What will Kim Dotcom do next?

Written By: - Date published: 9:34 am, September 27th, 2014 - 173 comments
Categories: election 2014, internet party, mana-party, Media - Tags: , , ,

National’s attack on Kim Dotcom during this election was as viciously personal as it was effective. Nice to see one Journalist speaking up about it:

Dita De Boni: Kim Dotcom – the unwanted entrepreneur

… The National Party spin doctors have been hard at work, painting him [Dotcom] as an evil German trying to subvert democracy, throwing in a side smear of “secret Nazi”.

The first big charge against him is that he used his wealth to “try to sway the election”. On that front, his mistake was probably being open about what he was up to.

To be clear, this is not at all like the people who pay $10,000 a head for a National Party fundraiser, hoping to entrench their entitlement. Not a bit like Alan Gibbs, who uses his wealth to keep a party with less than 1 per cent of the vote alive, and pumping its warped ideas into the national dialogue.

Not like Colin Craig, who is using his wealth to finance a platform that many find whacky. No, this is finance provided to the left wing, and as such, is inherently evil. …

Excuse me if I don’t judge this man based on the spin put out by people who engage in dirty politics. Maybe Kim Dotcom can’t be trusted, but we know for sure they can’t be.

It has been disappointing to hear people like David Cunliffe buy into the wholesale dissing of Dotcom, as if Crosby/Textor is writing his lines as well.

The fact is that Dotcom helped a group of people who represent the most marginalised in society to get a voice on the national stage – a group promoting things like free tertiary education and eradicating child poverty which are, after all, true left-wing causes. …

Well worth reading the whole article.

So what, if anything will Kim Dotcom do (politically) next? Is his “brand” now “poison” as Dotcom himself put it? Will politicians now avoid association with him?

My bet is that he will cut his losses and stay out of NZ politics from now on. In the unlikely event that he did decide to get involved, and was still of a mind to rock the right wing’s boat, then surely the most effective avenue would be to fund an existing left-wing party (but have no other association with it). Or perhaps an alternative media source – start a new media channel, or newspaper, fund The Daily Blog (seems sensible given Mana links)?

One thing is for sure, support for any kind of left-wing initiative would see Dotcom once again comprehensively vilified by National. Why would he put himself through that again?

173 comments on “What will Kim Dotcom do next? ”

  1. karol 1

    I quite like the suggestion of KDC using his money to fund independent public service media, rather than putting it into political parties. As done by others for Al Jazeera and Intercept.

  2. Morrissey 2

    It wasn’t only National that viciously attacked Kim Dotcom. The Labour Party was just as culpable.

    • weka 2.1

      Yes, this from the OP – “It has been disappointing to hear people like David Cunliffe buy into the wholesale dissing of Dotcom, as if Crosby/Textor is writing his lines as well.”

      There were a lot of attacks from parts of the left wing commentariat too.

  3. Judge Holden 3

    Don’t lionise the guy. He’s a toxic crook and it was a serious mistake for the Mana Party to have anything to do with him. He shouldn’t have been granted residence, and the Nats’ behaviour in breaking their own rules to get him here makes them unfit to govern.

    • George Hendry 3.1

      Judge Holden @ “He’s a toxic crook…”

      You may believe that – you certainly don’t know it.

      On the basis of evidence he appears to have committed some crimes, which fails to show he is a (permanent) crook or that he has no redeeming features.

      Please feel free to add citations to support your claim. And while you’re at it, citations of evidence that might lead to the same thing being alleged about a certain PM.

      • Colonial Viper 3.1.1

        It’s fairly obvious that the copyright infringement allegations against Dotcom were constructed by the NZ and US govts as a pretext to send a message and make an international example out of him. Illegally, as it turns out.

        Could someone remind me how many special operations units and command helicopters were used to take down National Party HQ after Eminem launched a lawsuit against them for copyright infringement?

        • KJT 3.1.1.1

          It was easy to spin it as a crime to those who are not net savvy, but in reality Dotcoms actions were no different from Facebook, Google, Microsoft and many other companies that store data.

          His crime was being large enough to come up on the radar, but small enough for Hollywood to attack.

          So much of American foreign exports receipts now come from copyright, (they do not make original movies or sellable goods any more), that it is! a matter of their national economic security.

          • Lanthanide 3.1.1.1.1

            ” but in reality Dotcoms actions were no different from Facebook, Google, Microsoft and many other companies that store data.”

            Not really.

            Dotcom:
            1. Charged subscriptions to Mega Upload that allowed subscribers much faster downloads and no data caps etc
            2. Rewarded people who uploaded “popular” content with free memberships, and I believe in some cases even money. The most popular content is of course the pirated content.

            The whole thing was designed to distribute pirated content, with an active intent that Facebook, Google, Microsoft and many other companies don’t engage in.

            • Shrubbery 3.1.1.1.1.1

              Facebook, Google and Microsoft engage in all manner of illegal activities.

              • ghostwhowalksnz

                Just look at the rap sheets of major NZ companies.

                Most of them have convictions of some sort or other.

                Even Fonterra was convicted over the ‘botulism scare’

                Fletchers doesnt seem to be affected by its numerous convictions

                Breaking laws is what business does, but then there is Wall ST.

                They are in a class of its own as far as wrong doing goes.

                But its all business as usual, except when you are KDC. Its swat team time

            • mpledger 3.1.1.1.1.2

              There is a lot of “popular” content that is free – look at all the minecraft spin-offs – mods, texturepacks, game play vids, – all free.

            • MrV 3.1.1.1.1.3

              1. Charging susbscriptions, – so what? – Apple also charges subscriptions for more iCloud storage. There are plenty of other businesses that use this type of model – none subject to FBI raids.

              2. Ahh, the old cash for popular content myth. You do realise this was limited by file size to prevent the very thing you are alleging?
              Sure there probably were some movies split into 10 .rar files in order to qualify, however I have not seen any evidence that this either a) a widespread part of their userbase b) not taken down when reported by their DMCA compliant processes. Distributing files in this way would also certainly limited the convenience for your average pirate.

