Sheepgate

Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, May 28th, 2015 - 103 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, capitalism, corruption, Economy, exports, farming, farming, International, Minister for International Embarrassment, national, overseas investment, Politics, same old national, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

Murray McCully used to be a feared operator.  Dubbed “the black prince” his wielding of the dark arts of politics created awe in the minds of those who admire that sorts of thing.

More recently he has become a major embarrassment.  His handling of the MFAT restructure was shambolic and he was only saved by persuading former head John Allen to fall on his sword and take the blame.  His handling of issues concerning the Malaysian Diplomat and the attack on Tania Billigsley should have persuaded anyone beyond any doubt that he is not fit to hold office.

His latest escapade involves paying large amounts of money (up to $11m) to a Saudi businessman to settle a legal dispute that did not exist and which is probably, at least in New Zealand, statute barred.

He tried to defend himself yesterday in Parliament.  As words cannot adequately describe how awful he was I thought it best to include the video.

David Parker was trying to get McCully to confirm how much money had been paid to the Saudi businessman to settle the long running dispute. McCully claimed that actions of the fifth Labour Government had exposed New Zealand to potential liability of up to $30 million. The actions were the stopping of the live export of sheep, a policy decision made after 4,000 sheep died on a ship bound for Saudi Arabia and apparently subsequent discussions which led him to believe that the ban would have been dropped. National renewed the ban in 2010.

Words used by others to describe the transaction included “bribe” and “corrupt”.  The payment appears to have been made to persuade an influential individual to support New Zealand’s proposed free trade agreement with Saudi Arabia.

Parliament reached peak cray with the following interchange:

Hon David Parker : Can the Minister point to any other example where the New Zealand Government has ever paid millions of dollars to an overseas businessman in order to advance a free-trade agreement?

Hon MURRAY McCULLY : I cannot point to any such example, because I do not think New Zealanders had a Government as stupid and dishonest as the Government that Mr Parker was a member of.

Seven years after its demise the fifth Labour Government is still being blamed for all of the country’s woes.

McCully was questioned this morning on Morning Report about the payment.

Guyon Espiner did a good job and McCully was absolutely dreadful.

He said that there was “an active misleading of the individuals who had invested over that period which would have led them that had they continued to invest they would have been able to export live sheep for slaughter to Saudi Arabia.”  Mistake number one.  A Minister of the Crown should never ever publicly agree with someone who apparently wants to sue the Crown about the basis of their claim.

McCully was asked if New Zealand would have lost the Court case, if one had ever been filed.  McCully answered another question and talked about a claim of up to $30 million dollars.  He was asked if NZ Inc had actually paid compensation.  McCully then again answered another question.

Then Espiner asked a Zinger.  He asked if a liability waiver had been obtained so that there would be no prospect of New Zealand being sued.  McCully blustered and said that he was not going to get into the detail.  He eventually came up with the response that the Government was satisfied that it had met that objective.  The Government being satisfied it will not be sued is not the same as the businessman accepting the payment in full and final settlement of his claim.  Either the waiver exists or it does not.  Saying that you are confident you will not be sued suggests to me that a cast iron waiver had not been obtained.

I received the distinct impression McCully’s nose was attempting to grow during the interview.

Whatever the background the distinct impression is that New Zealand money has been paid to an individual not to settle a non existent legal dispute but to curry favour so that the Gulf Free Trade Agreement is signed.  There is an unparliamentary word for this sort of behaviour.

Update:  Maybe there was the threat of legal action but because of actions taken by National, not Labour.  From Dimpost (h/t Sacha):

  • “According to Hooton (his stories are paywalled at the NBR), a very wealthy and influential Saudi businessman named Hmood Al Khalaf, who had a business importing sheep contacted National when they were in opposition, and John Key and David Carter privately assured him that exports would resume when National came to power.
  • When National won the election in 2008, Al Khalaf supposedly invested tens of millions of dollars in New Zealand farmland and a ship that could transport sheep to Saudi Arabia. But National didn’t change the law.
  • So Al Khalaf hired Mai Chen to prepare a lawsuit against the government, claiming for ‘between $20 million and $30 million. He also, allegedly, used his influence in Saudi Arabia to block a free trade deal between New Zealand and the Gulf States.”

