Reviewing the media coverage of the leadership race

Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, September 11th, 2013 - 67 comments
Categories: labour, Media - Tags:

The Labour leadership race has been remarkably well-behaved and it has led to a larger party that is pledged to unite behind its first democratically-elected leader… much to the chagrin of many in the press gallery. Where’s the bloodbath that they promised themselves? Where’s the deepening disunity? They’ve tried to talk it up, they’ve tried to gonzo it. It hasn’t happened.

The Dompost have had the funniest coverage. They decided from the outset that Robertson was going to win. The first articles had in as ‘favourite to win’. Then facts came in – polls, union endorsements – and they all went against Robertson. The Dompost couldn’t just acknowledge these data as revealing the pre-existing truth because that would have meant they were wrong to call Robertson the favourite. So, we had a series of stories about ‘momentum’ shifting to Cunliffe and away from the ‘initial frontrunner’ Robertson. Nothing had actually changed (the very first poll had Cunliffe well in the lead) but the Dompost couldn’t admit that, so they had to create a narrative of change.

The Dom’s Tracy Watkins was a laugh in her own right. Desperate, desperate, desperate for any sign of infighting. Two days into the campaign she declared that the contenders were in an ‘ugly twitter row’ – were they fighting with each other? No, they were each asking their own parody/unofficial campaign twitter accounts to cut it out, which they did. Then, there was her ‘gloves off metaphor’. It began with ‘signs that the gloves are coming off’ in the leadership contest. Next, we were assured that the ‘gloves are off behind the scenes (I’m not sure how the gloves can be off behind the scenes in a public contest…). Finally, she seriously intoned that the ‘gloves are well and truly off’. But it all amounted to a hill of beans, tiny wee disagreements in a positive, uniting campaign.

Lastly, there’s the media jocks – or should that be the wannabe gonzos – Gower, Garner, and Guyon. They saw from the start that Cunliffe was going to win and nothing was really going to change about that. So, they invented the story of their mate Shane Jones as the ‘darkhorse’ candidate who was going to come through and win. They knew it wouldn’t happen. Mathematically, it couldn’t happen. But it was so fun to pretend and it let them put themselves in the story again and again. They got to play Hunter S in their production of ‘fear and loathing in various town halls’, and they definitely seemed to have been smoking something a lot of the time. But, ultimately, they showed the limitations of journalism – you can have the led political reporters of the largest media network in the country interviewing each other across multiple shows and formats reinforcing their own narrative and, in the end, it hasn’t amounted to a hill of beans.

Paddy Gower, gets the prize for having the hardest time understanding how a preferential voting system works – he declared Jones the kingmaker, as if Jones can assign the second preferences of people who make him their first preference. That happens in Australia because of their unique ‘above the line’ system for senate races. This isn’t an Australian senate race.

And, as usual, if you wanted real top-quality political coverage and a chance to actually hear the candidates themselves speak, instead of the journalists, then your only choice was Radio New Zealand… but how boring is that?

67 comments on “Reviewing the media coverage of the leadership race ”

  1. shorts 1

    is it just me or do others feel these political reporters seemingly would rather be covering sport, given the language set they employ – they really need to lift their game (sorry)

    • Vagabundo 1.1

      It’s not just you. Dunc and Paddy are particularly egregious in that aspect.

    • Bunji 1.2

      they really need to lift their game (sorry)

      😀 beautiful!

      and very true – it’s all a sports match to them, bugger the consequences to the country…

    • Draco T Bastard 1.3

      The reporters still seem to be in the FPP mindset which really is much closer to a sporting context than actual politics.

      • shorts 1.3.1

        shame they can’t met us the public, the politicians and the farm animals of this fair land in the present day

    • Rodel 1.4

      In sport they have real mathematical scores to report on..hey real facts and heaven forbid . …real numbers.! In their politojournalese they haven’t got such facts so they have to make them up.
      It’s called fabrojournalism. Sort of 100 shades of grey.

  2. Pete 2

    If there’s one thing New Zealand journalists know, it’s that you sell papers (or get ratings) by confirming an audience’s pre-existing prejudices. That way the audience gets to feel good about itself when the media confirms its prejudices. The narrative that has been built up around Labour since Clark’s departure is that the party is disunified and Clark was the only one holding it together.

