Smirks & inversions

Written By: - Date published: 10:54 am, February 13th, 2014 - 42 comments
Categories: benefits, child abuse, child welfare, employment, housing, Metiria Turei, news, paula bennett, poverty, spin, the praiseworthy and the pitiful - Tags:

The Salvation Army’s latest State of the Nation Report: “Striking a Better Balance” (2014) has been the subject of some intense debate from the right and from the left. On the surface, it just appears to be a different interpretation, and hard to tell which is the correct interpretation.  It is necessary to go to the report itself to see where the spin is being applied.

The Salvation Army’s summary of the report, gives praise for some improvements,

In its annual report The Salvation Army gives the thumbs up to an improvement in Maori participation in early childhood education, a drop in infant mortality, reducing teenage pregnancy rates, a reduction in overall criminal offending, a drop in unemployment and a reduction in the per capita spend on gambling.

But the main focus of its conclusions is this:

But The Salvation Army remains deeply concerned at the lack of progress in reducing child poverty, family violence, the harmful use of alcohol, and the failure to address criminal re-offending and serious crime.

Metiria Turei questioned the Minister of Social Development on this yesterday in the House.  Turei asked the questions directly, seriously, without rhetorical embellishment.  She focused on the central cause for concern with respect to the lack of progress on child poverty.  Bennett, in contrast, was all contained smirks and diversions.

Turei said the Salvation Army assessment of D on child poverty.  Bennett said that must mean “Dotcom”, though this had no apparent connection with the poverty issue – just a dog whistle, a diversion.

Bennett largely focused on the aspects the Report praised, and denied and diverted from the main causes for concern as expressed in the Report.  She blamed the GFC, and inverted some of the points the Report raised so as to shift the focus from the government’s failings.

Jacinda Ardern also questioned Bennett on the D for child poverty, and the C- assessment for child abuse and neglect.  Bennett responded with the diversions and spin (eg on employment figures).

Bennett has provided a very skewed and inverted interpretation of the Salvation Army Report, shifting from the main concern with continuing child poverty and housing unaffordability to the secondary focus on improvements. Bennett uses the Report’s considered summary of community, parental, and government factors impacting on child poverty, as a smoke screen for the government failure to act decisively and sincerely on such deeply entrenched problems.

And today’s NZ Herald editorial repeats the Ministers inversions, diversions, and misrepresentations of the main emphasis in the Salvation Army report.

Here is the actual Salvation Army Report:

Some of the things it praises, like the drop in teenage pregnancies, are attributed to a collective community achievement. Government policies, such as getting tougher on solo mothers, are only credited with contributing a small part to a cultural change.

The Report mentions some of the levers that the government can use, pointing out that the choices made on which levers to pull indicate a government’s priorities.  The report also puts a significant stress on the moral and spiritual framework of society, in its damning critique of neoliberalism’s focus on small government, market forces and materialistic individualism.

The neo-liberal paradigm that has been so dominant in New Zealand politics is convincing us that a society is little more than a collection of markets, that citizens are only consumers, and that governments have only a residual role in mediating all of this. The Salvation Army does not accept this view of humanity or of community life. We believe that there is a spiritual and moral aspect to life that demands we individually have a clear spiritual and moral framework to our lives—not just a framework that sees achievement in personal economic benefit. Similarly, New Zealand’s strength and achievement as a nation is not found in economic indicators alone but in indicators that show the strength
of our concern to deliver care, compassion and social justice to everyone.

It is The Salvation Army’s hope that this year’s State of the Nation report gives insights into where, as a country, our ambition has been underwhelming and our imagination stunted.

The Report gives praise where it’s due, but identifies deep causes for concern about the country’s future, as indicated by lack of progress on child poverty and affordable housing: labelling these as “time bomb issues”.

It argues that governments will only change their priorities and policies if there is significant pressure from the public.  This only serves to reinforce just how much the government is stalling on acknowledging the need for real and fundamental changes in priorities.

Above all, we need to continue to exert community pressure, to circulate information about the real state of the nation in society, and highlight the smokescreens in the conservative media reports, for any real change to happen: change that will result in a more caring, collaborative and sustainable society.

 

 

 

 

42 comments on “Smirks & inversions ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. captain hook 1
    13 February 2014 at 11:11 am

    the tories cant lie straight in bed. they think the truth is for sale to the highest bidder as well.

