’t stop them from working with others, of course)

      Essentially my model just takes the party votes from a poll, and randomly distorts them according to the probability curve of their margin of error a couple hundred times. (that is, smaller distortions are more likely, larger distortions less) I then have two hundred totalling sheets that look up those numbers and run an MMP seat allocation based on them, and any assumed electorate seats. (I can actually plug in poll numbers from electorate polling, too, seeing we got some of that last election, and have a random number generator determine if a candidate wins or not)

      Each MMP seat allocation check the total number of MPs and figures out how many are required to pass a law, then totals the seats for various groups of parties and determines who is kingmaker, or whether there’s a given type of government that’s natural. The main sheet then re-totals how many elections within the simulation fell into each scenario, and whether NZ First or the Greens fell under threshold in that election. I then re-run the simulation ten times by pasting the numbers into a table, so I have 2,000 results, and graph the results for you, putting each simulation’s results into its own table to graph the trend.

      The volatility of voter behaviour is evident to the same degree it is in the raw data- sadly with regular polling outside of election campaigns now ended with Roy Morgan out of the picture, we don’t really have any good check on the volatility of voter opinion during non-campaign times. (The continuing polls tend to perform a little bit better during campaign time, but have their own accuracy issues)

      This approach is statistically valid for any poll that isn’t a rogue, not that we always know a rogue when we see one, at least not until we have hindsight on it.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Ceasefire agreement needed now: Peters
    New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • Daily school attendance data now available
    A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour.  The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • Ambassador to United States appointed
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America.    “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says.    “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago

  • New permit proposed for recreational gold mining
    The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

  • NZ and the UAE launch FTA negotiations
    Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • New Zealand Sign Language Week an opportunity for anyone to sign
    New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Next stop NASA for New Zealand students
    Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • $1.9 billion investment to keep NZ safe from crime
    New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • OECD reinforces need to control spending
    The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Agreement delivers Local Water Done Well for Auckland
    The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with Germany
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today.    "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of Plenty
    The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Speech to New Zealand China Council
    Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today.    Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi households
    The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Government recommits to equal pay
    The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says.  “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Transforming how our children learn to read
    Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.  “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • NZ not backing down in Canada dairy dispute
    Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
    The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Streamlining Building Consent Changes
    The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.      “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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

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

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-05-07T06:56:53+00:00