The sound of feet dragging: after Bazley

Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, November 7th, 2013 - 140 comments
Categories: accountability, crime, john key, Judith Collins, national/act government, police, slippery - Tags: ,

Recent revelations show that much more needs to be done to prevent and respond to the trauma resulting from sexual assault and rape.  It has also been a difficult time for many people following the reports and engaging in discussions. Ally Garrett provides a very helpful guide in self-care in this current context.

In the last 24 hours we have learned that the police were wrong in stating that there were no formal complaints against the Roast busters, and thus they had been unable to anything to reign in the activities of the group.  Now the police have confirmed that there were four complaints from alleged Roast Buster victims between 2011 and 2012.  The Waitemata District Commander Bill Searle has apologised. However, apologies are routine, and don’t necessarily indicate change (see the 2007 response to the Bazley Report).

Meanwhile the PM and relevant ministers (Anne Tolley for Police, and Judith Collins for Justice) have been remarkably low key in their responses to the case.  John Key’s reactions have been off-key.  Tolley this morning is taking an “I knew nuzzink” approach.  Yesterday in the House Judith Collins responses to questions had all the appearance of stonewalling with the sound of feet dragging.  From none of them was there any expression of urgency in questioning the police on their approach to the case.

And yet, given the past record of the police in relation to sexual assault and rape, and the limited progress reportedly achieved after the Bazely inquiry into police conduct, these ministers should have been very concerned about the unfolding of the Roast Buster case.

Following the appalling revelations by Louise Nicholas and Judith Garrett about their rape and sexual assault by police officers the Bazley Inquiry was carried out.  The subsequent report was released in 2007.  One of the key things it recommended was on-going monitoring of the police conduct and culture in relation to sexual assault.

It also distinguished five patterns of unprofessional behaviour amongst certain elements within Police that needed to be addressed.

[…]

In June 2007, Cabinet requested quarterly monitoring reports produced jointly by Police, the State Services Commission, and the Ministry of Justice (on behalf of the Independent Police Conduct Authority).

Under John Key’s watch, the amount of monItoring by the State Services has been relaxed a little:

In 2012, the Minister for State Services recommended that the format of the quarterly reports be condensed. By 2013 the State Services and Ministry of Justice involvement in this joint report was minimal, so the agencies proposed that they no longer needed to participate in the development of quarterly reports, and should instead comment by exception. This proposal received Ministerial approval, and a new reporting format was adopted from 31 March 2013.

Nevertheless the State Services Commissioner has continued to annual reports based on an annual workplace survey. And yet, back in 2007, John Key as leader of the opposition had spoken very strongly about the need for on-going monitoring, especially by the State Services Commission:

“Just as worrying is Dame Margaret’s comments that she is concerned the police impetus for change may not be sustained once the Commission has reported.

“For that reason she’s recommended oversight by the State Services Commissioner with annual audits of police culture, and monitoring of the Commission’s recommendations over the next 10 years by the Auditor-General.

The Workplace surveys are wide ranging and not specifically focused on the conduct of police with respect to sexual assault and rape.

Meanwhile Judith Collins has talked tough about improving the culture of police, while providing limited evidence of positive initiatives or results.  The State Services Commissioner’s report in 2011 showed that progress had stalled:

The report, by PriceWaterhouseCoopers in conjunction with the SSC, is the third since the Commission of Inquiry  into Police Conduct led by Dame Margaret Bazley reported back in April 2007, that urgent, co-ordinated action was needed.

[…]

The report said that while police had made significant progress on culture change, senior management lacked confidence to make bold moves toward change.

It said that progress seemed to have reached a plateau.

“There is a lack of faith in police leadership because rhetoric does not always align to action,” the report said.

It said the police “need credible leaders who are great role models, do as they say and act decisively with regards to poor performance and practice”.

Police said this evening they acknowledge the need for traction around culture changes in the organisation.

Collins made noises about pressuring for better progress, in the face of a hard core within the police resistant to change:

“There are not that many of these people but unfortunately they have become very difficult to shift,” she said.

“Police middle and senior management need to be provided with the tools and the assistance to sort those matters out, because these very few people are making the work environment for the other officers difficult and they are being intransigent. That needs to be sorted.”

It seemed like Collins was putting pressure on the police behind the scenes. New targets were set in 2012, and Anne Tolley commended some changes:

Police would now report directly to the State Services Commission, which was “a significant step”, Police Minister Anne Tolley said.

And yet, in spite of the fact the Key, Collins and Tolley knew there were on-going issues with the culture within the police, their low key response to the Roast Buster case seems remarkably negligent.

There is clear evidence that there is a poor culture within the NZ Police in relation to sexual assault and rape, and relevant police procedure: one resistant to change.

As a result, the young women who complained to the police about Roast Busters have been been re-traumatised by the treatment they received.

What will it take to make society safer for such young women, with a police and justice system that works for and with them, and not against them?

140 comments on “The sound of feet dragging: after Bazley ”

  1. Treetop 1

    The IPCA are currently doing an investigation into why rape files connected to the Pora investigation were put into a filing cabinet for two years.

    The IPCA did an investigation into the Wairarapa not properly processing rape files. Marshall was implicated in this.

    The IPCA website has a lot on the above and in August there were apologies and assurance given by the police because Rewa could have been stopped sooner.

    Do you know what stage the police are up to regarding Bazley’s recommendations?

    Surely some of her recommendations have already not been followed.

    • karol 1.1

      Well, as far as I can tell, it’s the Auditor General’s reports that indicate degree of progress with regards to implementing Bazley’s recommendations. The reports for each year are linked from the official pages on the report, that I linked to in my post.

      This is the 2012 AG Report.

      Overall, since our second monitoring report in 2010, there has been:

      mixed progress with activities relating to complaints against the Police;
      mixed but relatively poor progress to improve services for adult sexual assault complainants;
      elements of good progress for organisational change; and
      some progress to improve police behaviour.

