Poverty of Details

Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, December 9th, 2014 - 31 comments
Categories: uncategorized - Tags:

The plan to reduce beneficiaries by 25% is based on actual data, right?

Prior to the election Ms Bennett, then Minister for Social Development, now Associate Minister of Finance (note there isn’t much difference between the two portfolios in practice for kiwis unfortunate to have to rely on the safety net of welfare), announced National will reduce beneficiaries by 25%.

Ms Bennett stated that “research had shown there were “touchpoints” for people going from work back onto a benefit – at six months and again at 12-14 months.”

The article continued:

“She has set a new target of getting benefit numbers from 295,000 to 220,000 by 2017 – a 25 per cent drop. She is also looking for a 40 per cent drop in youth on benefits – getting 21,000 more young people off the benefit.”

In order to develop successful outcomes, such as those outlined above, it would help to understand the trends amongst those who are trying to seek work, obtain it then lose it and so on. Presumably the MSD would focus on collecting such data?

I made an Official Information Act request on  22 September 2014 stating the following

“Last week Ms Bennett announced plans to cut beneficiaries by 25%.

”  National is promising to reduce the number of people on benefits by 25 percent if  re-elected on Saturday.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett today announced a plan to get more people off the dole and into work by way of offering incentives for people who stay in work for a set period of time.”

Please advise:

how many people who were receiving a benefit between 2009 and June 2014 and who found work were subsequently released from work by an employer implementing to 90 day trial rule?

Please advise the data the ministry has for the same period showing:

Length of time unemployed remained in paid work after leaving unemployment benefit;

Reasons given for termination of that employment when it ended;

How many unemployed were terminated under the 90 day trial;

How many moved into contracted work rather than as employees

After exactly 20 working days I received a response. That means “as soon as reasonably practicable” to provide the information I requested was exactly 20 working days notwithstanding the PM and Ms Bennett made a policy announcement on it on 17 September 2014.

Some information was refused to me on the grounds it is held in file notes on individual files and would hinder their efficient running to provide it. That means the individual file note data is not collated in any useful form for use in assessing policy.

In otherwords the MSD don’t know how many people in New Zealand who were receiving benefits, are being dismissed under our 90 day trial initiative and then returning to benefits.

The Ministry told me that no one asked them to collect data on how long people stay in employment after leaving a benefit and then returned to a benefit.  But hang on, didn’t Ms Bennett say

“research had shown there were “touchpoints” for people going from work back onto a benefit – at six months and again at 12-14 months”

– it appears she didnt get it from her Ministry… or did she?

MSD don’t know why people have their employment terminated after moving from a benefit into employment and back onto a benefit.

But hang on

““research had shown there were “touchpoints” for people going from work back onto a benefit – at six months and again at 12-14 months”

If we don’t know why people are being terminated, how do we get them long term employment, and reduce numbers by 25%?

The MSD has developed policy to address this phenomenon BUT has no data to provide possible reasons why that employment terminated? Seems it will make it harder to bring about a winning solution?

So there you have it. A table and a bunch of we don’t know and don’t collect that info in a way that is easily extrapolated. 20 working days. Ms Bennett however just KNOWS how to reduce people on benefits by 25% notwithstanding the dearth of some data relevant to New Zealand and it wont be by cutting their benefits…

And remember, it’s a “pledge

Footnote

I then had to make another request (my fault for not specifically including it the first time)

Please provide as a matter of urgency pursuant to the OIA  the “research” MS Bennett was relying on when she stated

““research had shown there were “touchpoints” for people going from work back onto a benefit – at six months and again at 12-14 months.””  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11326254

As this document will be readily accessible, as she has already referred to it, I expect to receive it as soon as reasonably practicable, and not on the 20th working day.

It took them a further two weeks to realise that they needed to

transfer your request to the Minister of Social Development for response.

It turns out it was a 2013 report, publicly available.

