$2.49

Written By: - Date published: 7:23 pm, May 20th, 2013 - 99 comments
Categories: capitalism - Tags: ,

That’s what Mighty River stocks closed at today. Down on their issue price within ten days.

And there’s a strong chance that the Meridian float will sink the price of Mighty shares even further – they’re companies with similar profiles, are regulated in the same way, and are fighting over the same limited customer base so there’s a strong likelihood that the market will see them as similar enough shares that even more coming on the market just keep pushing that price point down. After all how many billions of dollars are there available for New Zealand electricity shares? And if the billions are there, where are they coming from?

The funny thing is that I think National know this. They’re not interested in actually making money out of this sale. They’re interested in shrinking government and transfering wealth.

There’s been a lot of big finance talk about the sale of these assets lately, and quite a bit of political horse-race stuff, but very little economic analysis. So my question is – does anyone really still believe this fiasco makes economic sense? Or is it just considered a fait accompli?

99 comments on “$2.49 ”

  1. Mary 1

    Great stuff. Long may they fall.

  2. Colonial Viper 2

    Less another $60 in sharebrokers commission if you want to sell your shares. OUCH

      • Colonial Viper 2.1.1

        Ah I stand corrected. You only lose 1c per share and $30 brokerage 🙂

        • David H 2.1.1.1

          3000 shares +brokerage would equal 60 bucks, so yes ouch!

          • Financially literate 2.1.1.1.1

            Bullshit. Read the links.

            • Colonial Viper 2.1.1.1.1.1

              hmmmm time you pull your (calculator) out…

              • Financially literate

                Bullshit. It does not need to cost people $60 for brokerage. 3,000 * 2.49 = 7,470 which is less than 10,000 (anz) or 15,000 (direct brokering). At Asb it is also less than 0.3% of 10,000 which is equal to $30. All easily done online with no joining fees.

                • RJL

                  The average sharetrade of MRP at the moment is $50k worth of shares. On the day of launch the average value of a trade was more like $100k.

                  That looks like the profile of big(ish) individuals who are selling (and probably institutions who are buying). Or maybe institutions selling partial holdings.

                  Mythical Mum and Dads with $8k worth of shares don’t seem to be trading at the moment. They are just losing the paper gains that they made last week.

                  • felix

                    The mums and dads can get fucked. They’re marketing dupes. They’ll watch the price stagnate for a while then sell offshore.

                    • SomeSuch

                      Charming.

                    • Rich

                      Yup, they got the biggest rooting since they became a mum and dad in the first place.

                      Doubt there’ll be many takers next time.

                    • SomeSuch

                      Settle down Rich. No ma and pa who preregistered has been ‘rooted’. Each has a margin of safety of up to 10c per share up to 5,000 (loyalty bonus) at the listing price of $2.50. Plenty of water to go under the bridge yet.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      So you have to rely on a government based top up gift in order to make money from this MRP deal? So much for the free market.

                    • SomeSuch

                      It’s hard to determine whether your stupidity is willful or instinctual. I guess that’s splitting hairs.

                    • RJL

                      Somesuch,

                      Any Mum and Dads who are selling right now are getting screwed. Largely by themselves. You are quite right that they should just sit tight. And the “loyalty bonus” just makes it even more sensible to just sit.

                      Around 100 small traders ($10k or less) started selling today, when the price nudged back to $2.51. That seems to fit the profile of Mums and Dads who panicked.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      The big institutions are just doing their thing of shaking out the weak hands and collecting a few more cheap shares for their big money boys.

                  • RJL

                    Although having said that in the last 20 minutes, or so, about 30 trades of only $5k have taken place. That would be Mums and Dads panicking and getting screwed.

                  • freedom

                    you do understand what a mean and a mode average are don’t you RJL?
                    http://thestandard.org.nz/2-49/#comment-635992

  3. BM 3

    Mighty river power is more about dividend than share price.

    • RedBaronCV 3.1

      Spare me BM – there is a linkage between dividend and share price less the nil prospect of a capital gain.

  4. Descendant Of Sssmith 4

    Wonder if Mr Gaynor will fess up to if he has dumped his shares as per his normal practise of pump and dump.

    Yep got all that short term profit to make.

    Wonder if IRD will tax those who have sold – obviously those that have sold weren’t investing.

