Reef piranha

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 pm, December 22nd, 2013 - 42 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, len brown, Media, parliamentary spending - Tags:

Today’s Herald editorial gets one thing right – a media pack has turned on Len Brown. But it’s not gutsy journalism – it comes straight out of the Rupert Murdoch playbook.

David Lange famously compared media in his time to reef fish – darting hither and yon in some kind of genetic “follow the leader” pattern.  It’s probably not fair to call all the journalists and commentators reef piranha, although some certainly are. But reef fish behaviour it certainly is, as they shift the sins of the Mayor from target to target without it seems any of the examination one expects from the journalistic profession.

No matter that Brown was exonerated of any  misuse of office. Now  the sin for which some think he must pay with his life is not to have declared complimentary room upgrades, for rooms he has booked and paid for himself.  According to the Eeyores of  EY, they total over $32,000 for 64 occasions. That’s $500 an upgrade, which seems quite a lot on top of what Len paid himself. The report is not particularly detailed as to how this total was arrived at, and I cannot find any example of any journalist asking questions about it.

I look forward without much expectation to the journalistic crusade to expose any and every public official who has ever received an upgrade for room or flight and who has not declared it as either conflict of interest or in their gift register. It would certainly involve rivers of ink.

The most disappointing thing for me is how many of Auckland’s so-called “left” such as Trotter, Manning, and McCarten have joined the shoal fish, even if swimming in the rear. These petty picadors have stuck the lance into Len, all the while protesting they are doing it more in sorrow than in anger or for his own good. That’s not gutsy journalism either and does little credit to either their analysis or their courage.

42 comments on “Reef piranha ”

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  1. gobsmacked 1
    22 December 2013 at 8:41 pm

    A chocolate reef fish for the first person to provide an example of the Fourth Estate in the past week or so, asking another politician:

    “So, have you ever received any free upgrades?”

    It may have happened – of course I can’t follow all media – but I’m afraid I’ve missed it.

  2. RedLogix 2
    22 December 2013 at 9:05 pm

    Here’s the deal.

    Between 50-60% of all people, of both genders, “cheat’ on a partner at some point in their lives.

    http://www.statisticbrain.com/infidelity-statistics/

    That makes an awful lot of tut-tutting jonolists and dreary, judgmental panty-sniffers something far worse than anything Len has done.

    They’re a pack of sniveling hypocrites. It was Len’s private life and was never any of their prurient little snouts business.

    (Oh and the nonsense about the upgrades and freebies – nothing but a fig-leaf for those who know they’re being hypocrites and snivelers.)

    • Anne 2.1
      22 December 2013 at 9:25 pm

      +1 Redlogix.

    • Steve 2.3
      23 December 2013 at 8:43 pm

      “Oh and the nonsense about the upgrades and freebies – nothing but a fig-leaf for those who know they’re being hypocrites and snivelers.”

      So you describe Len Brown taking free rooms from Sky City during the convention centre debate as just nonsense? Surely that action deeply compromises him?

      • RedLogix 2.3.1
        23 December 2013 at 9:06 pm

        It’s a valid question.

        If you can show that SC offered Len the rooms as a specific gift in order to induce him to change his vote – then yes you are correct, that would indeed deeply compromise him. But no-one has been able to show that.

        On the other hand what we do know is that for perfectly legitimate reasons Len frequently used a number of hotels in Auckland city, and all of them had routine policies of offering high value guests upgrades and the occasional free nights as a form of competitive discounting.

        That’s a perfectly normal and acceptable commercial arrangement – just as Brewers trip to the GC to speak at a Mediaworks event appears to have been. The evidence suggests this is by far the more probable scenario in both cases.

        It is worth recalling that Len was paying for these rooms himself as a private person, just as Cameron was working for Mediaworks on his own private capacity. This is probably where the ambiguity arose – because these matters arose entirely on their own time as private citizens it probably never occurred to them that there was any ‘gifting’ that was required to be registered as an interest with the Council.

        After all if a cafe gives you a tenth cup free on a loyalty card – is that a ‘gift’ or a discount? And would you think that your employer needed to know about it?

        In hindsight declaring both matters to the Council would have prevented any problem for both men – but hindsight is of course prone to counsels of perfection.

        • Steve 2.3.1.1
          24 December 2013 at 7:01 am

          I’m not sure anyone is suggesting that he accepted the free rooms as an inducement for support. But it does demonstrate extremely poor judgement, and that is more than concerning for somebody in his position.
          To me, this situation is very similar to the position John Banks finds himself in. Both are examples of poor judgement, and both have handled the situations terribly.

          • Colonial Viper 2.3.1.1.1
            24 December 2013 at 7:13 am

            John Banks deliberately lied about very large donations handed to him personally, via statutory declaration. Banks is now facing criminal charges. Quite different to business as usual hotel upgrades which any hotel gives out to any frequent customer.

            • Steve 2.3.1.1.1.1
              24 December 2013 at 2:35 pm

              Upgrades? Don’t you mean free rooms? Have you ever received a free room?

              • One Anonymous Knucklehead …
                24 December 2013 at 3:21 pm

                Right wing nut job has English comprehension problems.