Update:

103 comments on “Sheepgate ”

  1. Ed 1

    Will National support McCully’s campaign for FIFA President?

  2. ianmac 2

    So far there is no evidence that a legal opinion was sought or given. An approach from a lawyer that the Government could be sued for $30million is not enough cause to pay up.

    Did I get the impression that the Speaker was not covering up for McCully? Could this have a Key move to abandon McCully with an eye on the 2017 election?

    • mickysavage 2.1

      I think even Carter has standards and modest though they may be McCully was in breach of them!

      • Tracey 2.1.1

        I haven’t seen those standards, so given Nats don’t do anything without a CT strategy in place, perhaps McCully is going to London (and Lockwood coming home)

        Carter, imo is worse than Wilson, but plays the same role for the government as she did. I was disappointed with her performance. I thought she would be impartial. Turned out Lockwood was the kind of Speaker I thought she would be.

      • ianmac 2.1.2

        Wasn’t Speaker Carter involved with the earlier tinkering with the sheep export problem?
        Edit: John Key and David Carter privately assured him that exports would resume when National came to power. (Dimpost)

    • Sacha 2.2

      McCully’s “answers” in question time say there was no legal opinion sought or received. Who needs that when you’re a stone-cold genius like him?

      • Tracey 2.2.1

        I thought he said something like he didnt think MFAT would do something like make a payment without legal advice?

  3. dukeofurl 3

    Sounds to me like National got a big juicy donation in advance of a policy change ( but kept the money off the books)

    No other possible conclusion that you would pay out someone on the situation described, unless you dont want unpleasant truths coming out in court.

    • Tracey 3.1

      “unpleasant truths coming out in court.”

      You could have a waiver but they threaten to sue anyway, knowing that they can expose some stuff a politically driven group would not want aired… so, despite having a waiver, you settle. That’s a possible scenario.

  4. Tracey 4

    “Either the waiver exists or it does not. Saying that you are confident you will not be sued suggests to me that a cast iron waiver had not been obtained.”

    Not having the law on your side does not stop people suing others. It is possible that there was a waiver but the Saudis were going to challenge it on other grounds or just sue to embarrass the government… The Crown would weigh up the cost of defending (even to a win) against a settlement.

    Of course, were that the case one wonders why McCully wouldn’t just say that.

  5. saveNZ 5

    Funny how human rights don’t come into it when seeking a free trade agreement with Saudi Arabia, while at the same time making a case to go to war in Iraq for human rights.

    Remember how the nationalities of the 9/11 bombing were mostly Saudi’s? Funny Iraq used to be secular but now after the illegal war, it is like a poster child for turning to Muslim in the middle East.

    Gosh those human rights are a moving target with National.

    Any else looking forward to 100 lashes for putting up a website criticising the government – I guess that is what John Key wants shut down here in NZ of freedom of Speech and well as selling a few oil rights maybe.

    Who knows, NZ does what the puppet master in the US dictates.

  6. saveNZ 6

    As for Murray McCully, everything he touches turns into a liability.

  7. Sacha 7

    Love the detail that we paid this guy’s NZ company to send his sheep to his Saudi company. Cosy.

  8. Stuart Munro 8

    I’m interested in this network of supply farms – it looks like the Key junta is building a middle east version of Oravida. A please explain is certainly overdue – we’ll probably get a Brownlee response – how dare you ask me such questions.

    • wyndham 8.1

      Yes Stuart, Unmistakable arrogance from Brownlee, Groser, Tolley, Findlayson and now McCully. Parata has a “born to rule” air of superiority .
      It’s getting to them !

