What a joke

Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, April 28th, 2009 - 48 comments
Categories: economy, tax - Tags:

This shows how meaningless tax cuts are. From last night’s TV3 poll:

When you receive tax cuts this month [they began on April 1], do you think you will be most likely to spend it, save it, pay off debt or other?
*Spend it 25.3 per cent
*Save it 30.1 per cent
*Pay off debt 22.4 per cent
*Other 12.6 per cent
*Not applicable 9.6 per cent

I’m one of the savers. I haven’t changed my behaviour because of the tax cuts, I just have more money in my savings account each week.

The fact that only 25% of people are spending their tax cut makes a mockery of the idea they are an economic stimulus. We clearly would have got more stimulus from the government spending that money on sustainable infrastructure or by giving it to people who actually need the money.

The really amazing bit though is that at least 77% of respondents think they got a tax cut. In reality, less than half of taxpayers did. If people don’t even know if they got a tax cut or not how can tax cuts possibly encourage people to work more and harder like the Government claims?

48 comments on “What a joke ”

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  1. BeShakey 1
    28 April 2009 at 3:39 pm

    “The really amazing bit though is that at least 77% of respondents think they got a tax cut. In reality, less than half of taxpayers did. If people don’t even know if they got a tax cut or not how can tax cuts possibly encourage people to work more and harder like the Government claims?”

    Alternatively, and perhaps more likely given the appaling methodology of many of the phone polls, the result is accurate, but shows that the poll doesn’t come anywhere close to being representative of the NZ population.

    • Lew 1.1
      28 April 2009 at 4:42 pm

      Yes, this is what it shows. Nothing much about the tax cuts themselves.

      (I haven’t noticed mine – our family income got cut in half five months ago, so it makes precious little difference.)

      L

  2. vto 2
    28 April 2009 at 3:51 pm

    So following your logic Tane why don’t we simply hand all our earnings over to the state and let it work the magic for economic nirvana. Oh, and let it give us an allowance for living – at a level deemed appropriate by those on the left of course (all of which was Cullen’s unspoken dream..).

    Sheesh.

    • Tane 2.1
      28 April 2009 at 4:02 pm

      That’s not my logic. My logic is if you’re going to try and stimulate the economy don’t give tax cuts to people who don’t need the money and aren’t going to spend it.

      Spend it on infrastructure, or give it to low income people who need it to get by and will actually spend it.

      The fact is National’s tax cuts were never about countering the recession. They were, as always, about transferring wealth upwards.

      • vto 2.1.1
        28 April 2009 at 4:20 pm

        Well it partly a logic tangent Tane. Anyway, paying off debt or saving or doing many other things with it is just as beneficial just perhaps not as direct or easily assessed or seen.

        And that wasn’t the point of the tax cuts anyway as I recall.

  3. cocamc 3
    28 April 2009 at 3:52 pm

    Also, the tax cuts only came in on April 1- so I think a little too early to be polling people till at least 2-3 months when people make decisions about how to use them. For the record – I’m spending mine

  4. Greg 4
    28 April 2009 at 3:57 pm

    How is saving or paying off debt bad for the economy? It certainly stimulates it.

    • The Baron 4.1
      28 April 2009 at 4:11 pm

      It’s not Greg, but it doesn’t fit with Tane’s ideology.

      See, if the “rich” (apparently anyone earning over $100k!) spent their money to the same degree, then Tane would be deriding them for too many luxuries at the expense of the “poor” (less than $100k, Tane?).

      In Tane’s word, the noble “poor” may do whatever they want – buy some new clothes, flat screen TVs, new cars, or maybe just spend it down at the pub. That’s nice and demand stimulating, see. And they “need” it.

      But if you’re “rich”, and wanna pay off your mortgage, or save money for your retirement, or invest it in growing your own business, then that is just pure evil. These are the things you should get the state to do for you instead, because they know better than you.

      How lovely it must be to live in such a blinkered, black and white world.

      • Dentarthurdent 4.1.1
        28 April 2009 at 4:20 pm

        Median wage is 28k. 100k is 3 1/2 times that.

        Just a bit of perspective for the truly blinkered.

      • BLiP 4.1.2
        28 April 2009 at 4:27 pm

        Again, Barren, you miss the point of the post. Drop your blinkered ideology for just a tic. Its not about disgust for the rich, its about the incompetence of the National Government.

