Why so afraid?

Written By: - Date published: 11:21 pm, May 13th, 2009 - 30 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, national - Tags:

Labour asked for an urgent debate in the House today on the Waterview announcement. Smith denied it because the announcement hadn’t then taken place. A minute later Joyce made the announcement. Labour then asked leave of the House for an urgent question to Joyce, Brownlee denied leave.

What are they so afraid of? When did you ever read the headline ‘Government collapses after urgent debate’ or ‘Govt’s polls tumble after question in the House’?

It got me thinking that there is a weird pattern of cowardice to the whole way National acts. Really weird – they’ve got a solid majority.

Waterview – don’t just say ‘look we want a slightly cheaper option, stuff the community’ instead give out misleading costs and hold off announcing until the last moment to avoid questions in the House before the recess.

Supercity – come up with a plan in secret. Refuse to give details. Publish the Bills at the last minute. Ram the first one through under Urgency (don’t get me started on the Maori Party, big brave speech against the Supercity, then vote for going into Urgency to pass the Bills like good house slaves).

Why don’t they just come out and say ‘we want a city that works in the interests of big business. This is our plan. We won’t be listening to your submissions (and we’ve stacked the select committee to make sure of it). You’re not getting a referendum because you would vote against it’? That would be brave but no.

Why don’t they have the courage to say ‘we’re pro-privatisation, anti-controls on business that’s why we’re going to privatise ACC, setting up SOEs for privatisation, and why we’re gutting the RMA and the Cullen Fund’? That would be the truth but they’re scared to say it.

Go back to the campaign. National didn’t run on its principles – low regulation, low tax for the rich, low public services. It ran on ‘tax cuts: like manna from heaven and a cure for all ills’.

It shows how much they really believe in tax cuts that they’re the first thing they drop (oops, ‘defer’, must run the line if I ever want to be a real journalist). If they really believed in tax cuts they would be keeping them and slashing Working For Families or something else they oppose. They’re afraid to do what they believe in because of the cost in the polls (oops, ‘deferring tax cuts won’t hurt National, forgot the line again).

If they had the courage of their convictions, National would be open about them and encourage debate secure in the knowledge their ideals would prevail. Instead they go into overkill trying to prevent any chance for debate and always misrepresenting their own aims.

Cowardly, really.

30 comments on “Why so afraid? ”

  1. edoze 1

    Ah, so do you really think people want to read utter garbage like the above post.

    Its filled with yet more hyperbole and stale 2008 rhetoric, enough to loose you another election.

    Quotes like this leave me crying into my soup:

    “Good house slaves”

    “It ran on ‘tax cuts: like manna from heaven and a cure for all ills”

    and the best

    ” if I ever want to be a real journalist”

    Crapola!

    • Jared 1.1

      My political leanings are obvious, however I like to read and comment on certain “The Standard” content to get a balanced perspective. Unfortunately it would seem, “The Standard” has highlighted the low standard of commentator it can some times attract, gutter style scaremongering open ended accusations and insinuations. Some on here actually offer stimulating debate, Tane, Steve Pierson, IrishBill amongst others, yet Zetitic has really dropped the standard. Sad really.

      • Zetetic 1.1.1

        I thought the ‘balance’ we were meant to provide was a counter-balance to the Herald.

        But according to you we’re meant to be some kind of Peter Dunne of blogs.

        Damn, I’ll have to read my Standardista handbook again.

        • edoze 1.1.1.1

          Could you have your head any further up your ass?

          The herald is a REAL newspaper, with REAL journalists, who write REAL articles. In may not always be the best, in fact some articles are just as crap as your post tonight, but don’t confuse a political blog with a mainstream newspaper. It makes you look even further out of your depth.

          Oh and on the matter of your substance, when i read some i will comment on it. Until then i will continue to howl, in fits of laughter i hasten to add, at what can only be described as a joke post. All you did is spew forth a varied range of anti national nonsense.

          • Zetetic 1.1.1.1.1

            What part of my comment or the journalist quote in the post could possibly make you think I had my tongue anywhere but firmly in my cheek?

            If you’re going to get in a huff every time someone has a laugh we’re not going to get on well. But I suspect you’ll keep coming back because you enjoy the conflict (sshh, so do I)

            I see you did address the substance at the end there, describing it as nonsense. Perhaps you would like to elucidate your thoughts on which parts are nonsensical and how so. That’s how debate works.

          • Ag 1.1.1.1.2

            The Herald ceased long ago to be a real newspaper, as did most other newspapers.

    • Duncan 1.2

      “Crapola!” he screams. No critique of the substance of course, because every word is true.

    • Zetetic 1.3

      Any time you feel up to it, you can take on the substance.

      In the meanwhile, feel free to have your little whine like a little boy.

      • Jared 1.3.1

        What substance?
        “instead give out misleading costs.”
        Misleading costs? I have already challenged you on this in my earlier post.