  9. NZJester 9

    I’m guessing this man was chosen so they can defend themselves with the smoke and mirrors of blaming it all on the previous Labour government.
    They have also potentially created a ticking export time bomb for our farmers in the middle east by not having control of that farm with all that prime NZ breading stock.
    If the farm is successful and stock numbers increase I can see the meat exports of the sheep from NZ farm being squeezed out by the descendants of those very sheep. Then there is the large loss of NZ Jobs in the meat industry with all the processing being done overseas by cheaper lower paid workers. There has been a lot of problems in that area of virtual indentured workers being tricked into low paying jobs that they can not legally quit to move to a different employer. With the talk of trial farms being set up in other countries as well it sounds like National is exporting farm jobs now also and not just the meat processing ones. A few investors are likely to get very rich at a huge cost to the average NZ farmers future profits.

    • Capn Insano 9.1

      Yes, I’ve been thinking this myself about whether we’re potentially screwing over more of our farm exports by doing this. Is this National’s bizarre method of diversifying the economy?

  10. T Chris 10

    Off topic, but does it annoy anyone else that every issue now has to have “gate” added to the end of it?

    • mickysavage 11.1

      Thanks Sacha fascinating. Occasional Standard commentator thinks that the threat of a lawsuit was because of National’s actions and not Labour’s.

      From the article:

      “According to Hooton (his stories are paywalled at the NBR), a very wealthy and influential Saudi businessman named Hmood Al Khalaf, who had a business importing sheep contacted National when they were in opposition, and John Key and David Carter privately assured him that exports would resume when National came to power.
      When National won the election in 2008, Al Khalaf supposedly invested tens of millions of dollars in New Zealand farmland and a ship that could transport sheep to Saudi Arabia. But National didn’t change the law.
      So Al Khalaf hired Mai Chen to prepare a lawsuit against the government, claiming for ‘between $20 million and $30 million. He also, allegedly, used his influence in Saudi Arabia to block a free trade deal between New Zealand and the Gulf States.”

      • Tracey 11.1.1

        And people think we don’t have to worry about the investor clauses in the TPP. Look what can be achieved without the OOMPH of the TPP behind it. How much bigger would the settlement have to be under TTP??

        • Macro 11.1.1.1

          Exactly!
          Wayne! Wayne! Where are you Wayne? We need your reassurance it’s going to be perfectly ok!

  11. Old Mickey 12

    Hamood invested heavily into farm assets in NZ, as well as converting a cruise liner for transport. His family have been in the live sheep game for hundreds & hundreds of years. Hamood invested on the assurances he was given from the then Labour Government run by Helen Clark, via MFAT officials – at least one of which is still with the ministry today. Hamood relied on the assurances that live sheep exports would be continued. The 2011 Government delegation was ambushed by Hamood about the fact he was lied to by the former government (his words, I was there). It was clear that the FTA would not be concluded with the GCC despite substantive agreement already reached between the GCC & NZ. Minister McCully established a special envoy (who is now working in investment banking) to broker a solution for NZ and the GCC. The investment in the Saudi farm to allow breeding for slaughter was seen as the most effective way forward. A tender to NZ companies was issued seeking parties that were keen to establish a farming center of excellence in Saudi – there were many companies keen on taking part – why ? It is a great opportunity and show case for NZ excellence. A plan was agreed, and then executed – there was a fly in the ointment, a local NZ’er nutter tried to blackmail MFAT claiming that MFAT had stolen his idea to solve the problem with a breeding farm in Saudi. For the record this was done in the months leading up to the last election – how nervous wa steh Government about this getting out then ? (MFAT ignored this nutter, and I do wonder if he has been leaking this to the media as nutters are disposed to do ?). The legal threat from Hamood & George was kept pretty quiet, and is news to me although one of the MFAT/NZTE guys in Dubai has come from a top law firm so suspect he evaluated the claim/risk. Is the amount of money compensation reasonable ? Hard to tell, however, if it leads to the FTA being signed then it will make a huge difference to NZ trade in the region, and the dollars at question here will be peanuts.