        Your mate John Key said the tax cuts would stimulate the economy. He was told, over and over again, this would not happen given the details. Key went ahead with the tax cuts and, guess what? The economy wasn’t stimulated. Instead, the rich got richer and the poor got poorer.

        Thanks National.

        • greatape 4.1.2.1
          28 April 2009 at 4:42 pm

          Blip how did the poor get poorer?

          • BLiP 4.1.2.1.1
            28 April 2009 at 5:19 pm

            Well, the income gap widened, further marginalising the poor.

          • Pascal's bookie 4.1.2.1.2
            28 April 2009 at 5:34 pm

            Compare after tax income for National’s tax cuts with the package Labour had already passed.

        • Monty 4.1.2.2
          28 April 2009 at 7:56 pm

          What makes me wonder is why you lefties think that you know or understand more about economics than John Key. Bill English, and some highly qualified Treasury officials who have studied and participated in international finance and economics for decades?

          John Key has a better grasp than international finance, macro-economics, and the domestic economy than the entire Labour caucas and all the Labour party policy advisers put together. Paying off debt is a good thing – it frees up more capital for growth, saving tax-cuts provides funds for growth and expansion, and maybe other includes money for tory charity and that can’t be a bad thing.

          Those who pay the majority of the tax in the country deserve a break and I am so pleased National delivered on it’s election promise. I deserve every penny of my megre tax cut – but unfortunately I still have to over $100,000 in tax this year. – At least it is going to a National Government.

          [you don’t pay $100,000 a year in tax. You’re, what, 18-19?]

  5. Indiana 5
    28 April 2009 at 3:57 pm

    Cheese or Chewing Gum?

  6. roger nome 6
    28 April 2009 at 3:58 pm

    Very Tight Orifice?

    • vto 6.1
      28 April 2009 at 4:17 pm

      Get your kicks dreaming over someone else sicko.

      Made me laugh tho. Know what it actually stands for? My own political party established a few years ago. Stands for Vote Them Out. Give a voice to those who don’t vote or refuse to vote by enabling them to vote the system out.

      • Lew 6.1.1
        28 April 2009 at 4:47 pm

        vto, I know a lot of people on here who’d join that party today, if the name means what it says it means 😉

        L

        • vto 6.1.1.1
          28 April 2009 at 5:10 pm

          Lew, I was tempted to give it a go 2005 and less so 2008. Haven’t done much about it. How it works, in one short sentence, is those who are voted in do not attend Parliament, do not vote, do not do anything whatsoever, thereby effectively cancelling out their seats….. Leads to many scenarios and is largely a protest vote only. But it does give voice to a group who currently are not heard. Democracy in action – vote itself out!

          • Lew 6.1.1.1.1
            28 April 2009 at 5:20 pm

            vto, sounds like the 99 MP Party, who stood one candidate (the minimum) with the purpose of gaining enough of the party vote to earn 22 candidates, 21 of whom would be an underhang, thereby returning the NZ parliament to the halcyon days of 99 MPs. As I recall in 2005 they got about one tenth as many votes as the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party.

            What I meant by `if the name means what it says it means’ was a party with the purpose of `voting them out’, whoever `they’ happen to be. Would make for a volatile membership.

            L

          • Rex Widerstrom 6.1.1.1.2
            28 April 2009 at 6:05 pm

            …is those who are voted in do not attend Parliament, do not vote, do not do anything whatsoever…

            Ahhh you mean list MPs!!

            😛

  7. BeShakey 7
    28 April 2009 at 4:13 pm

    Greg – Saving or paying off debt isn’t directly stimulatory, and even if you argue that it has some stimulatory effect, that effect is less than if the money was spent. This is one of the reasons why people thought Nationals tax cuts were badly structure (the other was reasons of social equity – but that has less support from the right). Poor people tend to spend additional money they get, largely because they have little choice. Richer people on the other hand, tend to have a pretty decent standard of living, with their main obligation being to service debt (often housing). Thats a perfectly rational response by both groups, but if you want your tax cuts to have the biggest stimulatory impact you give them to poor people.

    National were told at the time they announced the cuts they wouldn’t have good stimulatory bang for buck. They were told when they delivered them. And they’ve been told again now that the first signs of how people actually spend them are showing up. I suspect that message will be the same as further details emerge. What this shows is that they weren’t telling the truth when they said that the tax cuts were about responding to the economic situation, instead the tax cuts were about blind ideology.

    • Bevanj 7.1
      28 April 2009 at 6:12 pm

      Labour was told to spend less on governing and provide better value to the majority. I think that was back in November.