    • Jared 4.1

      Care to back that statement up that Brian Gaynor and or Milford Asset Management pump and dump?

      • Colonial Viper 4.1.1

        Investors in his funds should be able to see how many MRP he has left.

        btw I think Gaynor can do a dump of MRP stocks; but his fund is not big enough to do a significant pump.

      • Descendant Of Sssmith 4.1.2

        I’m referring to the fact that he has been encouraging mum and dads to buy the shares thereby increasing demand and price while running a business that does not hold onto shares for the long term.

        Quote:
        Milford adopts a highly active approach to portfolio management in order to attempt to take advantage of changing market conditions and investment opportunities.

        So having encouraged people to buy, without to my knowledge ever prefacing his media comments with the information that he often sells when prices rise, rather than wait for dividends over the long term has he already sold any shares purchased?

        It just seems wrong to me.

        You might have some technical definition of pump and dump that sets a more than the colloquial description that I think of but the phrase seems to describe the notion of talking the price up and selling perfectly to me.

        I’m just really asking whether he did sell when the price went up and is there any conflict in telling others to buy in the way he did?

  5. andy (the other one) 5

    Institutional investors did not have to pay for shares until the Wednesday after the float (3 days of free money), they have secured their balance sheets at the expense of 80,000 stupid mum and dad first time investors.

    How you feeling now , Mum & Dad. You have been rolled by John Key, the NZX and Banksters Inc…

    Marketing won, we lost…

    • Lanthanide 5.1

      I don’t understand this comment. Various financial commentaries I’ve read said it would be/was the institutional investors, both in NZ and foreign, that would be buying up on the first day of listing, to meet their required investment thresholds, and mum & dads that were selling to them.

      • Tamati 5.1.1

        You’re correct. A few greedy speculators will always try to “stag” the IPO and cash in early when institutional investors try to increase their portfolio.

      • andy (the other one) 5.1.2

        Basically the shares were floated at lunch time on Friday and Institutional investors and other large volume buyers were not required to settle until the following Wednesday. The likes of Milford Asset Management, could sell and take profit with little or no risk (Arbitrage).

        Mum & Dad investors had the money taken weeks prior to listing, the game was rigged in favor of the big boys.

        Kiwisaver and Cullen Fund buyers are holding long term so the price fluctuation is not so important vs the dividend stream.

        • Lanthanide 5.1.2.1

          “Mum & Dad investors had the money taken weeks prior to listing, the game was rigged in favor of the big boys.”

          Ahh, right. I thought you were saying the big boys took advantage of the mum & dad investors directly, rather than just that they had an advantage.

      • RJL 5.1.3

        The average sharetrade was around $100k on the first day. So that implies it was not Mums and Dads that were selling.

        • freedom 5.1.3.1

          I guess when you include the million dollar plus trades (that mums and dads do every day) then yeah the average share trade value is quite high, but that would be the good old mean average so beloved by liars and spin doctors. Not the mode. Like when [people] say the average NZ income is $45-50K (mean) and not the $25-30K (mode) range that the vast majority of kiwis actually earn. It just sounds better doesn’t it? Who wants to be reminded most kiwis earn under 30K a year.

          I recall this TV3 article from the night which plainly stated that small holdings of only a few thousand shares were the most common range traded
          http://www.3news.co.nz/Govt-happy-with-Mighty-River-Power-share-rise/tabid/369/articleID/297324/Default.aspx

          • RJL 5.1.3.1.1

            Yes, there is a difference between mean and median, etc.

            However, with share trades (on NZX, at least) there are still only a small number of total trades involved. So the few large trades are in fact most of the market (there is not a vast number of tiny trades).

            For example, right now there have only been 379 trades today of MRP shares for a total of about $20M of shares. Most of the value is in trades >$50k, plus 100-200 or so trades for tiny amounts (<$10k, some for only $100s). The people making money are the large traders. The small traders are just getting screwed on brokerage fees.

            • freedom 5.1.3.1.1.1

              “The average share trade was around $100k on the first day. So that implies it was not Mums and Dads that were selling.”
              “there are still only a small number of total trades involved. So the few large trades are in fact most of the market”

              So using an admitted mean average artificially inflated the figure to back up your assertion that it was not mums and dads selling. So transparent, it is embarrassing. You do realise you have admitted this 100K figure was a result of misrepresentation and has little relationship to the reality of trades on the day. Trades which all other data shows were predominately small holdings. Otherwise called Mums and Dads.

