5 Eyes’ cyberwarfare: Snowden

Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, February 9th, 2014 - 60 comments
Categories: blogs, democracy under attack, news, spin, Spying, uk politics, us politics - Tags:

I picked up on this via a tweet doing the rounds this morning, originating with one from Glenn Greenwald.   The focus is a slideshow leaked by Edward Snowden used for a top secret spy conference in 2012. The tweet claims this indicates implicates involvement of all the 5 Eyes branches, meaning it includes the GCSB.

While the techniques of cyber warfare were particularly used against the group anonymous, the use of blogs for circulation of (mis)information could be used against any online group/blog. [Edit: the attacks on Anonymous are indicated in another slideshow amongst the Snowden documents on the NBC site; also reported on in an NBC article part written by Greenwald, as mentioned in this BBC article]

The NBC News investigation reports on the GCHQ leaked documents:

Both PowerPoint presentations describe “Effects” campaigns that are broadly divided into two categories: cyber attacks and propaganda operations. The propaganda campaigns use deception, mass messaging and “pushing stories” via Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube. JTRIG [Joint Threat Research and Intelligence Group] also uses “false flag” operations, in which British agents carry out online actions that are designed to look like they were performed by one of Britain’s adversaries.

The documents indicate well planned efforts to manipulate journalists and spread misinformation through the news media.

The 2010 presentation also describes another potential operation that would utilize a technique called “credential harvesting” to select journalists who could be used to spread information. According to intelligence sources, spies considered using electronic snooping to identify non-British journalists who would then be manipulated to feed information to the target of a covert campaign. Apparently, the journalist’s job would provide access to the targeted individual, perhaps for an interview. The documents do not specify whether the journalists would be aware or unaware that they were being used to funnel information.

The executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Joel Simon, said that the revelation about “credential harvesting” should serve as a “wake up call” to journalists that intelligence agencies can monitor their communications. Simon also said that governments put all journalists at risk when they use even one for an intelligence operation.

“All journalists generally are then vulnerable to the charge that they work at the behest of an intelligence agency,” said Simon.

The journalist operation was never put into action, according to sources, but other techniques described in the documents, like the Ambassadors Reception computer virus and the jamming of phones and computers, have definitely been used to attack adversaries.

Most of the targets seem to be those outside the 5 Eyes countries (although it does make it look like English language countries targeting the rest of the world).  However, given the shift in the GCSB’s focus from physical threats to “economic” threats, there’s no telling where such methods have been used since the slideshows of 2010 and 2012.

 

 

60 comments on “5 Eyes’ cyberwarfare: Snowden ”

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  1. One Anonymous Bloke 1
    9 February 2014 at 9:29 am

    Certainly makes the Assange honey-trap theory more plausible.

    PS: I see Peter Aranyi at the Paepae has reached the same conclusion.

    • Disraeli Gladstone 1.1
      9 February 2014 at 10:39 am

      Yes, let’s dismiss the possibility of sexual assault because we all love Julian Assange.

      Fuck. It’s like the wake-up call concerning sexual violence and the Roastbusters didn’t happen. Can we not dismiss the voices of the potential victims just because we like the potential offender?

      • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1.1
        9 February 2014 at 10:46 am

        Um, nope, I didn’t say any of that, and I still think Assange should go and face the charges against him.

      • Chooky 1.1.2
        9 February 2014 at 12:28 pm

        @ Disraeli Gladstone…was it really “sexual assault”?….seemed more like a trumped up charge of ‘refusing’ to wear a condom…

        (for what it is worth……imo Assange is innocent … having watched the documentaries carefully on him …..and of course they were out to get him!…for sure he was naive to have sexual relations with unknown women in his political situation( if i recall correctly one of those women had connections with the CIA?) …….and i dont blame him for not wanting to face the charges if they were trumped up in the first place )

    • Anne 1.2
      9 February 2014 at 1:05 pm

      Certainly makes the Assange honey-trap theory more plausible.

      Very plausible. Suspected as much when the story of his assignations and the subsequent complaints became public. Someone I used to know tried to set me up – albeit in a different way and for different reasons of course- so I know how easy it can be to fall into a trap.

  2. andy (the other one) 2
    9 February 2014 at 9:49 am

    Key & GCSB are running a hard propaganda campaign about our 5 Eyes involvement and Dot Com.

    GCSB aged out Dotcom data, really! A major case and figure in NZ and you accidentally aged off the data, too cute. Sorry they are not that incompetent.