              The basic facts of the matter are that Megaupload like any other business was in compliance with DMCA, and had paid legal advice etc.
              To take down the business in the manner it was is simply unacceptable for a country that is supposed to be under the rule of law. If Hollywood/RIAA/MPAA had a problem with it they should have sued MU in civil court.
              Furthermore it amazes me that people use the FBI ‘rap’ sheet as evidence of a judgement in this matter – it is not it is the prosecutors interpretation of the evidence, which is not necessarily correct because it hasn’t been tested in a court nor is it all the evidence available in the case (emails can be taken out of context or catch22’s for example “Indictment cites lack of a site search as evidence supporting criminality, but in other copyright cases having a site search has been described as evidence in support of criminality”.

              Next government spun line please?

            • lprent 3.1.1.1.1.4

              Reminds me of the original business model for youtube. It is a civil matter.

              • ghostwhowalksnz

                Peter Jackson got ‘ripped off’ by New Line cinema over the Hobbit movies.

                But he had to use his private resources to fight that one, not FBI and NZ Police, Crown Law ( to rinse away all the illegal actions)

        • Granted 3.1.1.2

          So to quote George Hendry please provide citations to this claim that the Dotcom claims were constructed as a pretext.

      • Judge Holden 3.1.2

        He has a lengthy history as a fraudster and rip-off merchant. Facilitating the theft of IP on a grand scale is only one example. He’s hideous. The true scandal is how the Nats broke their own rules to let him in, simply because of their grovelling worship of the wealthy. That’s what the left should focus on.

        • ghostwhowalksnz 3.1.2.1

          Really ? Must have been convicted over that surely?

          Ask your overlord Peter Jackson if he was ‘ripped off’ by New Line Cinema ?

          Oh here it is ” lawsuit of the Rings”
          http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/27/business/media/27movie.html?pagewanted=all

          ” “Lawsuit of the Rings” described a court action by Peter Jackson, director of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” contending that New Line Cinema, a unit of Time Warner, had committed fraud in handling the film’s subsidiary rights.”

          Well well well. Ripped off !

        • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.2.2

          Who to believe? Judge Holden, or Justice Wylie, who is a High Court judge?

          Justice Edwin Wylie said he considered that, generally, Dotcom, his estranged wife, Mona, and his head of security, Wayne Tempero, were ”reliable and credible witnesses”. Ian Steward & Laura Walters on Stuff.

          It’s a tough choice for sure. Holden, or Wylie? The amateur or the professional?

          • ghostwhowalksnz 3.1.2.2.1

            The curious part is that John Archibald Banks didnt get in the witness box himself.

            he hid behind his ( ex) wifes skirts and those of Michelle Boag. And now has scoured the US to find another witness.

            Look in the mirror John if you wantto find someone to testify to your version of the events. But that would mean’ nothing to hide’ would have consequences.

            A little birdy has told me at a previous court case involving Banks over some bee pollen venture, the high court judge said there were ‘discrepancies’ between JAB sworn testimony in the witness box and his sworn affidavit.

            Thats judge speak for ‘liar’, and would explain his reluctance to ‘front up’. After all previous testimony can be used against you later on as to your honesty in court.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.2.2.1.1

              That’s judgespeak for cowed: why didn’t the judge order a full inquiry into Mr. Banks’ apparently criminal actions on the spot?

              • ghostwhowalksnz

                Judges dont prosecute and if every one who told fibs in the witness box was charged…… there would be no time for anything else

          • Judge Holden 3.1.2.2.2

            Look, it was wildly hilarious what happened to Banks, not to mention karma on a cosmic scale. Don’t get me wrong. However, that doesn’t make Kim Dotcom in anyway a pleasant individual or honest or worthy of any admiration or support whatsoever. He’s a vile conman, and the Mana Party coalescing with him was a terrible error. Remember, though, it was the Nats that gave him to us (for low-rent venal reasons), and they’ve never been held accountable for that.

            • MrV 3.1.2.2.2.1

              I think vile conman is a stretch. As far as I can see his main crimes were:

              1. Hacking PBX phone system and stolen phone card numbers, – (things he did as a youth)
              2. So-called, Insider trading at the peak of the dotcom bubble and then embezzlement charges when he fled to Thailand with the proceeds.

              Although the evidence for whether ‘insider trading’ is in fact a crime needs much further discussion for the public:

              http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/07/26/insider-trading-makes-us-richer-better-informed-and-could-prevent-corporate-scandals-legalize-it/

              http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2012-10-30/guest-post-case-legalized-insider-trading

              Compare his treatment to the treatment of various financial types in NZ who lost hundreds of millions in financial company collapses and you certainly see a difference.

              • Judge Holden

                Running pump and dump schemes and insider trading are both against the law. You forgot to mention KDC’s facilitation and encouragement of massive IP theft, for which he is wanted in the US. Then he had to be shamed into paying people who did work for him, something which is totally abhorrent given his resources. Yep, he’s a vile conman. Hopefully everyone now realises there’s nothing to be gained from having anything to do with him.

                • Minarch

                  “he’s a vile conman”

                  Christ you scare easily dont you……

                  the man is clearly @ worst a but immature, hes not the reincarnation of Hitler the MSM would have you believe

                  why don’t you take some personal responsibility JH and do the research into him yourself rather than taking the Medias word for it ?

                • ghostwhowalksnz

                  Any IP lawyer will tell you, your IP ‘will be stolen’ if its a great idea and you are only a little guy.
                  You tube woudnt have existed without massive IP theft, but of course they are no longer a little guy and can pay up ( on their terms).
                  Otherwise they remove it if asked, which is what Megaupload did.

                  Judge tell us you are so pure, never exceeded the speed limit, even by a bit, never crossed the road directly rather then walking to pedestrian crossing at lights

                • MrV

                  The context was the trading in one company during the peak of the dotcom boom, (the boom which was fundamentally caused by low fed-induced interest rates.)
                  Now yes he probably did engage in some insider trading either real or perceived. However most people assume insider trading is inherently bad, however the issue is deeper than that. Read the links above for insight. Note with current ‘insider trading’ they always get the small guys, Martha Stewart, KDC etc, yet the really large insider trading (ie people who knew about the ‘shitty deals’ Goldman Sachs was putting together (IBGYBG) which cost the taxypayer 100’s of billions, nobody ever went to jail.