        “Supercity – come up with a plan in secret. Refuse to give details. Publish the Bills at the last minute. Ram the first one through under Urgency”
        Check out auckland.govt.nz its all there, for everyone to see. The first bill was pushed through under urgency for a reason, it lacks any debatable substance other than legitimising the Auckland Council entity and forming a transition committee. Something to write home about for sure.

        “‘we want a city that works in the interests of big business. This is our plan. We won’t be listening to your submissions (and we’ve stacked the select committee to make sure of it). You’re not getting a referendum because you would vote against it’? That would be brave but no.”
        A referendum is pointless when the effort involved in soliciting a Yes or No answer could be better channelled into a more transparent select committee process where actual concerns are able to be aired, rather than a frivolous referendum. Your comment about working in the interests of big business is pure scaremongering.

        “Why don’t they have the courage to say ‘we’re pro-privatisation, anti-controls on business that’s why we’re going to privatise ACC, setting up SOEs for privatisation, and why we’re gutting the RMA and the Cullen Fund’? That would be the truth but they’re scared to say it.”

        Setting up SOE’s for privatisation? You mean allowing TV3 and Sky access to NZ on Air funds to provide balanced broadcasting than allowing the TVNZ gravy train to continue?
        Once again, pure scaremongering, the RMA is not going to be “gutted” nor is the Cullen Fund. There has been talk of allowing private operators access to the earners fund and providing a more competitive service as we saw in Nationals previous term.

        “It shows how much they really believe in tax cuts that they’re the first thing they drop (oops, ‘defer’, must run the line if I ever want to be a real journalist). If they really believed in tax cuts they would be keeping them and slashing Working For Families or something else they oppose. They’re afraid to do what they believe in because of the cost in the polls (oops, ‘deferring tax cuts won’t hurt National, forgot the line again)..”

        Either you have selective memory loss or are just a deluded party fan boy but Labour also campaigned heavily on tax cuts, $10.6 Billion, chump change huh? I wont deny National ran a campaign on Tax cuts, but it was not the only policy it ran.

        • Con 1.3.1.1

          I wont deny National ran a campaign on Tax cuts, but it was not the only policy it ran.

          That’s right! Who can forget the courageous stand they took in favour of energy-inefficient light bulbs?

          • Jared 1.3.1.1.1

            I seem to remember an Energy policy draft relating to limiting shower flow as well?

  2. Jared 2

    Misleading costs? Merely because you believe the decision doesn’t go your way you deride the NZTA and Treasury figures by calling them “misleading”? What exactly is so misleading about presenting the exact fiscal position of both options (I assume you take exception with the inclusion of inevitable financing costs for the tunnelling options)? The first bill in a set of 3 for the supercity sets the Auckland Council up legally and forms a transition committee, seeking a debate on the merits of such criteria is frivolous. The public will have their say in the select committee stage, but then again you will marginalise this as a “mere front” and “big bad man key won’t listen to us”. He has said he will listen, and I will hold him to that. So will the country if he is deemed to have done a poor job as we will see in the outcome of the next election.

    I do find it ironic however how you make out that National are breaking precedent by passing a bill under urgency (Labour have never ever ever done that. ok maybe once, or twice, oh whos even counting?), even when the contents are a non issue. I can see why you would take objection to the passing of the final 2 bills under urgency, but really, a bill that merely legalises the Auckland Council entity and forms a transition committee? My heart bleeds for you.

    • Zetetic 2.1

      You won’t hold him to it. When the select committee refuses to hear many submitters and ignores the rest, you’ll say ‘oh well, they had their consultation’.

      • Duncan 2.1.1

        But you get to vote once every three years. That’s all the democracy we need isn’t it?

        • Zetetic 2.1.1.1

          True. Guess I shouldn’t have wasted my vote on RAM but when I saw a really fat RAM dude wearing a ‘GST off food’ shirt I was like ‘awesome, those guys are getting my vote’

          • edoze 2.1.1.1.1

            Please Lynn, oh please, read the above comment and know you made a mistake allowing this person the passwords needed to file posts.

          • Duncan 2.1.1.1.2

            I’m noticing a real lack of humour here from edoze. You’re not getting all PC on us now are you dozee?

          • Zetetic 2.1.1.1.3

            Seriously, edoze. you didn’t see how funny it was.

            The total lack of self-awareness or irony in a guy who clearly has no trouble getting more than enough food calling for the price of food to be reduced.

            Which is not to say that I support GST. Regressive Thatcherite idea.

          • QoT 2.1.1.1.4

            You were doing SO well, Zetetic, and then you have to fucking blow it with this:

            The total lack of self-awareness or irony in a guy who clearly has no trouble getting more than enough food calling for the price of food to be reduced.

            So we’ve got “making assumptions about people’s lifestyle based on their size” combined with “basic misunderstanding about the fact that a key reason for campaigning to remove GST from foods is to lower the cost of fresh and more nutritious foods” resulting in a subpar fat joke. Not funny, not clever, not cool.

      • Jared 2.1.2

        Scaremongering bullshit as per usual. Its in John Keys interests to listen to his constituents and the Auckland population to ensure the smooth integration of the Supercity, your continued denials of democratic process are childish, your assumption that just because National are running it no one will get a say. Grow up. Perhaps if you had prior evidence of Key ignoring a select committee recommendation then sure, but you have nothing.