              • RJL

                No. The majority of the trade today (and everyday since the MRP float) has been relatively large(ish) volume traders. Who are trading stock packages valued around $50k-$200k. I.e., unlikely to be Mums and Dads.

                There have also been a similar number of tiny volume traders active, who are potentially Mums and Dads. And admitedly, quite a lot of these minnows have been active today — at least since the price went back to $2.50. But these traders represent a tiny proportion of total trades — due to the small numbers involved. And they represent a tiny proportion of the 100,000 or so Mums and Dads that purportedly exist.

                If today’s MRP trade was mostly due to Mums and Dads you would need thousands of Mum and Dad scale traders selling their entire portfolios to make up today’s total volume.

                You can use the interwebs to look at the numbers yourself if you are interested.

                • freedom

                  “on the first day.”
                  you are one of these people who just cannot simply say, ‘i made a mistake, my bad’ and move on

                  “on the first day.” does not mean any other time but the first day and they were your words and the article i referenced was about the first day and the numbers you gave were about the first day

                  have a good day

              • alwyn

                You are clearly mistaken.
                I remember on the first day of trading hearing Russel Norman explaining what was going on.
                Somehow the genius that he is was able to look at a string of trades that had taken place, and bear in mind they only gave the volume and the price, and determine that all the trades were by small shareholders selling out to large overseas based investors. Clearly he is a genius, and you story must be wrong.
                Incidentally it is impossible to tell whather all trades are by small holdings. You can only tell at best one side of the trade. For example if I buy 100,000 shares it may show up as 20 trades at 5,000 each, if I was buying from people who had that to sell.
                If on the other hand I wanted to sell 100,000 shares it could show up as 20 trades, also at 5,000 each. You cannot distinguish either of those from 20 trades each by a person wanting to buy 5,000 from 20 other people wanting to sell 5,000

                • freedom

                  I am sure that might happen sometimes but I don’t believe stock holders regularly do twenty small trades on the same day, with the associated multiple fees, rather than the one or two larger trades

                  your explanation screams of desperate spin
                  but then again you are trying to defend stock trades so spin away alwyn, spin away

                  • alwyn

                    I am afraid that you don’t understand how the sharemarket works.
                    Suppose I want to buy 100,000 MRP shares. I ask my broker to do so.
                    Suppose also that there are 20 small shareholders who are willing to sell 5,000 shares.
                    For the moment ignore the fact that they have to be the ones willing to accept the lowest price and so on. This only determines who I end up buying from.
                    The above scenario would cause 20 transactions to be recorded of 5,000 shares each. Note that I did NOT initiate 20 trades. It was just that they were the size of parcels available.
                    Similarly if I wanted to buy 5,000 shares and I was willing to pay a higher price than anyone in the market, and there was a seller who had 100,000 for sale I would get them from him, even though in total he wanted to sell more. This would show up as a trade of 5,000. His remaining 95,000, if sold, would show up as 1 or more other trades.
                    I am not “desperately spinning” You just don’t understand how the stockmarket works. The whole point about the crap that RN was mouthing was that he hadn’t the faintest idea who was making the trades. He was just spouting bs.

                    • freedom

                      I get that, I do. Who was selling the shares is what was being discussed. It comes down to the most likely scenario and if people are selling small blocks on the first day they were more likely small stockholders, ie ‘mums and dads’. If it was a larger stockholder why would they bother selling piecemeal packets of their master of the universe folios.

                      p.s. alwyn, My spin comment was a bit out of line, apologies for that.

                    • alwyn

                      My point was that you can’t tell, from the material that Russel Norman was talking about, whether it was a small seller, in which case your supposition is correct or whether it was a small buyer wanting to round up his initial allocation and a large seller whose offering was being taken up by a number of small buyers. They could have received a decent lot but not enough to really satisfy them and they may have decided to drop out completely.
                      That is why there is the alternative interpretation that it was large sellers, and small buyers. I don’t know which it was, neither do you and neither does Russel Norman. That is why I think he was just spouting any bs that suited him.
                      I wasn’t trying to “spin” it but I think that RN certainly was.
                      Thank you for the last comment. It is very easy, particularly when one is annonymous to get a little extreme, such as my comment “You just don’t etc”. Consider that withdrawn.