                  What do you mean given his resources? His assets were frozen.
                  You are a legal simpleton if you think KDC could have directly taken cash from his new enterprise (esp. in the early stages) to pay off old suppliers from his seized enterprises.
                  The world doesn’t work that way (as Clive Palmer is finding out btw).

                  Yes I have sympathy with those service providers who remained unpaid for such a long time, however that is the reality of business’s that go bust/shutdown. Creditors go unpaid everyday. Perhaps they shouldn’t extend so much credit next time, espescially if it makes thier own business position difficult?

                  As for the employment issues, none of that would have come up if it wasn’t for the raid and asset seizure. The lesson learned (for better or worse) is to simply fire everyone next time rather than try to keep them employed.

        • Huginn 3.1.2.3

          No.

          The true scandal is that the New Zealand Companies Office has been used by international organised crime to launder billions and billions of dollars.

          If you want to know where the Hanover money disappeared to, that’s an obvious place to start looking.

          Steven Joyce doesn’t seem to have had a problem with this and neither did Judith Collins.

          That’s hideous.

      • George Hendry 3.1.3

        For verification please refer to many points made below.

        “Shepherd’s Crook” (old meaning) = stick with hook at end used for saving stuck sheep

        “Shepherd’s Crook” (new meaning) = stick with crook at end used for sticking it to sheep not yet stuck

        Hence the saying ‘By hook or by crook’

        “Toxic Crook” = person having committed crimes and with a criminal record for some of them

        “Clean Crook” = person or organisation having committed many crimes and with a criminal record for none of them (refer also Too Big To Fail).

        • Brigid 3.1.3.1

          No, the shepherd’s crook is not and never was used to save stuck sheep. The hook on the end is a means of catching ewes and lambs around the neck or legs.

          • George Hendry 3.1.3.1.1

            Thanks Brigid – I see Google agrees, and farewell my old romantic notion of the kind shepherd.

      • No citations required. His criminality and his convictions are a matter of public record.

  4. weka 4

    “One thing is for sure, support for any kind of left-wing initiative would see Dotcom once again comprehensively vilified by National. Why would he put himself through that again?”

    My reading is a bit different. I doubt that being villified by National would be the issue, given all he has been through prior to this. Losing might be, and losing in a way that cost his allies dearly might too.

    Myself, I hope he sticks with the IP but takes a background role, or the IP takes a longer view and builds up trust within the public for him. I agree with others, that getting involved in public service broadcasting would be good too, although the issue is still there of perceptions of him trying to buy influence. They just need to take a step back and figure out how to counter that or work around it.

    • Colonial Viper 4.1

      That’s a sobre and strategic assessment.

    • Chooky 4.2

      how about set up an independent radio staion which gives the Left a fair hearing?….(and an IQ jump in intellectual discourse…and he is fun and ebullent and a bit of an entertainer himself!)

      ….I would like to see the mean mealy- mouthed untalented Nact shills like Sean Plunket and Paul Henry et.al. take a huge nose dive in public ratings( particularly youth)

      …what the Left Parties lacked in this Election was a fair deal about their policies and politicians from the msm

  5. Colonial Viper 5

    De Boni nails it in her heading – Dotcom is an entrepreneur at heart. Which means that a failed project which loses a stack of money, has quite a different meaning for him, than it would for most of us. There’s no way that he’s going to use the same approach that he has in the last 12 months with Internet-Mana – I would expect something very different from him next: something in the mass media field? Grass roots political organisation? A think tank?

    When news of Dotcom’s supposed $3M spend into I-M became public (who knows what the real number was) I suggested that much of it should be put aside to build long term infrastructure and assets for the party. Fingers crossed that was actually done in some way shape or form.

    My view is that many of the 1.1M non voters out there could be best reached by, and best served by “Internet-Mana”. And personally connecting with another 50,000 voters using flax roots methods over the next 3 years is a very do-able target and create a 3% to 4% party/political movement.

    • Brigid 5.1

      Yes connect with the non voters by providing practical help.
      We need to start campaigning for the next election now. We need to provide practical assistance for our prospective voters. Ask all the rich socialists to bank roll the following:
      A trust bank that will lend at 1% for houses and offer loans to people who would otherwise go to loan sharks. Set up an ISP that provides an internet service that offers encryption and affordable data rates. Cheap health care services that will include psychological and dental health services – free for children. Reasonably priced legal services. Assistance with dealing with all government departments, notably WINZ and ACC. All other things that can be provided practically and that which is desirable and affordable. The Hezbollah in Jordan and Hamas in Gaza gained support and popularity because they provided their people with exactly this. We can’t expect the people to believe we are going to improve their lives when we are in government if we haven’t proved we can before we ask for their vote. I don’t care which party does it. It just has to be done

    • Chooky 5.2

      +100 CV…they may not vote but they listen to the radio and f..king Sean Plunket or watch that retard Paul Henry

      …lets take the fight to the right wing shills…so these non-voters become educated in why voting for the Left is good for them ….and how they have been duped by the right wing to be apathetic and confused …teach them at the flaxroots, critical thinking… with Dotcom intelligence and fun

  6. “Finally, “he’s a crook!” True, he’s done hard time for hacking as a young man. But it seems from what I have read – I’ve never met him – that he found a business niche by providing a service that others exploited, fell afoul of Hollywood, which then leant on the US Government to have him banged up. He’s a “crook” because the National Party spin doctors, at Hollywood’s behest, have deemed it to be so.”

    It’s weird that everyone seems to forget that his youthful hacking convictions weren’t his last. If they were, I perhaps wouldn’t be so wary of him.

    But they weren’t. He was also convicted of embezzlement and inside trading at the far less youthful age of 29. He ran away and had to be brought back to Germany. He also committed other white collar crimes in Hong Kong. Again, I make the point that if he didn’t hate John Key, we would all recognise that he comes from the very type of capitalism and individualism that people dislike for everybody else who isn’t called Kim Dotcom.

    That’s before we get the making jokes at violence against women, obscene displays of wealth and a general unsavoury behaviour of a rich man with egotism.