    I think there is a link between Snowden conspicuously having not released anything about New Zealands involvement in 5 eyes activities, and the DotCom saga here.

    Snowden has released damaging info on 4 of the 5 eyes partners, why not us? Key has already tried to front foot this issue, by claiming to know what will eventually come out, and he pre primes the pump by mentioning Fiji and the Pacific.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9694172/Key-knows-Snowdens-info

    I think Snowden is holding back info to double down on the disaster that is the Dotcom case. Snowden started leaking June 2013, had all other partners done by December. Dotcom was due befor the courts in April, subsequently moved out to July (I think).

    Check this timeline, we are noticeable in absence of any leaks.

    http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/multimedia/timeline-edward-snowden-revelations.html

    DotCom has shown that he is very capable of embarrassing our Government and its Agencies, I would say he the ability to reach out to Snowden to create a Big Bang of a leak.

    Note: its a bit of a conspiracy theory, but all this stuff is to weird for it not to be interlinked. Yes Man landed on the moon and chem trails are not a thing….

    • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1
      9 February 2014 at 10:11 am

      It could also be explained by Snowden releasing the stuff in order of juiciness and us not having done anything that juicy.

      Dotcom said he could prove Key lied before Snowden broke cover, didn’t he?

      • Jim in Tokyo 2.1.1
        9 February 2014 at 3:53 pm

        Snowden has claimed several times that he is no longer in possession of the documents and insists that they were all turned over to partnered journalists before he stepped on the plane to Russia. If we take Snowden and Greenwald at their word, then it is not accurate to say that Snowden is the one dictating the pace or focus of the revelations.

        So we might hazard a guess and conclude that either NZ journalists are still waiting in line to receive relevant vetted info from first-tier journos like Greenwald, or alternatively NZ investigative journos (I’m think of one in particular!) might already have the relevant documents and are playing the long game.

        If the documents have made it to NZ, then any delay could be simply in order to work up background and verify the stories (ie responsible journalism). Alternatively, the plan might be to feed Key more rope, a strategy that’s worked pretty well in the US. Or possibly someone with a solid understanding of the local situation is holding the story back to create maximum impact and political havoc by timing revelations with the either the KDC extradition hearings and / or the election.

        In any case it’s going to be fascinating to see how the local media handle this. In Australia, Abbott has gone ballistic and essentially threatened to de-fund the ABC for ‘unaustralian behaviour’ as punishment for breaking the Indonesian Spying story based on Snowden material…

    • Anne 2.2
      9 February 2014 at 10:54 am

      Didn’t Dotcom admit later last year that he had been in communication with Snowden? I recollect a journalist asking him and he said “yes” or words meaning the same thing.

      I think it was John Key who brought up the subject of Dotcom when answering questions on any potential security leaks the other day. He would have a broad idea what’s in the leaked docos, but he won’t have the details and therein might lie a very interesting story. I almost have the impression he’s trying to dampen down hot-spots in advance which suggests he’s far more worried than he claims!

      • One Anonymous Bloke 2.2.1
        9 February 2014 at 11:00 am

        Dotcom said he had proof in Nov., 2012. Snowden didn’t jump until May 2013.

        • Anne 2.2.1.1
          9 February 2014 at 12:55 pm

          OAK
          Yes. That’s my memory too, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been a communication (or two) between Dotcom and Snowden since May 2013. The proof Dotcom was originally talking about would have come from a different source.

      • veutoviper 2.2.2
        9 February 2014 at 11:25 am

        “I almost have the impression he’s trying to dampen down hot-spots in advance which suggests he’s far more worried than he claims!”

        That is my impression also, Anne.

        Re your comment Dotcom being in touch with Snowden, “admit” is probably not the right word (not a criticism!). From memory, Dotcom has been very open on Twitter for a long time of his support for Snowden and has given the impression that there has been communication. Whether that was directly between the two or indirectly through intermediaries (eg lawyers etc) is unclear.

    • Chooky 2.3
      9 February 2014 at 12:34 pm

      thanks andy ( the other)…. that second link is a real eye opener!

      http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/multimedia/timeline-edward-snowden-revelations.html

      at least they cant get into your brain yet …….. and us chooks can still go away and have a private gossip in the bushes

  3. greywarbler 3
    9 February 2014 at 10:15 am

    It’s not WW2, but now we all need to be involved in code breaking in ‘peacetime’. I’m thinking of a good name for a new subdivision.
    Q. Where are you living now? A. Oh Bletchley Park, it’s a nice suburb. But I’ve heard strange things about it. They say a lot of spooks live there.