                Free means you don’t have to pay. Brown paid.

      • gobsmacked 2.3.2
        23 December 2013 at 9:16 pm

        I think *anybody* accepting freebies from Sky City while having a say on the conference centre is compromised. Including Brown.

        But I have no idea who has accepted them, because only one person has been investigated. It beggars belief that nobody in the media is interested in making one single phone call to the MPs who voted for the Sky City deal. Just get them on the record denying or admitting (or “not recalling”).

        Why aren’t they doing this? “Conspiracy”, some will say, but I prefer a more basic – and arguably worse – one. They just don’t care. And if that’s the case, then any talk about “principles” and “corruption” is laughable. Especially from the Herald.

        If it matters, seek the truth. If it doesn’t matter, then let’s tell the truth – it’s not about principles at all, and never was.

        • RedLogix 2.3.2.1
          23 December 2013 at 9:27 pm

          I agree that it was unwise of anyone to be accepting freebies from Sky City at that point in time – but given that it was most likely a perfectly routine discounting arrangement I would argue it’s not a hanging offense.

          And as you say – if we went on a fishing expedition through the affairs of all politicians we’d most certainly find similar.

          • Macro 2.3.2.1.1
            23 December 2013 at 11:13 pm

            It is interesting to note that National regularly hold their conference at Sky City – one wonders just what sort of “Inducements” are being offered then.

            But then that sort of thing is ok /sarc

        • Colonial Viper 2.3.2.2
          24 December 2013 at 7:15 am

          Also SkyCity was giving Brown exactly the same treatment before negotiations, and after negotiations. No change, no special treatment, business as usual.

  3. fambo 3
    22 December 2013 at 9:33 pm

    Well said. As just one example of many, John Banks would have gotten away with corruption sans any media outrage if it wasn’t for one private individual who used a still independent judiciary. The way the media treats John Key, even after he got the police to raid their offices suggests they are blind to his transgressions in a similar way to the US media and George Bush. They simply refuse to hold him to account.

    • Grumpy 3.1
      22 December 2013 at 9:44 pm

      You hope….Banks hasn’t admitted or been convicted of anything yet.

      • felix 3.1.1
        22 December 2013 at 11:03 pm

        Yeah right. He admitted receiving the money. He admitted making the declaration.

      • Macro 3.1.2
        23 December 2013 at 11:16 pm

        No.. he is in denial…

        He cannot admit anything, because if he did, he would have to be asked to leave his comfortable position. And we can’t have that…

    • Draco T Bastard 3.2
      22 December 2013 at 11:52 pm

      Such behaviour is common to authoritarian followers. They will always defend their leaders no matter what the facts say and they’ll do it either through not mentioning the crime to outright denial that it happened.

      • RedLogix 3.2.1
        23 December 2013 at 12:16 am

        Exactly.

        Personally I was not too fussed about Brewer accepting a trip to the GC. I’m still a little curious as to exactly why MediaWorks decided to shower this beneficence on him, but if it’s a straightforward commercial arrangement then it’s justified.

        The point is; if you go on fishing trips into anyone’s private life you will find something to make game of. There are no perfect people.

        What gets me is that the left falls for this game every time. None of the screamers and howlers after Len Brown’s scalp actually cared the slightest about who he was fucking (other than his family – and it to them and them only that he is accountable for that) nor the puffed up nonsense around the hotels.

        It was just a game and distraction to them. Called “Get Len”. So as we stop paying attention to what’s important.

        • Colonial Viper 3.2.1.1
          23 December 2013 at 12:46 am

          The Left has lost most of the muscle, cohesion and will needed to make a difference on shit which matters, so it gets distracted by everything else.

        • karol 3.2.1.2
          23 December 2013 at 7:57 pm

          The whole Brown thing is a big distraction from the real shortcomings of the Auckland Council undemocratic structure: personality politics rather than the stuff that really matters.

  4. Grumpy 4
    22 December 2013 at 9:42 pm

    Gob, try Brewer, accusations that proved false.
    Contrast this post with Worth etc. nice that the left is so absolving of their own but the howls of outrage at the drop of a hat over any perceived indiscretion by a right politician just make you look hypocritical.

    • gobsmacked 4.1
      22 December 2013 at 10:01 pm

      Brewer was asked about free upgrades? Cite? (no, because he wasn’t).

      Richard Worth? Another case of the memory hole. Does this ring a bell? –

      “I gave him a bollocking,”

      “If he hadn’t resigned, I would have sacked him.”

      “I’ve washed my hands of him.”

      “I can’t sack him twice.”

      All said by the same person, the one who was responsible for ending Worth’s career. Hint: not a leftie.

  5. RedbaronCV 5
    22 December 2013 at 9:49 pm

    I’ve posted in open mike but the report is shabby to put it mildly. Quax and Cameron should be called to account, the report plus other staff time etc must now be rising towards quarter of a mill of ratepayer money for a $400 return. Time those two stopped wasting rates.