The research was undertaken by Actuaries whose purpose was to (amongst other things)

An actuarial approach has been taken to measure the forward liability associated with the welfare system.
The liability acts as a proxy for assessing people’s risk of long-term benefit dependency and provides a tool to assist management in
working with those people

It still took 20 working days to email me the link. I have complained to the Ombudsmen Office but they are back in their quagmire, abated only briefly during the election campaign. The word “touchpoint” never appears so I am not sure why it appeared in inverted commas. It is worth wading through the report if the state of welfare and how it is assessed is of interest.

31 comments on “Poverty of Details ”

  1. mickysavage 1

    Welcome tracey!

    • tracey 1.1

      Thanks Mickey. Just dipping my toes in the water.

      • karol 1.1.1

        Welcome, tracey! Excellent work on the OIAs. Great start to authoring.

        I added an image for the front page – the most relevant I could find in TS’s gallery. Often I look for a suitable image to add using google images.

  2. just saying 2

    Great work Tracey,
    Good to see you on the team of Standard writers.

    The actuarial approach sees beneficiaries as liabilities that need to be removed by any means to increase the profit of the company (ie the government).

    The money gained from starving ordinary people can then be used to increase the wealth of People Who Matter – people who have earned this exalted status by being already wealthy and by defintion, not in need of any help.

    • tracey 2.1

      Thanks JS

      The thing about Actuaries is they are a product, primarily, of the Insurance industry. That gives alot of insight to their purpose, imo. Note the name of Chapter 3?

      “Nature of the Business”

      It is also interesting that Bennett called it research given there is no methodology chapter.

      • batweka 2.1.1

        I don’t quite get the actuarial bit. Is this part of the move to privatisation? Not that treating benes as stock units isn’t bad enough.

        • tracey 2.1.1.1

          Actuaries are commonly used, in the insurance industry especially, but also ACC will have them and so, it appears, does the MSD. I don’t think it is necessarily a sign of a move to privatisation but very much an indication that this Government is driven very much by the dollar rather than necessarily looking for the best solution, then targeting the people most expensive to the system

          I presume actuaries worked in MSD under Labour Governments but don’t know.

          There is a very famous case in the States known as Ford Pinto

          ” The controversy surrounding the Ford Pinto concerned the placement of the automobile’s fuel tank. It was located behind the rear axle, instead of above it. This was initially done in an effort to create more trunk space. The problem with this design, which later became evident, was that it made the Pinto more vulnerable to a rear-end collision. This vulnerability was enhanced by other features of the car. The gas tank and the rear axle were separated by only nine inches. There were also bolts that were positioned in a manner that threatened the gas tank. Finally, the fuel filler pipe design resulted in a higher probability that it would to disconnect from the tank in the event of an accident than usual, causing gas spillage that could lead to dangerous fires. Because of these numerous design flaws, the Pinto became the center of public debate.

          These design problems were first brought to the public’s attention in an August 1977 article in Mother Jones magazine. This article condemned the Ford Motor Company and the author was later given a Pulitzer Prize.10 This article originated the public debate over the risk/benefit analysis used by the Ford Motor Company in their determination as to whether or, not the design of the Pinto fuel tank be altered to reduce the risk of fire as the result of a collision.

          The crux of the public debate about The Ford Motor Company was the decision not to make improvements to the gas tank of the Pinto after completion of the risk/benefit analysis. Internal Ford documents revealed Ford had developed the technology to make improvements to the design of the Pinto that would dramatically decrease the chance of a Pinto “igniting” after a rear-end collision.11This technology would have greatly reduced the chances of burn injuries and deaths after a collision. Ford estimated the cost to make this production adjustment to the Pinto would have been $11 per vehicle.12 Most people found it reprehensible that Ford determined that the $11 cost per automobile was too high and opted not to make the production change to the Pinto model.”

          http://users.wfu.edu/palmitar/Law&Valuation/Papers/1999/Leggett-pinto.html

          Basically the cost of the part was $11 per vehicle. A total recall would cost $137m but they assessed the number of people likely to die from the tank exploding was “$200,000 per death, $67,000 per injury, and $700 per vehicle equating to the total “societal benefit” is $49.5 million. Since the benefit of $49.5 million was much less than the cost of $137 million, Ford felt justified in its decision not to alter the product design.”