    The fact that Kim Dotcom’s egotism backfired so spectacularly is the only silver lining of the entire 2014 election.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 6.1

      NZ Herald had to pay damages to KDC after running a story when he first arrived saying he was a ‘hacker’

      Slate wipe clean apparently. Gone is defence of ‘truth’

  7. ianmac 7

    Seems strange to me that the Dotcom money was/is being hammered when Colin’s millions on his party is barely mentioned and Gibb’s millions for ACT does not get a mention. Better ask David Farrar to explain this. Perhaps.

    • Yoyo 7.1

      The difference is that they don’t have convictions and a colourful past and aren’t working to avoid extradition.

      • weka 7.1.1

        nah the difference is the right are allowed money and the left aren’t.

        • Yoyo 7.1.1.1

          Is that why the left never seem to have any unless it’s come from the state – either teaching, lecturing or welfaring? Makes sense now – thanks!

          • ropata 7.1.1.1.1

            unlike the right who make money from stealing the retirement savings of thousands of people (mark hotchin) / putting up power prices randomly / taking dirty cash from casinos or money-laundering banks ?

          • weka 7.1.1.1.2

            “Is that why the left never seem to have any unless it’s come from the state – either teaching, lecturing or welfaring? Makes sense now – thanks!”

            thanks to you too! for making it perfectly clear you are a RWNJ trole, here to waste people’s time. Now you can fuck right off.

          • ghostwhowalksnz 7.1.1.1.3

            Gareth Morgan ?

    • KJT 7.2

      Not to mention the millions donated to National, and spent, from often dodgy businessmen and those who profit from policies such as asset sales.
      Including donations to Island schools, and other make National look good, bribes.. Bet those were never on the list of election spending.
      And. Who paid the National deadwood to go?

      • yeshe 7.2.1

        KJT — exactly, who did pay them ? This must come out eventually … (and we can guarantee this was not KDC money ! :grin:)

  8. ianmac 8

    Oh and Dita’s column yet again was so refreshing and so true. Wonder if her contract will be renewed?

    • weka 8.1

      yeah, she’s definitely on the list of journos trying to be part of the solution not part of the problem.

  9. Yoyo 9

    Lol – a high probability is he will get extradited surely? I don’t think it’s worth spending too much time speculating until after his extradition case in Feb.

    I think the best thing for him to do is make the best of what may be the little time he has left to spend with his kids before any potential extradition.

    • Bill 9.1

      You’re aware of the case involving the British kid who put up a website by the name of TV Shack? It redirected people to places where they could download content. He made his money from advertising on his site. Obviously, some of what he redirected to was copyright material.

      The US enforcement agencies (can’t remember which ones) turned up at his house in the UK (he was living with his parents) and tried pulling the same shit that’s being pulled on Dotcom.

      Here’s the thing, the US sought his extradition even though he had never been to the US and hadn’t broken any UK laws. The argument was that because the domain name – the .org. .com or whatever – was regarded as US territory, his crime had taken place in the US.

      Thankfully and rightly, the UK government refused the extradition request.

      Meanwhile, Dotcom, as I understand it, had copyrighted materials routinely removed from megaupload and had no more control over shit than the UK kid I mention above. Sure, Dotcom made more money and his revenue wasn’t solely the result of advertising clicks.

      But do you really want the US applying its laws to NZ? Because that’s a large part of the Dotcom case…the allegation is that he committed a crime on US soil on the basis of him having utilised the .com domain.

      • weka 9.1.1

        why let a little thing like inherent justice or sovereignty get in the way.

      • Yoyo 9.1.2

        I’m not commenting on whether his extradition is right or wrong, just that given the very limited grounds for refusing an extradition request legally, there’s a high probability he’ll go.

        • Molly 9.1.2.1

          Why are there limited grounds?

          Is this not a civil case – and not a criminal case? Surely extradition is only for criminal cases?

          • yeshe 9.1.2.1.1

            have a look at #24 molly … more details for you. yes, it was a civil case until fbi included money laundering to make it criminal. dodgy boys they are key and fbi together !!

        • lprent 9.1.2.2

          …but given the very limited grounds for refusing an extradition request legally,

          Huh? How thick and ignorant are you? There is a pretty big one. The various crimes that he is charged with do not have any near equivalent in NZ. That makes it a very hard task for the FBI to make an extradition case in NZ for him to be extradited to the US, where those charges are also unprecedented as well.

          I guess you read your law from the turds of your hopes rather than using the internet to find the actual text? Try lifting your lazy fingers and using google.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 9.1.2.2.1

            A QC of my acquaintance thinks that not even Wormald’s perjury will save Dotcom from extradition.

            I do wonder about section 8 though.

            • lprent 9.1.2.2.1.1

              I have no idea what the first sentence was about.

              Section 8 of the Extradition Act 1999? What time lapse and/or local charge?

              I was thinking of section 4. As far as I can see everything that Justice in the US is trying to charge him with stems from what would be a civil case in NZ. Not a criminal one.

            • lprent 9.1.2.2.1.2

              Ah the police guy and the GCSB. That should be pretty irrelevant except of course to the court, that officer and the GCSB

              They haven’t gotten down to any of the serious issues yet. All they have established is that the crown can proceed with trying to make a case.

            • Yoyo 9.1.2.2.1.3

              Yep. I wonder if we know the same QC? Or if there is more than one QC who thinks same. Not that I’ll be naming them here of course 😉

          • Yoyo 9.1.2.2.2

            Wow – just wow!

  10. George Hendry 10

    Thanks Anthony.

    Kim and the events surrounding him have given us all much to think about. More effectively than anyone else over the last nearly two years he has brought about much more awareness of the international context in which our current government operates. Of course this was going to threaten some interested parties, thanks to whom even Kim himself now knows much more about how far they will go.

    Evidence that ‘his brand was poisoned’; ‘the electorate rejected IMP because of him’ (even though he may say things like this himself to excuse the public for giving IMP such a low vote) are actually untrue statements is so strong that it almost reaches the level of proof.

    If his stated aim of bringing down Mr Key had merely been reported, it would be possible to claim that the low IMP vote was in response to it. However the vote was not in response to it alone but also to the continuous media attack, evidence of which would comfortably exceed the standard required for proof (Tracey, you are welcome to comment from your legal perspective).

