We’re all beneficiaries now

Written By: - Date published: 7:38 pm, March 6th, 2013 - 168 comments
Categories: benefits, Economy, farming, water, welfare - Tags: , , ,

The recognition of the need to provide income support to farmers during this drought period is illustrative.  It illustrates the importance of having a comprehensive social protection system that steps in when things go wrong including the weather as in this case.   It illustrates the benefit of Farm Owners of having a union that the Government supports and is prepared to fund to provide much needed services such as co-ordination, animal welfare advice and counselling.

If we didn’t support those farmers in need at this time they wouldn’t be able to pay their power bills or buy food for their families during this drought period.  Interestingly they are actually working while getting these benefits, including presumably adding value to their assets.  Some will be laying off staff who could face a stand down if they need to go onto the unemployment benefit.

I don’t imagine these Farmers or their partners are expected to attend a WINZ office every second day to show they are seeking new employment – we support them in the circumstances they find themselves in – needing to continue to look after their farms and families, but in need of financial and other types of support to get through a financial difficulty.  We don’t expect them or their partners to go out and find other work during this time.  This is community at its best.  The support includes access to the equivalent of the unemployment benefit, access to counselling and business advice and the ability to defer tax payments.  For a time, these farmers will be “beneficiaries”  but that’s ok – that’s what we do as a community, in times of need.

Solo mums are a bit like these farmers.  They are working but not earning and need community support to do that.  For them, they now have to attend job preparation courses and look for work.  They can be drug tested, boot camped and have their benefits cut if they don’t answer the phone when WINZ rings them about something.  Working when you have small kids is extremely difficult particularly if you have kids at school and pre-school age.  Their hours never line up and school holidays and the endless colds and coughs little ones get means often having to choosing between two important obligations – your kids or your work.  Sure lots of women do it, but for someone solo and particularly if you don’t have a sympathetic employer or if your kids need you to be home, it should not be compulsory and your life and the life of your kids is likely to be extremely unpleasant.

The unemployed are looking for work and most of them were happily working until the business they were working for hit hard times.  For youth, a large number have never had the chance.  Many are in and out of work – labour hire here, labour hire there, spending more time looking for work than working.  There is a jobs drought, but no equivalent sympathy for them.  We are told to be suspicious of them – that they probably aren’t trying hard enough, that they are too picky, that they are drug taking, phone answering avoiders.  Really they are just like the farmers.  Relying on Social Protection when things go wrong.

The drought shows how important social protection systems are.  When the unexpected happens – your farm dries up, you get sick, you lose your job, you find yourself alone raising your kids – the community steps in by way of tax funded Social Protection.  For most people the need is not forever and most will be part of both the funding community and the receiving community at some point in our life.  I support the farmers getting benefits and I hope for their sake it rains very soon.

 

 

 

168 comments on “We’re all beneficiaries now ”

  1. vto 1

    I am looking forward to the Prime Minister announcing drug testing for these farming beneficiaries.

  2. vto 2

    Your post there is very well written Helen, showing compassion and the important wide picture of how a decent nation looks after e v e r y o n e and all our neighbours, no matter their unintended circumstances. Well done, keep at it.

    • Tom Gould 2.1

      Remember ‘Massey’s cossacks’? Farmers trucked into town to smack poor people with clubs from the safety of horseback? Sure, that was some time ago, and today’s farmers are businessmen first, but just saying. It has always been difficult for Labour with its natural inclination to treat everyone fairly to run against Tories who make unfairness and scapegoating an operating principle.

  3. Jenny 3

    I hope that the CTU can get behind the campaign against climate change that is fueling this drought. And all the other once in a hundred years weather events that now occur much more frequently. That will impoverish us all.

    aucklandcoalaction.org/2013/03/04

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1

      Climate change won’t impoverish us, Business as usual will. And that would be true even anthropogenic climate change.

    • infused 3.2

      Please show me how climate change is fueling this drought.

      • Draco T Bastard 3.2.1

        Go read the scientific literature. You’ll find references to how the climate is shifting even now and how it’s causing more rain in some places and more drought in others.

      • Dv 3.2.2

        Infused
        Please show how climate change is NOT fueling this drought.

        • TheContrarian 3.2.2.1

          That’s pretty facile Dv. You can’t prove a negative.

          • Dv 3.2.2.1.1

            Well picked contrian,

            I also thought that infused point was pretty facile too.

          • Colonial Viper 3.2.2.1.2

            prove that you didn’t have breakfast at 9am this morning.

            easy.

            • TheContrarian 3.2.2.1.2.1

              I can’t prove I didn’t have breakfast at 9am. I can assert it but I can’t prove it because what would the prove look like?

              • Colonial Viper

                You could show a 7am Big Breakfast receipt from McDonalds. Or proof that you were doing something else at 9am, on a run with a friend (witness) etc.

                • TheContrarian

                  No that would consist of positive proof I had breakfast at 7am or that I went for a run at 9am which invalidates all other things I could have been doing.

                  You can’t prove a negative, you can only disprove a positive.

                • TheContrarian

                  “You can’t prove a negative, you can only disprove a positive.”

                  This may sound like the same thing but, in logical terms, it isn’t

                  • Colonial Viper

                    So you can’t do it in formal logic, but yes for all intents and purposes in the real life you can prove it eg by demonstrating that a mutually exclusive event occurred.

                    • ropata

                      you can prove a negative assertion provided the premises and terms of the assertion are limited in scope.

                      but it’s difficult to *prove* that climate change caused this particular drought.

                      i suppose it would be easier to claim that “global warming correlates with more droughts”

                      (FYI H2O is also a greenhouse gas so warmer weather water vapour *fewer* droughts?!)

  4. bad12 4

    Heaping ‘work expectations’ upon people when we all ‘know’ that the economy does not,cannot, and, will not deliver employment for all those who seek and are able to work is schizophrenic to say the least,

    Until such time as Governments are tasked by their own legislation to provide a minimum amount of work for all those able and seeking work we will always have this schizophrenic victim blaming,

    As i cannot see the above occurring within the foreseeable future we are stuck with the very rich telling the comfortable to scape-goat the poorest of the poor for a situation created by Government inaction…

    • Draco T Bastard 4.1

      As i cannot see the above occurring within the foreseeable future we are stuck with the very rich telling the comfortable to scape-goat the poorest of the poor for a situation created by Government inaction…

      It’s not government inaction. The government has been fully engaged in putting in place the conditions that means that we high unemployment – especially over the last 30 years.