        • Zetetic 2.1.2.1

          It depends how you view Key’s interests. Does he just want to do what is popular or does he (or at least National and Act) want to create a more rightwing country?

          If so, it is obviously in their interests to create an Auckland Supercity like the one they’ve designed that will render grassroots groups toothless and favour candidates with lots of money and create a (rightwing) mayor with huge powers.

          If they can slip this through while the public is still largely turnef off politics, all the better.

          Which is why they are using Urgency, of course. Not because there is a pressing time constraint, which is the reason Urgency exists.

          Next play: you say ‘but Labour did it too’. You won’t get any argument out of me, I voted RAM remember. But I wonder if you use ‘but he did it too’ as a guidence to correct behaviour in your own life.

          • Jared 2.1.2.1.1

            Actually there is a pressing time constraint. As of next November, the Auckland Council will take control from the 6 other councils and all assets will be transferred into the Auckland Council hands. You can assume that a Supercity is merely for the benefit of “right wing interests” however in the end, its sole purpose is to reduce the inefficiencies of having six of the same in each different council, 2 rates bills, 6 different long term plans. Its about making sure Auckland works together, cohesively, and as we have seen, even now, none of the mayors can work with each other civilly. The urgency was to get the formalities out of the way so there is more time to debate the finer details of representation under the Supercity, it isnt out there to some how deceive the Auckland population. It is a mere formality, it doesn’t need to be debated, it would be frivolous to waste time.

            The reason why I highlighted the continued Labour Party hawking of passing under urgency was to show their hypocritical attitude considering their past. Passing under urgency is justified at times, and National and Labour have both passed when they should and shouldnt have, but in this instance the passing under urgency was perfectly justified, something I think you are struggling to accept.

          • r0b 2.1.2.1.2

            The reason why I highlighted the continued Labour Party hawking of passing under urgency was to show their hypocritical attitude considering their past.

            All governments use urgency on occasion. Only National has so abused the process as to earn a stern rebuke even from their fans at The Herald, which wrote of National’s tactics in its first 100 days:

            It [National] has adopted a bulldozing approach that is disturbingly at odds with democratic Government. Gerry Brownlee would not even name the bills to be passed under urgency, but only the subject areas that they canvassed. Worse, he refused to give Opposition parties advance copies of any of the bills, until just before they were to be debated in Parliament.

            The fact that the matters were being dealt with under urgency already meant that there would be no chance for public submission; there is no room in the action plan for tedious details such as the select committee process, by which interested parties get to express their view about proposed legislation. But the public was denied the opportunity to even see the legislation, because the Nats were producing for debate law that had not been completely drafted and officially tabled and therefore, under Parliament’s rules, cannot be formally published.

            Extraordinarily, it was left to the Greens to scan paper copies and, in a samizdat-style operation reminiscent of the gulag-era Soviet Union, publish them on its own website. It is a state of affairs seriously at odds with the notion of a Parliamentary democracy.

            It is entirely possible that National is in the grip of a first flush of legislative enthusiasm. If so, it will adopt a more measured pace in the new year. If not, there is cause for concern. The Clark administration was often described as taking a “nanny state” approach – but it did consult widely; the Nats, by contrast, are looking remarkably like bullies.

            Sure enough, they’re still at it. “Cause for concern” indeed.

          • Draco T Bastard 2.1.2.1.3

            however in the end, its sole purpose is to reduce the inefficiencies of having six of the same in each different council, 2 rates bills, 6 different long term plans.

            Except that there’s no indication that the super city will be any more efficient. All the bureaucracy will still be there and it certainly won’t be any more efficient than it is now. I’d almost be willing to lay odds that it will be more inefficient. There are other, better ways to get Auckland working together than removing democracy.

    • Draco T Bastard 2.2

      The referendum is, of course, to see if the Auckland Council entity and transition committee are actually needed. Why rush to make them when the majority of Auckland don’t want them?

  3. Wayne 3

    Ouch. Harsh but true.

  4. bilbo 4

    One hysterical and misleading post about the families commission followed up by this …….. D+ must do better.

  5. Philonz 5

    Although Zetitic’s post may veer into hyperbole at times the central point is a good one. There has been an obviuos unwillingness on the part of the current Government to answer questions or debate in the house. I know they have a majority and a debate might not change much but it’s important for a transarent system. This is NOT a partisan issue, it’s about the nature of our parliamentary system and the importance of answering questions, partaking in debates and consulting the public via select committee.

  6. Graeme 6

    Labour asked for an urgent debate in the House today on the Waterview announcement. Smith denied it because the announcement hadn’t then taken place. A minute later Joyce made the announcement. Labour then asked leave of the House for an urgent question to Joyce, Brownlee denied leave.

    The application for an urgent debate was denied because the announcement hadn’t taken place before 2pm, not because it hadn’t taken place.

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T20:52:20+00:00