    So the media bought into its own narrative, first by inventing an attempted coup last year and now looking for some viciousness in this contest. The fact is the three candidates are professional politicians. They all have experience at winning and losing and can take whatever comes in their stride. I must say, when I saw the candidates at one of the meetings, Robertson and Cunliffe appeared to be having friendly chats with one another and on several occasions each responded approvingly to points their counterpart had made.

    Further, this whole process will give the new leader more legitimacy in the eyes of the party. This is strengthening the party, far from being a destructive process.

  3. Crunchtime 3

    The camaraderie between the candidates was clear right from that very first 3-way interview on… I think it was The Nation? Cunliffe actually came to Shane Jones’ rescue and backed him up on one question.

  4. Tracey 4

    I’m still trying to work out what Cunliffe sacked his advisor for? Where was the interview published and ow was it an attack on sexuality?

    • Colonial Viper 4.1

      It was a political decision. Team Cunliffe was not going to tolerate even the appearance of an activist campaigning on the basis of Robertson’s sexuality.

      • Enough is Enough 4.1.1

        Why am I being identified as SPAM

        Jennie answered a direct question from Smalley with a direct and straight answer.

        How should she have answered that question?

        • Sanctuary 4.1.1.1

          Cunliffe clearly decided that Curran’s ill thought out idiocy will be dealt with another day. Here is a prediction:

          Jennie Mitchie will still be around the leadership of the Labour Party post election 2014. Clare Curran will not.

          • Anne 4.1.1.1.1

            Cunliffe clearly decided that Curran’s ill thought out idiocy will be dealt with another day.

            Yes. That’s about it.

        • Bill 4.1.1.2

          Maybe…and ain’t hindsight a shite?…”I’m not an oracle, if you really want to know the leanings of NZer’s on that question, then you have to ask NZer’s. Personally, it’s just not an issue.”

          Strikes me that a lesson can be learned here for others who may find themselves in a similar position to Jennie. Never assume to speak for others and refuse to do so when asked to.

      • Tracey 4.1.2

        Thanks CV, read the other thread and some links and am understanding. Has Curran apologised for making it an issue?

        • Bill 4.1.2.1

          No. According to a TVNZ report she reckons members of caucus should be allowed to speak their minds with no threat of reprimand or whatever.

          “Clare Curran says she stands by her comment. She says she does not believe someone who speaks their mind should then be punished by the party.”

          http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/labour-leadership-contest-turns-sour-5578688

          • Colonial Viper 4.1.2.1.1

            Except there was a very clear process to be followed if any MP had concerns with the conduct or communications of any of the leadership campaigns.

            Twitter was not part of that process.

            • felix 4.1.2.1.1.1

              “Twitter was not part of that process.”

              Even on the piss? Surely twitter’s ok when you’re on the piss.

              She’s only human.

            • felix 4.1.2.1.1.2

              “Twitter was not part of that process.”

              Even on the piss? Surely twitter’s ok when you’re on the piss.

              She’s only human.

              • Colonial Viper

                “Clare Curran says she stands by her comment. She says she does not believe someone who speaks their mind should then be punished by the party.”

                I also find this pretence of hers incredibly ironic. I could use other descriptions of course 😈

                • mickysavage

                  I seem to recall a prominent member of the party in Dunedin who was given a hard time by Clare for exercising their right of free speech …

          • Tracey 4.1.2.1.2

            does that means she supports Michie’s comments then? 😉

          • Tangee 4.1.2.1.3

            Then why in hell is she on about Jennie because Jennie was speaking her mind

        • Colonial Viper 4.1.2.2

          Not that I have seen, even though the incident has reflected badly on her own Team Robertson. And on Labour in general.

          • Craig Glen viper 4.1.2.2.1

            Currans an idiot, mouth like a torn sack. Amazing how someone so disloyal to the Party gets to be in Parliment as one of its representatives.She should find another job!

    • Enough is Enough 4.2

      She answered a straight question with a straight answer.

      I have no idea how Cunliffe expected her to answer this question:

      “Okay, Grant Robertson Jennie says that he wants to be judged on his ability, not his sexuality. How do you think the socially conservatives might view Grant Robertson you know in the year 2013?”

