Standard questions: Andrew Little

Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, November 13th, 2014 - 64 comments
Categories: Andrew Little, labour, leadership - Tags: , , , , ,

A couple of weeks ago we asked readers to suggest questions for written answers from the candidates. We chose / edited six questions, and sent them to the four campaigns. Here’s Andrew Little’s answers.

(1) Can you outline your strategy for winning the next election.

I want to rebuild not just our Party but our movement. That means building strong connections to our communities, to the unions, and to Kiwis who don’t really feel like politics has much impact on their lives. When more people can see what Labour stands for and why we’re the best party to lead a government, we’ll win.

My plan for rebuilding Labour is specific and practical: http://andrew-little.org.nz/my-plan-for-labour/

 

(2) How prepared are you to work with the wider left, with the other parties of the left? Would you form a coalition with the Greens, before the next election – why or why not?

We have to work closely with the Greens, because they’ll almost certainly be part of any government we form.

But I think it’s a mistake to look at “the wider left” only in terms of other parties. Like I’ve said above, we need to be working as a movement, with the Labour Party in Parliament being just one part of the picture. That means connecting with unions and other organisations which support our values. That means working with our supporters where they are – in their neighbourhoods and in their communities – even the ones online!

In terms of a formal coalition with the Greens before the next election, I don’t have a yes or no answer. New Zealanders do expect that before an election we’ll clearly signal who our likely coalition partners will be, and I will do that.

My obligation as Party leader is to make sure Labour maximises its party vote.

 

(3) How will you combat the attacks that will most certainly come from National and their fronts such as the “Taxpayers’ Union” and blogs? How do you shift the narrative so that “middle New Zealand” stop believing propaganda and start engaging with the real issues going on in New Zealand?

The left absolutely has to recognise that the National Party has a well-organised, heavily-resourced attack machine which has a lot of experience at getting their messages into the public consciousness and even allegedly harassing and intimidating people who stand in their way.

The answer to that kind of hate speech is more speech. We have to have a strategy which is much broader than a set of campaigns on separate issues, or a series of press releases. We have to create our own positive messages and build the networks I’ve talked about to get those messages to every New Zealander. We have to be united and focused, with everyone from MPs to activists to commentators working together to amplify our messages.

And we must push back against the so-called “independent” think-tanks and commentators who push rightwing ideas. We have to call out their agendas and refuse to accept their framing of events, because as soon as we do we lose the argument.

We have to back ourselves to carve out our own message to our own constituency.

 

(4) Rural communities and towns have been declining for many years. What’s your plan to stop urban drift and the loss of vital services to these areas?

Right now Air New Zealand is planning to abandon some of its regional routes, and New Zealand Post has closed regional mail centres and is looking at replacing PostShops with self-service kiosks. When our vital public services are being run just for profit, the regions miss out, and that’s not good enough.

The government has a huge role to play in supporting regional development. We must invest in the infrastructure, like rail or broadband, which makes it easier for businesses to thrive outside the big cities. The state can use its massive purchasing power to buy Kiwi made and create skilled, well-paid jobs in manufacturing. And we can look at what state services could be moved out of the big cities and into the regions.

Doing this also helps our big cities by relieving pressure on infrastructure and house prices. It’s a win for everyone.

 

(5) Do you intend for Labour to develop policy specific to Work and Income beneficiaries? (as opposed to policy directed towards low income people in general). Do you recognise that many WINZ beneficiaries have vulnerabilities not being addressed by other Labour policy?

There’s a really sad irony that when workers lose their jobs – as far too many have under this government – they get sympathy. But as soon as they start receiving the unemployment benefit, they’re vilified.

New Zealanders are better than that. We know that when other members of our communities are having a rough time, we have a responsibility to help them get through. But we’ve got a nasty, narrow-minded government which keeps whipping up antipathy towards people who, for whatever reason, are relying on government support.

I care about every member of my community, whether they’re in work or not. And a government must be there for every person in its jurisdiction, whether they’re in work or not.

We also have to acknowledge that many people aren’t able to be in “normal” full-time, paid work, whether because of illness or injury or other important responsibilities like parenting. They shouldn’t be harassed and treated like second-class citizens just because they need a little extra support.

