Reds under the beds

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, November 6th, 2014 - 82 comments
Categories: defence, human rights, Spying, war - Tags: , , ,

Governments have always used external threats (real or not) to expand their powers. Supposedly “small government” types seem the most keen to grab more powers, for some strange reason.

So now we’re going through another round. From RNZ this morning:

Law changes to tackle IS risk questioned

Experts are questioning whether new security measures being introduced by the Government to mitigate the threat of Islamic State outweigh the risks.

The Government … will also allow the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) to carry out video surveillance on private properties in cases of security concern. In emergencies they will be allowed to begin surveillance up to 48 hours before the issue of a warrant, with the approval of its director.

Mr Key said the changes will be subject to a sunset clause, but the proposed new legislation has raised concerns among academics.

Nigel Parsons, senior lecturer in the politics programme at Massey University, said it was easy to overstate the risks being posed to New Zealand. “Once civil liberties are gone, once powers of surveillance are increased, those powers are typically difficult to roll back and those liberties are difficult to reclaim,” he said.

Robert Ayson, professor of strategic studies at Victoria University, said there was a threat to New Zealand, but questioned whether it was being painted as more than it really was. “When you are talking about video surveillance before a warrant has been granted that starts to test whether we are willing to sacrifice our democratic values in order safeguard them.”

Given that we are not told what information our security services hold, and given their poor record on such matters in the past (Ahmed Zaoui, Urewera Raids), we the people have every reason to be suspicious of this latest round of “reds under the beds”.

Supporting terrorism is already illegal in NZ, and as Espiner asked Brownlee in his interview this morning (audio), if there is evidence that this is happening, have people have been arrested? Brownlee’s answer? No.

There is then no evidence available to the public of dangerous activity occurring in NZ, and no case for expanding – yet again – the surveillance powers of the state .

82 comments on “Reds under the beds ”

  1. Tracey 1

    I am thoroughly enjoying your return as an author. dont burn yourself out.

    • Macro 1.1

      amen! to that Tracey. r0b take note. 🙂
      We are in greater danger from our “Security” that from terrorists. And there are already more than enough laws to deal with espionage against the state and the country. Key’s beating of the drum and rattling of sabres is nothing less than war mongering for no good cause. His words and at actions make us less safe. NZ has just voted itself into war.

      • Colonial Rawshark 1.1.1

        Our intelligence and security services claim to be utterly unable to do their job of protecting our democracy within a normal framework of laws, regulations and standards.

        Instead, they are telling us that they can only do their jobs if they are effectively immune from virtually all normal requirements of democracy, accountability and decency. That is, if they are granted powers and rights unrivalled by any other citizens or even government institutions.

        We should be careful what kind of mindset we are breeding in these powerful professionals, in this country.

        This is the creation of an untouchable security and surveillance state (using the flimsiests of pretexts – its like they’re not even trying to justify themselves), and it will come back to bite our idiotic self serving politicians in the arse.

  2. Tiger Mountain 2

    The state snooping brief has moved on from cold war times. International economic and corporate issues are significantly where it is at now.

    Yep, those “big government is the problem” types sure do like spending the ‘long suffering’ tax payers dollars on surveillance, union busting, policing and prisons.

    • hoom 2.1

      And ‘nanny state’ proscriptive safety restrictions on Adventure Tourism of all things.

      Personally I’m happy to have solid safety restrictions but its completely opposite of the ‘market will provide & unsafe operators will go out of business’ mentality they are happy to inflict on stuff like child poverty or housing…

      • Tracey 2.1.1

        why parents and other adults dont “get” that adventure tourism carries inherent risks is beyond me.

        • phillip ure 2.1.1.1

          once again tracey..difficult to see yr ‘point’..

          ..are you advocating no safety-standards..?

          ..that they ‘know’..so it’s on their own heads..?

          ..what are you actually saying..?..