      • Enough is Enough 4.2.1

        funny things happening to my message. I thought 4.2 had dissapeared, so apologies for the double message.

      • The easy answer is to say you’d have to poll them. 😛

        • karol 4.2.2.1

          Yes, with the benefit of hind sight, I would answer such a media question with:

          “Grant’s sexuality has nothing to do with his ability to be leader. It’s not an issue for me. I have no idea what goes on in the minds of social conservative. Why don’t you ask them?”

    • weka 4.3

      “I’m still trying to work out what Cunliffe sacked his advisor for?”

      AFAIK* she wasn’t sacked (she’s not an employee in that capacity). She was stood down. There is a difference.

      *being less inclined to believe the MSM version of the story, and more inclined to believe what some ts commenters have said. http://thestandard.org.nz/cunliffe-shows-leadership-steel/

      • Comrade Coba 4.3.1

        Probably a little ploy, Curran & Hipkins has caused a fair bit of distracting attention away from the issues of the day. Jenny stepping aside exposes Curran as a bitch & shuts her up immediately, apart from txting Radiolive this morning. Anyway she’s toast (1 down) as will a number of others be. The quicker the clean out the better.

      • Anne 4.3.2

        I don’t know what you can say to some people commenting here Weka. It has been said at least a hundred times in the last 24 hrs.

        She. was. not. sacked.

        She was stood down and only for the remaining days of the campaign. David Cunliffe made that clear. It was also with Jenny’s agreement because she understood only too clearly what the MSM would do to Cunliffe if she stayed on the campaign team. In reality, it was only for the last few days and most of the work has already been done.

        If Cunliffe wins you will see Jenny Michie in a senior position – maybe in the leader’s office. That’s if she wants it of course. Jenny Michie is pure gold. Clare Curran is tin.

    • big bruv 4.4

      Cunliffe used the 90 day trial law to get rid of his advisor. I can only applaud Cunliffe for embracing what is a great law.

  5. Crunchtime 5

    Seen the dompost coverage today? Awful. Absolutely awful.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/9150853/Cracks-show-as-race-rivalry-mounts

    “Cracks” “Attempts at presenting a united front hit the buffers”

    …later on “Cunliffe, seen as the most divisive figure”

    …and most of the quotes in the article from Jones, who had the worst quotes on the subject. Ugh.

    • Yep, that is definitely how you do misleading the public. Thank you, Andrea Vance.

    • miravox 5.2

      Strangely Audrey Young in the Herald plays it rather reasonably, I thought.

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11122615

      Ending with – (aside from the debatable numbers scenario)

      Despite the bickering, the candidates were civil among themselves. Mr Cunliffe believed respect for each other’s skills had grown between them over the course of the campaign.

      “The winner will be the people of New Zealand if we can bring those talents together into an unstoppable team that can change the Government.”

    • BrucetheMoose 5.3

      Journalists seem to have forgotten the fundamentals of journalism. The article by Vance reeks of subjectivity. If Miss Vance can’t be impartial in relation to the subject matter, she should perhaps try another avenue, such as The Woman’s Weekly.

    • big bruv 5.4

      ““Cunliffe, seen as the most divisive figure”

      That is a statement of fact. Would you prefer that the Dompost said that Cunliffe was highly popular and the man that the entire party want as leader?

      You lefties really do have a problem with a free press.

  6. Delia 6

    It does not matter what they say, the only result that matters is on voting day (now that is boring, but it is the truth) To see journos desperately trying to influence Labour voters is a joke. It is not quite the same as influencing the general public –party members are not so easily got at. Must be so frustrating for the right wing media.

  7. Blue 7

    I particularly liked the article that assured us all on day one of the campaign that Robertson had it in the bag and the only thing left to decide was how to convince David Cunliffe to temper his ambitions and take the deputy leadership. It was rather like suggesting that Bill Clinton become deputy to Al Gore.

  8. Sable 8

    No one trusts the mainstream press anymore, they have repeatedly shown themselves to be disingenuous. If Labour starts taking their job and it is a job, seriously, listens to what people want and professionally implements those policies they may find they have nothing to worry about this election or the next.

    Lie, dissemble, sell out Kiwis to foreigners, act like children and behave like dictators (Clarke and Keys) and see how quickly they land back in the opposition.