    Based on such proof, while he may have lost the battle (at this election), by alerting the public to the nature and extent of antidemocratic sentiment and determination in our clean green land he has certainly not lost the war. We needed to know what those lumps under the rug were and I thank him for peeling it back. They sure do stink, and for an explanation of why the messenger has been so repeatedly shot in this case one only needs to imagine the task of trying to wake someone who has been up late and believes it’s someone else’s fault.

  11. tsmithfield 11

    I find it difficult to understand how lefties can be so attracted to this guy. Especially given the recent TV3 doco that included accounts from previous employees about how they had been mistreated by Dotcom. Anyone else with similar wealth would undoubtably be portrayed as an evil “rich prick” by the left.

    • weka 11.1

      My problem with the TV3 report was it didn’t actually layout what the issues were. Yes it showed the employees and some of their concerns, but there was no basis on which to judge from the outside. I have no idea to what extent KDC screwed them.

      KDC isn’t a leftie. What’s important to me is not just what he has done wrong, but whether he learns and changes.

      • Colonial Viper 11.1.1

        Thing about Dotcom is that he is a very smart guy, and definitely one who learns and changes.

      • MrV 11.1.2

        The employment one is interesting because alot of this came up from Cameron Slaters dirt digging.

        As far as one can tell if the raid never happened all his employees would have remained happily employed.

        Post raid and with assets frozen it is very clear there were cash flow issues and KDC made arrangements to avoid firing people and maintain them on lower salary. At any time these people were free to find new jobs if that was unsatsfactory.
        What is the lesson KDC has learned here? Well I can’t see it as anything other than Kiwis are whinging complainers. Next time better off to fire people.

        What I want to know is what possessed some of these employees to whinge specifically Whaleoil. Without a dirty politics 2.0 we will never know what the true relationship is. I would be surprised if there wasn’t some kickback on the part of the employees.

    • Molly 11.2

      It was a TV3 “news” item. Giving it the title of documentary implies a robust research and editing process.

      He responded quite reasonably the next day in print.

  12. r0b 12

    Just to be clear, I’m not endorsing Dotcom or ignoring his faults. I don’t recall ever writing about him before, except in the context of the debate over what Key knew and when he knew it. I never hyped his personal “moment of truth” and I stated at the time that Dotcom’s letter looked like a bust.

    But there’s no denying the impact that Dotcom has had on NZ politics, and I think it’s valid to speculate on what the guy might do next.

    • Colonial Viper 12.1

      An important post, this one. One interesting aspect is how the Internet Party and Mana Movement membership now views Dotcom…as well as Hone and Laila…those factors will determine much going forward.

    • Huginn 12.2

      Agree with you R0b

      KDC may be extradited, but what if he isn’t? He isn’t going to be able to go many places

      We have to accept that he may be a part of the political landscape for a long time to come.

      I was impressed with Annette Sykes’ response to KDC’s apology. She was magnanimous and gracious

    • Huginn 12.3

      Agree with you R0b

      KDC may be extradited, but what if he isn’t? He isn’t going to be able to go many places

      We have to accept that he may be a part of the political landscape for a long time to come.

      I was impressed with Annette Sykes’ response to KDC’s apology. She was magnanimous and gracious

  13. North 13

    There’s a real strangeness going on. Key wins, in a style not generally expected moreover, and there’s no dirty politics – never was – no questions to be answered. All is well. Now let’s feast !

    Paul Thomas is cheap, hectoring in a passive-aggressive way, and characteristically ‘Herald’.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11332270

    I for one am very glad to have heard from Glen Greenwald and Edward Snowden.

    It is Thomas and other variously sniffy, pearl-clutching, witch-hunting Herald ‘operatives’ who are complicit in “Democracy Under Attack”. Not Kim Dotcom.

    George Hendry @ 10 makes worthy, thoughtful comment.

  14. pollywog 14

    Hopefully go on a diet.

  15. Adrian 15

    Why did the US target Dotcom? Google…yahoo/dept of justice/trillion dollars/nzherald..no conspiracy theory. The DOJ tried to bankrupt Yahoo because it wouldn’t let them have access to all of yours and mine stored emails etc. Dotcom would not let them have the encryption codes to cloud storage. Hollywood was just a vehicle.
    Now they are hunting down Apple over new I-phone encryption.

    • yeshe 15.1

      +1000 adrian

      and most folk thought KDC was just taking a cheap advertising op for his new encrypted video service at the Moment of Truth in the town hall.

      It was so much more. It was a veritable knock out punch in the nose for NSA et al who would have been plotting and planning anything and everything to prevent Snowden’s appearance.

      What they got was proof that KDC remains ahead of them all. He delivered an encrypted video service featuring Snowden live from Russia, even with the full might of the USA (and Key) fighting against him.

      And KDC said so. It was a technological triumph and must have been so embarrassing to all who failed to prevent it.

      But it was written off as a cheap advert because shooting the messenger was the daily media feast.

      I hope KDC stays and will allow us to benefit from his genius at innovation.

      • Chooky 15.1.1

        +100 yeshe..”I hope KDC stays and will allow us to benefit from his genius at innovation.”

        ….i hope he also sets up a radio station for the Left….which desperately needs a voice for youth and everyone else in the msm

      • George Hendry 15.1.2

        Agree entirely.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 15.2

      Expect that to be changed quietly in the future.

  16. Tiger Mountain 16

    If Kim Dotcom is spending anymore dosh he could do worse than help fund a thinktank as explored by Sue Bradford recently. The 99% of you that have not read her thesis that Karol posted some time ago should consider doing so.
    http://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/handle/10292/7435

    Such a thinktank would be best attached via trust or some structure to something that actually brings in revenue. A digital printery slash media centre with cafe and meeting space or something maybe.

    • Colonial Viper 16.1

      Also good thinking…left wing infrastructure needs robust independent funding sources…and I don’t mean the whimsical year to year largesse of rich donors.

  17. red blooded 17

    I’ve always thought Mana made a mistake hooking up with KDC. I do think there’s a space for some version of the Internet Party – there are real political and social issues that need a voice and a dedicated perspective. They don’t necessarily fit with the concerns of Mana, though. I also believe that a political party should be created from the bottom up, not the top down.