  5. There is a certain irony that farmers, who have a reputation for denying that climate change is occurring and opposing provision of social welfare for members of our community who need it should now be seeking a benefit because of a drought that is undeniably a symptom of global warming.

    • The Al1en 5.1

      Bet they have sky dishes, nice cars and a boat on a trailer parked in the driveway.

      Least while they’re waiting for it to rain, they can count their blessings ’til the next big milk payout comes around.

      • infused 5.1.1

        Envious much?

        • ghostwhowalksnz 5.1.1.1

          Not envious, they are asset rich and cash poor, deliberately so!

          Any farmer will buy a big new tractor rather than have cash in the bank, as that means they have a taxable income.

          A big no no in rural areas, where paying tax is akin to belonging to the labour party

          • infused 5.1.1.1.1

            Sorry, but your retarded. That’s not how it works at all. I was bought up on a farm, in Taihape of all places.

            You don’t buy that shit unless you have the money for it. It’s really that simple. Most farmers don’t own the farms either. They will lease it.

            It took my uncle 12 years to buy the farm he was leasing. He was never rich – and worked all hours of the day.

            • quartz 5.1.1.1.1.1

              Firstly it’s “you’re” not “your”. Secondly, he paid off a whole farm in just 12 years and you don’t think that’s rich??? Fuck me mate, most of us need at least twice that time to pay of a house!

              • felixviper

                Why am I not surprised that infused’s parents never manged to explain to him how the family business works…

              • ghostwhowalksnz

                Of course they are ‘never rich’. Asset buying is the strategy!

                Cash in the bank is no use to them, but a good idea when a drought strikes.

                But why bother with the occasional drought when the government will come to the rescue.

                As well they will change environmental rules to enable more intensive dairying in drought prone areas .

                Goodbye Ecan , hello Government commissars.

                And if there is no rivers or groundwater to exploit, they will create a state financed irrigation scheme. $500 mill to ‘get the ball rolling’

              • infused

                Where did I say he paid it off?

                • Draco T Bastard

                  Just here:

                  It took my uncle 12 years to buy the farm he was leasing.

                  If it’s not what you meant then you probably should have worded it better.

              • Phil B

                The difference between an asset that delivers a return and one that produces nothing at all is fairly obvious I would think. I think everyone should broaden there educational horizons, then maybe most of the people who comment on here will gain a shred of perspective.

            • Draco T Bastard 5.1.1.1.1.2

              I was bought up on a farm

              It’s a typical wrong word but, IMO, thoroughly appropriate.

            • felixviper 5.1.1.1.1.3

              gww: “Any farmer will buy a big new tractor rather than have cash in the bank, as that means they have a taxable income.

              infused: “That’s not how it works at all … You don’t buy that shit unless you have the money for it.

              Err, infused, that’s exactly the same thing.

            • saarbo 5.1.1.1.1.4

              No, ghostwhowalksnz is right. Farmers will do anything to reduce tax, they mainly use trusts to distribute their income all over the place to lower their taxable income(s). But buying tractors on debt and using the interest and depreciation to reduce taxable income is pretty popular. Infused, you were a sheep and beef I suspect…quite different from the Dairy farmers who are mostly affected by the drought because of the intensive feed requirements of in-calf milking cows. Most farmers worth their salt are always ready for a drought, our family farm is badly affected by the drought but production is still up 5% on last year, which was a record year. But things are getting really tough now…

              But in the end of the day, Helen is spot on in this post…National have an incredibly cruel attitude towards beneficiaries. National and their supporters are pack of arseholes, we all know that. But how do they convince so many people that most beneficiaries are a pack of bludgers, because I know many on the dole from being involved in a rugby club in a fairly poor part of the country and I can say not one of those people want to be on the dole. People are desperate to be employed but there are NO jobs. Sadly as Helen has pointed out, the jobs that do exist are contract forestry jobs or something similar, hard and dangerous work…its bloody tough on these people.

              • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell

                If you buy a tractor, you cannot deduct its entire cost against your assessable income in one year. You have to depreciate it over its useful life.

                If you do not know basic shit like this, maybe you should be reassessing everything you think you know about businesspeople.

                • Colonial Viper

                  Come on Gormless, look at the actual quote and you’ll see that saarbo knows just fine and it’s you who should learn to read.

                  But buying tractors on debt and using the interest and depreciation to reduce taxable income is pretty popular.

                  • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell

                    I was referring to yours, actually Colonial Viper:

                    “Any farmer will buy a big new tractor rather than have cash in the bank, as that means they have a taxable income.”

            • The Al1en 5.1.1.1.1.5

              “your retarded”

              And they didn’t have schools in Taihape? 😉

        • The Al1en 5.1.1.2

          Retarded much?

      • quite correct the Allen and don’t forget the number of times they have expensive overseas holidays.
        In the Waikato all the retired farmers live in huge houses and still have overseas trips plus the wives have expensive cars to run about in.And have you seen heard them commenting on the
        unemployed and solo mums. Just take note sometime.

        • The Al1en 5.1.2.1

          “And have you seen heard them commenting on the unemployed and solo mums. Just take note sometime.”

          When I’m at work I hear people slagging off our beneficiaries all the time in the next door business. That is when they’re not busy running down the young staff waiting on them hand and foot.
          Each and every one of them gets told they’re shit for having such a poor attitude.

          Good job I’m indispensable, I suppose. 🙂

    • Mary 5.2

      Difference is that farmers “contribute” whereas the unemployed, whether because of sickness, caring for kids, disability or a bottoming out of the labour market, get money for doing nothing. The theory is that if you don’t contribute in the particular way that others say you must, then you don’t deserve the basic help that your circumstances say you require. The logical extension of this view is that simply being a citizen, or even a human being, isn’t enough to place value on – not enough to be entitled to even the basics like food, a dry house and to be healthy, not even that.

      We’ve come so far down this road of showing so much disdain for each other the only way out is a complete overhaul of what’s important, what we’ve all got in common, of what it means to be human and how we place value on that.

      • vto 5.2.1

        Quite right Mary, but not quite right. In this situation of drought the farmers are not contributing at all, they are a drain.

        How would they see themselves as contributing?

        • Mary 5.2.1.1

          They’d say because they’re still working, still liable for paying wages to farm workers they haven’t laid off, still liable for tax…in other words they’re still ‘participating’ as opposed to “sitting around expecting the government to give them money for doing nothing”. It’s just the old deserving/undeserving poor analysis, really. I wouldn’t be bothered getting dragged into that “well the farmers are getting money for doing nothing now – isn’t that ironic” cul-de-sac. Whoever says it is confusing society with the economy.