      The full report is here.

      p21: “Investigating Adult Sexual Assaults”

      Still 142 police have not received the specialist training, including 57 who might have responsibilities for supervising investigations.
      .

      Mixed but relatively poor progress to improve services for adult sexual assault complainants since 2010
      […]
      3.9: The Police have also reviewed and revised their adult sexual assault investigation guidelines since our second monitoring report in 2010. The revised version was still to be finalised at the time of our 2012 audit

      3.10: The Police’s monitoring of implementation of the existing guidelines has slowed since our previous report.

      More of that sort of depressing information in the report.

  2. Bill 2

    What will it take to make society safer for such young women, with a police and justice system that works for and with them, and not against them?

    What won’t make society safer is any mere tinkering with police procedures/systems. Same goes for tinkering with other components of the justice system. The institutions and their cultures are a symptom of a deeper problem. Oh, that and they only kick in after the event anyway.

    Starting to get fcked off that there has not been the merest mention of the ‘P’ word in any of the newspaper, radio or TV reports I’ve seen and heard.

    This exclusive msm focus on symptoms rather than cause…the wanking on about drink and ‘education’ and porn and woeful police procedures is depressing. Same for the ‘watch us wash our hands and deflect’ suggestion that behaviours and parent/community responsibilities ought to kick in as though everything exists in a neutral social or cultural space.

    Do we really want a safer society for women and girls? Then take patriarchy. And rip it up, tear it down, trash it.

    • weka 2.1

      ‘cept we can’t even manage to have a proper conversation about that here on ts. It’s not going to happen in the MSM for some time.

      In the meantime, making changes to police culture will (a) protect more women and (b) shift public awareness and consciousness about rape culture. That leads to shifts in the wider culture. Those are very good things. Dismantling the patriarchy is a fine objective but you have to have a strategy on how to get there from here.

      “Then take patriarchy. And rip it up, tear it down, trash it.”

      Bit off-topic for karol’s thread, but I still belive that most women are better off with the current State (and justice/legal/police systems) than we would be if those systems were torn down and trashed. That’s a pretty sad endictment on the state of humanity at this point in time, but the people that express the nasty shit in our society (the rape club, the police, the rape apologists) will all still be here if the system is taken out. What happens then?

      • Bill 2.1.1

        Just to say, if the rapes clubs, current police culture and rape apologists are still there when patriarchy has been ‘taken out’ (as you put it), then…patriarchy obviously hasn’t been taken out.

        Thing about revolutions is that the process itself is the change it seeks. And that’s not some glib throwaway statement. Y’know, you wouldn’t and couldn’t use patriarchy or aspects of patriarchy to take out patriarchy. That would just be wastefully using a lot of time and energy to stand still.

        • weka 2.1.1.1

          So how would you change those people? Most of those people don’t see anything wrong with how they are. If you crush the systems around them, what makes you think they are going to change too?

          • Bill 2.1.1.1.1

            I’m no Bolshevik seeking to crush peoples’ systems resulting in them being left in the lurch. There is so-o-o much wrong with that way of thinking that I barely know where to start. And I won’t. Not here. It is, as you indicated, a bit off topic.

            • karol 2.1.1.1.1.1

              I tend to be with weka on this. I see no easy transition to a non-patriarchal system and I fear that any revolution will more than likely be a transition to another patriarchal system without any major underlying change in values and behaviours.

              The current rule of law is double edged with respect to the position of women. No rule of law, could result in gangs of masculine proponents of rape culture engaging in conflicts based on contests of brute force, if there is not a widespread change in culture and values. And given how entrenched such behaviour and attitudes are in some quarters, I am not very optimistic.

              At least with the rule of law, women have the recourse to evidence based, rational challenges to the system and possibilities for change. However, the system incorporates the legacy of masculinist and patriarchal values, such that, the front line of law enforcement is pretty patriarchal.

              I still have not seen anything to show how we could proceed easily to a system without government, that wouldn’t result in the “weakest” in society being more vulnerable than now.

              Basically, I see no easy solution one way or another, in the short of immediate term. Meanwhile there are ways things could be improved, at the same time as chipping away ad the edifices of patriarchy.

              • QoT

                I agree. I’m all about tearing down patriarchy, but I also think there’s a problem (and when I’m feeling particularly cynical, a convenient derail) with making the-end-of-patriarchy our only goal. Because it’s never going to go away overnight.

                I’ve been very much heartened – amidst the utter shit – in the past week by just how many people (Matthew fucking Hooton, for fuck’s sake) across the political spectrum have been speaking out against the rape culture myths built into this issue. That says that the constant discussion and promotion of feminist anti-rape ideas has had an effect. It hasn’t ended rape, but it’s made this a complete fucking nightmare for our Police force where, say, the Louise Nicholas case wasn’t.

              • Bill

                If you want to imagine a definitive endpoint, in all it’s fine and glorious detail, then the question of “how from here to there” arises -and all the lock-down ‘correct’ thinking and actions and all that that entails comes into play….new fascist dawn rising.

                “Not here” on the other hand, simply involves walking. That’s the revolution.

    • karol 2.2

      I agree the long term solution is the need for a massive culture and societal change – and that means the full dismantling of patriarchy.

      In the meantime, though, people are being raped and sexually assaulted, and police, permeated with patriarchal values, are doing little to prevent such crimes or work positively with the victims.

      I don’t see it as an either or thing. Both the underlying cultural values and urgent improvements in the current systems need to be attended to.

      A good point you make, Bill, is the superficial reporting and comments on related discussions.

      Reports of the immediate issues would be more helpful if they included mentions of the underlying issues or cultural and structural values. And/or there needs to be more articles, posts and discussions of the underlying values, how they damage lives and our society, and outlining better alternatives.