                    • RJL

                      You are quite right that lots of small trades could mean either a small number of big sellers selling small packages or many smaller traders each selling small amounts.

                      However, the NZX tells you the volume of individual trades as they happen (possibly with a time lag depending on how you access the data). So, it is easy to identify that most of the value of MRP share trade is occuring in packages that are typically too big to be Mums and Dads.

                      A little trade can be either a big trader or a Mum and Dad, but big trades can only be made by big traders. With the proviso that “big” merely means in excess of $10k, which is well above the mythic Mum and Dad holding size.

  6. RedBaronCV 6

    I’m thinking it might be time to buy a few and give them to the Green’s and David Cunliffe’s electoral committe as a donation. Good use of money and would enliven the AGM.

  7. Suitably Clueless 7

    I am utterly illiterate economically when it comes to the share market, it may as well be sorcery. As far as this mixed ownership model goes, why would or should I buy shares to own a utility that is feasibly in my share as a taxpaying citizen? I sincerely hope that these ‘mum & dad’ investors hold on to their shares for as long as it takes to get them back. Leave the big boy games to the big boys.

    • Tamati 7.1

      Because any dividends and capital gains you receive from shares you own privately, are yours to spend as you wish.

      • Colonial Viper 7.1.1

        While depriving the government treasury of funds with which to provide services to NZers with, and increasing the nation’s dependence on foreign financiers and debt.

    • MrSmith 7.2

      There’s not a-lot to understand, basically it’s like a casino where Mum’s and Dad’s get shafted and the company owners and those in the know make off like thief’s, the dealers (share brokers) are also paid well.

  8. JK 8

    “They’re not interested in actually making money out of this sale. They’re interested in shrinking government and transfering wealth”.

    I reckon you’ve got it right, Irish Bill. This govt is only interested in transferring NZ wealth and assets to their overseas rich corporate mates. They don’t care about NZ – DonKey certainly doesn’t – he’s more interested in helping his overseas mates (who may/or may not have helped him into his current position !)

    • North 8.1

      Really does seem to be the way. Stuff of a novel.

    • felix 8.2

      “They’re not interested in actually making money out of this sale. They’re interested in shrinking government and transfering wealth”.

      Yep, and John Key said as much in parliament.

      When asked “Is there a bottom line below which he would not sell our profitable assets; and if so, what is that bottom line?”,

      he answered “The bottom line is that it has got to be the right thing for New Zealand, and it is.”

      There you have it: No financial bottom line; just an ideological one.

      • Colonial Viper 8.2.1

        Thank goodness there’s at least one party left which stays true to its political economic ideology. Just sucks they’re the Tories.

  9. Jimmie 9

    10 days? Well hopefully most of the investors take a slightly longer outlook than 10 days when they purchased the shares.

    Look back in 6 months or 1 years time and you will be able to decide if it was good buy or not – also dividend announcements in August.

    • Tamati 9.1

      +1

    • IrishBill 9.2

      As a right winger you will believe that the market prices dividend and future value into the cost of the share.

      And the market has decided these shares are worth less than they were ten days ago. In fact if you take the closing value on float day into account as the first clear market price they are worth considerably less than they wore ten days ago.

      That means the market has decided the future growth and dividend stream isn’t good enough to see the share increase. It’s close to a perfect market. Which means price is nearly perfectly correlated to value. And the price has fallen.

      • King Kong 9.2.1

        Irish makes an excellent point on how well Key and the National government have done in getting, what appears to be, a top of the market price for their shares in MRP.

        What am outstanding outcome for the country.

        • Lanthanide 9.2.1.1

          Minus the $100m+ cost of sale and the price per share they achieved is probably more like $2.30-40.

          Sorry.

      • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 9.2.2

        If MRP is worth less than it was before, the government is onto a winner, isn’t it? They have exchanged shares on the way down for cash. The State has won out over the capitalists. You should be celebrating that, IB.

  10. The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 10

    Irishbill’s onto a winner here. If the price drops, the public have been sold a pup. If it rises, the Nats have ripped the people off. He cannot lose.

    • Colonial Viper 10.1

      More like the people of NZ cannot win. Just the 1% who collect banksters fees and brokerage commissions.