          • The Al1en 5.2.1.1.1

            That bloke shearer got messy about doing his roof. He wasn’t sitting around doing anything.

            • The Al1en 5.2.1.1.1.1

              Edit…
              That bloke shearer got messy about doing his roof. He wasn’t sitting around doing nothing.

              • Mary

                Yes, but he was doing it while getting tax payers money because he supposedly wasn’t able to fix his roof (which is quite wrong, of course).

                • The Al1en

                  Who said he wasn’t able to fix his roof? Quite clearly he was able, Dave said so.
                  He could just as easily be a guy with depression doing a bit of home maintenance as a cathartic exercise, but unable to work for more than a couple of hours at a time.

                  Bitter neighbour squeals to Labour’s next leader in opposition, who totally fucks his response.

                  • Mary

                    I totally agree. I think you’ve missed who I’m channeling this through, which is the stereotypical farmer mickysavage talks about at 5 above. I’ve left out the climate change stuff and talked about attitudes towards beneficiaries only. And then vto asked how the farmers would see themselves as contributing. See the comment at 5.2.1.1.

          • Ess 5.2.1.1.2

            One could say that the farmers have plenty at hand that can be used to provide food on the table therefore not needing to spend as much as the supermarket for instance. Coming from the other side of the coin one could also say the beneficiary in the towns is providing employment in their own way just through the need to buy their meat and vege at the supermarket and all the services required prior to the items landing in the store in essence means jobs for many….including the farmers. Just thought would throw that one into the mix. And sorry, but worked for a farmer’s taxation specialist for years and I know what they can and can’t do that the townfolk can’t do with their incomes.

      • RobertM 5.2.2

        I disagree with everything your say. Many right wing regimes from National Socialist Germany to the Australia of Tony Abbott and John Howard pay teenage girls to have white babies and live well. Abbott and Howard said to the conservatives who opposed free sex and good support for solo mothers that they would destroy the liberal party and government if they didn’t support it.
        I don’t support Helen Kelly she’s too serious and no longer pretty , but I hate the Act party fundamentalist the hyprocritical, vicious stupid Banks, Quax, Coddington and Newman trying to force moral control on solo mothers and for people to slave their gutz out in pointless jobs for the minimum wage. The problems with the farmers is their fundamentalist values and greed are destroying freedom and the environment. I doub’t its generous support from English it looks to me more like the Maoist wing of the Vic Uni Nats has decided to starve the farmers out like they did in the Soviet Union and USA in the late 1920’s I’d put English, Smith, Grosser in that category.
        I think we desperately need our vigorous young ladies to be as hot as possible and to be giving as much sexual pleasure to the frustrated and overworked men of this nation as possible. In terms of reproduction I think they should have a couple at 20-21 and be on permanent contraception the rest of their lives starting at 15. There should be 24 hour child care and they may be brought up by the state.
        I am well aware of the rural anger. I suggest every farmer and farm worker should be guaranteed 80,000 in the hand and we close all provincial hospitals and polytechs to pay for it . We may even set up state subsidised brothels for the farmers and the farm workers.
        They won’t like it their conservatives.

    • Kathy 5.3

      The reason farmers are sceptical (the word “denier” is the refuge of those who wish to shut down debate) about climate change is because they are a hell of a lot more in touch with the climate than most.

      • The Al1en 5.3.1

        Shit custodians of the land are farmers, on the whole.

        • felixviper 5.3.1.1

          I wouldn’t go that far.

          You’ve got to remember that the vast majority of today’s farmers haven’t broken in any land, they’ve taken on existing pastural land. And a lot of them will try to leave it in at least as good a shape as they found it.

          The rivers, on the other hand…

          • The Al1en 5.3.1.1.1

            Toxic algae blooms caused by nutrient run off, cows shitting in waterways, deforestation causing erosion etc…

            I stand by my opinion.

            • felixviper 5.3.1.1.1.1

              Fair enough. But around my way there’s been a lot of planting of waterways in the last few years too. That’s a real tangible improvement.

              And yeah on the whole you’re probably right, but “on the whole” takes in the big agri-business farms which are the worst offenders and lumps them in with all the little guys, many of whom do their best to work with the land as they find it.

              • The Al1en

                Planting waterways 😆

                My environment Waikato rates (or whatever they are after another expensive re-brand), go towards paying bad farmers to do what they should be doing in the first place. Crazy.

                Instead of subsidies and grants, how about fines and/or charges.
                Bet that would help clean the streams and rivers up pretty quickly.

                • felixviper

                  No, because the bad ones don’t take the subsidies and don’t plant at all. And there are are few of those around here too.

                  And yeah it’s a process. And yeah it’s taking a while. But if you expect to snap your fingers and immediately educate the whole country about “what they should be doing in the first place” while ignoring how those individuals came to be in this situation then frankly you might as well fuck off back to your own planet because you’re not going to be any help here.

                  • The Al1en

                    “if you expect to snap your fingers and immediately educate the whole country”

                    I’ve been paying those same rates (at an ever increasing level) for over 13 years.
                    No taxes without representation, right? 😉

                    “what they should be doing in the first place”

                    Pointing out that lots of farms don’t fence off streams and stock foul in our drinking water, doesn’t really warrant

                    “you might as well fuck off back to your own planet because you’re not going to be any help here.”

                    Al1enist. 😆

            • Colonial Viper 5.3.1.1.1.2

              Sort out farm price and bank debt issues, and most of the problems of overstocking will go away.

              For the rest of it, recidivist farmers who continue extreme behaviour can be prohibited from owning/operating land for a few years.

  6. cricklewood 6

    I beleive that it is such mechanisms that prop up farms during times of drought are the ones that contribute to the ever rising prices. Basically a huge risk element is mitigated allowing bigger and bigger loans to by said farms. Resulting in even greater cost for the govt to cover during times of drought. If the wernt leveraged to the max a good farmer should be able to ride out a drought like we are currently seeing.

    • Draco T Bastard 6.1

      It’ll have some effect but, IMO, the fact that rich foreigners can come in and buy up large tracts of land for far more than what a NZer can pay for it would have a bigger effect.

      • cricklewood 6.1.1

        Same thing applies I guess, You will pay a bomb for it because it is low risk. Everytime a major risk factor (weather) turns sour the govt covers the hole.

        Does the relief package cover only farms who are owned by NZ citizens?