        • JanM 2.1.1.2

          It emanates from the same mindset that has seriously curtailed the freedom of children compared to my own upbringing in the 50s/60s. Imagine now being allowed to just walk out the gate and join your mates for a day with only a sheepdog’s whistle from your mother as a call to lunch and dinner (she was famous throughout the neighbourhood for that).
          Children are now seen as ‘possessions’ and tend therefore to be locked up and overprotected. There is an ongoing tension in my profession as an early childhood teacher between offering enough physical challenge and accident prevention.

          • Tracey 2.1.1.2.1

            yup. And there were protections in place for adventure tourism. yes sometimes they fail but the reaction is often by parents wanting their children to build character and become leaders but wonder why that must involve risk and pushing physical and personal boundaries.

            • b waghorn 2.1.1.2.1.1

              I would imagine that lashing out at tourism providers would be a very normal reaction to the grief of losing a child

              • Tracey

                so would i, but not all deaths are created equal, are they…

                like those who die cos they were at work.

          • M Scott 2.1.1.2.2

            I grew up in East Africa. One day our primary school headmaster said at assembly that children who walked to school across a nearby valley and river should tell their parents to bring them to school for a the next week or so because there was a leopard in the valley. Nobody told their parents and even children who didn’t live across the valley went that way.
            A boy in my class was spat at by a cobra and got venom in his eye while playing marbles outside the school hall. The kids took him to the staff room where they bathed his eye in milk and eventually someone phoned his mother who took him to the doctor. I still check myself from whistling and stamping when I walk through long grass… the only safety precaution we ever took against snakes.

            • Tracey 2.1.1.2.2.1

              before we get too glassy eyed about the old days…

              homosexuals were beaten regularly
              sexual and domestic abuse was going on unchecked behind nice whiteclosed doors
              women were being medicated for being dissatisfied with their lives
              rape was legal inside marriage
              and so on…

              only parts of the good old days were good. some were bad.

            • JanM 2.1.1.2.2.2

              cool stories 🙂

        • Molly 2.1.1.3

          Was at the Treetops adventure park a month before the fatal accident.

          Was surprised to see that those participating had been told to put one carabiner on their harness, when using the flying fox. This meant that there was only one point of contact on the wire – if that failed then there was no safety backup.

          Stupidly, I didn’t think to take this up with the instructors later – busy at the time with entertaining two underage children on the ground, but had assumed that SOP’s had been set, and audited by some type of OSH department.

          Was only after the accident discovered that this was not the case.

          I agree that people need to accept the inherent risk in some activities, but with the proviso that if you are to accept money from people for such activities a basic audit with a competent government department should occur before the doors open.

          In this case, the instruction eliminated a basic safety backup. This would have been picked up by an independent audit – or – alternatively, by someone like me that noticed an anomaly and had the inspiration to take it to the operators – as I should have.

  3. mac1 3

    “Supposedly “small government” types seem the most keen to grab more powers, for some strange reason.”

    This is worthy of a post in itself.

    • Colonial Rawshark 3.1

      They want small anaemic government unable to challenge the corporate elite. They want big muscular government to act on behalf of the corporate elite.

      I think that’s as long as the post needs to be.

      • Tracey 3.1.1

        they want small govt as a kind of middle management forcorporate elite

      • Wensleydale 3.1.2

        And let’s not forget that they want to control everything, without having to fund it. All of the power with none of the risk.

      • Murray Rawshark 3.1.3

        I’d add one detail. They want the ordinary worker to pay the bills, but they’re quite happy to have the muscular part done by private companies. I’m thinking of Serco and the mercenaries that Shearer loves so much.

    • JanM 3.2

      They’ve been watching too much American television, I think 🙂

  4. Tracey 5

    it is almost like… hysteria?

  5. hunter 6

    If IS didn’t exist the establishment would have to invent them.

    • Tracey 6.1

      exactly….

      • Colonial Rawshark 6.1.1

        The Huns, Reds under the Bed, Maori separatists, Al Qaeda cells in your home town etc.

        • Tracey 6.1.1.1

          greenpeace…

          • phillip ure 6.1.1.1.1

            nah..!..greenpeace are safe..

            ..they just focus on whales ‘n stuff..

            ..they never challenge the animal-exploitation paradigm..

            ..or the vivisectors..