    • Puckish Rogue 1.1
      13 February 2014 at 11:51 am

      Do you really have to bring KDC into this?

      • karol 1.1.1
        13 February 2014 at 12:00 pm

        This post is not about the Dotcom diversion. Further comments diverting from the issues of the Salvation Army Report, and the issues it raised like child poverty, abuse, neglect and housing affordability, will be moved or deleted.

        [lprent: Or just banned for months. I’m starting to get irritated about diversions. ]

  2. Chooky 2
    13 February 2014 at 11:36 am

    the Salvation Army works at the grassroots…and tends to those most in need in New Zealand ….its report must be taken very seriously

    Greens party……Metiria Turei was on the ball

    ….but where was Labour’s spokesperson?…..who is Labour’s spokesperson?

    ….is Labour hammering this issue? ( the way Shane Jones is hammering the Aussie supermarket issue)…because they should be if they are to have credibility….This is a core Labour Party issue that the Salvation Army addresses

    • karol 2.1
      13 February 2014 at 11:43 am

      Labour’s spokesperson on children was Jacinda Ardern. As I reported in my post, she put a question to Bennett on the Report as well.

      Like Turei, Ardern also put out a press release on it.

      So did David Cunliffe:

      “The report shows signs of improvements in some social indicators but, while the top end of town and the privileged few continue to do well under the current Government, child poverty and the lack of affordable housing are ‘time-bomb’ issues for our country.

      “The report repeats calls for action to address these matters, as well as rising living costs and the number of families struggling to pay their bills.

      Then Cunliffe focues on Best Start.

      But the MSM, especially TV news, was too busy focusing on claims of Norman and Peters visiting Dotcom.

      • Chooky 2.1.1
        13 February 2014 at 12:35 pm

        sorry karol…i missed that

        …..quite apart from the adequacy of Jacinda Adern’s reply, which seems pretty good

        …..imo Labour needs someone really ROUGH, TOUGH, CHARISMATIC and very HIGH PROFILE as a spokesperson for this issue…

        (scream, harangue the media , think outside the box, street theatre tactics…..co-opting expert witnesses at grassroots level eg church and welfare leaders, charity hospitals , teachers ….it needs to be a priority attack on this NACT govt)

        Social Welfare /Social Development ( concerned with poverty and those at the bottom of the heap) …. is core to the Labour Party policy and winnability in this General Election

        imo….. I think Adern looks too civilised, sweet and nice for this role….and she would be better as a spokesperson for the Arts or some such ( i wonder who xtasy thinks would be most suitable)

        • Chooky 2.1.1.1
          13 February 2014 at 2:00 pm

          oops Adern is spokesperson for the Arts…maybe Nanaia Mahuta could take over speaking out for children in poverty

          ….at the moment it doesnt seem as if there is a clearcut Labour spokesperson on poverty, children, youth and families …..except David Cunliffe who announces policy…it is really important that the NZ voter can identify one Labour spokesperson on this imo…and they are very effective and look like they have been there and know what it is all about…and also can slug it out with Nact…take the initiative and take on the fight!

          • karol 2.1.1.1.1
            13 February 2014 at 2:03 pm

            Ardern is spokesperson on children, and played a significant role in drafting the Best Start policy.

            • Chooky 2.1.1.1.1.1
              13 February 2014 at 4:19 pm

              @karol…..urr umm …shows how much i know

              ….nevertheless speaking as an outsider ……Labour does not seem to have a single high profile equivalent of Metiria Turei or Sue Bradford to face off Bennett….. and to slug it out and swing the lead on issues of poverty,kids , beneficiaries , youth unemployment

              ….(those issues that Xstasy talks about)

              …..apart from David Cunliffe who is fully occupied being the leader

              • karol …
                13 February 2014 at 5:00 pm

                Yes. But consider this. A Labour-Green government would be likely to choose Turei as Minister for Child Poverty/Poverty, as she has been onto it, and with heart and a personal mission for quite a while. So then Ardern would drop that and step into arts, etc.

                Meanwhile Turei leads, and Ardern provides some support.

                • blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) …
                  13 February 2014 at 5:13 pm

                  You make a good point here Karol, yet Chooky’s point is good too and should be cause for concern for Labour

                  Because if Chooky’s general impression is shared by others – a lack of passion/power occurring in relation to this issue – then that can easily translate into a loss of votes.