        I really don’t like my tax money propping up overseas interests…

  7. Macro 7

    The stupidity of our current economic policy which bets the whole wealth of our country upon increasing Dairying and prostituting ourselves for a Trade Agreement so we can sell more milk products to the USA is clearly demonstrated by the present drought. The 3rd since 2008 in the Waikato according to the president of Federated Farmers. And this in a predominantly la Nina period where as the projections for El Nino is for a prolonged period of drought.
    Not only are we jeopardising the environmental wealth of our country for a few more dollars possibly in export we are stupidly betting that our climate of the past will continue, and we now have every indication that it will not. The weather patterns of the past with ample rainfall throughout the year are a thing of the past. Welcome to the new normal.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1

      The stupidity of our current economic policy which bets the whole wealth of our country upon increasing Dairying and prostituting ourselves for a Trade Agreement so we can sell more milk products to the USA is clearly demonstrated by the present drought.

      QFT

      Welcome to the new normal.

      We’re not there yet.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 7.2

      Fat chance of selling dairy products to USA.

      Thats a closed market, free trade rules are out the window.

      Similar for sheep meat. A few Senators from dairying and sheep states will die in a ditch over this

  8. vto 8

    Helen confirms what many commenters on here have been saying for ages… this government hands out welfare all over the goddamn place . Lets see;

    1. Welfare for finance company investors.
    2. Welfare for banks.
    3. Welfare for farmers.
    4. Welfare for unemployed.
    5. Welfare for the NZ stock exchange.
    6. Welfare for Chch earthquakes.
    7. Welfare for solo mums.
    8. Welfare for Joyce’s ex-Mediaworks.
    9. Welfare for private schools.

    Can anybody name a group who doesn’t or hasn’t received some kind of welfare from this government?

  9. RedLogix 9

    A very thoughtful post Helen. Ensuring that farmers survive droughts, floods or disease is simple common sense.

    I just wish that they’d show some political understanding.

    • Colonial Weka 9.1

      “Ensuring that farmers survive droughts, floods or disease is simple common sense.”

      Why? Genuine question.

      • RedLogix 9.1.1

        The same reason why it makes sense to ensure all people survive the normal setbacks and misadventures of life.

        This can be justified on both ethical and pragmatic grounds. The ethical argument is simply that “there but for the grace of God go I”. Misfortune can strike in any number of ways and we all need at some point in our lives some help. If we would seek that help ourselves, we have no grounds on which to deny to others.

        Pragmatically there is the reasoning that if we always have to plan to survive a worst case scenario (like a once in a 50 year drought or flood) then we will always be excessively risk-averse, holding back reserves or failing to innovate. The assurance of some measure of collective risk sharing however frees up the individual to become more effective and efficient.

        • Colonial Weka 9.1.1.1

          Ok, so because they are people (nothing to do with it being farming)? Does it apply to all self-employed people? Or employees for that matter.

          I agree with the principle of that, and the last paragraph, but this situation isn’t a 1 in 50 year event. It’s forseeable. Does that make a difference?

          • rosy 9.1.1.1.1

            “but this situation isn’t a 1 in 50 year event. It’s forseeable. Does that make a difference?”

            I hear what your saying, I think – there should be some financial planning for drought and flood conditions, or they should have moved off the drought-prone land or changed farm type or methods sooner. But should it make a difference?

            Farmers theoretically pay their taxes and as such are entitled to the social insurance/social security provisions of the welfare state that those taxes fund. Like most beneficiaries this security is funding to see them through the times of temporary hardship, not a lifestyle choice.

            Whether the situation was forseeable is not much different to a person becoming redundant due to economic conditions that would make they industry they worked in nonviable. Should these people have up-sticks sooner and moved into a growth industry rather than relying on the State when the company moved production or went bust?

            Btw, good post Helen.

            • Colonial Weka 9.1.1.1.1.1

              So why farmers and not builders? Or gardeners? or anyone else who doesn’t get this assistance?

              • rosy

                Pretty sure they’re all entitled to an State income if they can’t earn an income through their work, pay the rent or mortgage or feed the kids.

                The confounding factors for farmers is of course that their farms are also their homes. I do believe that farming corporations should be a whole other story though.

                • Colonial Weka

                  Really? I thought other people had to go on the dole.

                  • rosy

                    dole=state income. The hoops that the non-farmers have to go through to get their income support is a whole other issue, and no-one should have to go through that.

                    The differences in how different people get their income support highlights the importance of a unconditional basic income, I reckon. All these problems about who deserves what money to live, at the most basic level, are then made redundant.

        • Draco T Bastard 9.1.1.2

          Although I agree with everything you said what if we have too many farms to be sustainable?

  10. Jimmie 10

    With great respect to you Ms Kelly I don’t think you understand the nature of the benefits provided to farmers.

    There are few if any cash hand outs – it is mostly a coordination service to link up drought farmers with feed supplies etc. Also some extensions on tax payment dates with the IRD.

    Also a lot of farmers are fairly self sufficient with vege gardens, home grown meat & milk, and often free accommodation.

    Droughts though painful are a natural part of the farming cycle – just as winter floods are. Most farmers worth their salt, plan and prepare for a drought each year in various ways including saving long spring pasture, buying/making silage and growing summer crops. (And destocking)

    For a farmer not to be able to survive through a 6-8 week summer dry period they are either incompetent, a risk taker, or up to their eyeballs in debt.

    There has been good drought management advice available for 20+ years which most farmers are aware of.

    I don’t have an issue with much of your statement about solo mums and beneficiaries however there is a significant group within both classes who refuse to work and see the benefit as their God given lifestyle. They are often unemployable – being addicted to various substances, and do what ever they can to avoid compulsory job interviews.

    It is for these folk that the compulsion needs to be enforced with as they are bludgers who give genuine beneficiaries a bad name. I agree there needs to be a safety net but you need strict rules to discourage abuse of it.

    • RedLogix 10.1

      For a farmer not to be able to survive through a 6-8 week summer dry period they are either incompetent, a risk taker, or up to their eyeballs in debt.

      Perhaps, but this drought is longer than this. Soil moisture levels are catastrophically low. I’m looking out the window at paddocks which were fence high in grass this time last year that are now bare earth. Literally. The only small mercy at this point is that there is not a lot of wind taking the top-soil away. Yes there is some mitigation you can take to get through a normal dry-spell, but at some point you have to get the core breeding stock through to the next season in order to survive.

      Besides we’re all up to our eyeballs in debt. That’s normal.

      I don’t have an issue with much of your statement about solo mums and beneficiaries however there is a significant group within both classes who refuse to work and see the benefit as their God given lifestyle. They are often unemployable – being addicted to various substances, and do what ever they can to avoid compulsory job interviews.