In the future world of work, people are going to move in and out of work a lot more, and we have to make sure that the income support system helps them do that as smoothly as possible. That will mean reviewing many of the systems we currently have. We really need to look at a universal basic income and stop stigmatizing those who find themselves out of work against their wishes and for reasons beyond their control.

 

(6) Do you have the courage to acknowledge the predicament presented by Anthropogenic Global Warming and take the bull by the horns? Do you agree with the statement: “Coal mining is an unacceptably dangerous and ecologically unsustainable industry in the 21st Century”, and if so what are the implications for NZ?

Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing humankind, and we need to take serious action on it. New Zealand has a long and proud history of spearheading progressive change internationally, and this is another area we can do it.

Using coal for power generation should no longer be accepted in New Zealand. We’ve proved that we can significantly increase our use of renewable power sources. But there are realities we have to accept. Most of the coal mined in New Zealand is high-grade coking coal. That’s used to make steel. If we’re going to keep using steel, we need to keep mining coal – and it’s not a solution to say we should just stop mining it here and let other countries do the dirty work for us.

Using lignite coal for transport energy, as this government has proposed, is not acceptable to me.

We must continue to focus investment on clean tech and new industries which will help us replace fossil fuels. New Zealand can and should be a leader in this. It would help rebuild our clean green brand and reputation as an innovative, forward-thinking nation.

Let’s also remember that a lot of workers and their families and communities are currently reliant on industries like coal mining. We can’t just throw those people aside. We have to find alternatives, build up those industries, create secure, well-paid jobs in the regions, and move into the future and away from fossil fuels together.

64 comments on “Standard questions: Andrew Little ”

  1. Karen 1

    Very good, clear answers. No waffle and political speak kept to a minimum.

    I particularly liked the reference to challenging the credibility of rightwing think tanks and countering hate speech. This is essential, no matter who becomes the leader.

  2. karol 2

    This is the most impressive written info I’ve seen from Little: covers Nats 2 track dirty politics, beneficiaries, anti-fossil fuel measures, etc. And not just non-committal types of replies.

  3. Karen 3

    I also liked Andrew’s answer on welfare. At last a politician acknowledging that work is not the answer for all beneficiaries, and that there are good reasons for this, including ill health and parenting.

    His reference to the appalling trend to vilify beneficiaries indicates we will be safe from “beneficiary painting the roof” stories if Andrew is leader.

    • weka 3.1

      +1 Easily the most progressive thing I’ve seen any of them say on welfare. Thanks for speaking out on this Andrew.

      I really like that the UBI is mentioned. If a Labour leader is willing to name that, we’re now talking about this being something that can be actively worked on.

      • Tracey 3.1.1

        Hold your breath for the rw repeatniks to appear and tell us that if we are all pleased then he wont appeal to nz middle.

        I still hope the right is underestimating average kiwis sense of fair play and compassion.

      • Keir 3.1.2

        Erm, Roger Douglas was talking about a UBI back in the bad old days. It would be interesting to see if Little can get further with it than Mr Flat Tax did 🙂

  4. Manuka AOR 4

    Really clear and strong.

    I especially liked this: “And we must push back against the so-called “independent” think-tanks and commentators who push rightwing ideas. We have to call out their agendas and refuse to accept their framing of events”

    • Chooky 4.1

      +100

    • AmaKiwi 4.2

      + 100

    • Once Was Tim 4.3

      Must say I like the answer too – just as I do most other of his answers. It leads me to ask (WONDER rather than ask) though, what Andrew thinks of various of those ‘staunch’ trade unionists (Once Were). There’s a few of them these days – usually justifying their existence on how they’ve ‘matured’ (usually code for accumulating wealth just as any other tory has).

      I mean to say, Toby Hill would be rolling in his grave if he ever had to witness what’s transpired in his 2nd and 3rd degree of separation. Actually …. maybe that could be where all that sense of entitlement began amongst some of the ‘neo-LABOUR’ movers and shakers. (Movers and Shakers btw shouldn’t form any part of a Labour ‘broad spectrum drench umbrella – but you can be bloody sure that ilk is still busy fighting hard)

      They all have their various attributes though. Let’s just hurry up and get on with it before I get death!!!! I’m running out of life.