      However, addressing those underlying issues in a forum like this is a pretty distressing experience. With my last post on the topic, I found it pretty emotionally draining monitoring the comments. I am grateful to those people who respected that I was going to monitor the comments pretty strictly.

      Some did surface under your post yesterday, Bill. And I found them quite distressing to read.

      The post I linked to, by Ally Garrett, indicates that many women have found the whole Roast Buster case and fall out from it, pretty distressing. Many have said they have found it difficult to articulate an adequate response.

      By yesterday evening I was wondering if I was emotionally up to posting on the deeper issues any time in the near future. Focusing on the justice system and its failures is far easier.

      I think it becomes hard for many of us, especially for women, to participate in discussions in a forum like this, because it throws up the damaging patriarchal attitudes that we have found ways to negotiate, manage, and compartmentalise in order to carry on with our daily lives.

      • weka 2.2.1

        Thanks so much for all your work on this karol.

        “And/or there needs to be more articles, posts and discussions of the underlying values, how they damage lives and our society, and outlining better alternatives.”

        I reckon a bit later we can have this conversation.

        “By yesterday evening I was wondering if I was emotionally up to posting on the deeper issues any time in the near future. Focusing on the justice system and its failures is far easier.

        I think it becomes hard for many of us, especially for women, to participate in discussions in a forum like this, because it throws up the damaging patriarchal attitudes that we have found ways to negotiate, manage, and compartmentalise in order to carry on with our daily lives.”

        Ae. There is something very important infolding at the moment. It’s painful and raw and I don’t think society has seen it visible like this before. I’d actually like to see women being able to talk about the whole thing and what is happening in safe space but am acutely aware that we don’t have that space nor the resources to create it.

        • Rhinocrates 2.2.1.1

          I agree. The one good thing to come out of this horrible affair is the almost unanimous articulation in public of the understanding and condemnation of the attitudes that facilitate rape.

          • weka 2.2.1.1.1

            I was feeling somewhat optimistic despite the heaviness of it all. Then I read this http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-071113/#comment-723450

            • Rhinocrates 2.2.1.1.1.1

              Ugh. Just another variant on “she was asking for stand he couldn’t control himself.” Still, he’s hardly being praised for what he said.

              Please help me here, Weka – I’m grasping at straws, I know.

              • weka

                Yeah, it is good that these radio personalities are being challenged on what they are saying. I don’t think I’ve seen this happen before.

                I think that one just hit home because Fagan was prominent as a muso when I was a teen, and I had just posted a comment about a friend of mine who was raped at that time in pretty much the situation the girl that Fagan was talking to was in. I felt like I was in a time warp. Fagan’s attitude was understandable in the 80s, it’s not now.

          • QoT 2.2.1.1.2

            Dammit, I just said this above before seeing your comment! I’m pretty sure I was less coherent. /drinkingthepainaway

      • Bill 2.2.2

        ‘Funny’ how discussions on racism and sexism here on ‘ts’ routinely brings out some very weird shit from ‘unexpected’ quarters, innit?

        As for distressing comments – I’m not sure I’d be that able to ‘draw the line’ at an appropriate place. I mean, I’m pretty sure I know the comments you’re referring to – just that my reaction is astonishment rather than distress.

        Maybe very focused posts on specific power aspects of patriarchy that exclude specific references to sex and sexuality , rather than ‘catch all’ posts that almost invite the discussion to revolve around sex and sexuality, could be a way to go. Need to give it some thought.

        • weka 2.2.2.1

          Don’t think you can meaningfully discuss the patriarchy without discussing sex and sexuality. Besides, the point isn’t to avoid distress or distressing topics, it’s to make it safer to talk anyway That’s dismantling the patriarchy.

          The one that got me was Greywarbler’s final comments yesterday. Too in my face and in a space I generally feel comfortable in. Not going to be able to forget that this person who I otherwise find interesting has some pretty abhorrent beliefs. I hate when that happens.

        • karol 2.2.2.2

          Bill, with all due respect, the comments in question were targeting women and women’s experiences. It doesn’t surprise me at all that a man wouldn’t find them distressing.

          PS: I was very pleased to see a post on this issue from a man, addressing the underlying cultural and structural issues, and related problems with the behaviour of some men.

      • Chooky 2.2.3

        +100 Karol…for all your solid hard work, care and concern…. in bringing out the issue into the open for discussion

        …and also thanks Bill for your previous post and pertinent comments

    • outofbed 2.3

      Exactly

    • Chooky 2.4

      +1 Bill….a new international movement is called for?…..( smirk)..probably the final and last one before global warming really kicks in….

      …one that uses the internet , social media around the globe and involves a good 50% + …..of the worlds population

      …..I vote you call a meeting….if no one else comes……I will vote you President ……

  3. Rhinocrates 3

    The police didn’t just drag their feet; the Police Association, led by Greg O’Connor, hired a private detective to dig dirt on Dame Margaret in the hope of blackmailing her or discrediting her inquiry. Naturally they failed.

    Just to add, it was recently revealed that after a gang of thugs in blue broke a man’s neck, they dragged their feet for three years to block an inquiry and all O’Connor can say is “fog of war”! Needless to say, the officers involved are known, but no disciplinary action has ever been taken.

    Our police force is out of control.

    • karol 3.1

      Agree, Rhinocrates. It is the Nat MPs/ministers who largely meant have been dragging their feet – enabling the active resistance and misconduct of the police.

      • Rhinocrates 3.1.1

        Even worse, they’ve tried to spin it to bolster their attempts to crack down on the Internet. There’s nothing too low for those opportunists.

    • Rogue Trooper 3.2

      FTP

    • Saarbo 3.3

      “Our police force is out of control.”

      I agree!

      The way they have handled this is absolutely disgraceful, it is like something from the third world.