      I think you might want to reconcile this logic with your own statement’s about farmers who are “incompetent, a risk taker, or up to their eyeballs in debt”. Sure there may be some who’ve miscalculated and could well have made better decisions … but in my book they get the help they need too.

      • Draco T Bastard 10.1.1

        Besides we’re all up to our eyeballs in debt. That’s normal.

        But it shouldn’t be.

    • georgecom 10.2

      Jimmie, there are benefits available:
      :Mr Guy said rural assistance payments would also be available from Work and Income, through the Ministry of Social Development. “These are equivalent to the unemployment benefit and are available to those in extreme hardship.”
      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10869521

      Also, can you provide a number please on the “specific group within both classes who refuse to work and see the benefit as their God given lifestyle”. I am not asking for exact numbers, approximate will do. Thanks

    • Draco T Bastard 10.3

      …however there is a significant group within both classes who refuse to work and see the benefit as their God given lifestyle.

      [citation needed]

  11. Jimmie 11

    I forgot to add that farmers should not receive the benefit because even though there summer production does take a hit, they still own multi million assets, receive large incomes (which continue through from previous production) and would be considered wealthy compared to those who are genuine beneficiaries.

    So I say advice is good – handouts are bad for farmers unless they are going bankrupt.

  12. logie97 12

    It has been said that there are some of them there country folk who employ a competent accountants, and have probably been milking the system for years.

    First the accountant makes sure that the husband and wife salaries are a minimum.
    That way they are subject to minimum PAYE, and of course when the kids are off to varsity, they qualify for student allowance because Mum and Dad’s combined income is below the threshold.

    Then there’s
    – the occasional odd colour of the diesel in the ute that drives on country roads to pop into the supermarket.
    – the depreciation on the company car.
    – the “entertainment” receipts.
    – the clothing allowance receipts.
    The list goes on, but there are a few for starters.

    And, of course, when a couple of beast are sent to the butcher, well the butcher often comes to the farm and a nice little bartering exchange might go on – nudge, nudge … know what I mean. Accountant’s services here, solicitors’s services there. All nice and cosy for some.

    Now whilst the author’s sympathies are laudable and we wish for an ideal world, some of those there rural folk can be the first to stick the boot into the urban yokels when the chance arises.

    • Murray Olsen 12.1

      They probably pick up advice on how to do all this at the local National branch meetings. I don’t have a lot of sympathy for many of them. Sharemilkers, if they still exist, are another story.

      • And don’t forget the poor farm worker who work very long hours including most weekends plus if they are sacked or found redundant they lose their homes . They retire to a rented house
        and low retirement savings and a worn out body..Its surely time that Fontera included farm workers in the distribution of their profits by issuing unsaleable shares to long time farm employees

    • AsleepWhileWalking 12.2

      Enter the Rural party…

    • infused 12.3

      Any self employed person can do that. What’s your point?

    • Jimmy 12.4

      Will get to the rest of your misinformation later, got work to do in 5mins.
      But this sort of stuff is just plain wrong.
      Lets start with your first point.

      “the occasional odd colour of the diesel in the ute that drives on country roads to pop into the supermarket”

      Diesel in NZ is all the same colour, the Road User Charges sort out the differance between off and on road vehicles, and its something all NZers and farmers cant get around, so no rort their.

      Farmers do pay road tax for all their road going deisel vehicles, they also pay road tax for some of thier petrol vehicles that dont go on the road, and only can get a tax rebate if they fill in loads of paperwork, which many dont bother with because of the hassle.

      • Lanthanide 12.4.1

        “Diesel in NZ is all the same colour, the Road User Charges sort out the differance between off and on road vehicles, and its something all NZers and farmers cant get around, so no rort their.

        Sorry, what? I think you completely missed the point. The diesel in the ute has not had tax paid on it, because it’s officially for off-road use. And yet it is used to go to the supermarket. In rural areas there aren’t a lot of cops to catch this happening and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them looked the other way anyway.

        • Jimmy 12.4.1.1

          Ok so where is the misunderstanding, If the owner of the ute has a current RUC sticker on it all legal. Tax on diesel is paid via Road User Charges.

          • logie97 12.4.1.1.1

            … yeah but I get a GST receipt to claim it back mate … And by the way Pink diesel is the agricultural term for it … you need to sit around a few farmers when they drop their guard and talk about these things over a pint or two.

            • Jimmy 12.4.1.1.1.1

              Anyone can make up stories mate, you look like you can tell a good one logie.
              Dont let the facts get in the way mate……….

  13. Mick 13

    Full employment is a myth ,we need to acknowledge that permanent growth is impossible and there will always be a small percentage of the work force unemployed .
    Feel comfort in the fact that every dollar given to a beneficiary goes straight back into the economy ! Not hidden away in some high return account etc..

    • Draco T Bastard 13.1

      +1

      In fact, if we properly progressed our economy and infrastructure unemployment could easily reach 75% under the present paradigm. Then what would this government (or even a Labour government which is following the old failed paradigms do)?

      • Mary 13.1.1

        The present Labour government would do exactly what this government would do. Labour’s current welfare policy is pretty much the same as Nact’s. We all go on about how bad the latest attacks on the poor under Bennett/Key are, but Labour’s current track record is no different. Until Labour make a proper stand against this nothing will change.

        • Mary 13.1.1.1

          And I think the unions have a role in helping this to happen. Helen Kelly’s piece today is heartening but the unions really need to tell Labour that its stance on welfare needs to be a clear vision of an adequate non-punitive safety net. Nothing less will do.

  14. Thanks for this post Helen it has really challenged me and made me think about my own beliefs. I agree that everyone deserves help when they need it I feel I have a attitude problem with farmers specifically dairy farmers because i can’t seem to move them away from bankers in my head. I seem to equate the, imo, exploitation of the animals and the pollution of waterways and land in pursuit of personal financial gain as similar to the exploitation of people and the pollution of society with greed in pursuit of personal financial gain. Everyone deserves help but everytime I cross the bridge near home the cows are down by the river and my five year old is unlikely to be able to swim in that river when he gets older because some farmer either takes the water, adds cowshit to it and sprays it all over his/her field which naturally runs off into the river, or the cows just shit directly into it. Sure not every farmer does that but lots do without a care in the world for anyone else or the environment. So I’m going to think more on this interesting issue because I haven’t reconciled it yet, obviously.

    • Draco T Bastard 14.1

      Proper regulation and enforcement will stop the farmers destroying the environment but our governments have steered well clear of that. In fact, they’ve gone to quite some lengths to get the farmers to do it and to try and make everyone else accept that destruction.