  4. Colonial Viper 4
    9 February 2014 at 10:28 am

    1972: CIA reclassifies “political dissidents” as “international terrorists” in order to allow hostile and oppressive programmes to continue.

    Seems like not much has changed.

    http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2014-02-07/1972-cia-director-relabelled-%E2%80%9Cdissidents%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%9Cterrorists%E2%80%9D-so-he-could-continue-s

  5. Tanz 5
    9 February 2014 at 11:22 am

    Key is rich beause he is dishonest, no one makes a fortune like that by being a decent bloke.
    Smiling assassin. He really acts like some sort of barmy king, in my view, our worst PM in all our history, even worse than Muldoon. At least Rob was down to earth and kind.

    • Meg 5.1
      9 February 2014 at 4:03 pm

      Rob Muldoon was a drunk and a very nasty bully/ abusive man.

      To describe him as kind, is outright ignorance of the mans character.

      • RedLogix 5.1.1
        9 February 2014 at 6:45 pm

        Not entirely Meg. Muldoon was a complex character, he could be all those things, a domineering bully with a bad case of short-man’s syndrome – but equally it has to be said that he was a New Zealander at heart. His batch at Orewa (I actually stayed in it for a week one Christmas as a boy) was an exceedingly plain kiwi affair. And while he could be nasty and overweaning, he wasn’t burdened with an entitled sense of arrogance and out of touch with ordinary people.

        It could be said that while Muldoon was good at politics; politics was probably not good for him. He finished up a rather lonely figure, yet he was the last of the old-school conservatives that you could have a beer and a useful conversation with so long as there was mutual respect. He was more than anything else a great Kiwi nationalist.

        It’s not useful to create a cartoonish, one-dimensional caricature of your opponents. That’s always a direct route to fatally underestimating them.

        • Meg 5.1.1.1
          10 February 2014 at 12:20 am

          I disagree completely.

          Even his wife said he was “hard” man to get along with.

          He bullied his mp’s destroyed the countries economy to the point of bankruptcy, was vicious towards his enemies, petty – he was not a nice fellow. I don’t disagree he loved his country, but he was an arrogant, bullying drunk.

    • Naki Man 5.2
      9 February 2014 at 9:27 pm

      “Key is rich because he is dishonest, no one makes a fortune like that by being a decent bloke.”
      It is very obvious that you have no understanding of currency trading at all. You know nothing about the man.This is one of the most pathetic comments I have seen on here.

      • McFlock 5.2.1
        9 February 2014 at 9:37 pm

        his colleagues called him the “smiling assassin” because he was so nice about firing all those people… /sarc

      • srylands 5.2.2
        9 February 2014 at 9:48 pm

        “no one makes a fortune like that by being a decent bloke.”

        Right so only “bad” people make lots of money? Fascinating world view you have.

        • RedLogix 5.2.2.1
          9 February 2014 at 9:58 pm

          A close and very trusted friend of mine has been a lawyer most of his life. He’s definitely not your usual lawyer stereotype – suffice to say his advice to me was “the bigger you are, the bigger the skeleton in your closet”. Direct quote.

          Now I’m happy to say that I have also had the privilege of working for or knowing some people who have very definitely earned their good fortune, but there is no doubt in my mind that the vast majority of people you see occupying the over-sized heaps in the flash burbs got there by dint of some dodge.

          Or exploitation of some social or legal privilege. Or tax rort. Or they really are drug dealers….of one sort or another.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 5.2.2.2
          10 February 2014 at 7:27 am

          Trust the clueless to not have a clue

          While [clueless wingnut bigots] stereotypes suggest that poor people are more likely to lie and steal, new research finds that it’s actually the wealthy who tend to behave unethically. In a series of experiments — involving everything from dangerous driving to lying in job negotiations and cheating to get a prize — researchers found that, across the board, richer people behaved worse. But, rather than class itself, the authors suggest that it’s views about greed that may largely explain the difference.

          .

        • tricledrown 5.2.2.3
          10 February 2014 at 10:32 am

          5pylands.
          Libor was underway when john Key was in charge of money trading at Merrill Lynch ,Irelands branch of Merrill Lynch was closely alifned and involved in the hugefraud perpetrated on Ireland by Merrill Lynch.
          Spylands Merrill Lynch’s Ponzi scheme of printing $38 dollars for every dollar on deposit.
          Was in place and centered on the currency trading army of Merrill Lynch when John Key was in charge.