      I cant help but think that is why Labour is spot on the mark passing a remit to ensure we have at least 50% women. This is a case of stupid men making fucken stupid decisions.

  4. Te Reo Putake 4

    I have no confirmation of this, but I’m told that the surname of one of the young men is the surname of a police officer who was periferally involved in the Nicholas rape case. May be entirely a coincidence.

  5. Rhinocrates 5

    The MSM are talking euphemistically about “blunders”.

    http://news.msn.co.nz/nationalnews/8751517/top-cops-to-oversee-roast-busters-case

    There’s also this: “A couple of the parents suggested that the police should not approach the daughters again.”

    I don’t want to read too much into that, but were the girls intimidated?

    • weka 5.1

      Seems pretty obvious to me that it’s way past the point where the police can deal with this safely and competently. They need to get outside help.

      • emergency mike 5.1.1

        I’m with you there weka. The Bazley Report showed that the rape culture inside the police is endemic. The police commissioner then said, “We’ll put our own house in order and we won’t mind who looks over our shoulder in the process,” That was six years ago.

        Now we learn that a 13 year old girl was made to show how she was raped with dolls, and told that she was asking for it by the way she dressed? House not in order.

        They don’t need someone to ‘look over their shoulder’ while they sort this out, they need someone who knows what they are talking about to sit them down and tell them how it’s going to be from now on. They expect young rape victims to be “brave enough” to come forward when the police are giving them the same excuses for rape that convicted rapists do? The stench is rising.

        • marty mars 5.1.1.1

          the stench is high

          key says, ” He reiterated earlier comments that the behaviour was “abhorrent and disturbing”.

          “There’s two parts to this; potentially, there’s underage sex and that’s worrying to any parent.

          “The second really worrying part is that these guys have been boasting about that behaviour online and that is a very serious matter. These are fragile young girls that could potentially take their own lives.”

          http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9371620/Independent-inquiry-into-Roast-Busters-sex-case

          • Rogue Trooper 5.1.1.1.1

            One News- the Police Commissioner “was kept in the dark”
            Key- “Ministers kept in the dark”
            Key- concerning Police- “disappointing and frankly not good enough”.

            Dann- there is “real concern among the public”

            NZPolice (neanderthals) you bring this on your selves, lie, lie, lie then lie some more.

          • Tat Loo (CV) 5.1.1.1.2

            These are fragile young girls that could potentially take their own lives.”

            WTF are you trying to do with this statement, Mr Key.

            • QoT 5.1.1.1.2.1

              Honestly … I think he’s trying to say the right thing (his previous comments about how difficult it is for young women to report rape to the police were actually very good) but he kind of lacks the basic knowledge/feminist analysis/human empathy to pull it off well.

              • miravox

                I dunno…

                – police handling of the complaints is “disappointing”
                – finding out a complaint had been made from the media is “worrying”
                – underage ‘sex’ is “worrying”… to parents
                – boasting is a “very serious matter”

                • QoT

                  He’s definitely got problems, but he also referred to the situation as “disturbing and abhorrent” and described the process for survivors reporting as “It’s a very challenging situation for a young woman to put herself in that position.”

                  He’s a politician. And he’s John Key. For him … I may be feeling charitable, but those are practically extreme, damning statements for him.

                  • Tat Loo (CV)

                    You’re being too nice, I think. Key refers to two parts of the Roasters behaviour being of particular concern.

                    1) Underage sex, which would be worrying to any parent.
                    2) The online boasting about it, which is a serious matter.

                    And the big frakking elephant sized gap there is…?

                    • weka

                      Yep. Has the man been able to say the word rape yet? Or even some legalese like unlawful sexual conduct or whatever? He can call it alleged.

                    • Bill

                      Erm…would the gap be that ‘they just need to grow up’? Paraphrasing from a quote that I can’t be bothered to source – thinking it was on a standard post. Anyway…

                    • emergency mike

                      Yep all I’m hearing from Key is: “That’s bad. That’s a very bad thing. Disappointing. Worrying. I don’t like that.”

                      Also the usual swift pointing the finger of blame for any fuck ups down the line: “In the end we don’t know how those complaints were made, we don’t know the details, that is a matter for the police,” he said.

                      An actual leader would promise action, not just make soothing noises. Oh I forgot, he’s going to take adavantage of the situation to promote his new cyberbullying laws. Never let a good crisis go to waste, as they say.

                  • Rhinocrates

                    Yep, it’s a long way from “relaxed”. Hell, he might even go so far as to frown and look concerned.

  6. muzza 6

    Dame Margaret Bazely – Responsible for the reports/commissions which have single handedly broken, how many government departments, social services and city’s ?

    Count them off, then consider, what is so special, about that individual, and why has she been delegated such high level powers that have lead to such destructive consequences for NZ.

    Such a well manufactured back story!

    • weka 6.1

      Perhaps you would care to explain what you mean.

      • joe90 6.1.1

        Oh I’m sure it’ll be the usual claptrap.

        • weka 6.1.1.1

          What?

        • muzza 6.1.1.2

          More assumptions eh Joe!

          Do you get out much?

          MB is a disgrace, and it does not take your links to identify the deliberate failings!

          • karol 6.1.1.2.1

            Help us out then, muzza, by explaining the failings in the Bazley Report on Police Conduct, rather than arguing by character assassination?

            • muzza 6.1.1.2.1.1

              Hi Karol,

              Take some time, start investigating the reports/commissions that MB has been the lead on, going back many, many years, and look at the results which have followed the implementation of the recommendations.

              With your talents, I am sure you could write a substantial article on the findings.

              Where MB has been involved, it has become broken…coincidental, of course!

              Edit – Start with Auckland, the results are going to speak for themselves, just not for many years, and people are not going to pleased!

              • karol

                muzza, this post is about the report on police conduct. You seem certain that the report was designed to fail. Show us the evidence in the report and its recommendations.