    As for KDC, maybe he really has changed his political perspective based on his experiences in NZ, but let’s remember that he chose to align himself with John Banks before his recent troubles. I see him as an opportunist, using others’ political commitment to try to further his own ends.

    Yes, some media commentary was negative. Well, guess what? That was true for Cunliffe, Colin Craig, the buffoons from ACT… pretty much everyone but Key and (weirdly) Winston. And come to think of it, Key (finally) did come under some media scrutiny and pressure thank to Dirty Politics. Somehow he managed to keep on grinning/grimacing, repeating the ‘Left Wing Smear” mantra and a depressing number of our country people didn’t want to look under the surface.

    It’ll be interesting to see if KDC demonstrates an ongoing shift in perspective. I think anything he funded would be under a lot of scrutiny and attack, though. The one I’m more interested on is Laila Harre.

    • yeshe 17.1

      just a small note, his donation to Banks was as prospective mayor of Auckland, not as an MP. And also, good to recall that Banks’ ‘recent troubles’ occurred, in part, precisely because of that donation.

  18. Excuse me if I don’t judge this man based on the spin put out by people who engage in dirty politics. Maybe Kim Dotcom can’t be trusted, but we know for sure they can’t be.

    Best summing up I’ve seen so far.

  19. KJT 19

    Kim Dotcom, being German, with their history of the Gestapo and Stasi, would have thought that people will be upset and angry at the extant of Government surveillance, propaganda and controlling the message.

    Unfortunately New Zealanders have little previous experience of a repressive State.
    I had my own in the 80’s. In New Zealand to.

    Those of us that are concerned already know that the Government controls the message and uses spy agencies for their own ends.
    The rest either don’t care, or don’t want to think about it. (Daddy knows best).

    The right wing know that they can publish their names without fear of reprisal. That is why they gleefully talk about anonymous bloggers.

    It is already a sign of a repressive State, that we have to be concerned about anonymity and secrecy, for fear of reprisals.

    I believe people, even ex criminals, can have a change of heart and become decent people. There are many examples.
    My best apprentice was an ex housebreaker.

    • Yoyo 19.1

      Yeah, it’s not like getting all your emails stolen is reprisal. It’s not like having people threaten your family is reprisal.

      • weka 19.1.1

        Slater didn’t get his emails stolen because he speaks his political mind. They were stolen because he’s an arsehole who stepped over a line.

        Many of us won’t use our RL names because of people like Slater. He has a long history of harrassing people for simply expressing opinions. And he serves a state that is increasingly trying to control the population via surveillance.

        • ghostwhowalksnz 19.1.1.1

          More than harassing them for an opinion

          Turfed them down the stairs as one of Gerry Brownlees henchmen

        • Granted 19.1.1.2

          So if someone has an opinion that you are an arsehole, (thats not my opinion by the way) is that person entitled to steal your emails? Who is the arbiter of such decisions about who is an arsehole?

          Who is the arbitor of when someone has stepped over the line?

          • weka 19.1.1.2.1

            There was a general consensus that Slater had stepped over the line. Fortunately a hacker and an investigatives journalist agreed and were in the right place at the right time.

            If the people in power who have been granted authority won’t step up and do something someone else will.

          • ghostwhowalksnz 19.1.1.2.2

            Easy answer to that , Slater went to court, and lost, the Judge saying public interest for some items.

            of course you do remember Slater was publishing someone elses emails way back, was lifting labours membership database, giving intimate details of Len Browns affair.
            happy about all that ?

    • weka 19.2

      The criminal accusation is an interesting one. When it is made the person rarely specifies whether they mean KDC’s convictions from when he was a young man, or whether they mean his current fight with the US. If it’s the former, then yeah, he’s served his time and has moved on. We live in a country that allows people to do that. If it’s the stuff about the US, then they’re condemning him as a criminal before he’s even been given a fair trial.

      Hypocrisy and self-serving arguments. I wouldn’t mind so much except they can’t put a rationale argument together and so use lowlife tricks better suited to the dirty right.

      • Yoyo 19.2.1

        I’d believe you, but imagine if John Key had a suspended prison sentence for embezzlement and insider trading (which he hasn’t) even as, say an 18 year old – surely you’d be all over it. Or are you saying you wouldn’t hold that against him (if it in fact were true).

        • weka 19.2.1.1

          No I wouldn’t hold that against him if he had changed.

        • Psycho Milt 19.2.1.2

          The NZ stock market is a bastion of insider trading, so the idea of Key actually getting done for it at any age is ludicrous. He was even caught red-handed insider trading with Tranzrail shares, so I certainly hope his supporters wouldn’t go calling Dotcom a criminal for having done it in a jurisdiction that actually arrests people for it.

          • weka 19.2.1.2.1

            Which is another reason why the whole criminal KDC tried to buy an election speil is bullshit. The only reason he is controversial is because he’s not playing the rich white man’s game properly. If he’d stayed within the rules, then no problemo (but of course then he would still be funding the like of Banks and cronies).

          • Yoyo 19.2.1.2.2

            Did you just say something defamatory?

            • lprent 19.2.1.2.2.1

              Nope. I have read the information about the timing and that would be my opinion as well. John Key’s only defense is a “chinese wall” that he didn’t order the trade but his trust/broker just happened to do it at exactly the right time. I really think that that “chinese walls” are a crock of shit and only done to provide a veneer of plausible deniability. What you read was an opinion.

              Defamation would be if Psycho Milt had said something like “there was political interference that prevented the full investigation from happening” which would have asserted a fact. That would have required that PM had some proof of a specific allegation.

              I realise that this is probably a bit too fine a distinction for a Yoyo. But why should I be concerned about a fool having problems..

              • Yoyo

                It didn’t state that it was an opinion did it? It stated it as fact as far as I can see.

                Insulting me does not add to your argument. Personally, I think it drags this blog into the muck and shows a lack of decorum and a degree of childishness. Why not just stick to arguing the point? After all, if I’m as stupid as you imply, surely you don’t need to sink to that level. Surely, if you are intelligent, you could easily formulate an argument against someone you feel is stupid without even batting an eyelid (let alone needing to resort to such unpleasantness and vitriol). This would enable you to retain your dignity and shoot my point to smithereens.

