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A belated congratulations

Written By: - Date published: 3:54 pm, May 26th, 2018 - 22 comments
Categories: greens, labour, public services - Tags: , , , , , , , ,

It’s finally happened.

I know I have been harsh on Minister Clare Curran, but she’s actually done something positive, in her portfolio, that might achieve something tangible domestically, however small, and I confess to being just a little bit excited. I am harsh because I genuinely care about the portfolios she has being treated well and delivering for us all, and this is the first news I actually feel like she’s broadly on the right track and has done something substantive.

Together with Greens co-leader and in this case more relevantly, Statistics Minister James Shaw, she has set up a stocktake and review of all government algorithms. I offer no conclusions on who led the initiative, and frankly it doesn’t bother me if it gets claimed jointly even if it was Shaw’s idea- Curran has clearly bought into it either way. This may sound like a technical and bureaucratic change, and in some ways it is, but remember, that dumb Immigration NZ fiasco all came about because a half-arsed spreadsheet model started going into actual use, with no auditing, and no advance transparency of how INZ planned to automate decisions, or internal justification of why or how a spreadsheet model would be an appropriate basis for decision-making, and we probably only ended up stopping it because Golriz speaking out about it embarrassed the government into having another look. Proper automation as a starting point for making decisions, with human review by relevant staff who will be expected to explain why or why not they followed the algorithm’s recommendation in their relevant file notes, can be a good thing.

But only where the model is robust, itself free of both explicit and implicit discriminatory factors, (thus acting to reduce discrimination by making the model’s decision the baseline case for humans to check against) and if the algorithm for the decision is publicly available for free critique, such algorithms can reduce bias, increase consistency, cut red tape, and lower complaint rates when utilized strategically.

Here’s a summary of the salient points:

  • The review defines an algorithm as: “when computer programs search for patterns in relevant data, to help model potential outcomes that could occur given different circumstances.”
  • Stage 1 will finish in August.
  • It is intended to increase transparency and accountability of data usage.
  • It will develop new guidelines for government agencies, setting a consistent standard.

Reviewing all automated decision-making and data analysis throughout government is an excellent step in deconstructing National’s failed social investment model, already embedded in many of the Ministries in the worst state after the last Government, and is clearly necessary to ensure we don’t have any more departments going rogue in how they make decisions.

The definition above is a reasonable starting point, although it ought to explicitly include scripts used inside documents and webpages, so that all departments are clear that spreadsheets or internal websites can be models or contain algorithms with decision-making or advisory powers. Galloway got in trouble precisely because he thought he could get away with claiming that a script is not a “real” program, as if using something you regarded so dismissively was somehow better. In fact programs themselves are nothing more than large chains of scripts, possibly with some user interface thrown in to pad the user from all of the maths and simplify their tasks down a little bit.

I like the goals they’ve included, but I do think there’s an obvious one missing: Why not commit to making all algorithms used in modelling for decision-making publicly available at a deadline to be determined? Ministerial algorithms are going to become something a lot like sub-laws going forward, where they will govern the expected way certain government departments act. I expect Shaw is already onto this with Stats as-is, of course, but Curran can get the rest of government set on the right track.

On this subject, I helped with the design of a calculation spreadsheet for EQC small-claims cash settlement during my time there, (and many other sheets to model or report information that was pertinent to management, rather than customers) and even though it was a spreadsheet we treated the thing very seriously and even had to get managerial sign-off for it afterwards despite them commissioning it in the first place, because we knew if we made any mistakes or left anything relevant out of the spreadsheet, it would potentially guide people into making incorrect decisions. (We still constructed at least a good four or five revisions of that spreadsheet afterwards in my time there, of course, as policy evolved, new needs emerged, or we simply found assumptions being made that real-world claims would break) That is how all design of government algorithms should be approached, and it’s not unreasonable for people to know the maths behind how their decision was made where such a thing applies, (at least so long as that maths doesn’t fall squarely into one of the deniable OIA categories, such as National Security or economic sensitivity) and we would expect under the OIA principle of gradually expanding openness that we will increase the sorts of information released under the OIA or proactively over time anyway, so this is really just getting the public sector’s legal obligations out of the way on the front foot.

And if the objection is around writing a briefing on all of those algorithms… well, if us “techwizards” can’t explain it to ordinary people to some meaningful degree, (which we should be doing anyway for the decision-making type of algorithm, because they need managerial approval) honestly, we probably don’t understand it ourselves well enough to use it to be making decisions.

So, my sincere congratulations to Minister Curran: I hope to see more positive initiatives in the future, and I hope to see positive results on this soon.

22 comments on “A belated congratulations ”

  1. OnceWasTim 1

    @ Mathew.
    I well remember that “dumb” immigration algorithm, and there’s no doubt there are many others spread across our civil service.
    The depressing thing is that those that designed and implemented it see no wrong in having done so. Along with a review, there needs to be a cultural change – whether that’s done by way of the existing framework (such as bloody purchase agreements and KPIs), or whether it’s by way of a complete review a state agencies and the way they operate (or don’t operate)
    Simply reviewing the algorithmic approach is not actually enough. (see OM 1.3 and below)

    • Matthew Whitehead 1.1

      I don’t disagree, which is why you’ll note I say we need humans checking algorithmic results every single time and justifying why they are either appropriate or inappropriate. 🙂

      Over-emphasis on KPIs is indeed insidious. A person who does excellent work but is behind KPI may not improve their work by speeding up, and may be a much better employee than one who meets or smashes KPIs but makes frequent mistakes or causes unnecessary friction within your organization.

      • OnceWasTim 1.1.1

        Ae. In full agreement – it’s just that despite all the evidence, we never seem to learn.