                You are dodging the issue. Either you have the evidence or you don’t?

                Why should I spend my time trying to prove your argument, when I have plenty of other things to do with my time?

                • weka

                  +100

                  Put up or shut up muzza.

                • muzza

                  Karol, see my original comment #6, which was all I had intended to post, and if people don’t like it, or want to contest it, they are welcome to go and get their own information, which is everywhere that MB has been involved!

                  My comment was not specifically about the police report, but on form, the performance of the force, the degradation in service levels, yet increasing instances of criminality involving police, and sense of duty to public safety ever declining, what do you think the benefit of the report actually was, or ever going to achieve….It’s all for show Karol, it’s theatre for the peasants who want to believe the systems/services in place will somehow turn around to function and operate the way we believe that they should.
                  It’s not going to happen, and MB has played a key role in much of this, and many other reformist recommendations, which have evidently proven to have been a failure already, go look it up. Do it because you want to, (you have used that same line to me before…I have asked you nothing, other than to pay you a compliment, that you could write a substantial article with your talents).

                  People want to find the round peg solution which goes in the round hole to answer problems which they don’t even understand the correct line of questioning for, and more people should be looking outside the box, because we are not dealing with straight forward incompetence, greed or corruption, it’s systemic!

                  @ Weka , pffffft, leave your pseudo tough comments out, and use some of the considerable time you allocate to posting here and go get for yourself, it’s called the internet silly!

                  • karol

                    Still no evidence then, muzza.

                    (you have used that same line to me before…

                    citation please?

                    PS: This thread is about police conduct, The Roast Busters case, government responses, and the Bazely report. Any further comments that don’t address that will be moved to open mike.

                    • muzza

                      No karol, I’m not going to spend the time to go through the posts to satiate such a trivial citation request.

                      I’ve made comments about police conduct, and given my thoughts on the reports, it’s purpose, and the outcomes which you have decided not to notice were on topic.

                      I’ll leave you to your post which is appreciated, the quality of the posts here is high, and I respect that, hence the compliment.

                      [karol: bye bye then. I have looked at the report, provided links to it and other stuff I’ve looked at about the monitoring of the implementations. If there is evidence that the Bazley Report was set up to fail, it’ll be in the report. I’ve already looked at the report, so if you know of where it was poor, it’s for you to show me.

                      I really have no recollection of telling you to go away and find evidence to prove an argument I am making. I would be very surprised if I did that. I usually aim to provide evidence to support my claims.

                      I may have on an odd occasion told someone to go and look at something after providing already providing some evidence to support my argument. Or to look at something that’s common knowledge.

                      So basically you can’t point to any evidence to support your claims on the Bazley Report, even though I provided the relevant links in my post.]

                  • McFlock

                    I thought Project Onan had lost its funding?

                    Doing this “research” on your own dime then, muzz?

                  • weka

                    Problem is muzza, I think you are sending us on a wild goose chase. All you had to do was be a bit more specific in your comment. Instead you post innuendo and then say it’s our fault for not researching something you haven’t explained.

              • QoT

                I realise karol has already dealt with this as a moderator, but I simply must add: GO FUCK YOURSELF, muzza.

                How fucking dare you try to derail a serious fucking post on a serious fucking issue with your personal beef against Margaret Bazley?

                You’re a fucking disgrace.

        • Rogue Trooper 6.1.1.3

          Wow, that’s some creative writing joe90

    • Murray Olsen 6.2

      There is an idiotic conspiracy theory, put out by a moron called Greg Hallett, that suggests Margaret Bazley runs NZ on behalf of an Illuminati pedophile ring. It also holds that Helen Clark was a Leningrad trained lesbian prostitute, Michael King was murdered to hide evidence of an ancient Celtic civilisation in Aotearoa, and a whole heap of other rubbish. If you look for the material ( http://www.greghallett.com/ ), be warned that it is very disturbing in its sexual depravity and sickness. I suspect this is the deluded and depraved rubbish that Muzza is referring to. He is more far gone than I had suspected.

      • karol 6.2.1

        muzza’s comments also looked a bit like a thread jack to me – diverting from the core issues.

    • Chooky 6.3

      @muzza…agreed!…..yes I am a ‘wee’ bit suspicious of her….she has been a bit of a hatchet woman for the government and status quo at times in the past…hence her Dame appellation

      …..A trained nurse, this Dame Bazely now heads the annexed Environment Canterbury

      …..Personally i think no person of integrity would take a big salary and do the Nact governments bidding and head an organisation which was forcibly wrested away from the democratic and voted control of the people of Canterbury ….The Nact government didnt like the way Ecan was going and who Cantabrians were voting in, so they wrested it out of the voters’ control…..scandalous really!

      Needless to say, Cantabrians were very concerned about their waterways/rivers and the effects of over- intensive corporate dairy farming on draining underground aquifers and contaminating water quality with nitrates….. and ECan , before its annexation, was headed by scientists and environmental experts of many years research standing ….who were doing a very difficult balancing act between all the interest groups …so they called in Dame Bazely to sort the scientists and environmentalists out and speed up the job in the vested interests of corporate dairy

      …I say all this in support of muzza, even although it may seem off topic….

      [karol: you have started to move off topic, chooky. This thread is on the specific issues about police conduct and ministerial oversight related to sexual assault and rape, and the Bazley report on police conduct.

      I have moved muzza’s reply to open mike. If you want to discuss wider systemic problems on government and Bazley’s role in it, then this thread is not the place for it – open mike is fine for such topics]

  7. Rhinocrates 7

    We need to start naming and shaming the pigs:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11152671

    Superintendant Bill Searle. [deleted]

    See this:

    • Tuesday: Superintendent Bill Searle said none of the girls from the original inquiry wanted to make a formal complaint.

    • Yesterday: A teenage girl says she made a formal complaint to the police two years ago.