            ..they are no real threat..

            ..shit..!..they have bbq’s…f.f.s..!

            ..how to stand around emoting about some animals..

            ..whilst chowing down on some others..

            ..(apparantly it’s a favoured-species-ranking..)

            ..and within themselves..

            ..seemingly irony-free…

            [lprent: I’m getting tired of you pushing a vegetated lifestyle in posts that have bugger all to do with it. If it has nothing to do with the post, then put it in OpenMike, don’t try . I’m going to start doubling on this one if I think that you are starting to repeat this behaviour.

            Banned for 2 weeks for deliberate diversion in posts. ]

            • Tracey 6.1.1.1.1.1

              quiet day in open mike?
              needing to distract from the topic somewhere else?
              not feeling it’s about U enough?

            • minarch 6.1.1.1.1.2

              “nah..!..greenpeace are safe..

              ..they just focus on whales ‘n stuff..

              ..they never challenge the animal-exploitation paradigm..

              ..or the vivisectors..

              ..they are no real threat..

              ..shit..!..they have bbq’s…f.f.s..!

              ..how to stand around emoting about some animals..

              ..whilst chowing down on some others..

              ..(apparantly it’s a favoured-species-ranking..)

              ..and within themselves..

              ..seemingly irony-free…”

              Greenpeace are an ENVIRONMENTAL org Phil , not a Vegan one..

              you ever actually been to a Greenpeace BBQ Phil ? I have many times and they readily provide vege alternatives, you think you should have to be vege/vegan to work threre or something

              “..they are no real threat..”

              maybe you should look at what Greenpeace have actually achieved before you make judgements like that.

              • “..you ever actually been to a Greenpeace BBQ Phil ?..”

                ..yes..

                “..readily provide vege alternatives..”

                ..so i was correct..and they still stand around emoting about one species..

                ..while happily munching down on other species..

                ..and you can’t see the contradictions/ironies in that..?

                ..really..?

                ..and what have greenpeace actually ‘achieved’..?..

                ..remind me..

                ..(bullet-points will suffice..)

                ..’cos to me/from out here.. greenpeace are like the greens in parliament..

                ..been there a long time..

                ..but difficult to see what they have actually achieved/changed..

                • minarch

                  October 2014: After more than one million people respond to Greenpeace’s Save the Arctic campaign LEGO ends its 50 year link with Shell. On it’s website, LEGO published a statement committing to ‘not renew the co-promotion contract with Shell’.

                  February 2014: Budget giant Primark becomes the 20th major clothing company to commit to Detox – agreeing to eliminate hazardous chemicals from its supply chain by 1 January 2020. From luxury houses like Burberry and Valentino to retailers like Primark, this latest victory shows how big brands are listening to the global calls for fashion without pollution and taking steps to create a toxic-free future.

                  January 2014: British luxury brand Burberry made a commitment to eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals from its supply chain by 1 January 2020. Burberry’s move comes after just two weeks of people-powered campaigning on the brand’s social media channels, reaching an audience of millions, while Greenpeace volunteers held protests at stores from Beijing to Mexico City. Burberry joins 18 big brands like Zara, Valentino and H&M who have committed to Detox their clothes and manufacturing processes

                  or how about these

                  1972: After the first Greenpeace action in 1971, the US abandons nuclear testing grounds at Amchitka Island, Alaska.

                  1975: France ends atmospheric tests in the South Pacific after Greenpeace protests at the test site.

                  1978

                  1978: Greenpeace actions halt the grey seal slaughter in the Orkney Islands, Scotland.

                  1982: After at sea actions against whalers, a whaling moratorium is adopted by the International Whaling Commission.

                  1982: EC bans import of seal pup skins in response to public criticism triggered by Greenpeace actions in Canada.

                  991: The 39 Antarctic Treaty signatories agree to a 50-year minimum prohibition of all mineral exploitation, in effect preserving the continent for peaceful, scientific purposes.

                  Theres plenty more Phil, but i think you already know that…

                  • Tracey

                    and they will be under surveillance

                    • minarch

                      they have been under surveillance for a long time already…

                      in fact they almost got taken to employment court when they sacked an undercover police officer who had infiltrated the org not that long ago..