    • Sacha 12.1

      Interesting. Can you shed any light on Hooton’s claims that Key and Carter offered assurances to Hamood?

      • Old Mickey 12.1.1

        No idea about Hooton’s claims….the truth and his world don’t often intersect. His behaviour on the 2011 delegation was disgraceful.

        From speaking to Hamood personally, I know that he believed that the National Government would endeavour to do its best to allow live sheep export – he had made his investment based on prior assurances. The argument was that if National couldnt swing the change then it would never happen in NZ under a labour/green govt. Hamood’s partner George also received this message, and it is what I believe stopped any legal action (if there was any). There was also concern that the MFAT official who made the original commitment on behalf of the Clark government was still employed by MFAT – they would have liked to see that person removed from MFAT completely. I was amazed that the Saudi intel was that good on our public service – Hamood joked to me, that I would be shocked at what the Saudi government knows about us.

        • Karen 12.1.1.1

          So this MFAT official is the one who made the promise initially. When was this? Who was he talking to? Did he do this off his own bat because he believed the Nats would soon be back in power?

          Certainly the Nats wasted no time in trying to get live sheep exports back as this 2009 article shows:
          http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/2287062/Live-sheep-exports-to-resume

          Unfortunately for Carter it was just too unpopular with the public.

        • Tracey 12.1.1.2

          Why would Hooton make this up?

          During your time with MFAT or whatever position that led you to be having these conversations, did you or anyone else you overheard tell the Saudi’s that in a democracy, a new government may undo things done by a previous government or vice versa? And that “promises” by opposition parties are relatively meaningless?

  12. toad 13

    If you or I did this sort of shit, Micky, I suspect we’d be facing prosecution under section 105C Crimes Act 1961.

    But the Crown can’t prosecute itself, I guess (or can it?)

    • mickysavage 13.1

      A minister could be …

      The cheek of McCully trying to blame Labour for it though. It looks like they were up to their ears in it.

      • Old Mickey 13.1.1

        From the horses mouth, labour were the govt of the day whose officials made promises and assurances to Hamood. He would swear an affidavit on that point.

        • mickysavage 13.1.1.1

          Citation please old mickey. Hooton says that the only people who made promises were National MPs.

          • Old Mickey 13.1.1.1.1

            Wheres Hooton citation ?
            I heard it directly from Hamood, and George.

          • Old Mickey 13.1.1.1.2

            Can I also suggest that that you also ask Phil Goff.

          • Sacha 13.1.1.1.3

            Hooton only mentioned those – doesn’t exclude an earlier set of assurances as well.

            • Matthew Hooton 13.1.1.1.3.1

              Correct. But it is not a secret. David Carter spoke publicly about this at the start of the government’s term. http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/2287062/Live-sheep-exports-to-resume
              My understanding is that private promises were also made from opposition. I wrote about this (behind the NBR paywall) here: http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/gulf-games-fail-deliver

              • Karen

                See my comment at 12.1.1.1
                Just because a MFAT official said something to some Saudi businessmen that doesn’t necessarily mean the Labour government supported the resumption of live sheep exports.

                • Old Mickey

                  With all due respect, it will come out that it was more than an official who just “said something”. Our MFAT officials don’t say anything that is not aligned to policy, and carefully avoid creating mis-understandings. The assurances were significantly more, and reasonable to accept they were part of government policy.

                  • mickysavage

                    Well OM can you point to government policy? Discussing the possibility of a change in policy is not of itself actionable.

                    • Old Mickey

                      Have a quiet chat to Phil Goff. I am sure he will enlighten you as to how MFAT officials work. Failing that, I am sure Tim Groser will be happy to explain it to you.

                  • Crashcart

                    Just like when they let the Malaysian go home, because MFAT would never make a staement to an over seas government without ministerial aproval on the off chance it may lead to confusion over the message.