  6. Tanz 6
    9 February 2014 at 11:25 am

    wrong post, that was meant for the welfare fraudsters post, sorry.

    • Chooky 6.1
      9 February 2014 at 12:46 pm

      lol….got your point though

      Rob was a wee bit of a socialist ….certainly not a Neo Lib…the last in the National Party of NZ for NZers ( Winnie is true to this tradition)…wasn’t too good over the Springbok Tour and could get a bit mean when on the Gin….

      • freedom 6.1.1
        9 February 2014 at 1:27 pm

        To this day I [naively?] believe Rob Muldoon was working for the betterment of New Zealand as a whole, and was not focused as John Key openly is, on the profit margins of multi-national interests.

        • Anne 6.1.1.1
          9 February 2014 at 3:21 pm

          No, he wasn’t focused on neo-lib or multi-national interests, but as a 26 year old Muldoon told my father he was going to be Prime Minister one day. He said it with such determination my father smartly scuttled out of his way. He was focused on power and that came before everything. If, in the course of having power, he did something that was going to be for the betterment of NZ that would be a bonus. In my view his most notable achievement was the CER agreement with Australia.

        • Tanz 6.1.1.2
          9 February 2014 at 4:05 pm

          Well said. I so agree with that. Key cares not one jot for the welfare of Kiwis or for New Zealand as a whole. Self interested and full of himself. Surely the voting public are waking up to him, at last. Surely. The fawning MSM are a problem.

  7. Bill 7
    9 February 2014 at 11:42 am

    I don’t mean to appear to be nitpicking.

    But NBC saying they had previously released documents showing that JTRIG had targeted ‘Anonymous’ can’t be said to mean that the techniques of cyber warfare were particularly used against the group anonymous...

    I’d actually be quite surprised if that was the case.

    • weka 7.1
      9 February 2014 at 4:52 pm

      How do you mean?

      • Bill 7.1.1
        9 February 2014 at 5:01 pm

        First sentence in the second paragraph of the post (italics in previous comment) doesn’t appear to be based on any evidence or claim.

        • karol 7.1.1.1
          9 February 2014 at 5:34 pm

          Bill I was this morning also looking at a BBC report on the same slideshow. They particularly focused on the DDOS attack on Anonymous, and linked it with info in the slidesshow on the NBC site. I thought there was enough in the NBC link to indicate that.

          The BBC article:

          Documents from the whistle-blower published by NBC indicate UK cyberspies used a denial of service attack (DoS) in 2011 to force a chatroom used by the Anonymous collective offline.

          A link to the slide show is embedded in this part of the article.

          Further down the BBC article says this:

          The latest documents are published alongside an article part-written by Glenn Greenwald.

          The last extract links to this article part written by Greenwald

          :

          A secret British spy unit created to mount cyber attacks on Britain’s enemies has waged war on the hacktivists of Anonymous and LulzSec, according to documents taken from the National Security Agency by Edward Snowden and obtained by NBC News.

          The blunt instrument the spy unit used to target hackers, however, also interrupted the web communications of political dissidents who did not engage in any illegal hacking. It may also have shut down websites with no connection to Anonymous.

          According to the documents, a division of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the British counterpart of the NSA, shut down communications among Anonymous hacktivists by launching a “denial of service” (DDOS) attack – the same technique hackers use to take down bank, retail and government websites – making the British government the first Western government known to have conducted such an attack.

          Edit: Actually, the hacktivist/Anonymous slideshow is differnt from the cyber-offensive one. But both are ont he NBC site about the Snowden documents. My mistake – apologies. Added an edit to the post on this.

          • Bill 7.1.1.1.1
            9 February 2014 at 7:24 pm

            I know the leaks referred to Anonymous being targeted. My point is that nothing in the links indicates that they were the principle/main target – which is what I read your sentence as stating.

            • karol 7.1.1.1.1.1
              9 February 2014 at 7:36 pm

              OK. I understand. I think I probably meant notably or significantly in using “particularly”. I guess, I was following the reports that focused quite a bit on the targeting of Anonymous. The slideshow on cyper-offensives, focused more on the targeting of non-5 Eyes countries, especially Afghanistan.

              I mentioned Anonymous because that is getting to look more like the use of cyberwarfare on opponents closer to home.

              I’ll strike out the word particularly.

              • weka …
                9 February 2014 at 9:35 pm

                I was confused by Bill’s comment. I didn’t take ‘particularly’ to mean primarily. I just took it to mean of note (given who Anonymous are). I can see the ambiguity too though.