            • phillip ure 6.1.1.1.1.3

              see ya dude…

              ..ban me for two weeks..and i’m gone..

              ..get yr energy elsewhere..

              [lprent: You can just picture my complete indifference.

              Either way the annoying behaviour is curbed as far as I am concerned. I don’t have to keep wasting my time stopping on comments while moderating to look at how this odd topic popped up in a post about something completely different. It bores me. I am sure it bores others.

              Of course you do have the option of making such comments in OpenMike or in posts on the topic. All that takes is simple willpower, and I wouldn’t care about that either.

              Or you could just deal with the great rush of commenters to your site to read the words missing on this site 😈 ]

        • phillip ure 6.1.1.2

          then of course there are those economic-terrorists…

          ..those trying to tear down the foundations of our animal-exploitation economy..

          ..those bloody vegans..!

          • b waghorn 6.1.1.2.1

            When you get enough people to eat only nuts and leaves then farmers will grow nuts and leaves its called market forces I believe.

            • phillip ure 6.1.1.2.1.1

              james cameron is showing the way forward with that..

              ..he has bought large dairy-holdings in the wairarapa..

              ..and is in the process of turning them back into real food-growing farms again..

              ..and the interesting thing is that he is experimenting with lots of different crops..

              ..to find which works best in that post-dairy environment..

              ..and he is/will be putting the results of those growing-experiments online..

              ..available to anyone to use..

              ..and yes..it is/will be ‘market-forces’ that will help kill the dairy-industry.(c.f.global-glut predicted for next five yrs..)

              ..i actually laugh out loud now when i hear these idiots from fonterra predicting the price will rise again..to fufill their hysterically-optimistic predictions..

              ..and their crash and burn will be spectacular..

              ..that and knowledge about the health-implications from using dairy becoming more widespread..

              ..will pretty much seal the deal..

              ..then of course there is the mu-free milk-made-without-hurting-animals/yr health coming on the market next yr..

              ..looks like..tastes/cooks/cheese-makes like..doesn’t need fridge..

              ..minimal environmental-footrint (esp. compared to cow-milk..)

              ..and much cheaper that the cow-based product..

              ..face it..the dairy industry is fucked..

              • the dairy industry in nz at this moment is like the stable-owners/bridle-makers of yore..

                ..everywhere/relied upon by everyone..

                ..and trying to just ignore the first cars nosing around corners/hoving into view..

                ..of course..those most leveraged..and so reliant on that high price to even survive/meet their commitments..that price that won’t be coming back..

                ..they will be the first to fall..

                ..and the small/barely-economic now will be next..

                ..(there will be some really cheap rural land coming up..)

                …and what really concerns me..is how so much treaty-settlement money is being poured into what is a sunset-industry..

                ..and bound to fail..

                • b waghorn

                  When comes to the money side of farming the banks are the best farmers around they make the real profits and the buggers don’t even get dirty . I ‘m quiet sure the would work on the theory that if some farmers aren’t failing they aren’t pushing them hard enough

                • Phillip, you have a valid point to make – just don’t try to hi-jack a thread; it only pisses people off. (And before you ask – yes, I am a vegan and have been for most of my life – I wouldn’t bring this up in a discussion about small government versus government intrusions into private lives of citizens, though. How is it relevant? )

              • b waghorn

                Good luck to Cameron I’d be interested to know how much movie money he’ll pump into it and weather it will scew the facts. But as far as fuck the dairy industry goes iv’e been around long enough to know it goes in a 5-7 year cycle . (I’m a shepherd now but was raised on a dairy farm and worked in dairy for 6 years)

        • And now according to Key we have Muslems under the bed.

    • Coffee Connoissuer 6.2

      The US govt funded and armed IS in the beginning in Libya.

      • Tracey 6.2.1

        link or source?

        on another similar note

        “…U.S. officials have long denied acquiescing to Iraqi chemical attacks, insisting that Hussein’s government never announced he was going to use the weapons. But retired Air Force Col. Rick Francona, who was a military attachĂŠ in Baghdad during the 1988 strikes, paints a different picture.