    • burt 10.2

      Irish is supporting blind opposition – no need to think – just parrot Labour = good, National = bad.

      • Colonial Viper 10.2.1

        When did you suddenly become a fan of thinking and independent thought?

  11. Augustus 11

    And now the people of Christchurch are told that selling some of their assets they built up could be flogged of to pay for that nice Convention Centre they’ve been hanging out for since the earthquake. The people I saw on Campbell Live last night will be delighted to know that they’ve been heard by Key.

    • Lanthanide 11.1

      If the decision is ultimately up to the council, then they won’t sell the assets, because the people of CHCH won’t let them.

      CCC has the lowest debt out of any council in the country, precisely because they didn’t sell off their assets as was the vogue back in the 90’s.

      • tracey 11.1.1

        …and dont have the leaky home liability of Auckland, shitloads is being outlaid paying for that mess.

  12. Wayne (a different one) 12

    Congratulations Labour, you have been very successful in wiping considerable value of a New Zealand asset.

    I just can’t wait for the economic package the left are going to roll out for the election campaign. I’m sure it will make rivetting reading – not!

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 12.1

      Have they damaged the dams? Or stopped the flow of wind and water?

      You really need to learn the difference between your wallet and the country.

    • Arfamo 12.2

      Congratulations Labour, you have been very successful in wiping considerable value of a New Zealand asset.

      How do you figure that? The value to everyone was greater before the Natsys decided to put it on the market. The Natsys devalued it.

    • tracey 12.3

      The market has done that. You forget some people just made a BIG profit in a few days. Those who bought at issue price, sold when it went high, pocketed the profit and will probably buy back in near the current price. They can do that because unlike the mums and dads (fictional) with $2000 worth of shares the $60 brokerage fee meant doing the same thing was of no benefit to them. Funny how it favoured the people from the PM’s former “profession”.

      Interestingly, no release from the Government as to how many oft he expressions of interest were fictional names…

  13. Mr Interest 13

    ENERGY SECURITY

    NZ Sells off renewable energy producing Assets and makes more roads (i.e. oil dependent)

    cf

    America invests heavily in developing an Energy Security Trust (go the yanks….)

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/03/15/what-you-need-know-about-energy-security-trust

    Quote:

    “America’s scientists are a national treasure. Every day, idea by idea, innovation by innovation, they are developing new technology that will help secure our energy future. If we want to keep moving forward, we need scientists to keep inventing and innovating, to keep unlocking new solutions and pushing new breakthroughs.

    In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to create an Energy Security Trust Fund, which would free American families and business from painful spikes in gas prices. The President’s plan builds on an idea that has bipartisan support from experts including retired admirals and generals and leading CEOs, and it focuses on one goal: shifting America’s cars and trucks off oil entirely.

    So how does it work? The Energy Security Trust will invest in research that will make future technologies cheaper and better – it will fund the advances that will allow us to run cars and trucks on electricity or homegrown fuels, and on the technology that will enable us to drive from coast-to-coast without a drop of oil.”

    So we as a small nation flog off our best energy producing assets…. an opportunity lost….. (we can leverage off the future technology from the above research). Oh no that’s right…. some investor will.

    The game is changings

  14. Wayne (a different one) 14

    And what of the 1 million plus people who have invested their ‘hard earned’ money in Kiwisaver – so you say to them – ‘tough’, your investment has just gone backwards.

    All courtesay of some mis-guided Labour loonies.

    And to you knucklehead – you just have no grasp economics, but then thats pretty typical of the left.

    In fact, you’re a bloody economic tragic, given you’re comments.

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 14.1

      Coming from a right whinger that’s a compliment.

      Hysterical abuse where an argument belongs – “loonies” – is pretty typical of the right.

      I note that Contact Energy shares (after an initial gain) went down before they went up. Was that Labour’s fault too?

      PS: If the Green/Labour policy announcement put the fear into the maggots as you assert, I hope there’s more where that came from, because you people have spent thirty years too many pushing your incompetent tripe.

      Two words: Thomas Herndon.

    • Colonial Viper 14.2

      Wayne – this should teach people to put their hard earned money in the hands of grubby little financiers and profiteers.

    • Arfamo 14.3

      The situation wouldn’t even exist if National hadn’t created it. Stop crying.