          I am not an Actuary and perhaps their job is much less “calculating” than I imagine…

          This is all part of Ms Bennett’s “investment approach”, namely that you look at what it costs for the average cost of someone being on welfare and you take your money and apply it to measures to get the most costly people off their benefits.

          For this approach she got “promoted” to Associate Finance under Bill English (sorry for the image) to advance it across the public services. So, i don’t think it is privatisation per se, but further reduction of PS. If that results in fewer employees and more contractors then perhaps that is privatisation?

          http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11338071

      • Anne 2.1.2

        Yes Tracey. Pleased you’re dipping your toes in the water. You have such a wide range of knowledge on so many subjects.

    • Draco T Bastard 2.2

      people who have earned this exalted status by being already wealthy and by defintion, not in need of any help.

      But still get more government help than the beneficiaries anyway.

    • I found this to be relevant in the report:

      1. Executive Summary
      Purpose of this Report
      1.3 This report:
      – Reviews and comments on the valuation of the forward liability
      – Reviews overall performance of the welfare system and the effectiveness of investments made to reduce benefit dependency
      – Identifies areas for attention to assist in managing long-term benefit dependency, and Discusses material risks that could impact on successfully managing the forward liability and/or in meeting Better Public Service (BPS) or Key Performance Indicator (KPI) targets.
      1.5 There are no actuarial professional standards which strictly apply to the valuation of unfunded social welfare liabilities. Where relevant, this report and the valuation calculations have been carried out consistent with the principles of professional standards of the New Zealand Society
      of Actuaries.
      1.6 As far as we are aware, this is the first such report prepared in respect of an unfunded
      Welfare benefit system anywhere in the world. As such, the report is in some places developmental.
      Further data capture and analytic processes are required to allow the full benefit of this discipline to be realised.

      Two things strike me here.
      The first , “welfare dependancy”, is political language and seems out of place in an actuary report. If you read through the report it is full of such language

      Investment Performance
      1.27 To achieve the goal of reducing long-term welfare dependency, the Government has implemented an Investment Approach to welfare.

      My experience with actuaries is limited to family members and actuarial blogs. But it struck me as odd given that actuaries in their professional capacity look to assess risk expressed as dollars / lives etc within specific parameters.
      As a result, they have a tendency toward exact language; “welfare dependency”, “investment approach” etc, is explicitly inexact and emotionally loaded language (designed to frame long term unemployment as a disease like addiction)

      The second, in 1.5 and 1.6 of the exec summary looks like the report authors disclaimer: “we’re doing this report because it’s on our job card, but this really isn’t our thing”.

      • tracey 2.3.1

        I agree with your assessment of 1.5 and 1.6.

        It’s like they are saying we were asked to put a square peg in a round hole. This is part of the governments ideology, namely, that everything can be boiled down to a financial calculation. That the Acturaies seem dubious of that is telling.

  3. adam 3

    Thanks Tracey

    Reading your support materials – the benefit system performance report – gets more ideological with each passing year. *sigh*

    It is truly depressing – as I’ve read sections of this report before, especially in relation to disability issues – and again, as always, bugger all is done to address disabled unemployment.

    A couple of points which really did get me peeved were;

    – the response to you question on termination – I though that would be forever in the public interest. I thought hard working taxpayers would like to know why people are being forced out of work? Or is this a case – as Pilger would say, the silence is deafening?

    – Your question on contract work – This I find staggering – contract work is were I have seen the most exploitation of working people in the current economic environment. Contract work is unstable and is the door which many a bad employer operates through. Again, staggered by the response of you OIA request.

    • tracey 3.1

      Ms Bennett says those who cannot work will be supported to “live”. I have said before that for those unable to live to be relegated to subsistence for their lifetime is an abject failure of our society. Humans need to thrive, otherwise it is a kind of euthanasia by default.

  4. George Hendry 4

    Great work, Tracey.