    Commissioner Peter Marshall: Incompetent at best. If he takes the six-figure pay, then he takes responsibility. Sack him.

    [Bill]:- I fully understand your sentiments Rhinocrates, but bald assertions like that get the ‘making me nervous’ o’meter twitching. Might want to consider how you frame things like that.

  8. karol 8

    Tweet from journalist Toby Manhire:

    Speaking of assurances, John Tamihere has just been assuring us that he knows the top police in Waitemata and they’re ok by him.

    • weka 8.1

      Makes sense, esp as his mate Willie Jackson is friends with Clint Rickard and thinks he is innocent.

  9. captain hook 9

    Peter Marshall is ok. The cops doing the best they can but they are trying to be allthings to al people.
    They are not social workers or psychologists. They are dammed if they do th ejob properly and dammmed if they dont.
    The problem is the infantilism and inanity rife in our society and underpinned by post modern nonsense such as only your own truths count.
    most of this crap would go away if they brought back caning into the justice ystem.

    • Rhinocrates 9.1

      The cops doing the best they can

      On exactly what planet orbiting exactly what star have you been for the last few days? My guess is Gliese 667C-e, (about twenty three light years away, orbiting a M1 red dwarf and at the outer edge of the habitable zone) but please correct me if I’m wrong.

      underpinned by post modern nonsense such as only your own truths count. most of this crap would go away if they brought back caning into the justice ystem.

      Um OK. Hope you’ve got plenty of tinfoil at hand.

    • Treetop 9.2

      captain hook I do not have a high expectation when it comes to the cops investigating crimes which do not have a direct physical nature e.g. burglaries, car theft. I agree that the cops are not psychologists and some social workers do not understand the psychological aspects of sexual assault.

      There is something very disturbing going on in the police when it comes to not joining the dots when a person has made a formal or informal rape/sexual assault complaint.

      It has crossed my mind that the high ranking cops who make a lot of the decisions about sexual assault complainants are unaware of the harm they are doing because they are not psychologists. Also this group could have many ingrained misconceptions as well as being ignorant or in denial.

      From day one of the Bazley inquiry, I thought that the psychology of the harm that sexual assault does was lacking.

      Nicholas is an upstanding citizen who has worked her guts out to expose the shortcomings in the police regarding sexual criminal offending and to give support to anyone who has been sexually assaulted. I hear the disappointment in her voice.

      • weka 9.2.1

        Yeah but it’s not like the NZ Police haven’t had time to learn how to do their job better when it comes to complaints about sexual violence. The issues about rape and reporting to police have been known for decades. A lot of work has been done on this over the years. Then Louise Nicholas took them to task. These are all historic things. That police are not psychologists is NO excuse. If they are dealing with crime that impacts psychologically then they have a duty to learn how to do that well.

        • Treetop 9.2.1.1

          “That police are not psychologists is NO excuse.” I agree.

          Police have an organisational psychologist or two who work for them. Looks like the police are several short. The police cuts would not be helping in this area.

          • karol 9.2.1.1.1

            You have raised a good point, Treetop.

          • weka 9.2.1.1.2

            Or when they take in recruits and train them in every other area of policing, why not also train them in dealing with sexual assualt cases? Like other kinds of police work, working on sexual assault cases should be given to those with more aptitude for the work. Working with rape victims is challenging emotionally, but it’s the culture of the police force that is making it hard. Psychologists yes, but frontline staff need training too, and there need to be specialists when it comes to investigating complex cases like this one. None of this is news and it’s not like the expertise doesn’t exist in the community for training. So why hasn’t it happened?

            • Treetop 9.2.1.1.2.1

              “So why hasn’t it happened?”

              A police recruit is in training for 19 weeks.

              Perhaps the organisational psychologists employed in the police do no training with frontline staff, possibly they are there to do required routine assessments on cops, (think this is done three yearly). I do know that Nicholas has been to the police college to speak to dectectives in training.

              I’d like to know what the budget is for changing the police culture when it comes to sexual assault complaints?

              • karol

                Good questions, Treetop.

                If the police, and the relevant ministers, were treating the issue with urgency, the funds would have been available and appropriate training and monitoring would have been paid for and carried out to in a way that was likely to bring about positive results.

                • Treetop

                  Karol, this thread is about “in the publics interest” even though sexual assault can be an emotionally draining topic to cover, not covering it will change nothing.

                  Thank you.

                  Police progress COI but still more to do
                  18 October 2012

                  “We are also seeking feedback from victims about their experience of our service and how we can improve it.”

                  http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?id=98403

                  I would like to know what if any feedback was received?

                  (The police have been given feedback this week from sexual assault complainants and from the public regarding how the police have managed complaints of sexual assault).

                  Did the police approach anyone who had made a formal or informal sexual assault complaint for feedback?

                  (I’m sure that giving the police feedback is not on the priority list when a complaint is being made).

                  I doubt many teenagers would have read the article.

                  • Treetop

                    1200 out of 1500 investigative staff have received training in adult sexual assault (ASA) as of October 2012.

                    How many staff have received training in child and youth sexual assault?

                    (I regard this category to be a specialist area).

    • Murray Olsen 9.3

      Captain Hook: I can only imagine that you would volunteer to cane the 13 year old girls for their promiscuous behaviour. Another sick bloody Tory.

  10. Chris 10

    I think we need to be careful lumping ALL policeman in the same corrupt basket.

    In my line of work I have had to call Police 3 times in the last 12 months to deal with domestic violence and on every occasion their attitude and manner in dealing with the victims has been consistent and above reproach. At all 3 incidents there were at least 4 officers and always 1 female officer to assist the victim. I will add I am not in the Auckland area but whether that comes into play I couldn’t say.