                You just seem to me so unhappy and life is too short. Either formulate an argument that disputes my point (which personally I suspect you are not capable – whereas many others on this blog can come up with points that are better than my own), or realise that perhaps you are not always right – as evidenced by your desire to attack on a personal level.

                As they say, you have to respect someone to care about their opinion. So while you could care less about my opinion, it works both ways.

                Peace love and happiness to you my friend.

              • Did you just say something defamatory?

                That’s for the site owners to judge. For my part, I’d be happy to let a court decide whether the news that

                “Mr Key was in fact commenting publicly on Tranz Rail, meeting with bidders for the rail track and vigorously pursuing the release of commercially relevant information all while being an undisclosed shareholder in the firm”

                and that he engaged in trading of said shares at the time, allows me to legitimately hold the opinion that he was “caught red-handed insider trading in Tranzrail shares.”

                • yeshe

                  PM — aldgate and whitechapel are all the evidence needed, aren’t they ? and I have to wonder how many power company shares are in there ?

      • Bill 19.2.2

        What NZ law is Dotcom accused of breaking? Is it NZ copyright infringement? If so, then why is he not being charged and tried within NZ?

        As I said above, the US is essentially attempting to expand its legal jurisdiction to encompass every country in the world that uses the domains of .org, .com etc (I can’t remember the full list) on the basis that those domains are US territory.

        It’s fucked, and they should be being told in no uncertain terms to go get fucked.

        If Dotcom has broken NZ law, then charge him with whatever the violation might be and have a trial in NZ.

        • Poission 19.2.2.1

          The US had to use the so called rico laws to allow the extradition of DC, a copyright violation would not be an extraditable offense.

          The same law would also provide criminal offenses for most US banks and their agents who have set up offshore tax avoidance schemes that have been found to be effectively laundromats.

          Citicorp being a good example, which is currently under federal grand jury investigation.

          In an ironic twist the district attorney of Virginia law firm was the architect of the citicorp Caribbean tax structure.

          • Bill 19.2.2.1.1

            That as it may be, it’s the NZ government that has to allow extradition, not the US government.

            Now, 30 years or whatever in jail for the bullshit he’s accused of? I think not – not by any measure of ‘natural justice’ or whatever appropriate term there may be.

            • yeshe 19.2.2.1.1.1

              exactly Bill. He has no charges against him in NZ; the USA ones have been falsely puffed up to alleged money-laundering (under Rico) because copyright violations, even if proven, are not not extraditable under NZ laws. And yes … natural justice may yet intervene.

              Whatever one’s personal view of him, KDC has been denied much evidence he is entitled to, and it is proven he has been aggressed upon under NZ law, to better serve US Dept of Justice at Key’s pleasure.

              We would be wise to be aware of the discrepancies appearing in the various High Court hearings. Remain vigilant; it has far reaching effects for us all.

          • Yoyo 19.2.2.1.2

            An intelligent point without vitriol – so refreshing!

        • yeshe 19.2.2.2

          Bill .. see #24

  20. yeshe 20

    yoyo: ” insider trading (which he hasn’t)” .. but omg, Key should have. But I digress ..

    how much or how little do you know of what KDC’s record actually is ?

  21. Steve 21

    While pondering the German’s criminal past, divert your attention to our PM’s present.
    How close is he to being in breach of s105A Crimes Act (corrupt use of official information, max 7 years)? Read again on Watergate – the actions of Nixon and John Milhous Key are barely distinguishable.

    Well said, Dita de Boni. One of a dwindling few doing her job in the fourth estate. With a competent and courageous press this quisling and crook would have been gone by lunchtime. Centre and Left MUST keep campaigning for a full Royal Commission into govt corruption.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 21.1

      Key started his illegal activity just as he was trying to get the National party nomination ( paid for ) for Helensville.

      he made a false declaration on his enrollment form saying he lived at for the last month, a property in Peak Rd Waimaukau, when he was at all times living in Orakei Rd Remuera.
      This was to ingratiate himself with voters pretending he was a ‘local’

      Look it up, enrollment forms require a statuary declaration.

      The real funny bit was Slaters father was skimming the donations that Key made to the national Party.
      Boag found out when she took over as President, and raised merry hell. Slater was forced to pay it back !!

  22. Poission 22

    What country is the most prevalent hacker or the peculiar case of the hand in the honeypot.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-23/a-decoy-computer-was-set-up-online-see-which-countries-attacked-it-the-most.html

  23. Andrew Welsh 23

    “What will DotCom do next”? I imagine it is whatever work programmes San Quentin runs. I am hopeful it is manufacturing licence plates.

  24. yeshe 24

    This is an accurate and educational timeline for KDC and NZ Govt, assembled by Toby Manhire for The Listener. It needs an update for the last couple of months, but it demands a cold hard look at what he is fighting against:

    http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/kim-dotcom-megaupload-new-zealand-timeline/

    plus, to mid 2013 only, this summarises the huge costs and various cases arising from the complete screw-ups by NZ Govt against KDC. (Read it and weep.)

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10904690

    • ghostwhowalksnz 24.1

      Yeh , it doesnt do your case any good if the government has been found to have committed illegal acts…many times.

      But the courts just say… sue them in a civil action ???

  25. JanMeyer 25

    I think just as right wingers should read Hager’s book, those sympathetic to KDC shoud read the full FBI indictment. Presents a compelling prima facie case of criminal wrongdoing. Doesn’t mean he’s guilty of course. That’s for the courts to decide (in the US, not here).

    • lprent 25.1

      I have read it. It is definitely shady business*.

      However I don’t think it is or would be a criminal offense in NZ law. That is the very definition of what is an extraditable offense under our extradition law. Section 4 of the Extradition Act

      * Similar shady business to the type of currency speculation that was going on in NZ dollars in the mid 80’s or the various things that made up many of the winebox allegations that were unable to be persecuted or some of the more interesting things that could be done with a trust and personal income in the 90s and 00s or the inadequate insurance behind building inspectorate firms in the late 90s and early 00s. There are literally millions of these kinds of incidents worldwide during my lifetime. They aren’t criminal matters. They are *after* the laws get changed. But the laws cannot be changed easily to be retroactive.