        “The Iraqis never told us that they intended to use nerve gas. They didn’t have to. We already knew,” he told Foreign Policy.

        According to recently declassified CIA documents and interviews with former intelligence officials like Francona, the U.S. had firm evidence of Iraqi chemical attacks beginning in 1983 …”

        the us was happy for the chemical attacks to continue…

        http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/08/25/secret_cia_files_prove_america_helped_saddam_as_he_gassed_iran

    • Murray Rawshark 6.3

      They pretty much did invent ISIL.

  6. Iron Sky 7

    You wonder how Key knows who Rawshark is?

    They, my dear bloggers, know who you are, even with your tricky encryption.

    I could imagine Gerry and co snuggled under the bed covers with a computer, a box of tissues, 50 cases of mars bars and this software:

    Regardless, I wonder if there is legislation on this:

    https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/10/30/hacking-team/

    SECRET MANUALS SHOW THE SPYWARE SOLD TO DESPOTS AND COPS WORLDWIDE

    When Apple and Google unveiled new encryption schemes last month, law enforcement officials complained that they wouldn’t be able to unlock evidence on criminals’ digital devices. What they didn’t say is that there are already methods to bypass encryption, thanks to off-the-shelf digital implants readily available to the smallest national agencies and the largest city police forces — easy-to-use software that takes over and monitors digital devices in real time, according to documents obtained by The Intercept.

    The manuals describe Hacking Team’s software for government technicians and analysts, showing how it can activate cameras, exfiltrate emails, record Skype calls, log typing, and collect passwords on targeted devices. They also catalog a range of pre-bottled techniques for infecting those devices using wifi networks, USB sticks, streaming video, and email attachments to deliver viral installers. With a few clicks of a mouse, even a lightly trained technician can build a software agent that can infect and monitor a device, then upload captured data at unobtrusive times using a stealthy network of proxy servers, all without leaving a trace. That, at least, is what Hacking Team’s manuals claim as the company tries to distinguish its offerings in the global marketplace for government hacking software

  7. Jay 8

    We don’t and can’t know what the sis know, and we need to have some faith. This isn’t America or Russia or Germany, we are all kiwis that more or less hold the same values, and I don’t believe for a second these guys are despots wanting to subvert our rights. I’ve travelled a bit and kiwis are just. . . different. We just naturally think differently than a lot of others, these guys are quite ordinary, they have ordinary friends, they aren’t going to screw ordinary people.

    A select committee will look at this. Which the government don’t have to do remember, the fact they are gives me even more faith. Will be interesting to see what comes out of that.

    You can scream hysterically at me and call me naive, but let’s just wait and see cause only time will tell

    • Tracey 8.1

      keep telling yourself that jay, no matter what people try to show you, hang on to that belief that kiwis are immune…

      remember when the gcsb broke the law, so key changed it to make it okay? do you think they learned not to break the law, or something else.

      now, back to your imagining that kiwis are just different.

    • framu 8.2

      i find it weird that almost everyone can agree that throughout history there have been some bad people who did bad things against other people. Some more bad than others.

      Yet when faced with the notion that these types of people still exist they deny it could happen

      Your being a naieve fool on this topic jay – not because you have a different view – but because your ignoring both history and what we know about present day activities

      Its your lack of suspiscion, critical analysis and blind acceptance that marks you as such.

    • Iron Sky 8.3

      Jay, we all have opinions, try this out to test if we NZers are all created equal and just a bunch of easy going she’ll be right mate’rs. I wonder if “surveillance” was used on the various boards and CEOs?

      If this is true:

      In July 2013, Pike River Coal was ordered to pay $110,000 to each of the victims’ families and fined $760,000.[101] In the end it did not pay the fine and only paid $5000 to each family, saying it did not have the money.[102][103]
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pike_River_Mine_disaster

      +

      The proposed settlement means the Pike River company’s biggest shareholder, New Zealand Oil & Gas, will get about $38.3 million as a secured creditor and $3 million as an unsecured creditor. It had rights to more of the insurance payout but has agreed to a receiver’s plan to pay $10.5 million to unsecured creditors.