  5. Tracey 5

    thank you mr little. For actually answering what we all asked rather than using our questions as a platform to say what you wanted.

    VERY impressed about the use of the word union. I note that ms mahuta didnt mention unions in her letter outlining the groups to work with.

    I know i am pleased to see a reframing of beneficiaries. If you succeed i hope you will use the line about sympathy when job is lost but vilified when seek help.

  6. Dont worry. Be happy 6

    Straight answers to straight questions….Time to give this man a fair go.

  7. Whateva next? 7

    Very reassured, thank you Andrew

  8. trendy lefty 8

    Great to hear a leadership candidate talking about treating beneficiaries better, acknowledging that not everyone is in a position to do “paid work”, and that there is a need for a universal basic income. Plus acknowledging climate change, and the need to help people whose livelihoods will be affected by the changes needed to deal with it.
    It will be a real shame if Andrew Little isn’t elected as leader, he’s the only one talking about real labour movement values.

  9. paddy 9

    No wonder David Cunliffe anointed him when he realized that he would have to hand over the baton. I hope he wins on the first ballot. If there is any dissent he must crush it swiftly.
    Why is he only 71% chance on ipredict? I’m going to take a punt on that and hopefully get winnings and a great PM for 2017.

  10. Michael 10

    Wow, I am very impressed by his answers.

    He seems to be truly committed to everyone – those in work, those out of work, and ‘middle NZ’. I think that with Little as Labour leader, Labour would have policy that works for all Kiwis, and would make a huge difference for vulnerable NZers.

  11. Clemgeopin 11

    Very impressive.

  12. Chooky 12

    I am impressed with most of Andrew Little’s answers …however i would like him to say unequivocally that he would work with other Parties on the Left ….like Mana/Int!

    A Labour Party secure in itself and a Labour Leader secure enough in his/ her mandate and principles will be BIG ENOUGH to work for the BIG PICTURE…ie all the Left in coalition

    ….I dont want again to see a Labour Party …inwards driven, insular and competitive with other Left Parties….this is crucial under MMP for a Left win!

    (…there will be people watching this on the Left….and resigning from Labour if it can not work cooperatively and strategically with other Left Parties )

    • Olwyn 12.1

      I could see reason for Labour’s quietly distancing themselves from IMP in the last election, but not for setting out to sink them, nor for blaming them for the election loss. That it was a new party, even with old hands on deck, was reason enough to insist that they prove themselves. But it is bewildering and disheartening when Labour turns the sort of force it should be reserving for National onto a small left wing party.

      Such quibbles aside, I am heartened by Andrew’s clear, forthright answers.

    • tinfoilhat 12.2

      Why on earth would they need or want to work with Mana/Int when they are neither represented in parliament not likely to be around in any significant sense at the next election ?

      • felix 12.2.1

        I think you have your cause and effect the wrong way around.

        Why did Labour follow a strategy that ensured that Mana/Int wouldn’t be around in any significant sense?

        • tinfoilhat 12.2.1.1

          🙄

          Mana/Int very successfully ensured that Mana/int wouldn’t be around in any significant sense by forming Mana/Int.

          Not only that they significantly hurt the left movement in NZ through their continued sideshows and egofest.

          • felix 12.2.1.1.1

            That may or may not be true. We’ll never know, because Labour decided to knock them out of the race.

            If you genuinely believe that Mana joining up with the Internet Party was the source of their demise, then you should probably have a think about what alternate strategies might have led to better outcomes.

            Don’t you think that Mana and Labour working together would have been infinitely preferable to Mana and IP working together and Labour working to knock them out?

            • tinfoilhat 12.2.1.1.1.1

              I think Mana and the IP were a sideshow and the strategic mistake that was made was not having a pre election agreement between the Green party and Labour.

              • felix

                Quite possibly.

                We could quibble over hypotheticals all day, but it seems we agree that Labour’s unwillingness to work with others on the left is an issue.