  15. the pigman 15

    Nice one, Helen. You seem to be on the side of both the economically secure and the dispossessed, which is the right place to be. It is actually heartening to read this from someone in your position.

    Perhaps you have the ear of someone in the Labour caucus who’d be prepared to depart from the beneficiaries-as-bludgers meme that has taken National to such great heights?

  16. This analogy between farmers and workers is wrong. People do not attract rights in capitalist society merely because they are humans. Nor because they are citizens. Not all citizens are equal. Rather their rights reflect their social and economic power.

    Farmers and workers are different economic classes since farmers own (even if indebted) their productive assets, whereas workers have only their labour to sell. Workers are relatively powerless because their only power is to withdraw their labour (and hence the means of subsistence). Beneficiaries know what it is to be powerless when jobless.

    Farmers are in business, they do not have to sell their labour. They are self-employed or in part working for the bank. Fed Farmers is not a labour union, its a bosses union usually run by big capitalist farmers. Farmers unlike workers have power because they own property. Today big farmers are wealthy capitalists.

    (Notwithstanding the fact that WP Reeves (Fabian fop and liblab minster of labour) and FP Walsh (scab union boss) both had big farms – Walsh reputedly the biggest in the land. They were aspirational middle class trying to escape the working class).

    Unlike workers, farmers can make good profits and capital gains in good times when there are no droughts and prices are holding up. Land values reflect profitability.

    If in bad times they need social support (it is bizarre calling it the dole) this should be a loan paid back by income and capital gains taxes in good times. Land tax.

    Factor into this the externalised costs of farming such as pollution and carbon footprints. Carbon tax.

    Add other inputs that are grabbed or stolen like water or originally, Maori land. These are all part of the privatising of social inputs. In the 19th century the social input into land values was called the ‘unearned increment’ and a land tax was proposed to return this increment to society.

    What is returned to society today is the ‘unearned excrement’.

    With CC impacting on farming we have to make sure we don’t bail out capitalist farmers in the way we bailed out the banks, failed finance corps and sacked Ministry Heads.

    Facing the huge social drain that will be sucked into into farmers pockets to cover the disasters of CC the only answer is to nationalise the land and plan production based on the needs of all in society, not not just a few who have privatised nature and labour in the name of private profit.

    The Labour Party once had the ‘socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange’ in its Constitution. If the Labour Party has abandoned this demand permanently then it will give way to a new workers party that makes it the main platform of its program.

    • Colonial Weka 16.1

      +100

      I think farmers should be supported where they grow affordable food for people in NZ, because we are all dependent on that and it will be core to our survival in the future. The ones that grow food sustainably. But where they are simply a profit-driven business, why do they deserve support more than any other business? I don’t get it.

      • Colonial Viper 16.1.1

        why do they deserve support more than any other business? I don’t get it.

        If you read RR’s analysis carefully there is no moralistic issue of “deserve support”. Farmers get that support because they command it. It is an exercise of economic and political power. Farmers have that power, most other SMEs do not.

        • Colonial Weka 16.1.1.1

          Yes, and I agree, but I was meaning why do some people in this conversation think that farmers deserve support where other self-employed people do not.

          • Descendant Of Sssmith 16.1.1.1.1

            Self employed can get a benefit in similar circumstances when they are without work including both businesses and contractors. After the crash in 87 this made the difference for a few businesses after the owners had exhausted all their resources and the banks who encouraged them into debt when times were good wouldn’t have a bar of them when times were bad. I remember AGC finance in particular doing some really horrible things to people.

            http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/manuals-and-procedures/income_support/main_benefits/unemployment_benefit/unemployment_benefit-79.htm

            I don’t have a problem with anyone who can’t feed their families getting help and I don’t have a problem with a no-fault based on need approach to basic help – it’s the decent thing to do. Whether they are a good farmer, bad farmer, is irrelevant and we all know that the benefit is a pittance anyway.

            • Colonial Weka 16.1.1.1.1.1

              Ssssmith, from your link –

              “Where a client has been self-employed or in a partnership you need to be sure that the client’s involvement in the business has completely stopped. Unemployment Benefit cannot be used to financially support a business, as the client would not generally meet the job search requirements.

              The business does not have to be formally ‘wound up’. It can be temporarily finished or other staff can be continuing to run it.”

              Farmers are exempted from all that, and are allowed to receive the equivalent of UB while they’re still running their business. Pretty sure they’re not expected to look for other work. They’re a special case.

              • Draco T Bastard

                Unemployment Benefit cannot be used to financially support a business, as the client would not generally meet the job search requirements.

                Yep, one of the stupid rules about the UB – you can’t start a business on the UB (not that you would have enough income to do so) because it would stop you looking for a job.

          • RedLogix 16.1.1.1.2

            That’s still a very good question CW. I’m thinking this is a very good example of the kind of ‘horizontal and vertical equity’ problem that Gareth Morgan identifies in his The Big Kahuna. Morgan states some of the principles of a good tax/redistribution system here. In this case we need to consider:

            1. Vertical Equity … where both big and small players, with or without capital, are treated the same.

            2. Horizontal Equity … where like cases are treated similarly.

            Red Rattler makes a very good case for the vertical inequity going on here. Farmers have access to land and capital in a way that ordinary workers do not, yet they are expecting to be treated much the same when they fall on hard times.

            Colonial Weka asks about the horizontal inequity. Are farmers being treated differently to any other self-employed person?

            I think we can all sense at some intuitive level that there is a problem here, and I’m finding it useful to clearly split out the reasons why. Clearly our current tax system is the root cause of this because:

            1. It is failing to adequately tax land and capital.

            2. Do farmers have privileged access to some assistance that other similarly affected business people do not have?

            However there is a risk in treating farmers the same way we do for instance builders. An individual builder might fail with little harm to the economy as a whole. Even a sustained downturn in the housing market will hurt a lot of people, but we seem willing to tolerate this. A drought or flood can however immediately threaten an entire sector of the economy that we are highly dependent upon. In this sense RR is correct; farmers are quite a lot like bankers … too big and important to fail. And of course politicians from across the whole political spectrum instinctively recognise this. There will be no talk from David Shearer, or even Russel Norman, questioning “why are we propping up failed farmers?”

            Despite all of this my first instinct is that all people are entitled by right to some form of social safety net regardless of whether society judges them to be worthy of support or not. Morgan calls this the inalienable right to a dignified life.

            For this fundamental reason I support farmers receiving assistance during a downturn. I cannot deny them this right any less than I can for any other person. The inequity that we are dealing with here is an artefact of our broken, unjust tax system.