    Democracy at its finest – no soaring rabblerousing speeches, just someone with skill and devotion working steadily away, overcoming obstacles in the public interest.

    ‘I slow down when I drive past a real NZer making it better for the rest of us.’

  5. BassGuy 5

    I’m very surprised that they don’t have any information available about the reason for termination, as the last time I signed up with WINZ the form asked the question “Why did you leave your last job?”

    I doubt that they take the primary personal details from those forms and then ignore the rest so it seems to me that some information in this area should be available, even when the client doesn’t specifically state “Dismissed under the 90 day trial.”

    • tracey 5.1

      They stated they make “notes” on individual files and would have to go through all of them to give me the information. Staggering that they waste time collecting data to not use it. Especially data which could support the Minister’s solutions to “touchpoint” claims.

      • BassGuy 5.1.1

        It does seem odd, particularly that the information in question is used to determine the applicants’ benefit eligibility.

  6. Tom Gould 6

    In most countries like ours, there would be a functioning news media that would follow up the claim about “touch points” and need to see the research backing up the claim, particularly around an election. But not in New Zealand, where the claims of any Tory Minister makes an instant headline, and the claims of any Labour spokesperson requires convincing substantiation and verification to even get a mention.

  7. seeker 7

    Brilliant idea, brilliant work, brilliant post – just all round inspiring brilliance Tracey. Thankyou.
    Hope Simon Collins picks this up and Carmel Sepolini.

  8. Brian 8

    Unemployment is a consequence of taxation.Under National it is a deliberate policy to kept wages down and to use the unemployed as a weapon to combat inflation and as a political weapon against the unemployed.This policy is far more expensive than the pittance that might be saved initially but cost society more in long term damage through broken families, abuses of various kinds, child poverty,etc.unemployment could be easily solved through a govt. guaranteed job for all willing and able to work at a living wage.Unemployment happens when the govt. fails to spend enough money into the economy to cover the tax liabilities it imposes ,and any saving desires of the non govt. sector. Said another way, unemployment is the evidence of over taxation.Key and this govt. have been aggressively promoting policy that creates and sustains unemployment,and all the pathologies that accompany unemployment.

    • Draco T Bastard 8.1

      You seem to be confused.

      Unemployment happens when the govt. fails to spend enough money into the economy to cover the tax liabilities it imposes ,and any saving desires of the non govt. sector. Said another way, unemployment is the evidence of over taxation.

      The first sentence is actually correct and then you contradict it with the second sentence.

      Said another way, unemployment is the evidence of over taxation.

      No it’s not. It’s a result of policies designed to ensure 6%+ unemployment such as the 90 day Fire at Will Bill and low taxes on the rich which you actually said:

      Key and this govt. have been aggressively promoting policy that creates and sustains unemployment,and all the pathologies that accompany unemployment.

      BTW, Periods of high taxation and the greater equality it brings about usually correlate with high employment. Basically, in such circumstances, we don’t have a few people who are far too rich siphoning all the money out of the economy.

      • Brian 8.1.1

        What I said about unemployment and taxation is correct.It depends on ones politics.I agree that the rich should be paying higher taxes.The tax was changed by the lange govt. to advantage the rich. I would do away with the gst for starters. A land tax would also be a good start in tackling the concentration of property ownership. A comprehensive capital gains tax would also be desirable. When the govt.deficit spends it does not need to issue debt,which is a hang over from the Bretton Woods system which collapsed in 1971.The quickest way to solve the unemployment problem would be to offer a job to anyone willing and able to work at a living wage with other benefits such as child care etc.The govt.could also provide free education for all for live.Also we need to transition from the predatory capitalism of today to where workers control enterprises in a more democratic manner.Another thing about taxes.The govt. has to spend first before it taxes !

        • Draco T Bastard 8.1.1.1

          What I said about unemployment and taxation is correct.It depends on ones politics.

          No it wasn’t and no it doesn’t.

          When the govt.deficit spends it does not need to issue debt,which is a hang over from the Bretton Woods system which collapsed in 1971.