              • Clemgeopin

                Such an agreement would have increased Greens vote to about 12 to 15% and hurt Labour’s vote some more.

                The difficulty is that Greens primarily canvas for their party vote. There is no point in Labour helping Greens achieve that at a cost to their own party votes.

                One way to solve this major problem is for the Greens to contest a few, (say 3 to 5) electorate seats and Labour not to contest those seats and similar weighted reciprocal arrangements for greens not to field candidates in 5 to 8 crucial Labour seats….while each party still fights for party votes.

                Solution is not easy.

                Or, the the only pre-election arrangements should be in a few marginal seats such as TTT (for Mana), Epsom (for National) and Ohariu (for Labour) so that candidate votes are not unnecessarily split, wasted and thus end up helping Nats.

                • b waghorn

                  Sounds like a good plan just be prepared for nats to dig up every anti Epsom/ohariu comment said buy any left poli and and use it as ammo.

                • Manuka AOR

                  “Such an agreement would have increased Greens vote to about 12 to 15% and hurt Labour’s vote some more.”

                  Not necessarily, Clem. Unity, cohesiveness and inclusiveness, within a positive context, tend to draw people in, while division, separation and hesitation cause people to back off and move away. A united and inclusive front by the Left could have motivated more people overall to become involved and to vote.

                  • One Anonymous Bloke

                    +1

                  • Clemgeopin

                    Actually, Cunliffe and Labour were more than inclusive with the Greens, going so far as to state that they would be happy to have them in the coalition with cabinet posts.

                    It was the Greens that were putting spokes during the campaign scaring away potential middle voters from the prospect of a left government, with the Greens wanting new carbon taxes and a larger income tax than that of Labour, trumpeting blanket opposition to mining and wanting blanket ban on deep sea drilling without consideration of the modern safety features of such operations. They then went on to state that they would be cool with working with National! So, don’t blame Labour. Place the blame where it really belongs.

                    But I do think that Labour erred in shunning Internet-Mana. Labour should have given a higher place for Davies on the list if they considered him indispensable and helped Hone win TTT. Not doing so was a big mistake.

                    • Manuka AOR

                      But I do think that Labour erred in shunning Internet-Mana. Labour should have given a higher place for Davies on the list if they considered him indispensable and helped Hone win TTT. Not doing so was a big mistake.”

                      Thank you so much for saying that. Too few Labourites have done so, which makes it difficult to move on from there or to change the right wing framework that spawned the demonising of IMP. And that particular framework is one that needs to be changed if a significant section of NZ voters are to be reclaimed. At the moment many IMP voters and sympathisers are out in the cold, feeling alienated and abandoned by all other parties.

  13. felix 13

    “And we must push back against the so-called “independent” think-tanks and commentators who push rightwing ideas. We have to call out their agendas and refuse to accept their framing of events, because as soon as we do we lose the argument.”

    This, a million times, this.

    The acceptance of right-wing framing is why 99% of Labour comms have failed to have any impact over the last 6 years.

    It’s why having the likes of Josie Pagani speaking “from the left” in the media is so destructive to the left.

    With even the best will in the world, we lose their game as soon as we play their game.

  14. Arandar 14

    This is Andrew Little. You gave him straight questions. He answered them straight. For at least a couple of years, I’ve heard him say these things. And what he’s said, above, is why I’ve given him my #1 Vote. He’s a serious, smart man with a good heart.

  15. Anne 15

    No disrespect to the other 3 contenders each of whom have a major future role to play, but I hope like hell Andrew Little wins. We don’t need an orator who can beat Key in the House, we don’t need a jokey clown who can foot it with Key on the campaign trail, we don’t need anyone who is remotely National-lite.

    We need someone who is the opposite to Key, yet is quietly impressive and has appeal across a wide range of people. We need a forceful, no nonsense expert manager/organiser who understands [exactly] what has to be done and [exactly] how to do it. Someone who can act as a magnet to the entire party from the caucus to the affiliates to the members and to sympathetic outsiders who are our potential supporters and voters.