      I certainly value having a little more of my earnings to spend.

      • Zaphod Beeblebrox 7.1.1
        28 April 2009 at 6:51 pm

        Good point, its all about where the money is best spent. National believe in spending on tax cuts for the middle class (electorally popular), I would argue its better spent on the innovation, education, infrastructure and the future. It definitely should not be spent on subsidizing property investment.

        • Bevanj 7.1.1.1
          28 April 2009 at 7:15 pm

          yes, although I believe the challenge there is getting said money (wherever it comes from) through the bureaucracy to actually do some good.

  8. Rich 8
    28 April 2009 at 4:28 pm

    Quite a lot of people think that when your tax rate goes from 33% to 39%, that applies to *all* your income, not just that over the threshold.

  9. rod 9
    28 April 2009 at 4:31 pm

    I think TV3 News and Duncan Garner are part of John Key’s Spin and Bullshit Brigade

  10. Paul Walker 10
    28 April 2009 at 4:40 pm

    “Save it 30.1 per cent”

    Can you explain what is wrong with saving?

    • Zaphod Beeblebrox 10.1
      28 April 2009 at 5:02 pm

      If the government has to borrow to pay for us to save through tax cuts then passes on the cost later through repairing the infrastructure that falls apart when it all needs fixing because they gave us the tax cut (toll roads, power prices, council rates, hospitals, to entice the doctors and nurses back from Oz) whats the point of giving a tax cut at all.
      If the borrowed money is used to improve productivity (R and D, education, transport infrastructure, libraries, town centres etc) then thats another matter.
      The whole idea of the jobs summit was to do something about unemployment in the short term. The government investment in these things was supposed to be used to stop the vicious cycle of people losing their jobs then their purchasing power which causes more people to lose their jobs. Its no good waiting for unemployment to hit 10%, before getting off your bum and doing something about it.

  11. Ag 11
    28 April 2009 at 5:20 pm

    I’m one of the savers. I haven’t changed my behaviour because of the tax cuts, I just have more money in my savings account each week.

    OK. Won’t the bank just lend your money to someone else who will spend it?

    • RedLogix 11.1
      28 April 2009 at 7:59 pm

      No. Not when they are deleveraging themselves. It will just go to repay the banks own debt and/or prop up their inactive capital reserves.

      Deflation is by far the worst of all conditions an economy can find itself in, because during this phase of the capitalist boom/bust cycle, most repayment of debt becomes directly de-stimulatory.

      • Paul Walker 11.1.1
        28 April 2009 at 8:05 pm

        “Deflation is by far the worst of all conditions an economy can find itself in”

        Yes and no. It depends on why you have deflation, see.

        • RedLogix 11.1.1.1
          28 April 2009 at 8:14 pm

          Have read of Steven Keen’s article linked to below, and let me know if you think the kind of deflation we are facing is ‘good’ or ‘bad’.

          Keen argues from an Australian perspective that the total Debt to GDP ratio of the USA and Australia is fairly close to 300%, at least 200% of that being unsustainable speculative, or downright fraudulent ponzi lending that has to be unwound one way or another.

          The case made for possibility of ‘good’ deflation is a reasonable one, but I cannot see how it applies to the situation the global economy faces at this point in time.

  12. Greg 12
    28 April 2009 at 7:37 pm

    BeShakey,

    “Greg – Saving or paying off debt isn’t directly stimulatory, and even if you argue that it has some stimulatory effect, that effect is less than if the money was spent. This is one of the reasons why people thought Nationals tax cuts were badly structure (the other was reasons of social equity – but that has less support from the right). Poor people tend to spend additional money they get, largely because they have little choice. Richer people on the other hand, tend to have a pretty decent standard of living, with their main obligation being to service debt (often housing). Thats a perfectly rational response by both groups, but if you want your tax cuts to have the biggest stimulatory impact you give them to poor people.”

    No, its not directly stimulatory. Its indirectly stimulatory. And it has the saving it has the same effect as spending it.

    As Ag pointed out:

    “Won’t the bank just lend your money to someone else who will spend it?”

    Not only that, but the bank will lend it to the person who can make the most money with that money – so it probably has a greater stimulatory effect.

  13. Tom M 13
    28 April 2009 at 7:48 pm

    Tane, what are the banks going to do with the money people save? Put it in their vault and swim in it!?

    Don’t tell me I’m the only one that watched that show as a kid…

    Seriously, banks won’t do that. They will lend it back out. Prima facie, that seems pretty stimulatory.