          This is correct. In fact, from this premise we can determine that the government is the source of all money and that the purpose of taxes is to destroy that created money so that there isn’t too much money in circulation driving up inflation (Not that I think that is a major driver of inflation).

          We then need to determine what the government needs to be spending that money upon. I tend to think in terms of natural monopolies, ubiquitous services and general welfare (Health, education, etc).

          This money spent into the economy essentially supports everyone at a reasonable living standard. The private sector then does minor stuff that is, essentially, luxuries but is limited to what the people are willing to spend from their government income.

          From there we then need to determine the best mix of taxes to maintain an adequate supply of money in the economy that:

          1. prevents recession
          2. keeps inflation down and
          3. supports adequate R&D to develop the economy

          Two other aspects that I also think need to be looked at are:

          1. A minimum and maximum income
          2. The elimination of interest

  9. And yet in GB

    “An income squeeze, benefit delays and excessive utility bills are blamed by a cross-party group of MPs for a huge rise in the use of food banks.
    The inquiry, by Conservative and Labour MPs and Church leaders, says many families are one unexpected bill away from financial crisis.
    They urge quicker benefit payments, the extension of free school meals and a living wage to reduce hunger.”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30346060

  10. The Chairman 10

    Good work, Tracey. Hope the Party put it to use.

  11. left for deadshark 11

    Just had a look now Tracey,good start. 😉

  12. tracey 12

    Have just finished reading a brief but interesting article about poverty which includes a workshop with members of the Judiciary.

    “Growth in poverty throughout the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
    Development [OECD] hurts people. The Auckland City Mission Family100 project
    explores the everyday lives, frustrations and dilemmas faced by 100 families living in
    poverty in Auckland. This article reflects on poverty in New Zealand, associated welfare
    ‘reforms’, the consequences of recent change in exacerbating hardship, and our own
    efforts to advocate for the rights of beneficiaries. Specific attention is given to a
    workshop run by the research team with the judiciary, and what such activities
    foreground in terms of the relational nature of research, reciprocity and advocacy. ”

    The Australian Community Psychologist Volume 25 No 1 June 2013

    http://www.aucklandcitymission.org.nz/uploads/file/Research/ResearchingPoverty-Hodgetts-et-al_2013.pdf

    Anita

    ““It’s important for the kids to be fed no matter what. My bottom line is if I can’t get help then I take the situation into my own hands . The stuff that I steal shows t
    hat I’m doing it. I’m not in there stealing fancy cheeses and wine and stuff like that. I’ve been into a fruit shop and stolen a bag of mandarins so that my kids will have some fruit in their lunch boxes… Stealing doesn’t come easy to me. You have to work up the courage. I deal with the guilt of it. I do know what’s right and
    wrong, but when push comes to shove, my kids come first. I steal because I have to. It doesn’t give me a rush or make me feel good, like a lot of thieves . It worries me if I go inside. That’s not going to be good for my kids, either. But when I weigh things up, I don’t have anyone to ask for help. I have to steal probably at least once a fortnight, but it could be three times a week at some points.” ”

    “Family 100…
    When we discussed the issue with families
    they almost universally responded that they appreciated receiving the food parcels, but were not participating for the parcels. They were very willing to participate without the food parcels in order to ‘have their say’. ”

    People WANT to be heard.

    An Actuarial based solution is unlikely to work cross departments, welfare, health, justice… Poverty isn’t bad budgeting it is not having the money to provide very basic things. To those who say throwing money at people isn’t the answer i say, it is one of the answers, in a cross department initiative genuinely desiring to tackle real problems.

    While some politicians are still debating whether poverty even exists in NZ we are a very long way from a solution.

    Meanwhile the latest OECD report has this to report

    “Inequality has a detrimental effect on economic growth, a new OECD report has found.

    The changes in inequality in the two decades following 1995 resulted in both New Zealand and Mexico losing an estimated ten percentage points in growth between 1990 and 2010, according to the thinktank. “

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    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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days 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
    5 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
    7 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
    8 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
    21 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
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  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
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  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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  • Minister’s Ramadan message
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  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
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  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
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