    • RJL 14.4

      …who have invested their ‘hard earned’ money in Kiwisaver…

      That would be a decision made by the fund managers of the various Kiwisaver schemes.

      A large fund could have made a high risk investment for short-term gain, in which case they’ve probably been and gone and already dumped their stock when the prices was around $2.60 (or higher).

      Alternatively, a large fund could be investing for the long haul, for dividend pay-back (and possibly long-term stock price growth). In which case the stock price right now is largely irrelevant — and it is in fact better to be lower, so that the fund can buy more shares now.

      In either case, the fund managers would have done their numbers and managed their risk appropriately. If the fund managers are competent, there should not be any significant disasters.

    • tracey 14.5

      They didnt have to buy, remember they paid for their shares AFTER Labour and the Greens indicated they might change the legislation if elected. It was good they gave people a “heads up”.

      Did you think investing int he stock market was a bubble free of any influences Wayne? This grasp of economics you speak of Wayne, is it the economics that leads to banks being bailed out or stockmarkets crashing?

      Panicking about a short term fluctuation in stock prices exposes your economic ignorance Wayne.

  15. The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 15

    If the price is tanking, maybe we should sell the rest of the shares.

    • freedom 15.1

      OleOle, to almost any other commenter, I would suggest you forgot the sarc tag
      sadly you are being as straight as you know how
      and would like nothing more than the final traces of public ownership to be donated to the troughers

  16. Binders full of viper- women 16

    Holy shit.. that makes me down a whole 400 cents… gotta hurt a RWNJ/ asset thief.

  17. Mark Fletcher 17

    Probably pointless making this comment but here goes.
    Closed today at $2.51 above their issue price in one more day!
    Posting hysterical posts “about a short term fluctuation in stock prices exposes your economic ignorance” Tracey.

  18. Mark Fletcher 18

    You say “They’re interested in shrinking government” what could possibly be wrong with that?
    Or do you want the government to interfere in all aspects of your lives?

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 18.1

      Deep down, I think you know the answer to that, Mark.

    • IrishBill 18.2

      That’s a false binary. I, like most non-ideologues, want a mixed economy in which the government owns and runs essential services that are strategic, have high entry barriers, and tend toward monopoly or cartel behaviour. Electricity is very much in that basket.

      It seems to me you’re quite happy to have private interests interfering in your life but I’m more of a fan of economic sovereignty and democratic accountability.

      And Ole, for your own sake, please don’t immediately suck around the ankles of any new rightie that turns up spouting roarkian drivel – it’s undignified.

      • Saccharomyces 18.2.1

        “want a mixed economy in which the government owns and runs essential services that are strategic, have high entry barriers, and tend toward monopoly or cartel behaviour. Electricity is very much in that basket.”

        And what about the mixed ownership model in place for MRP contradicts this statement? Government still has majority shareholding, and retains control.

        • One Anonymous Knucklehead 18.2.1.1

          “…retains control…”

          Link to the last time this ignorant garbage was debunked.

          We need better wingnuts.

          • Saccharomyces 18.2.1.1.1

            Thanks for that!

            Shit, might as well sell them off completely then!

            • One Anonymous Knucklehead 18.2.1.1.1.1

              See IrishBill’s comment above. The one you claimed meant the govt. “retains control”. The key words are “essential” and “strategic”.

              “Essential” means you must have it.

              “Strategic” means it is part of a big plan.

              I hope that makes it easier for you to grasp.

        • Colonial Viper 18.2.1.2

          And what about the mixed ownership model in place for MRP contradicts this statement? Government still has majority shareholding, and retains control.

          Because its just shifted control and ownership of even more core economic infrastructure to the private sector.

          Guess it’ll just have to be shifted back over time.

        • prism 18.2.1.3

          IB 😀

      • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 18.2.2

        ..and I’m all about the dignity.

  19. SomeSuch 19

    “And if the billions are there, where are they coming from?”

    Collectively NZ households have $115b in deposits with registered banks. In total they collectively have $240b in financial assets, with a net $48b of financial wealth. On top of this financial wealth, NZers have around $442b in net housing equity. Household disposable income is approximately $132b p.a. In other words NZ households have billions that could be allocated to purchasing equities in M.O.M should the investments stack up against other alternative uses.

    http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/monfin/c18/download.html

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  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet


    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te PokapĆ« Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

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