  6. clifford wright 6
    22 December 2013 at 10:18 pm

    That’s just it! Because you happen to agree with the professed politics of someone in public life can NEVER be allowed to blind you to failings that they may have.
    Otherwise you really are a country of the “one eyed”.
    Always the problem is that the “protector of the downtrodden” as Len wants to be portrayed leaves himself more open to criticism than the self proclaimed monetarist “Jackist”.
    We all know the monetarist is a selfish Bastard!
    But it looks worse when one’s expectations are higher.

    • Colonial Viper 6.1
      22 December 2013 at 10:37 pm

      Oh for fucks sake try and make some sense instead of taping some random moral outrage together.

  7. Nick K 7
    23 December 2013 at 6:59 am

    I look forward to your stinging criticism of the media the next time a right wing politician is harassed into oblivion, like David Garrett was.

    • chris73 7.1
      23 December 2013 at 7:25 am

      Or Richard Worth or Aaron Gilmore…

      • Colonial Viper 7.1.1
        23 December 2013 at 5:52 pm

        Richard Worth – fell on his own sword (details hushed up not splashed out).

        Aaron Gilmore – fell on his own sword (but not before taking swipes at his Leader and his party).

    • Colonial Viper 7.2
      23 December 2013 at 5:49 pm

      What, the baby thief? Were you all ready to forgive that were you?

  8. philj 8
    23 December 2013 at 7:52 am

    xox.
    This lil’ Orkland melodrama, is boring as for the rest of country. It becomes petty, with point scoring being the name of the game. Is this really as ‘good’ as it gets? Seems that when a lot of TVNZ production moved from Lower Hutt to Orkland, the standard went down the toilet. I’m thinking breakfast and morning TV, which is appalling. Orkland is a disaster (in the making) , with housing, transport, Democratic(?) Super City, issues. Collectively, we have degenerated into a mean spirited, undemocratic idiocracy, aided by a stupefied MSM. Game , set and Match. Don’t tell me hard Labour is the answer. Lookin forward to next year’s fiasco’s. Keep smilin’.

  9. captain hook 9
    23 December 2013 at 11:05 am

    the standard of journalism in New Zealand is extremely poor.
    basically most of them are kids who have never done anything excpept school, j-school and then the job.
    their biggest ambition is not to report the news or investigate the ramifications but to get someone in their sights and do them down so they can put it in their cv’s.
    the other side of the coin is that they think they are inviolate and beyond reproach when they are just creeps hanging around.

    • RedLogix 9.1
      23 December 2013 at 1:22 pm

      the standard of journalism in New Zealand is extremely poor.

      Not helped by the fact that a huge portion of the articles which are not direct local content – have actually been written in Australia.

      I don’t think many kiwis realise exactly how much of the content found in our media can also be seen every day in all the Australian papers. This sort of writing which used to be bread and butter for our local journos has been outsourced to head office.

      No-one – apart from the Press Gallery ‘reef-fish’ – makes a decent career from the business these days. The days of your local, ‘hard-bitten, probably alcoholic, but knew exactly where all the bodies were buried’ hack, who could be depended on to dig up a decent story if given half a lead – is long gone.

      It takes maturity and experience to be a good journalist. Apart from a few like Gordon Campbell, who are remnants of an earlier age – none of today’s kiddies who churn out the bulk of the local content have much of a clue about how the world really works.

      • Colonial Viper 9.1.1
        23 December 2013 at 3:19 pm

        Journalism is a trade and it takes at least 5-10 years on the job with solid mentoring to get good at it. A good story will take a month or two to put together, fact check, edit and publish. And as you say, it just doesn’t happen nowadays.

        As for the Press Gallery – it’s that rare day when they are purposefully challenging the narrative given to them by those in the halls of power, rather than just repeating it.

  10. TightyRighty 10
    23 December 2013 at 2:55 pm

    Can you please point out the bit where Len brown was completely cleared of misusing the power of the office of the mayor in the EY report?

    • RedLogix 10.1
      23 December 2013 at 3:01 pm

      How about you tell us exactly what you think he did wrong? Then we can have a meaningful discussion about whether or not Len was exonerated or not.

  11. Foreign Waka 11
    23 December 2013 at 5:27 pm

    The witch hunt has begun and the fight for the position too. Mark my words, this will be “allocated” to a National party member or at least supporting person.
    Yep, politics – who needs it.

    • Ian 11.1
      23 December 2013 at 8:59 pm

      No political party needs Len Brown. Give him up and move on. He is yesterdays shit.

      • Foreign Waka 11.1.1
        24 December 2013 at 4:30 pm

        I have no preference either way as I am not familiar with the men and his personality. It puts me in a almost perfect spot to be an independent observer.
        Upgrades of flights and Hotel stays for free are very common to a lot of VIPS if that is the gripe. If it is Mr Browns personal life, its no ones business really. To make it different is almost like a case of an obsessive Presbyterian view that is being portrait.
        The whole time line of the reporting, revealing and reactions are almost cinematic and compelling to predict what the next snippet will be.

  12. tricledrown 12
    23 December 2013 at 11:39 pm

    grunpy grinches galore.

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    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 mins ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
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  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
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  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
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  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
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