            PS. DoSS wtf are we both doing at 5am typing about this?

            • Descendant Of Sssmith 16.1.1.1.2.1

              You woke me up when you went to the toilet!

              Seriously though I still think that taxing at gross solves many of the issues around manipulation of the tax system. This would also mean overseas esales could also be taxed at source so companies like iTunes would now pay tax on sales by NZers and rorts like the non-interest but claim interest as an expense one IRD has just ruled on would become irrelevant and pointless.

              As no-one could not pay tax it would seem to be much fairer and all would contribute.

              • Draco T Bastard

                I have a tendency to agree with the gross taxation. I cannot get tax deductions to work no matter how I try.

        • infused 16.1.1.2

          And because they export $13.2b each year.

    • Colonial Viper 16.2

      Spot on RR.

    • Draco T Bastard 16.3

      Beneficiaries know what it is to be powerless when jobless.

      Most of them know what it’s like to be powerless when they have a job as well.

      Farmers unlike workers have power because they own property.

      Which is one of the reasons we have to change the ownership paradigm.

      Factor into this the externalised costs of farming such as pollution and carbon footprints. Carbon tax.

      Add other inputs that are grabbed or stolen like water or originally, Maori land. These are all part of the privatising of social inputs.

      And as they’re not charged for those they don’t on charge them and thus the free-market paradigm we use fails to bring about the efficient use that it’s supposed to bring about. Not that I’m supportive of the free market, just pointing out another unaccounted aspect of it that brings about it’s failure.

      With CC impacting on farming we have to make sure we don’t bail out capitalist farmers in the way we bailed out the banks, failed finance corps and sacked Ministry Heads.

      Yep, that’s what I was thinking. We should be looking at these farms and asking if we need them. If we don’t and we probably don’t, then we should just close them down and turn them back into native forest.

      Facing the huge social drain that will be sucked into into farmers pockets to cover the disasters of CC the only answer is to nationalise the land and plan production based on the needs of all in society, not not just a few who have privatised nature and labour in the name of private profit.

      QFT

      We have to state the purpose of the economy as to provide for us at a sustainable level and get away from the failure of infinite exponential growth and the enrichment of the few. From what I can make it’s these latter that bring about the fall of civilisations.

  17. xtasy 17

    I have heard of farmers, particularly dairy farmers, who are happy to employ “beneficiary” farm workers from places like the Philippines, as they are prepared to work longer hours, for humble conditions and do as they are told.

    This is maybe the kind of “solidarity” that some farmers have with us when there is talk about the “lifestyle choosing” “layabouts” in urban and even rural areas, who may want a job with reasonable conditions, working hours and a pay you can life from in NZ.

    May I concede though, there are farmers and farmers, and of course under drought and other catastrophic situations they deserve help like anybody else. But do not get carried away with reading much true, genuine solidarity between “beneficiaries” that here are even farmers.

    Even the richest CEO will be able to apply for the dole, if she or he can claim having NO income!

    • AsleepWhileWalking 17.1

      In principle I support welfare for the farmers themselves as I think PEOPLE should be supported in difficult financial times, but I wonder how much of this could be predicted and mitigated through income protection insurance, business insurance, etc, but instead is now falling upon the government?

      • AsleepWhileWalking 17.1.1

        Another point on mitigating loss, has anybody here watched the documentary Greening the Desert?

        It is about Geoff Lawton using permiculture to grow stuff in an arid and nasty looking place close to Jerusalem.

        Now I remember the story it’s actually pissing me off that farmers are pretending to be powerless over their environment. They OPTED to used farming methods that resulted in higher yields rather than something that would last climate variations. They OPTED for this lifestyle. Nobody forced them to do it.

        They ELECTED to ingore other methods of farming that would have continued to sustain them, or at the very least lessened the impact of drought.

        Sorry, now I remember all the nasty things farmers have said via the media about beneficiaries I think all my sympathy is reserved for the animals.

        • Colonial Weka 17.1.1.1

          “all the nasty things farmers have said via the media about beneficiaries”

          Citation?

          “They OPTED to used farming methods that resulted in higher yields rather than something that would last climate variations. They OPTED for this lifestyle. Nobody forced them to do it.”

          Yes and no. Even the farmers that want to farm sustainably are tied into an industrial economic machine that can be very hard to break out of. eg if you don’t want to be part of that system, how do you sell your produce? There are alot of barriers to farmers shifting to sustainable land management, esp those that have med or high debt on the farm. And most mainstream farmers are being told that sustainably farming practices are not economic, and being given industry-sponsored advice.

          Greening the Desert (5 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzTHjlueqFI

          • Colonial Weka 17.1.1.1.1

            but on the otherhand, yes there are plenty of greedy people farming, just like in everything else. Federated Farmers is pretty good at representing them.

            • Ennui in Requiem 17.1.1.1.1.1

              The whole farming experience in NZ is extractive, and the necessary mindset is greed. I had the economics of farming explained to me by a family member who is a farmer. Here is how it has worked for the last century:
              * farms are traded / bought / sold for capital value of around 8 times the annual turn over in the period of a few years around the transaction date. This is supposed to reflect the revenue yield from the land. Note profitability is not the major price determinant as you would expect for most other businesses.
              * the farms capital value has historically gone up, and the assumption is that it will still. So when the farmer sells so long as the revenue has held constant to inflation, even with no profit he will make a big gain.
              * if the farmer adds lots of capital inputs and still makes a loss or small profit he gets an additional multiplier on farm resale value. If he can get the taxpayer to subsidise “improvements” by depreciating or some other accounting method so much the better.

              You will notice a trend appearing: its all about being able to stay on the land over time and letting inflation make your pay out work when you sell. Of course if some bank or whoever manages to push your revenue up, even if they gobble all the gain, so much the better. And if you wreck the land in the process, so long as revenue stays up good.

              What if we get deflation?

  18. Tiger Mountain 18

    Sheepshagging waterway polluting, tax dodging, Hi lux wheeling, rural conservatives in denial about the stolen Māori land many of them sit on. So definitely the undeserving ‘poor’. Sod off you dole bludgers. Bet you would like to see some of the urban suplus army of labour march over the hill, fill in your phosphate ridden poo pools and get down to growning some real food for local areas.

  19. aerobubble 19

    How long before people realize. Everyone benefits from government. Its the whole point of collectivizing our interests. So its obvious that those cut down by government legislation, harmed by its gaps or direct consequences puts a duty on government to *all*. Those in work get civil society, labour laws, capital protections, banking regulations, etc, those without income get welfare.

    Key and ACT are keen to frame the debate that ‘ought’ is the dictate of government.