      NZOG’s remaining debt would be reduced to $14.7 million secured and $12.1 million unsecured. Yesterday NZOG shares closed up 3c to 71c.
      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10751375

      Man, yeah, we live in a wonderful country.

    • Tracey 8.4

      anyway jay, if we are different, we dont need the same laws as those others, right

    • minarch 8.5

      “have some faith’

      hallelujah ! The SIS will provide,

      how much you tithing a week Jay ?

    • lprent 8.6

      We don’t and can’t know what the sis know, and we need to have some faith.

      Why? They have a pretty good track record of monumental screw ups when we see stuff coming into public view.

      I personally don’t have that much faith in them.

    • Tracey 8.7

      i think winston was referring to you, Jay, in this statement below

      “…Thursday, 6 November 2014, 1:44 pm
      Press Release: New Zealand First Party

      Rt Hon Winston Peters

      New Zealand First Leader
      6 NOVEMBER 2014

      Time for Some Recanting

      With confirmation that American spies are working in New Zealand, by a former head of the US National Security Agency last night, there is confirmation that they are based here, says New Zealand First.

      “This proves whistle-blower Edward Snowden right again,” says New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters. “Mr Snowden said, while he was in New Zealand, that there were NSA facilities here, and I confirmed that I knew the location of one base.

      “Of course, a certain faction of the commentators typically poured scorn on this confirming the old English adage, ‘the malady of the ignorant is to be ignorant without knowing it’.

      “However, on TV3’s 3rd Degree last night former deputy director of the NSA, Chris Inglis, confirmed NSA spies connection in New Zealand.

      “Logically, they must be based somewhere, but there are reasons why there is no street address listed on the internet, or on your GPS. And, former heads of NSA are not going to give the game away.

      “On the same programme, General Michael Hayden, former director of the NSA and CIA, might as well have said ‘yes’ when asked if there were bases on New Zealand soil.

      “Instead he claimed that would give ‘an expansive meaning’ to the word ‘base’, and added he would not say more on operational matters.” …”

      • karol 8.7.1

        Full report of the content of the 3rd Degree programme here.

        Mr Key admitted that a test probe had been placed on the cable in 2013, probably not underwater but at one of two fortified landing points in something called Initiative 7418.

        So that would be at Takapuna (Northcote Road) or Hobsonville.

        3rd Degree has learned of a high-level technical meeting 18 months ago between engineers from the GCSB and Spark, formerly Telecom. What was on the agenda? Letting the spies get access to the company’s internet exchanges and nodes – effectively their whole network.
        “As part of our obligation, obviously we were consulted as to whether this was technically feasible and what our role would be. We said it is technically feasible but it will be difficult.”
        Since Spark’s David Havercroft told us that little secret, Spark and the GCSB have been falling over themselves to reassure us it all about cyber defence. That is fair enough. But why then did Alex, joint director of cyber security, know nothing of the meeting?

        And a lot more.

        • Tracey 8.7.1.1

          a big corporation lying for the PM during an election campaign… never.

          thanks for the link.

          The complete lack of outrage and demands for Key to resign is telling.

        • KJT 8.7.1.2

          If you want cyber defence you go to Microsoft, not the GCSB.

          Funny how in this case the usual suspects want “big Government”, not privatisation! Their answer to every other problem.

    • Andrea 8.8

      “we are all kiwis that more or less hold the same values”

      Would you like a sarcasm emoticon to go with that?

    • Murray Rawshark 8.9

      No Jay, I do not share your values. I think people like you are the problem, because all Key needs to do is drink a beer out of the bottle and burn some meat on a barbecue and you think he’s your mate. You think he’s not going to screw you. In reality, he won’t even use lube,

  8. Nic the NZer 9

    Jay – we are all kiwis that more or less hold the same values

    Nic – The governments also been producing evidence that giving more money to beneficiaries results in them being able to get off the benefit.

    Jay – Why even say stuff like that.

    No Jay, we don’t have the same values at all.