      • JanMeyer 25.1.1

        Yes noted. The NZ courts will deal with that but the threshold for extradition is not overly high. We shall see.

  26. infused 26

    Hopefully fuck off and leave New Zealand.

    • Minarch 26.1

      admit it Infused

      your jealous of KDC arent you , because he owns 4 Mercedes and you can only afford 1 and its last years model too

      you should give up, you’ll never be as wealthy as Kim even if he does get locked up, your property portfolio just isnt that healthy..

    • ghostwhowalksnz 26.2

      “The British govt plans to criminalize the manipulation of more benchmarks to revive confidence in the integrity of London as a financial centre.”

      I guess the British government wont be looking to extradite former London based currency trader executive John Phillip Key.

  27. philj 27

    At last , a Mainstream journalist who has an intelligent,independent mind. There is hope. Good on you Dita.

  28. Barfly 28

    re Kim Dotcom

    No idea what he’ll do but I wish him well….when nature hiccupped and Christchurch got squashed flat …How much did Alan Gibbs , Colin Craig, John Key etc. dig out of their wallets to help…nothing, nada, zip, zilch. Kim Dotcom the “immigrant German” tossed in a million dollars. So why don’t you hate filled right wingers take a long hard look in the mirror.

  29. MrV 29

    Would be fair to say I don’t necessarily espouse the views of many on this blog, and I think the left/right paradigm isn’t that accurate, but here is what I think the Internet Party should do.

    -Move to the ‘centre’ as it were.
    What if the alliance with Mana was toxic? Far too left wing with a whole bunch of people who are even more politically toxic than KDC (IMHO)

    I firmly believe there is a constituency for a party that is interested in privacy, personal liberty and truth telling.
    This party can still provide for bold social initiatives: focus on child poverty, decent housing policies, education etc without being dubbed ‘left wing’. This party would also focus on the elimination of corporate welfare and also middle class welfare. Other policies would include asserting an independant foreign policy, while at the same time boosting our military expenditure (so as to not be so reliant on said overseas interests). This party would also be for maintaining public ownership of natural monopolies (like power generation), whilst in appropriate cases spending public money to overcome private monopolies (like international internet cables) and foster market based competition where none currently exists.

    There will be people on the left/right that would like some but not all of these policies but that is the point.
    (I use the foreign policy one as an example, I can’t see how you can be independant if you won’t spend more to protect that independance with a military etc)

    Feedback welcome …

    • One Anonymous Bloke 29.1

      You just described the Labour Party, give or take their insistence on UN-backed FP.

      Still, you seem to be infected with the delusion that “left-wing” is an insult of some sort.

      And yeah, caring about child poverty is the opposite of right wing policy; the last six years might have given you a clue. Perhaps you were asleep.

      • MrV 29.1.1

        Lots of laughs. Please don’t shoot the messenger. 24% of the vote indicates that what currently sells as ‘left-wing’ Labour party policy in NZ is politically toxic.
        Furthemore unless the left pulls itself together the Key govt will outflank it in this term on those child poverty type issues.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 29.1.1.1

          So, before the election, KDC is toxic, after the election it must have been all about policy. Do you honestly think no-one will notice your shifting conceits?

          Had there been a policy contest during the election you’d have a leg to stand on. there wasn’t. You don’t.

          • MrV 29.1.1.1.1

            KDC admitted that he felt he was toxic, but the thought of Harawira, Minto, Sykes et al. to the rest of the electorate, (as I stated was) “even more politically toxic than KDC (IMHO)”.

            “Had there been a policy contest during the election”
            Talk about wishful thinking. In order to have one of those the Labour party (+ other left opposition) had to be organised and cohesive enough to generate it. However after all the infighting and division that was never going to happen was it? They couldn’t even explain to the electorate their own policy.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 29.1.1.1.1.1

              So, the electorate rejected the policies Labour didn’t communicate to them?

              Do you honestly think no-one will notice your shifting conceits?

              • MrV

                By definition not being voted for is a rejection of the Party and it’s policies, whether they were communcated via a “policy contest” up to your standards or not.

                Are you going to persist with the delusion that the ideas above are:
                “You just described the Labour Party, give or take their insistence on UN-backed FP.”

                Take a look around the world there is a large and growing constituency for a party that is not the establishment which is what National+Labour have been for a long time. Why do you think beofre the Internet Party even had a leader and announced policy it was subject to a campaign against it.
                Hint establishment is very aware of the political trends, look at the parties on the rise in UK, Germany, France, Italy etc.

                • One Anonymous Bloke

                  😆

                  2:25pm: …what currently sells as ‘left-wing’ Labour party policy in NZ is politically toxic.

                  3:28pm: They couldn’t even explain to the electorate their own policy.

                  You can’t reject that which hasn’t been explained. Oh, no, wait, you’re a follower, you’ll reject whatever Dear Leader tells you to.

                  • MrV

                    Well it just happened, although it seems you would rather debate semantics than actually address issues of what constituents are likely to vote for.

                    Meanwhile the LP is engaged in it’s 3rd navel gazing leadership exercise in as many years. Good luck with that because I can’t see anything changing in the next 3yrs without getting rid of the bunker mentality.

  30. ghostwhowalksnz 30

    This is example of how US laws making you a criminal for stealing their copyright dont apply back at them when they steal your patent.

    Accidentally or otherwise, the laws on intellectual property allow corporations to do unto others what can’t be done to them. If for instance, you violate the rights of a record company or a movie studio by forwarding copyrighted material that they own, without payment, they can have you arrested, and you can end up with a criminal conviction on your CV. Yet if a corporation steals your patent? As they do. Under US law, the corporate can be fined and the CEO might get a lot of dirty looks, but business carries on regardless, and with no criminal blemish on the corporate image. Copyright infringement and patent infringement are treated differently by the courts – even though arguably, the “stealing” of intellectual property is involved in both cases.

    http://werewolf.co.nz/2013/06/talking-dotcom/

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    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    17 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    19 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    2 days ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
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