                  I think luke-warm needs to be taken out of the Labour Party and passion and strength of conviction brought in.

                  A lot of people will only pick up on the type of impression they get and if Chooky’s impression is anything to go by, this is something that needs to be improved in the Labour party.

                  …just saying….

                  • Chooky …
                    13 February 2014 at 6:11 pm

                    yes my feeling as an outsider is that Labour needs to have very high profile authentic, credible, gifted spokespeople on ALL their important key issues/policies/platforms

                    …a SINGLE spokesperson that the public can relate to…and be able to say this is the Labour Party spokesperson on this issue…this person is fighting for me on this issue and doing a good job and will make a good Minister

                    …Labour needs front spokespeople that can take the heat and who look the part…(this is partly why Winston is such a success)

                    ….to create good policy is a skill and a very important backroom skill ….but to be a good public spokesperson to swing the voters to your side and represent your Party is an even more important skill imo ( because many people dont read the policy detail so much as look at the Spokesperson and see if they can relate to that person…..and then say this person represents me and what I want and is doing a good job in fighting for me)

                    ….so policy makers to the back room and gifted spokespeople (strategists)to the fore…to sell and win voters for Labour!…it is a performance!

                • xtasy …
                  13 February 2014 at 6:52 pm

                  Perhaps I better comment, as Chooky also referred to me:

                  Maybe that is what they will ultimately do to share responsibilities when (if) in government, but Chooky is right to point out that there is something lacking in Labour.

                  Sue Moroney is the new spokesperson for social security. There have been a fair few questions to Bennett during Question Time, some by opposition MPs (usually Greens) – but it seems more often so by government MPs (the latter trying to score points by letting Bennett show off supposedly “good” statistics). Yet Moroney has mostly not asked ANY supplementary questions, she just sits there and lets Bennett get away with too much. Today she asked one supplementary or two, after weeks of silence.

                  Jacinda Ardern has a range of responsibilities, and one is that for children. She seems to be more vocal and engaged than Moroney, while Moroney has the bulk of responsibility for MSD and WINZ and CYFS matters.

                  Labour also made clear, they want to campaign on their policies, and whatever negotiations will take place after the election, that is a matter to discuss then, who will get what ministerial position.

                  I had expected much, much more from Moroney, she has so far nothing but disappointed. That means Labour has a LOW profile when it comes to social security issues. And that suggests, that for them social security issues, including child poverty and child abuse, are not really top priorities, which is in my eyes a turn off for the many voters that are the poorest with no voice.

                  Besides of Moroney they have Louisa Wall as associate spokesperson for social security, but she plays only second fiddle, and also asks nothing really. She may be lacking some experience, but I would think she would be more “hitting” in the role, if allowed to, rather than Sue Moroney.

                  I am dismayed with Labour when it comes to welfare or social security matters, the only thing they ever raise is child poverty, that is “when” they do so (like the last 2 days).

                • xtasy …
                  13 February 2014 at 6:56 pm

                  Perhaps I better comment, as Chooky also referred to me:

                  Labour and Greens will ultimately share responsibilities when (if) in government, but Chooky is right to point out that there is something lacking in Labour right now. My sad and worrying suspicion and impression is, that they do not really place a high priority on social security, apart from the slogan stuff about inequality and child poverty, which of course are important issues.

                  Sue Moroney is the new spokesperson for social security. There have been a fair few questions to Bennett during Question Time, some by opposition MPs (usually Greens) – but it seems more often so by government MPs (the latter trying to score points by letting Bennett show off supposedly “good” statistics). Yet Moroney has mostly not asked ANY supplementary questions, she just sits there and lets Bennett get away with too much. Today she asked one supplementary or two, after weeks of silence.

                  Jacinda Ardern has a range of responsibilities, and one is that for children. She seems to be more vocal and engaged than Moroney, while Moroney has the bulk of responsibility for MSD and WINZ and CYFS matters.

                  Labour made clear, they want to campaign on their policies, and whatever negotiations will take place after the election, that is a matter to discuss then, who will get what ministerial position.

                  I had expected much more from Moroney, but she has so far nothing but disappointed. That means Labour has a LOW profile when it comes to social security issues. And that suggests, that for them social welfare issues, except as the two mentioned above, are not really top priorities, which is in my eyes a turn off for the many voters that are the poorest with no voice.