    Personally I’m sick and tired of the bullshit and bad behaviour demonstrated by politicians in general over the last 30 or so years. They have ruined this country. Time to shape up and do the job you are paid handsomely to do and do so humbly and honestly or get lost.

  9. aerobubble 9

    The caucus gave Labour Goff and Shearer, and now with the rule changes, the first time they’ve been used, will ignore the decision of the party and unions….

  10. Craig 10

    The weird part is that I got so tired of the rhetoric and undeclared and unsubstantiated personal opinions within the straight/mainstream media that I ended up citing (of all people!) Kiwiblog’s David Farrar (!!!), who seems to have at least provided a concise summary of Labour leadership contender policy platforms, even if his own description was slanted in a specific political direction. While I obviously don’t share DPF’s politics, I’d give him credit for that, at least. I wish newspaper and television coverage was as concise and focused.

    • Colonial Viper 11.1

      That’s actually quite funny.

    • billbrowne 11.2

      That Barry Sopa? Guy’s clearly a nut – is he, like, paid to write that drivel.

      Glad I’ve not listened to 1ZB since the ’70’s – stopped then because of all the ads – and shitty muzak.

      • big bruv 11.2.1

        billbrowne

        If you have not listened to Soper since the 70’s then you missed his nine years of total adoration for the corrupt Clark government.

        • One Anonymous Knucklehead 11.2.1.1

          Back on Earth, Graham Capill and David Garret set the benchmark for corruption.

  11. Poem 12

    Patrick Gower was particularly disgusting tonight on TV3 making up the news instead of just reporting it. Gower must be a follower of Don Brash and used the same tactic Brash used in the 2005 election to discredit Helen Clark. Patrick Gower seems to think Cunliffe greeting an audience in various languages “is talking down to people” and further still a poll saying Cunfliff is dishonest where the majority of respondents said that they didn’t know was a most pathetic attempt by the desperate and like John Key most dishonest right wing media to sway voters away from Cunfliff.

  12. Belladonna 13

    Yes Poem I quite agree, a sickening display of media bias. Gower is a creep.

    • geoff 13.1

      martin lutha cunliffe…..popcorn……..

      • geoff 13.1.1

        lprent, is it possible to stop this person using my handle?
        I’m sure you’ll agree, one geoff is more than enough.

    • Arfamo 13.2

      Paddy Gower’s a moron. It’s probably about time Opposition parties just ignored the prat and spoke only with and to other journos. With a bit of luck eventually TV3 would get rid of him as he’d be useless to them then.

  13. xtasy 14

    The “media” is the “7 headed serpent” and a force that is much more to damn worry about than even John Key and his gang (NatACT)!

    This is where the prospective Labour leaders and the whole caucus as a whole, even many members, yes the left as a whole, have NOT woken up yet. They are the ENEMY, they are not going to “assist” Labour, Greens and others into government!

    I see with total despair and dismay how leading opposition members make knee falls and kowtows to the media, once any “critical” comments are made by totally arrogant, biased, manipulative and biased media “personalities” like this loud mouthed, apparently “speed” talker Duncan Garner, that rotten Patty “Cower” – “the Coward”, certain talk back hosts and newsreaders and wannabe “political commentators” in this small country.

    I cannot believe that David Cunliffe overreacted to sack his senior campaign worker Jenny, while she did not even say anything sexist, just stated (before the campaign for leadership even started) that some in the public may have reservations to having a gay PM. She herself was supportive of having a gay PM – at least at some time.

    Also I cannot believe that Metiria Turei tonight made a ridiculous “apology” for a comment she made on “The Vote”, where she said she would be happy about lower house prices, so first home buyers would have a chance to buy homes.

    No, we live in a kind of dictatorship, where unwritten rules and codes exist, where capitalism as it is applied in the neo-liberal manner we have had for nearly 3 decades now, is the “holy gospel”. Almost all media persons, certainly their bosses, the companies that employ them, that drum endless commercials into people’s eyes and ears 24/7, even the “public” media remnants, “competing” for ratings and market share, join in, they all staunchly defend the same crap that has been, and is destroying this country and society.

    The younger ones are not even aware of it, as they have been so brain-washed, they know none else, having been raised with all this commercialisation, commoditisation, division, competition at all leves, that sharing and unity are alien words now.