  8. blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) 8
    9 February 2014 at 11:56 am

    @ Karol

    A correction is required: The short description in the main page of The Standard for this article refers to ‘Eric’ Snowden.

    • karol 8.1
      9 February 2014 at 5:20 pm

      Thanks, bl. Goodness knows where “Eric” came from. Tried correcting it from little tablet in a work break – and still it was wrong (“Eward”) Fixed now. My tablet is too fiddley for editing posts.

  9. tricledrown 9
    9 February 2014 at 12:18 pm

    5 eyed fuckwits liks shitlands not commenting on his employer funny that.
    Key and Cronies are part of 5 eyes they are undermining denocracy in our country bringing us back to economic feudalism.
    If your not a billionaire you don ,t count .
    Their job is to suckin as many middle class mugs into their lair.
    And disenfrachise the poor completely.

    Favorite line is they don,t know real poverty.
    Yet our Prime minister was a product of the once worlds best welfare system.
    Now he is just another very dangerous 5 eyed liar
    Who is trying to put together a 5 headed monster to get back into power at any cost means fair but mainly foul.

    • srylands 9.1
      9 February 2014 at 9:45 pm

      I understood precisely zero % of that rant.

      • Paul 9.1.1
        9 February 2014 at 9:46 pm

        Then go away.

        • srylands 9.1.1.1
          9 February 2014 at 9:50 pm

          I just showed it to 3 people and none of them understood it either. “The job is to suckin as many…”

          Really?

          • srylands 9.1.1.1.1
            9 February 2014 at 9:50 pm

            “a five eyed liar”?

            • tricledrown 9.1.1.1.1.1
              10 February 2014 at 10:46 am

              5pylands so self discriptive you must have pressed the wrong button.
              Your job discryption is to demoralize disrupt distract cynically.
              Sorrylands
              You are failing in your job so sack yourself their are plenty of better paying jobs in panty wasterland.

          • Paul 9.1.1.1.2
            9 February 2014 at 9:53 pm

            Must be at the same iq level as yourself.
            You’re on the wrong site. You need to be able to form a coherent argument backed up by evidence, not a repetitive line of puerile drivel.

          • Murray Olsen 9.1.1.1.3
            9 February 2014 at 10:34 pm

            Four of you not being able to understand it despite your joint application of intellect suggests that while it takes more than one swallow to make a summer, four idiots will never make one semi-intelligent being.

  10. fambo 10
    9 February 2014 at 9:44 pm

    Good point by Jim in Tokyo. It’s extremely unlikely Snowden would be in a position to act freely now he is in Russia. At the very least he would be under constant survelliance (ironic). He would no doubt have understood this before he went there. So he likely ha a proxy acting on his behalf outside Russia or is being allowed to act on his own initiative under their watchful eye.

  11. tricledrown 11
    10 February 2014 at 9:49 am

    suckitup shitlands Go back to spyland 5 eyed fuckwit.

    [lprent: That is pointless abuse. Don’t repeat it. ]

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    However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)

    Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?

    Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Inside the public service

    In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them

    This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Where ever do they find these people?

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939.  How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Motorway madness

    How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

    And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell

    Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    7 days ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live at 5pm

    Photo by Jenny Bess on UnsplashCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with special guests:5.00 pm - 5.10 pm - Bernard and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 week ago

  • New Bill to crack down on youth vaping

    The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping.  “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have welcomed interest in the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The review by the Ministry for Regulation is looking at how to speed up the process to get farmers and growers access to the safe, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Bill to allow online charity lotteries passes first reading

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is moving at pace to ensure lotteries for charitable purposes are allowed to operate online permanently. Charities fundraising online, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and local hospices will continue to do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Tax exempt threshold changes to benefit startups

    Technology companies are among the startups which will benefit from increases to current thresholds of exempt employee share schemes, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Revenue Minister Simon Watts say. Tax exempt thresholds for the schemes are increasing as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

    The path to faster cancer treatment, an increase in immunisation rates, shorter stays in emergency departments and quick assessment and treatments when you are sick has been laid out today. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has revealed details of how the ambitious health targets the Government has set will be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

    The coalition Government is delivering targeted and structured literacy supports to accelerate learning for struggling readers. From Term 1 2025, $33 million of funding for Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support will be reprioritised to interventions which align with structured approaches to teaching. “Structured literacy will change the way children ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government welcomes findings of NZ Superannuation Fund review

    The Government has welcomed the findings of the recent statutory review into the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. The 5-yearly review, conducted on behalf of Treasury and tabled in Parliament today, found the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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