  9. Tracey 10

    i have been trying to read stuff offering alternative world views to the wests desire to “cure” extremism by war.

    the following is an intriguing article about how Iran, that evil enemy of the west may hold the answer.

    ..http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?fromval=2&cid=32&frid=19&seccatid=32&eid=174821

  10. Iron Sky 11

    The purpose of surveillance is to ensure the workers don’t go shopping for a new master with better terms! The elite hate it when there slaves start to think.

    We are being saved, thank you John and Gerry.

    Although George Carlin (RIP) does not make reference to surveillance, I think he sums the game up fairly nicely:

    http://www.alternativereel.com/soc/display_article.php?id=0000000019

    “Forget the politicians. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice . . . you don’t. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own, and control the corporations. They’ve long since bought, and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the state houses, the city halls, they got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies, so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear. They got you by the balls.

    They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying . . . lobbying, to get what they want . . . Well, we know what they want. They want more for themselves and less for everybody else, but I’ll tell you what they don’t want . . . they don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that . . . that doesn’t help them. That’s against their interests. That’s right. They don’t want people who are smart enough to sit around a kitchen table and think about how badly they’re getting fucked by a system that threw them overboard 30 fuckin’ years ago. They don’t want that. You know what they want?

    They want obedient workers . . . Obedient workers, people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork. And just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime and vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it, and now they’re coming for your Social Security money.

    They want your fuckin’ retirement money. They want it back so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street, and you know something? They’ll get it . . . they’ll get it all from you sooner or later cause they own this fuckin’ place. It’s a big club and you ain’t in it. You and I are not in The big club. By the way, it’s the same big club they use to beat you over the head with all day long when they tell you what to believe. All day long beating you over the head with their media telling you what to believe, what to think and what to buy.

    The table has tilted folks. The game is rigged and nobody seems to notice. Nobody seems to care. Good honest hard-working people . . . white collar, blue collar it doesn’t matter what color shirt you have on. Good honest hard-working people continue, these are people of modest means . . . continue to elect these rich cocksuckers who don’t give a fuck about you. They don’t give a fuck about you . . . they don’t give a fuck about you. They don’t care about you at all . . . at all . . . at all, and nobody seems to notice. Nobody seems to care.

    That’s what the owners count on. The fact that Americans will probably remain willfully ignorant of the big red, white and blue dick that’s being jammed up their assholes everyday, because the owners of this country know the truth. It’s called the American Dream cause you have to be asleep to believe it . . .”

    • Tracey 11.1

      baby cheeses!

      “… It’s called the American Dream cause you have to be asleep to believe it . . .” GOLD

    • RedLogixFormes 11.2

      I first saw this Carlin clip over a decade ago. It’s hugely vivid and memorable – and the message has stayed with me since. But if you take it too literally it’s a prescription for a rather bitterly cynical view of life.

      What I think Carlin wanted us to take away was the message in that last para. That it is our willful ignorance which enables the owner classes to get away with it. That the responsibility for this fucked up situation is 100% ours.

      The world view of the righties is summed up as “Life isn’t fair – suck it up”. Which is nothing more than a glib rationalisation, justifying the owners continued exploitation of us ordinary people.

      Our response is “Life isn’t fair – but it should be”. And this demands we grow a pair and take responsibility for making it so.

    • les 11.3

      wonderful!

  11. Ad 12

    Key’s moves have really been pretty mild compared to our comparator western democracies right now.

    But what makes it hard to trust these proposed intercept-and-film-without-warrant moves is National’s long incompetence with both metadata and personal data across multiple agencies, multiple reviews, and multiple years.

    And while it’s a Police matter rather than an SIS matter, it’s still relevant that Nicky Hagar’s house was searched for 10 hours. Hell am I looking forward to that warrant coming before a good stern judge.

    If the Police get away with that warrant like they have so far, that would send a real chill. Both the intelligence and enforcement communities would have been given simultaneous messaging that it’s simply all right to go hard on us liberal softc*cks.

    After that it’s really buckle in, and I for one would simply stop all activism and all activist communication for ever.