                  Besides of Moroney they have Louisa Wall as associate spokesperson for social security, but she plays only second fiddle, and also asks nothing really. She may be lacking some experience, but I would think she would be more “hitting” in the role, if allowed to, rather than Sue Moroney.

                  I am dismayed with Labour when it comes to welfare or social security matters, the only thing they ever raise is child poverty and inequality, that is “when” they do so (like the last 2 days). There are many more issues in the welfare area, and they need to be addressed. Maybe they lack competence in medical and other areas (legal, human rights, industry training), or they simply cannot be bothered?!

                  P.S.: Sorry for the “double up”. The first attempt to post did not seem to work, now the incomplete first comment shows though. The second one (this one) is my “final” version though!

                  • karol …
                    14 February 2014 at 9:14 am

                    chooky and xtasy: yes I do agree with your assessment on Labour not making a strong enough case on social security issues – not just poverty, but on beneficiaries etc. Ardern does OK on child poverty, but she does not seem to have the srong commitment of Turei.

                    And I agree that Moroney is not taking as strong a leadership on social security as I would like.

                    This seems to be a pandering to the neoliberal MSM, and may not reflect the policies Labour are developing. Nevertheless, a major concern about the current Labour caucus and its electoral platform.

                    My party vote remains with the Greens.

                    • Chooky …
                      14 February 2014 at 8:58 pm

                      thanks xtasy and karol

                      …imo as a former Labour voter who comes from a Labour voting family

                      …Labour is not cutting the mustard for its core voters …and the 800,000 who didn’t bother to vote last time

                      …Unless it has decided to relinquish this vote to Mana…and is happy/resigned to be a Social Democrat Party….it really has to do the following imo

                      1). decide that its priority issues are the traditional Labour ones of advocating for the poorest New Zealanders ..(children , beneficiaries, the disabled, low income earners, poor families etc)

                      2.) get someone(s) on its team ….either in Cabinet now ….but probably from the back benches …who is/are capable of raising the dust and being a charismatic spokesperson(s) for the poorest..and taking on Bennett and Key!….and shaming them!.

                      3.) probably such a spokesperson should be Maori or Polynesian or working class or have beneficiary experience….in order for them to have passion and credibility in this role as an advocate.

                      4) middle class MP policy makers can work behind the scenes in a supportive role and feed this advocate (s)

                      Do you have any ideas xtasy…. on who in the Labour Party could perform the spokesperson(s) roles ?

                      National seems to do very well in the area of picking spokespeople …maybe Labour needs to take the advice from outside experts in raising organisation profiles…getting the best people for the job!

                    • karol …
                      14 February 2014 at 9:00 pm

                      Louisa Wall?

                    • xtasy …
                      14 February 2014 at 11:28 pm

                      Chooky –

                      I am struggling to find a truly passionate one amongst Labour’s present MPs, to perhaps also be competent, convincing and committed enough. Besides of Louisa Wall, there maybe perhaps Moana Mackey – or Carol Beaumont, who could do a better job, but my suspicion is, whosoever is appointed to look after social security, the person(s) is/are kept on a leash, and do not have the freedom to speak and raise issues as they may like to. And what about Poto Williams, she seems to have NO role assigned as yet?

                      Labour do need to internally get SERIOUS on welfare matters, and put it along other issues at the top of their policy priorities, but I cannot see that happen at the moment. They certainly also need “fresh blood”, and that can only come in with the next elections.

                      The present lot: https://www.labour.org.nz/people

                    • Chooky …
                      14 February 2014 at 11:49 pm

                      xtasy and karol…agree with everything you say

                      ….i think i would go with Poto Williams and Louisa Wall ( Nanaia Mahuta seems fully occupied with Treaty and Maori issues)

                      (i would swap Louisa Wall’s and Sue Morroney’s portfolios)

                      Poto Williams is very smart and a very good speaker and I think Louisa Wall is a real fighter ….so those two women should lead the charge imo

                      ( and everyone else should give them as much support as possible…and as much professional help as possible to have the maximum impact)

  3. captain hook 3
    13 February 2014 at 11:56 am

    The main thing for me was that the Salvation Army spokesperson said that it doesn’t matter matter how many bloody dollars you have if they wont buy anything.
    you know.
    like food and clothing and electricity and rent.