        • Matthew Hooton 13.1.1.2

          There may well have been assurances from the previous Labour government. Labour clearly wasn’t that concerned about the so-called animal welfare issues, because (if I recall correctly) there were live sheep shipments during 1999-2003. Do you know if this is correct? But even if Labour did make promises, I fail to see what cause of action Hmood would have had against the Crown – especially by February 2013 when he was briefing Cabinet. Surely even if there was a cause of action, isn’t there a six year limitation period?

          Also, I am pretty sure the delegation where Hmood spoke was in 2010 not 2011. This was after David Carter had announced through the media in August 2009 that there would be no resumption of the trade while he was agriculture minister, contradicting his public and private statements earlier that year. See http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/2287062/Live-sheep-exports-to-resume

          • Karen 13.1.1.2.1

            Don’t have time to check now but from memory there had been live sheep exports under Labour but animal welfare concerns caused a change in policy and they were banned. That’s why it seems odd to me that a Labour MP would have promised to reinstate them.

        • Tracey 13.1.1.3

          I repeat my question above… did you or anyone else explain to Hamood that in a democracy only so much stock can be put in assurance, due to change of government and sovereignty regarding policy implementation through legislation? And that governments/political parties are occassionally driven by public opinion leading to changed “minds”?

          • Matthew Hooton 13.1.1.3.1

            I believe David Carter’s political advisor made these points to the Saudi Agriculture Minister in a meeting at the FAO in Rome.

            • Tracey 13.1.1.3.1.1

              Thanks.

              It seems odd that no one would have pointed this out to Mr Hamood, either amongst his own advisors or ours.

        • Macro 13.1.1.4

          An official may have said that (if that is what the man claims) – but that official was clearly speaking out of line. It was not government policy, and could never have been, the government having banned the export of live sheep only 5 years previously!

  13. PhilDC 14

    bit of a warning here for the TPPA – sign it and get sued for non-existant claims by bullies, paid off by a bunch of chicken poop bureaucrats to curry favor. This is before a so-called agreement is signed – this was done to get it signed – maybe(?)
    and they gave away IP which can be copied – blindly arrogant shortsighted fuckwittedness.

  14. tinfoilhat 15

    McCully is a disgrace who has achieved nothing of any merit in or outside of parliament.

  15. ianmac 16

    Two questions for McCully today Question Time:
    JAMES SHAW to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Has a full and final settlement been reached with Mr Al Khalaf; if so, what is the total cost to taxpayers?

    Hon DAVID PARKER to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Did he seek advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade about whether, using the multimillion dollar payment for the benefit of Hamood Al Ali Al Khalaf – a Saudi Arabian businessman to cause the Saudi Arabian officials to advance the GCC FTA which had stalled, breached the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions?

    • Old Mickey 16.1

      The reply from McCully will be very interesting on the Parker question…..enough people know the answer to this one.

      • It’s got to be “no” I assume?
        (Especially as no bribe was paid to Saudi officials.)

        • Tracey 16.1.1.1

          It makes me wonder what the follow up question is?

          • Old Mickey 16.1.1.1.1

            Parker should split this line of questioning:

            Hon DAVID PARKER to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Did he seek advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade about whether, using the multimillion dollar payment for the benefit of Hamood Al Ali Al Khalaf – a Saudi Arabian businessman to cause the Saudi Arabian officials to advance the GCC FTA ?

            The answer to this is Yes

            If so, did MFAT provide an opinion on the view that the payment would breach the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions? If yes, what was their advice ? If no, why was this not considered by MFAT ?

            • Matthew Hooton 16.1.1.1.1.1

              What are the real answers to this one?

              • Tracey

                I suspect/guess that Old mickey is telling us MFAT told McCully that it would or could breach the Convention but that would be OIA-ble wouldn’t it, unless the MFAT official was a lawyer and then can they claim they don’t have to release it?