    • weka 10.1

      I agree Chris. It might be helpful to talk about the NZ Police (who are failing to deal with rape culture in their own organisation), and the specific branch that is dealing badly with the rape club, and all the other places in NZ where the police have failed to deal with sexual assault well, and the individual police who do a good job.

      Sorry, I didn’t mean to come across as sarcastic, it just happened as I typed. I think your point is valid, and I’m sure there are some good police in NZ who are pretty unhappy right now with how their colleagues have behaved.

      • Chris 10.1.1

        Weka, never apologise for voicing your opinions.

        I have absolutely no problem when someone disagrees with me.

        Sarcastic… no problem, I’m great at being that 🙂

  11. Saarbo 11

    Radio Live…Hooten has walked out of the studio. First time I believe he was absolutely spot on the mark.

  12. anon 12

    today, radiolive, Danny Watson’s show:

    http://content.radionetwork.co.nz/weekondemand/auckland/51300.mp3

    11:30 in: caller alleges 2 girls were drugged, one waking up while being raped, went through entire FORMAL complaints process, files ‘lost’ and unable to satisfactorily contact investigating officer to follow up

    • Treetop 12.1

      It has got to the point when a person needs to be given a copy and the officers identity number attached, then the public will know which cop stuffed up.

      I thought that all sexual assault complaints now had their own national data base. I will look into this further.

    • karol 12.2

      I see also, that several advertisers have pulled their ads from Radio Live.

  13. Rogue Trooper 13

    not quite the thread karol, yet I’ll loop in here-

    Charlotte Church, on the Music Industry (loosely drags in talk-back schlock jocks)
    http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2013/10/15/church
    “male-dominated with a juvenile perspective on gender and sexuality”

  14. charles kinbote 14

    When did having sex with persons who drink become rape. And when did multiple sex become rape.

  15. Tracey 15

    Weka and karol

    one thing that can make a difference is when the police sag they need a complaint and then reveal 3 informal and one formal you start sacking people. Bottom and top. Sonetimes you need sacrificial lambs to make sure the point is received loud and clear.

    ipca

    how long will they take? 3 years? So the police can lie and say that was then, we have changed now as they do and have done for the past 30 years.

    police union head greg oconnor is very quiet… not rushing to defend the good officers and seperating them from the rogues.

    • weka 15.1

      Agreed Tracey, heads should roll. The NZ Police are on a hiding to nothing with this one. Public confidence is critical for their job, and they’re losing that rapidly and significantly.

    • emergency mike 15.2

      Yep that’s what I thought when I heard there had been four complaints made after days of the police saying there were none. It seem to me that they have to sack at least one person here, or else people might start asking some awkward questions about who has been lying here.

  16. Tracey 16

    Charles kinbote

    when there is no verbal consent or consent is not capable of being given both your examples are rape.

    to clarify, someone drunk as to be falling over, unconscious or moving in or out of consciousness.

    it is also possible to give consent and later withdraw it

  17. adam 17

    Does it take it happen to children, before something happens? These are children, young women with there whole life in front of them – brutalized, because boys will be boys. This is structural problem, something is very wrong with our society. We know what it is – it has a name – wise women from Emma Goldman to Germaine Greer have said what this vicious nasty little club will do to our children – and guess what – it has happened again – it will happen again and again and again until we have a radical shift away from patriarchy.

    We can’t tinker, or reform this one. It has a way of creating it’s own backlash – that particular backlash has been in full swing since the late 80’s. Look how many young women think feminism is a dirty word. One of the great words in the English language – demonized. That’s because a section of males like power over women – they don’t need to beat you all or ruff you up. They just need a few of the lads to brutalize a few of you, to remind you of your place. Is enough – enough? Or you going to tinker and reform and let your daughters, sisters, nieces and mothers, grandmothers suffer under this beast? I’m not I’m over it. Any other male gets out of line in front of me – he’s for it. Damn this culture – damn us all for let this happen to children.

  18. Tracey 18

    Adam – well said

  19. Rosie 19

    karol, thank you for the self help link above. That is what I needed and have noted that several of those suggestions I have been following through with instinctively over the last few days as it happens.

    I haven’t been commenting on the RB’s because I’ve not yet been able to get past an emotional reaction to a point where I can speak in any logical way. This has surprised me as it was 28 years ago that I was in a similar situation as these girls and I thought all the counselling worked and that was the end of it. I keep wondering how many women in NZ have had these old wounds re opened as a result of the intensity of these rape allegations.

    Thanks again and thanks too to those commenters, who have written so intelligently and with sensitivity and understanding over the last few days. It’s funny to say that reading your original post and Bill’s post and the comments has been heartening, in among the difficulty of it all.

  20. Tracey 20

    Perhaps the ipca should compare the polices files on the current case and this one

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11153167

    to see if they were handled differently

    • MrSmith 20.1

      I wouldn’t put any faith in the IPCA.

      I like this bit under “Operational independence”

      Most complaints to the Authority are referred to the Police for investigation and resolution. The Authority independently oversees Police handling of these complaints. The form of that oversight depends on the  nature of the complaint, but can include independent review or audit of the Police investigation.

      So the filth still mostly investigate themselves.

      http://www.ipca.govt.nz/Site/about/Independence.aspx

  21. JK 21

    The Irony : Martyn Bradbury says on The Daily Blog (7 Nov 2013)

    ” At 12.57pm today I was contacted by Campbell Moore from NZ Police Public Affairs threatening me with 6months imprisonment and $5000 fine for parodying their Roast Buster Rape inaction.
    We have been forced by this threat to censor the parody and believe this is a woeful action by a Police Department under immense pressure to justify their sexist inaction of sex attacks against women that this blog has been highly critical of.
    The irony is not lost on me that if I had been bragging about rape, I wouldn’t be arrested, but parodying the inaction of the NZ Police sees me threatened with 6months imprisonment and a fine of $5000.”

    and BTW, Clint Rickards sits on the Waipareira Trust Board which John Tamihere is the CEO of. (yeah I know lousy grammar, but you get the message? )

    Added note – Idiot Savant has the naughty poster on his/her blogsite !