    Yep, Metiria Turei was forced to “apologise” for defending housing policies that may be risking the “equity” of the middle class, largely baby boomer property owners, and supposedly expose the country to economic volatility. What a ridiculous development, and shame on you Metiria, to giving in to media pressures, that serves again only to manipulate, to defend the same old upper middle class most of them belong to.

    What the hell is wrong with New Zealanders and migrants living here, putting up with all this crap? Equity, that is like giving the gambler at the casino gambling table permission to cling to the pile of chips he bought on credit to continue gambling, that is what most equity in NZ households and in housing is, none else.

    What about putting equity into value added production and some other “investments”, that bring the country ahead, oh no, we have to be mindful of the middle class, that shits on people like me, who live off benefits, of these “unaffordable handouts” they have to pay us.

    The left, if there are any truly “left” left in NZ, better bloody wake up, stand their ground to the absolute crap media in this place, and stand in for policies that are better for ALL NZers, not just the upper and upper middle class, not just the property owners, who want to use “equity” to borrow more, to buy consumer products on credit and what else.

    I am in a bloody nightmare here, seeing this go on, like on “The Vote”, interspersed with endless commercials, to feed onto the same mindset, “invest”, “speculate”, join the game, and carry on as usual, as opposition is just “too risky” and “dangerous”.

    Attack the media, and do not fall for it, do not serve them, bring in a strong public media once Key and gang are voted out, to create some balance to the shit we get. The news on TV3 tonight, with Gower’s new “polls” and “surveys” was just disgusting even more. They are already working overtime to discredit Cunliffe, or who else may be Labour leader.

    • Colonial Viper 14.1

      Yep. Points well sustained.

      • xtasy 14.1.1

        They tell us, if there was no “advertising”, we would not have any media, or would have to pay a lot to get “news”. Few people realise, we pay for the supposedly “free” media anyway, as the products and services advertised are sold to us at a price, that covers the costs of advertising.

        With that, we get media, that is now largely “commercialised” media, who are themselves dependent on the advertising businesses, and therefore biased towards them (“do not bite the hand that feeds you”). So they present us “biased” news, that is news that will not offend, yes probably “serve” the interests of their paymasters.

        So no “independent” media, indeed a “corrupted” media, informing on a bias, and delivering a “corrupted minded” society. That is what we get.

        If the opposition manages to win the next election, which they should do, we need a revolution in reestablishing a solid public broadcasting service, and also allow operators, who are independent and not just commercially focused, to broadcast and communicate, on airwaves, and via the internet, without being excluded by excessively high fees for frequencies and access.

        Only informed people in the public ensure a true democracy, which in NZ has not existed for 10 to 20 years.

        So yes, the media coverage started off OK re the Labour leadership contest, but it soon got very bad, too many just looking for “news” that were not there, and if anything wrong, like Curran’s silly “twit” “tweets” came public, there another opportunity was exploited, to discredit Labour. Labour and Greens, get your media people fine-tuned and into top gear, it is essential for your survival.

    • GregJ 14.2

      Nice rant xtasy! 🙂 Salient points though.

    • karol 14.3

      I was also pretty disgusted that Turei was forced to back-track on the lowering of price of housing.

      I think many left pollies do know the media is the enemy. But that also know that declaring war on the media is probably electoral suicide. So they tend to go for appeasement. If an MP attacks the media or individual jounralists, the most powerful in the MSM would go after them.

      At what point do they decide such appeasement is not worth it?

      And how can the media be turned around so they become a true Fourth Estate? Or at least, stripped of their political manipulations?

      At least it requires all of us with the will, to stand up and say, “ENOUGH!”

  14. George 15

    The weirdest thing would be if any of the three colleges come up with a different third place contender. I assume the three colleges are being lumped together, with appropriately weighted votes, into one super-college for the actual count (the only way the preferential vote will be able to come up with a winner). But if each college result is to be declared separately as well then it could be quite revealing. How out of step are our caucus? And if they are truly out of step, do they really deserve the pronoun “our”? The majority of the caucus seems to think, as have caucuses done for many decades, that they are law unto themselves. Times have changed comrades …..

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    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    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
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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
    10 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
    12 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
    12 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
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    6 days ago
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  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
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  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
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  • 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 ...
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  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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