  4. JanM 4
    13 February 2014 at 12:00 pm

    The Salvation Army report is truly impressive, especially in the way it names the policies and habits of mind that have brought about this potential disaster.
    It brings back echoes of the 1972 elections when the Norman Kirk government won office from a National Government that seemed almost ‘born to rule’. They had so lost their moral compass that some of the ‘mainstream’ churches were openly supporting Labour -to the point of ministers preaching the need for change from their pulpits. With The Salvation Army’s leadership, I wonder if any of them will find the courage to do this again – I would argue that the situation is worse this time than it was then.
    Despite a press that seems hell-bent on hiding or obfuscating, we might yet see a tidal turn – fingers crossed!

    • Bill 4.1
      13 February 2014 at 12:29 pm

      I’m quietly hopeful that what you say transpires…that corporate media outlets lose credibility in the eyes of a large majority of the population. I believe it’s already happening, but if the churches and the mosques and whatever begin to speak about this stuff in sermons and what not and if congregations pick it up and run with it…they have huge potential in shaping and speeding a change in social discourse.

    • Chooky 4.2
      13 February 2014 at 12:36 pm

      @ JanM+100

  5. tricledrown 5
    13 February 2014 at 12:16 pm

    The Media back then wasn’t bought off .
    Campbell live and one or two commentaters on RNZ are all we have left in the Mainstream Media.
    Luckily Scoop the Standard etc are taking the fight on and holding the MSM to account.

    • JanM 5.1
      13 February 2014 at 2:23 pm

      They may not have been bought off, tricledrown, in quite the same way but from one who had a partner in the press gallery around that time, let me tell you they were definitely right wing. Tom Scott is the only one that comes to mind who I would not have identified as a died-in-the-wool Nat, and can anyone remember Keith Hancox? -oh boy, – a right wing bovver boy who openly trumpeted his conservative agenda – well he soon showed what manner of man he was, didn’t he?

  6. Draco T Bastard 6
    13 February 2014 at 3:21 pm

    This only serves to reinforce just how much the government is stalling on acknowledging the need for real and fundamental changes in priorities.

    This government’s only priority is to enrich the already rich. Unfortunately, that has been the main priority of all our governments since the 4th Labour government.

    • The Real Matthew 6.1
      14 February 2014 at 4:13 pm

      If that’s their priority Draco they are doing a pretty poor job

      • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1
        14 February 2014 at 9:06 pm

        Really?

        I would say that the increasing inequality over the last 30 years is proof that they’re doing quite well at it.

  7. marty mars 7
    13 February 2014 at 5:22 pm

    Well I watched both of those videos and bennett is pretty formidable – her body language is to the point as her hand chops and slashes in answer to Turei, She seemed less bothered by Ardern. I have to say, she scares me – she”ll say and do what she wants to do and smile that fake smile the whole time.

    • karol 7.1
      13 February 2014 at 5:56 pm

      Agreed. But Bennett is all front glossing over the slippery substance of her arguments – arguments with just enough content to pass at first glance.

      On the other hand, Turei was focused, sincere and persistent. She’s playing the long game.

    • Colonial Viper 7.2
      13 February 2014 at 6:16 pm

      Formidable is the right word. She’s not ready to lead the National Party yet, but give her another couple of terms under her belt.

      • xtasy 7.2.1
        13 February 2014 at 7:20 pm

        Paula Bennett’s new haircut and her now usual make up, plus her present way of dressing, does make her look very much alike Jenny Shipley in her years “in power”! Perhaps Shipley is her role model after all?

        I hated Shipley (as did so many others that suffered under her regime), and I HATE Bennett at least as much. Both have much in common.

        • Macro 7.2.1.1
          13 February 2014 at 9:15 pm

          I hated Shipley (as did so many others that suffered under her regime), and I HATE Bennett at least as much. Both have much in common.

          You and me both …

        • felix 7.2.1.2
          13 February 2014 at 10:40 pm

          “Paula Bennett’s new haircut and her now usual make up, plus her present way of dressing”

          Yeah I see she’s dropped the westie costume, which is all it ever was for her.

          Are her new marks going to fall for her new tory costume so readily?

          • David H 7.2.1.2.1
            14 February 2014 at 7:12 am

            I must admit that when I first started that video I almost died laughing at her ‘new’ look. Then I remembered that she reminded me of that ‘scarey old lady’ that lives in a dark, dank, house, and scares small children..