  22. Tat Loo (CV) 22

    So, have the hang’em high crowd at the cynically named Sensible Sentencing Trust released any statements on the Roasters yet?

    If not, I wonder what is keeping their one eyed statements on the sidelines.

    • Gareth 22.1

      They’ve condemned it on their Facebook page.

      From the page:

      “The disgusting conduct of these dirtbags just shows they have a complete absence of moral values and respect for young women. Most significantly by the fact they are actually publicly boasting about their conduct online. People who commit this sort of repugnant behaviour belong in prison. What’s even more objectionable and offensive in the exreme is hearing young women on TV3 News condoning the actions of these scum and suggesting their actions are normal and attractive – Ross”

      • Tat Loo (CV) 22.1.1

        Thanks Gareth. Hang’em high…don’t bother with the trial…bad morals are enough to go to prison for…and those offensive young women should know better!!!

        Sounds about right for the SST.

  23. red blooded 23

    This is a horrifying situation, and the sexist, selfish and predatory behaviour of a pack of dickheads who see rape as entertainment is only made worse by the inaction of the police. I’m getting to this post late, but I’m going to respond to the much earlier post about the p word. Yes, we need to work to deconstruct patriarchy, and yes, it’s sad that young women roll their eyes at feminism (which they can only do because of the work of generations of feminists which has created a society in which the restraints and restrictions of patriarchy are nowhere near as intrusive and limiting as they used to be)… The p word I haven’t heard anyone talking about yet though is PARENTS. What role did the parents of these rapist braggarts have in installing such appalling attitudes to women and to sex, and in producing sons so lacking in empathy or basic decency? How much did they know about their son’s actions? What have they done or tried to do to make their sons take responsibility for the damage they have wreaked in the lives of their victims? And I think it’s fair enough to suggest that the girls’ parents need to ask themselves about some of their role modelling and teaching about alcohol and decisions about boundaries around parties etc.

    I’m not suggesting that the RBs aren’t culpable for their actions. I guess I’m just pointing out that they didn’t happen in a bubble. These guys had friends who knew what they were doing, they had parents who helped to shape their values and personalities and they had access to young girls who had made some bad decisions about alcohol and were unable to resist because of it.

    • Tat Loo (CV) 23.1

      I haven’t seen anyone else really mention parents and parenting as being an important factor to examine in this incident. So I really appreciate you being practical and down to earth enough to do so.

      The other word which has been missing in action so far is responsibility. A lot of people are clamouring for major change. Change the way people think. Change how society works. Change how families work. Change ingrained attitudes and institutions.

      Well, change doesn’t happen unless people are held responsible so what about that. The adults in this situation need to be held responsible. The parents, the police and the many many other “grown-ups” in the community who knew that this was happening, or suspected it was happening, need to be held responsible.

    • karol 23.2

      It’s not always the parents who are the main influences. It’s other adults in the social circle and wider community. Like what sort of role model are Tamihere & Willie J providing?

      I recall as a teenager I rebelled against my parents in various ways. I disagreed with their Muldoonist politics. They were anti-gay and I was a closeted lesbian.

      It takes a village.

    • Bill 23.3

      What’s this about pissed young girls needing to be resisting something and ‘making bad decisions’ shit!?

      How’s about neither sober nor pissed men should be raping any women or girls or boys or men or animals under any circumstances?

      How about throwing the ‘seeking of consent’ out of the window and instead, normalising the seeking of enthusiastic consent?

  24. RedBaron CV 25

    Thanks for your work on this Karol.
    I don’t know if this helps but some years back I was involved in a lessor parallel situation. I thought at the time, if I (well educated, some financial security,older, english first language etc ,etc) struggle to cope then how do the rest manage. I kept going, some wins, some losses in the trying for change stakes but to this day, both directly and indirectly, I have had other people comment positively, some knowing who I am and others just simply because it is topic du jour. It’s a good feeling knowing that someone’s life has been made a little better.

    This is what you have done, in the short term and the long term, somebody, somewhere, has a life that will be a little better, they won’t feel quite so alone because of your assistance.

    • Rhinocrates 25.1

      Indeed. Thanks Karol. You must surely be making a difference.

      I know someone who’s going to find this whole affair massively triggering, but this time the police are under scrutiny, this time the apologists are being condemned. That’s good.

      I think that what needs to be done now is let people know about organisations such as Rape Crisis and Women’s Refuges.

      http://www.wellingtonrapecrisis.org.nz

      This is the Wellington branch. Their funding is critically low – please make a donation.

      http://www.womensrefuge.org.nz

      The same.

      Voltaire once said that the greatest crime is to do nothing because you can only do a little.

      However, every little counts. Next time there’s an appeal, donate even just your loose change. Next time someone makes a rape joke, confront them on it and demand that they explain why they think that it’s funny. These are little things, but they add up.

      • emergency mike 25.1.1

        And those who can do a lot, and have a responsibilty to do do, should. Like our government increasing funding for the services you mention.

        Oh that’s right, NAct prefers to cut their funding. “Tight times,” said Paula Bennett, Social Undevelopment Minister for the Corporate Handouts And Scams And Screw Everyone Else Party I mean for the National Party. Then John Key gets ‘disappointed’ about the RB boys, (now world famous rapists), like it’s nothing to do with him.

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  • 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, ...
    18 hours 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
    18 hours 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
    19 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    24 hours 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 ...
    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 ...
    1 day ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    1 day ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to 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 ...
    3 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    3 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    4 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    5 days ago
  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

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

    5 days ago
  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    6 days ago
  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    6 days ago
  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago
  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    6 days ago
  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days 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
    1 hour 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
    12 hours ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
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