  14. RedLogix 14
    28 April 2009 at 8:06 pm

    I’ve recommended this article from Steven Keen before, but it does directly address TomS and Ag’s obvious question in a highly readable account.

    It’s fairly long, but it does directly address the real role of money, banks, credit and multipliers… and the disasterous consequences of banking industry de-regulation over the last 30 or so years.

    • Tom M 14.1
      28 April 2009 at 8:21 pm

      Thanks Red, that will take me a while to get through but it looks interesting. To be sure though, you have to concede that I am prima facie sceptical about the claim that the normal model of credit creation is incorrect because the Marxist model is correct (which appears to be the claim in the paper). Rightly or wrongly, Marxian economics isn’t held in high regard by most modern economists (of any political persuasion, other than Marxist, obviously. E.g. Brad DeLong, who called Marx a ‘minor Post-Ricardian’) who presumably know a lot more about it than I do.

      • Tom M 14.1.1
        28 April 2009 at 8:35 pm

        Hm, perhaps I should have read ahead of the first paragraph, from which point he takes a decidedly different tack. Or I could have looked at the title, and realised it was on Fisher on debt-deflation.

        Similar critiques apply, but less vehemently.

        Also it’s not very long, it’s just that there are heeeeaps of comments at the bottom.

      • Paul Walker 14.1.2
        28 April 2009 at 8:40 pm

        Tom M

        I didn’t know Keen was still around. I hadn’t seen anything of him seen he publish a book called “Debunking Economics” some years ago. M. Christopher Auld of the University of Calgary then went and debunked the Debunking.

        One reviewer of Keen wrote “To summarize, Keen is correct that many issues that should be taught to students are not being taught. There is need for a book that introduces students to controversies in theory and methodology, on a level that is accessible to advanced undergraduates. Debunking Economics is, however, too biased to fulfill this need. If one wishes to advocate a reform of economics (and Keen may very well be correct that it is a necessity), one must provide a more nuanced, more accurate, and more up to date picture of its current state.”

        • RedLogix 14.1.2.1
          28 April 2009 at 9:03 pm

          Face it, the global credit crisis is a direct condemnation of the Friedmanite Chicago School of economics that has steered much political policy since the time of Reagan and Thatcher. It’s basic assumptions and models are wrong and have resulted in failure.

          Keen on the other hand is still around and getting a lot more attention lately because the man demonstrably predicted the current credit crisis with a clear line of argument and evidence, back at a time when most mainstream neo-classical economists where all clapping each other on the back about how clever they all were and how the world would never again experience a Great Depression.

          Predictive power trumps ‘debunking’ everytime.

  15. Chris G 15
    28 April 2009 at 9:02 pm

    Wait, how many people responded to the poll saying they’d give the money to charity…. like Americans ?

    I thought Key wanted that instead?

  16. Paul Walker 16
    28 April 2009 at 9:24 pm

    “Face it, the global credit crisis is a direct condemnation of the Friedmanite Chicago School of economics”

    Errr …what?? How exactly? I sure if Friedman was alive today he would be very critical of the actions of the Fed and the US Treasury. Anna Schwartz, for example, thinks the shortcomings of the U.S. bailout plan will only lead to further problems in the credit market, see Tearing Into the Fed and Treasury Plans.

    Schwartz: If I regret one thing, it’s that Milton Friedman isn’t alive to see what’s happening today. It’s like the only lesson the Federal Reserve took from the Great Depression was to flood the market with liquidity. Well, it isn’t working. Professor Friedman would have enough stature to get them to listen and stop pooh-poohing any notion of possible inflation.

  17. RedLogix 17
    28 April 2009 at 9:47 pm

    Keen repeatedly and emphatically states that the amount of unsustainable speculative credit in existence is far greater than any ‘qualitative easing’ taking place. With a Debt/GDP ratio of 300% and at least $20 trillion of that to be unwound, not to mention as yet unaccounted for trillions of losses being sustained in the $700 trillion plus derivatives market, the paltry few trillions so far printed amount is pretty ineffectual. Keen argues deflation will dominate over any possibility of inflation.

    Agreed Friedman would be critical of the Fed actions in recent months, but Keen, and his colleauges, are vocal in their condemnation of the neo-classical economists role in creating the crisis over a period of 30 years.

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  • 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
    20 hours ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

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

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 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
    2 hours ago

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

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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
    7 days 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
    7 days 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

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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