              • Old Mickey

                The real answers – try this:

                National inherited a very bad situation, and tried hard to create a better outcome for NZ in the long term. Given the delicate nature of the relationship & lack of trust due to an apparent backdown by the NZ govt, MFAT needed to be creative in order to create a win/win situation. To that end it is harsh to judge this now. If NZ does not get an FTA with the GCC, then this was a bad call. On the balance of probabilities this strategy was worth the effort and a rational response. Nothing to see here yet.

                • Macro

                  It’s only a bad situation if you are desperate to have a FTA with a corrupt government.

            • felix 16.1.1.1.1.2

              Yes Old Mickey that’s exactly what he should have done.

              I have no idea why Labour MPs insist on cramming so much into their questions, and then at the same time waste questions by asking questions that other parties are already asking on the same day.

              • Old Mickey

                At least he didnt start with “does the minister stand by all his statements ?”
                which seems to be the the question de jure of greens and Winnie First.

                • felix

                  Always worth having one of those per session though. Got to give them a surprise now and then 😉

            • Matthew Hooton 16.1.1.1.1.3

              He didn’t answer “yes”.
              He said “not specifically”.

            • Erling 16.1.1.1.1.4

              Add also “was Crown Law consulted on whether would breach domestic legislation prohibiting corruption/bribery.”

        • toad 16.1.1.2

          The New Zealand legislation implementing our obligations under that OECD convention is s 105C Crimes Act. This does not require the bribe to be given to the foreign official for an offence to have been committed. All that is required is that the bribe be given to a person with intent to influence the foreign official.

          Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who corruptly gives or offers or agrees to give a bribe to a person with intent to influence a foreign public official in respect of any act or omission by that official in his or her official capacity…

    • Sacha 16.2

      Ooh that last question is a doozie (though hard to parse).

  16. Given the growing public interest in this story, the NBR has put my two flying sheep columns on the free side of the paywall.
    http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/gulf-games-fail-deliver
    http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/flying-sheep-endanger-mccully

    • ianmac 17.1

      Reads as a credible record Matthew. Very interesting. The Question Time today will be even more interesting in the light of your record.

      • Matthew Hooton 17.1.1

        No doubt an error or two as had to rely on memory, and much more has now been revealed by others.

    • Tracey 17.2

      Has google earth updated, can you see buildings and sheep?

      McCully might have to fly emirates… so he can take the sheep with him to the opening?

    • mickysavage 17.3

      Cheers Matthew. I am going to do a Mike Williams and say I agree with you! McCully should be sacked for misleading Cabinet if not Parliament.

  17. Goodshepherd 18

    I was farming sheep (and beef) during those years.

    I supported the ban on the live sheep trade to the gulf for animal welfare reasons.

    Before, (and even after the ban was imposed because I feared the trade would be renewed one day) I docked and wethered all my surplus male lambs and put blackface rams over my ewes, because only entire white ram lambs were acceptable for the Muslim festivals. I was surprised to read yesterday that it was Suffolks (black face bred for cool climates) that were part of this latest breeding deal tbh; hadn’t realised things had changed so much.

    Yes, it cost me a considerable premium but it was the right thing to do.

    • ianmac 18.1

      Does that mean that the reason for setting the “farm” up is not for the festival?

      • Goodshepherd 18.1.1

        Ianmac, I don’t know.

        They say it’s a breeding operation and obviously it must be or we wouldn’t be sending pb ewes across. But black face rams are mostly used to produce meat animals; the wool is not high quality and there’s a black fibre that contaminates it too.

        So my guess is that this has been set up to produce meat for every day and someone else with another line of stock will be producing animals destined for the festivals or rituals.

        Never the less, meat animals must be slaughtered and, if it is as it was, back in my day, many of them will be slaughtered by amateurs with poor skills and little concern for their suffering.