  20. Mary 20

    Refreshing to hear a unionist saying these things. It’s just a pity her mates in the fucking Labour party don’t agree with her.

  21. Tom Gould 21

    Never mind, Joyce has finally come up with an economic development strategy to make us all rich. Strike oil. If we can only strike oil, lots of it, we can all live like Saudi princes. A Bentley in every carport. Sorted. Of course, the MSM will run this hard, complete with smiling photos of Joyce and Bridges, looking hopeful and optimistic. What a bunch of corrupt losers.

  22. Mary 22

    The CTU’s continued friendship with this Labour party is worrying. If I was the CTU I would tell Shearer and his uncaring anti-beneficiary mates to get stuffed and not to come back until he’s rediscovered what a real Labour party is supposed to about.

    • js 22.1

      Just wondering what evidence Mary has that the LP is anti-beneficiary. I think every Labour electorate office will tell you their local Labour MP cares a lot about beneficiaries and actively supports them.

      • Colonial Viper 22.1.1

        In that case I’m looking forwards to Labour taking income taxes off benefits, lifting the unemployment benefit to 60% of the minimum wage and eliminating the work testing of sickness beneficiaries, thank you very much.

        • Mary 22.1.1.1

          And restoring the special benefit, reinstating the meeting of need as the primary objective of the Social Security Act, removing the distinction under the Tax Act between beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, stop locking innocent women up for alleged benefit fraud and wrongly establishing and recovering huge overpayments, announcing the reversal of the latest amendment Bill that attempts to criminalise partners of beneficiaries allegedly living in relationships in the nature of marriage, stop Income Support from ringing up doctors to try to get them to change their medical assessments so that they can refuse the benefit, say sorry for all the nasty changes they made to the Social Security Act, get David Shearer to say he was wrong about the sickness beneficiary on the roof debacle, and for Labour abandon the dumb idea that it’s a party for workers only…

          Is that enough, ts? Go do some reading.

        • Mary 22.1.1.2

          And restoring the special benefit, reinstating the meeting of need as the primary objective of the Social Security Act, removing the distinction under the Tax Act between beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, stop locking innocent women up for alleged benefit fraud and wrongly establishing and recovering huge overpayments, announcing the reversal of the latest amendment Bill that attempts to criminalise partners of beneficiaries allegedly living in relationships in the nature of marriage, stop Income Support from ringing up doctors to try to get them to change their medical assessments so that they can refuse the benefit, say sorry for all the nasty changes they made to the Social Security Act, get David Shearer to say he was wrong about the sickness beneficiary on the roof debacle, and for Labour abandon the dumb idea that it’s a party for workers only…

          Is that enough, ts? I suggest you do some reading before you come back. I very nearly couldn’t be bothered responding to you.

      • Colonial Viper 22.1.2

        Oh yeah, and reducing the horrendous abatement rates on income for people trying to return to the workforce.

        It’s not like these ideas haven’t been around for ages, either.

  23. Mike S 23

    Interesting video (actually more gobsmacking than interesting) on inequality below

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM

    • Ess 23.1

      Thanks for this post…makes very interesting (indeed gobsmacking!) watching – and I should imagine if a similar study and resultant graph done for NZ it would not be too dissimilar. That is VERY sad.

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • How to Share Computer Audio on Zoom
    Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
    2 hours ago
  • How Long Does It Take to Build a Computer?
    Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
    2 hours ago
  • How to Put Your Computer to Sleep
    Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
    2 hours ago
  • What is Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT)?
    Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
    2 hours ago
  • iPad vs. Tablet Computers A Comprehensive Guide to Differences
    In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
    2 hours ago
  • How Are Computers Made?
    A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
    2 hours ago
  • How to Add Voice Memos from iPhone to Computer
    Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
    2 hours ago
  • Why My Laptop Screen Has Lines on It: A Comprehensive Guide
    Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
    2 hours ago
  • How to Right-Click on a Laptop
    Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
    2 hours ago
  • Where is the Power Button on an ASUS Laptop?
    Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
    2 hours ago
  • How to Start a Dell Laptop: A Comprehensive Guide
    Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
    2 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Serious populist discontent is bubbling up in New Zealand
    Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 hours ago
  • How to Take a Screenshot on an Asus Laptop A Comprehensive Guide with Detailed Instructions and Illu...
    In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
    2 hours ago
  • How to Factory Reset Gateway Laptop A Comprehensive Guide
    A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
    2 hours ago
  • The Folly Of Impermanence.
    You talking about me?  The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
    5 hours ago
  • A crisis of ambition
    Roger Partridge  writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 hours ago
  • Have 308 people in the Education Ministry’s Curriculum Development Team spent over $100m on a 60-p...
    Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 hours ago
  • 'This bill is dangerous for the environment and our democracy'
    Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 hours ago
  • The Bank of our Tamariki and Mokopuna.
    Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 hours ago
  • The worth of it all
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, 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?Full story Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    10 hours ago
  • What is the Hardest Sport in the World?
    Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
    12 hours ago
  • What is the Most Expensive Sport?
    The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
    12 hours ago
  • Pickleball On the Cusp of Olympic Glory
    Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
    13 hours ago
  • The Origin and Evolution of Soccer Unveiling the Genius Behind the World’s Most Popular Sport
    Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
    13 hours ago
  • How Much to Tint Car Windows A Comprehensive Guide
    Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
    13 hours ago
  • Why Does My Car Smell Like Gas? A Comprehensive Guide to Diagnosing and Fixing the Issue
    The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
    13 hours ago
  • How to Remove Tree Sap from Car A Comprehensive Guide
    Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
    13 hours ago
  • How Much Paint Do You Need to Paint a Car?
    The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
    13 hours ago
  • Can You Jump a Car in the Rain? Safety Precautions and Essential Steps
    Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
    13 hours ago
  • Can taxpayers be confident PIJF cash was spent wisely?
    Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    19 hours ago
  • EGU2024 – An intense week of joining sessions virtually
    Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
    21 hours ago
  • Submission on “Fast Track Approvals Bill”
    The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    22 hours ago
  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    23 hours ago
  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    1 day ago
  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago
  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats why they introduced the Recently Deleted folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Heres how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the Recents tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on Edit. Select Show Recently Deleted. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose Recover to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    2 days ago
  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    2 days ago
  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    2 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    2 days ago
  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    2 days ago
  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    2 days ago
  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    2 days ago
  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    2 days ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    2 days ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    2 days ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    2 days ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    2 days ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    3 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 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
    3 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
    3 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day 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 day 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    6 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-20T05:13:40+00:00