    • Clemgeopin 15.1

      I agree with your views, but in my opinion, he needs to try and improve on a couple of attributes. If he wins the leadership vote, I will email him directly regarding those.

      • Anne 15.1.1

        Yes, he needs to improve his TV interviewing technique. But that shouldn’t be a major for him. Prior to their TV training both Helen Clark and John Key were underwhelming. Key came across as a hopeless dork and Clark was too serious and never smiled.

  16. JanM 16

    I have a strong gut feeling that this is the one person who can ‘lead us out of the wilderness’, so to speak. I hope like hell the people who are able to vote see this too and that he chooses Nanaia as his 2IC. I think they will have real impact between them – they are both visionaries.
    With respect to the other two, it is otherwise just more of the same 🙁

  17. Manuka AOR 17

    And if you happen to read this Andrew, would just like to give a shout out to your PR assistant, the Budmiceter 🙂

  18. Andrea 18

    “The answer to that kind of hate speech is more speech”

    I think I’d be happier if there was a strong commitment to walking the talk and rising above the vitriol.

    I am not a Green supporter, yet I like their ability to generally avoid bad-mouthing and responding to petty snipes and barbs.

    Many have said they are fed up with Labour’s very unhealthy fractured house and zapping their zits in public.

    Make it ‘Do as we both do and say.’ It’s more effective as a message.

  19. Atiawa 19

    Great answers.

    At last a Labour leader who understands the true values of the party and who it represents. Heaps of work ahead of him but he has the beliefs and abilities to take the people with him.

    Good luck Andrew. Our communities and work places look forward to your leadership.

  20. fisiani 20

    Hopefully Mr Little will win next week, but who will be the leader in 2017? Robertson’s ambitions for the job will never pale. Mahuta is clearly the best speaker. Parker is the cleverest. Unity will be challenging.
    Fine words from Andrew Little but it’s the 21st century and Labour is so 20th century. Will the phone ever get back on the hook? With wages rising, employment growing and NZ flourishing it may be a very long time. Don’t forget 50,000 new National voters arrive each year.That’s 400,000 over the next 8 years of Honest John’s reign.

    • felix 20.1

      Reign.

      Says it all.

    • Atiawa 20.2

      The US has all the symptoms of a nasty cold, watch us catch ebola.
      The 20th century was only 15 years ago. The 21st still has 985 to run.
      The leader in 2017 will be the same leader Labour elects in a weeks time.

    • Clemgeopin 20.3

      Are you a devil’s advocate or the devil?…..and you presume too much.

    • Manuka AOR 20.4

      “Don’t forget 50,000 new National voters arrive each year.”

      💡 There’s a kernel of truth in there. Nats are literally importing their own new-membership new-voter base. Might take it to the Mike..

    • leftie 20.5

      @fisiani

      Why do you persist in calling corrupt John key honest? because he is not, he is a lying despot. Thus far, Key has lied his way through 2 terms in office, and his last term will be no different.

  21. weka 21

    I like what Little has said here, and take heart from it in a year when there have few moments for optimism. I think it’s useful to be cautious too. If there is one overriding factor about Labour’s leadership issues it’s that they don’t have a saviour when everyone is expecting one. I think this was a factor with Cunliffe (not as much as his being undermined within his own party though), and it made him more vulnerable than he was, esp with the MSM able to pick up every little misstep.

    Little needs to be competent, not brilliant. Pressure to solve all problems will lead to the Cunliffe syndrome. If Little is selected, it’s then up to the rest of Labour to solve Labour’s problems with Little leading but not having to be the silver bullet. Ditto the left. If Little proves a competent leader and Labour starts to turn its shit around, the rest of the left still need to sort out the wider pan-left issues collectively.

  22. Jepenseque 22

    If an Andrew Little led Labour party proposes a comprehensive simple UBI and does away with the plethora of other transfer payments and the parts of the WINZ/IRD/MSD multi billion dollar behemouth that runs them then he will get this Nat supporters’ vote come election day in 2017.

    Cheers

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    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
  • Funding hole for tax cuts growing by the day
    The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s brave climate change promise
    The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles  and that ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    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
    3 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
    5 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
    5 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
    19 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
    23 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
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