  12. Aerobubble 13

    Governments make mistakes. And via those transgressions are moderated.
    Moderate government is the goal. Not too much deregulation least fascism of the wealthiest takes hold, not too much regulation less institutional committes of the people do. Turns out that efficient economies balance these two forces, reduce both the friction from wealthly private entities and also from over regulation.
    Scandinavian countries get beaten up over there efficient social liberalism, but really they are just more capitalistic than our cretinous rightwing elite, who never have to explain leaky homes, mine turned into a grave yard, such building code, etc

    We suffer from government too close to big business. Failure to moderate their neo liberal glee.

  13. Rolf 14

    Any society that gives up a bit of freedom do gain a bit of security does not deserve either, and will loose both (Benjamin Franklin)

  14. Lorraine 15

    I’m shocked that on both sides of the spectrum there is so much self interest. If it isn’t effecting them they don’t wan’t to do anything about it. Was clear on Q+A this morning that the far left and the far right panel had both the same views. Unless it is effecting them personally they are not interested. They both thought that what created IS is bigger than the group so they thought it was an excuse to do nothing and gazing at their navels.
    People like that would have never got involved in WW2 or WW1 for that matter. I’m not saying that there wasn’t negative things about going into those wars but nothing seems to have been learned from history by these people. IS is a powerful force now because people were going hands off. These people will not even care when people are being beheaded in our country if those people are not related to them. I’ve never met such heartless people as I believe some people are these days. Such incredible self interest and too bad about anyone else seems to be the theme of this point in history.
    If not stopped IS will grow. It has a fantastic propaganda machine that is recruiting nutters from around the world. Had it been stopped 2 or 3 years ago we would not be dealing with this today. IS is committing genocide. Too many people have stood around gazing at their navels before while genocide was going on. Shame on those people who are willing to accept that and shame on those creeps that excused it today on Q+A this morning. I don’t care what political leaning a person has, when genocide is happening there is no time to wait. Too many times people have waited and millions of people have been brutally murdered.
    IS is not a political power it is a regime of sociopathic mass murderers. They have no ethics or compassion. Get it in your thick heads IS does not want negotiation. Just like a serial mass murderer doesn’t change no matter how much talk goes on. I really think many people as just so completely stupid about what they are dealing with in IS. The people being attracted to that organisation are converting to islam so that they can go satisfy their blood thirsty desire to brutally murder people. Those people are sociopaths in the first place.
    Just like Hitlers SS they are people who were bloodthirsty murderous people in the first place and Hitler bought them together. IS is doing the same thing. They are tapping into the kind of people who think about murdering people for their own pleasure. Take the islamic out of it and these guys are a bunch of murderous thugs. Stopping them has nothing to do with islam. It is about stopping people who are committing genocide.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 15.1

      In fact, the Left’s position is to abide by UN and Security Council resolutions and offer humanitarian aid.

      The right just wants to sell guns.

  15. Lorraine 16

    To proved my point about IS members being sociopathic killers that are committing genocide just take a look at the majority of prisoners in NZ. Almost all would not go into the home of innocent people and head the babies and children of people. That is the domain of only the most extreme of violent people. People who are devoid of any compassion and humanity. People who brutally murder children come into a different category than you normal murderer. They men who are going over to fight for IS are in that category. They don’t have any humanity in them as are the people who are supporting IS. It is a Sociopathic murderous regime committing genocide who are recruiting people who think that being a sociopathic murder is a cool thing to be and they relate to that. Because the relate to that they are going to Syria and Iraq to join a bunch of other people who are also sociopaths who get a big kick out of heading anyone who does not belong to their sociopathic murderous group. Islam does not factor in that and probably 99% of the Islamic people in NZ would agree that IS has nothing to do with their religion. It is unfortunate that IS are using the word Islam in their name. They do not represent Islamic people any more than they represent anyone else except sociopathic psychokillers of people including innocent, children and babies.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 16.1

      IS are competing with the National Party for sociopaths? I bet the National Party gets the lion’s share.

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    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
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 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
    10 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
    10 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
    24 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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