            But I do wish she would do het job properly, and look after those who need it (like she did) because some of the young people have made choices that will stay with them all their lives and they will need help, not hindrance.

      • fender 7.2.2
        13 February 2014 at 11:16 pm

        “She’s not ready to lead the National Party yet, but give her another couple of terms under her belt.”

        Far-king-hell, as if there aren’t enough future problems facing mankind.

        • karol 7.2.2.1
          14 February 2014 at 9:09 am

          My thoughts, exactly, fender. And really, I do think Bennett is a far more polarising figure than the likes of Shipley. if she was made leader of the Nats, I can’t believe she would end up as PM – more of a Brash type leader.

          • fender 7.2.2.1.1
            14 February 2014 at 11:31 am

            Yes hopefully common sense would prevail resulting in Bennett never becoming PM, although I think she has an ability to disguise her contempt for certain groups with a shroud of “concern”. I can see her only getting better at this as time goes on. 🙁

  8. Ron 8
    14 February 2014 at 12:04 am

    I am worried at the way the Salvation report seems to down play crimes and almost seem to be acting as a mouth piece for National Governments Law & Order spokesperson.
    The figures in the report seem to indicate a decrease in sexual crimes for instance but a recent study published in The Lancet show that Sexual Assault in Australia and New Zealand is more than double the world average.
    The study reported that 7.2% of women aged 15 or older reported being sexually assaulted by someone other than an intimate partner at least once in their lives.
    However the study found that Australia and New Zealand has the third-highest rate, more than double the world average, with 16.4 per cent.
    However, the study’s authors have cautioned that the figures probably underestimate the true rate of sexual violence because in many areas women don’t report assaults because of underlying social or cultural stigma (Stuff web site Feb 13 2014)
    I find these figures at complete odds with the S.A. report and wonder just how the come up with the figures they used.

    • karol 8.1
      14 February 2014 at 9:07 am

      Ah, yes, thank you, Ron. I did notice that the Report seemed to accept some crime stats unquestioningly. I recall there has been some debate as to how such crimes are recorded.

      The report says it got it’s crime stats from here:

      Crime data is from Statistics New Zealand’s NZStat database and is based on the numbers of reported offences for the year ended 30 June. The offending rate is calculated from Statistics New Zealand’s estimates of the mean population for the corresponding year.

      The report notes serious crime is down: such offences described as “Recorded violent or sexual offences as a proportion of the population (per 10,000)

      But it also notes.

      Alongside every prisoner there are victims, and the real testimony to the success of our crime reduction and penal corrections policies should be the extent to which we have avoided or reduced the numbers of victims of serious crime. Recent progress in this regard is disappointing.

      And this:

      The decline in recorded crime has not been evenly distributed across the spectrum of offences. […]
      Offences that had slight increases in numbers included sexual offences and dangerous or negligent acts.

      There is, however, no information available to assess whether or not these declines are due to reduced rates of offending or to reduced rates of reporting and recording. The most recent survey of New Zealander’s experience of crime was undertaken in 2008 and reported in 2010.[18]
      This survey found that perhaps only 41% of crime is reported to Police, and that of this reported crime just 32% of this was recorded by the Police. In other words, perhaps as little as 13% of all crime actually makes Police statistics of recorded crime. [19] …Just 32% of assaults were reported to Police. [20]

      This 2008/09 report was similar in its methodology to one undertaken in 2005, andthe results of the survey show consistent levels and patterns of under reporting of crime. This may suggest that New Zealanders’ crime reporting behaviours are fairly constant, and by implication that official crime statistics such as numbers of recorded offences present a consistent if understated picture.

      However, as I recall, the Nats have changed the ways crime stats are recorded, the categories, etc.

      Family Violence Clearing House expressed some concern over the official crime stats.

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    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    11 hours ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    11 hours ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    12 hours ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    13 hours ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    14 hours ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    16 hours ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 day ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
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  • Taupō takes pole position
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  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
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  • Government backing mussel spat project
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  • Government focused on getting people into work
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  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
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  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
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  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
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  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
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  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
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  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
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  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
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  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
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  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
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  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
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  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
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  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
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  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
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  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
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  • Navigating an unstable global environment
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  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
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  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
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  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
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  • Joint US and NZ declaration
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  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
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