  18. Draco T Bastard 19

    Government accused of wasting $11.5 million on wealthy Saudi farmer

    Mr McCully’s Cabinet paper says Mr Khalaf’s business had “indicated that they had received legal advice suggesting they pursue a claim for between $20 million and $30 million”.

    But a source has told ONE News the legal claim was withdrawn a year earlier, in February 2012.

    Mr McCully has confirmed there was no pending legal action at the time he took the paper to Cabinet.

    Deeper and deeper he digs the hole he’s in.

    • Tracey 19.1

      and the more it shines away from Key and Carter…

      • tc 19.1.1

        like the scene in Steven Soderburgh’s ‘Traffic’ where there are 2 envelopes to be opened in times of crises:

        the first letter is ‘blame the last guy’ and the second one is ‘sit down and write 2 letters’.

        Mccully needs to wake up to the fact maybe his time is up and Shonky needs some meat for the pack to feed off whilst he goes about flogging Nzild to his mates.

  19. finbar 20

    Of course,putting my boots on and running on the ground gives me 40 thousand pounds every time a game,got to be some tax relief their above the hundreds of millions transfer fee of my feets ability

  20. finbar 21

    look we believe in Labours belief,we do,just give us a chance.Mike, the voters rejected it back then,and the new pin numbered poverty will be left looking for a social change for their care.

  21. finbar 22

    Never happen here.How much now this rag head greed extortion have you payed Murry,for your governments control of free trading,how much was that ease paid .Never happen here in our Aotearoa,these bribes,its how they operate over there give millions and receive more,its not corruption as our knowing,its like a modern version of Oprah,give and receive.Dont think Opera understood the religious abuse of caliphate power dominance. Seems our corporation control governance is not shy of backhanding.

  22. b waghorn 23

    On one news they have just revealed that the threat of legal action had been stopped in 2012 a year before this dodgy deal was done.
    Another minister about to bite the dust??

  23. Michael 24

    David Parker’s legal skills ride to Labour’s rescue again. He will be difficult for it to replace, if not impossible. Still, it looks though he’s on the way out (straight, white male).

  24. NZSage 25

    This sordid episode would topple governments elsewhere but not in good old demure NZ.

    What depths does National have to plunge to make NZ’ers wake up?

    Ban iPhones perhaps?

  25. Good Oil 26

    Interesting that the Exclusive Brethren Brownriggs were ‘selected’ to provide the ‘sheepware’. I wonder if Don Brash provided consultancy??

  26. peterlepaysan 27

    Did not Bill English describe Mcully as a toxic gnome/dwarf that needed dealing to? (reference Hollow Men).

    No wonder he got MFAT. Out of the country, out of our hair. Some government did that to Winston (once). Heh.

    Mind you john banks is back to save the nats.

  27. Paul Robinson 28

    It seems to me that there is agreement that these payments were made a) either to prevent legal action in relation to live sheep exports and/or b) to facilitate a free trade agreement. If b) – it is a bribe, if a) then there should have been a formal claim lodged, and somehow all process of mediation followed. Prima facie – it looks like a), if b) then a complete and utter failure of due process.

  28. Nathanhanes 29

    It seems Paul Robinson that the payments were made

    B) to facilitate an FTA,

    but it was dressed up and sold to cabinet as

    A) to prevent legal action.

    In common speak it was a bribe but to get around legal issues was dressed up as a neccessity to avoid legal recourse. I can see that Hooton and HDA now understand there was no legal threat, a point McCully has admitted himself.

    The question is who was involved in the dressing up? I am pretty sure MFAT staff have enough nous not to go near this sort of thing – so who did the dirty work?

    • felix 29.1

      Probably not a good idea to use a name so similar to the name of a well-known New Zealander.

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  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    8 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    11 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    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 ...
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 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
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 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
    6 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
    7 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
    20 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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, ...
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    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
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    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
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    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
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    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
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    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
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    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
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    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
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    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
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    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
    This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti.  Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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