        I’d almost put money on MPI (and MoBIE and WINZ for that matter) having met most of their KPI’s

        Btw, I’ll reread when I find my bloody specs

      • Nic the NZer 1.1.2

        “I don’t disagree, which is why you’ll note I say we need humans checking algorithmic results every single time and justifying why they are either appropriate or inappropriate.”

        I think this is idea runs into a bit of trouble, and would put it differently. First of all we should note that an algorithm does not require a computer. Its just a series of steps (maybe on some data or parameters) to produce a particular result (the result may be as simple as a yes/no answer).

        Probably a reasonable way for the review to conclude is to require algorithms which the government uses to make decisions should be made available to members of the public where an algorithmic decision has been applied to them and that should include the data and parameters required to re-produce the algorithms decision in their circumstances. So concretely, if WINZ denies somebody support they should know when they were denied support due to their income being too high the person should know what income is too high and how much income WINZ believes they received.

        Algorithms implemented on computers can have bugs, hopefully the examples of this are rare and negligible. The problem here is if your algorithm produces some incorrect answers and in those circumstances you expect to detect that and use a wider decision making process then in that case you are simply making a more general algorithm of the same problem. It still matters that there are rules which can be followed in place to make these decisions however. But the staff making decisions still need some framework of rules to decide how they will make decisions even when they don’t have a simple and strict framework of rules to follow.

        Maybe the review could conclude something like a requirement that government algorithms producing a decision should always conclude one one of three cases, Yes/No and Don’t Know. Where the third case indicates that the algorithm did not have sufficient information to conclude Yes or No and conversely Yes and No can only be concluded for examples where the algorithm has enough information to make a decision. Higher level human intervention would happen in the Don’t Know cases, if the algorithm was initially not involving a human then this may be when the case is handed up to a higher level manager.

        The other problem with getting these results is if your algorithm involves a statistical model which is aggregated from data it loses all connection to the real world (statistical mathematical models can’t be proven to be good models of the real world by statistics). A statistical model will have trouble meeting the Don’t Know criteria above (it will always produce a Yes or No answer but if that’s wrong we will have no way to detect that from how its produced), and also the parameters criteria (which could be to some extent mitigated by gathering the statistics and then publishing the aggregates of those so people can find out which category they have been placed inside). This should severely limit the use of such statistical algorithms in government departments. On the other hand I was extremely skeptical of the value of the Social Investment/Big Data initiative amounting to anything of value due to the built in reliance on statistical models.

        • Incognito 1.1.2.1

          Nice comments.

          What do you mean by “[A] statistical model will have trouble meeting the Don’t Know criteria above (it will always produce a Yes or No answer …”?

          Many models put out p-values or (other) coefficients; these can be turned into a simplistic decision-making rubric such as the one you describe, e.g. by using the traffic-light system (Green=Yes; Red=No; Orange=Don’t Know).

          All models need validation/calibration – think of all the red-light cameras that are not operational; they work through algorithms too.

          The description (‘definition’) of “algorithm” used in the Government announcement as pattern recognition does not equate directly to decision-making IMO. For example, in weather forecast big data are analysed in order to make a forecast (e.g. 30% probability of a heavy storm/hurricane that could cause widespread or local damage and/or flooding); it’s up to the people to then plan accordingly and make decisions based on that forecast.

          I believe that Curran and Shaw either don’t have a good idea of what they’re tackling or that the review will be much more limited (‘focussed’) in the terms of reference & scope than one would think (and hope for!).

          • Nic the NZer 1.1.2.1.1

            “What do you mean by” …

            “Many models put out p-values or (other) coefficients; these can be turned into a simplistic decision-making rubric such as the one you describe”

            It’s a bit more fundamental than p-values. Maybe you can use them to some extent to point out the cases which need further review over a decision. But fundamentally a statistical algorithm can never bridge the gap from known cases to the future cases where it’s invalid (maybe even the statistical model never was valid).

            To use a weather forecasting example, maybe my forecast (for some place) says its going to rain 50% of the days over winter. That is my forecast every day has a 50% chance of rain, its based of last winter when half of the days it rained at that location. But this winter it rained 70% of the days. My forecast was wrong by on average 20% (e.g I estimate how wrong it was by averaging (1 – 0.5) when it rained and (0 – 0.5) when it didn’t rain and I was off by 0.2. So the question is, was my model wrong or was I just unlucky?

            Yes, my forecast model here is a very very simplified one based on only a climatology, however these issues still apply to more sophisticated examples. Also I am just saying this can’t be judged from statistics alone, a strong realistic model informed by scientific understanding can draw often answer the above question.

            I also think if they manage to get too clear a definition of algorithm for the review then the conclusions will just become obvious, the government should by and large stop doing it all together. This is because not only can’t the question above “was my model wrong or was I just unlucky” not be answered. Further all the social science models of human behaviour falling out won’t be described otherwise than hopelessly naive and un-realistic.

      • OnceWasTim 1.1.3

        Ekshully @ Mathew, have a listen (or maybe you’ll have listened) to a couple of things on RNZ Sunday Morning today 27/5.
        The first: Media Watch dealing with AI and media, the second,
        Jeremy Heimans: the power of new power.
        http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018646179/ai-and-the-media-coming-ready-or-not
        Jeremy Heimans, not yet up
        QI.
        In a political sense – issues around representation and accountbility, and on a human level – human agency and its place in future

        • Nic the NZer 1.1.3.1

          That’s somewhat interesting but I think shows something about what AI means in more old school terms. Its generally just applying a statistical categorization to data, so if its applied to people it’s putting them in categories.

          Sometimes there is an extrapolation mechanism where other members of those categories can be generated from the categorization mechanism. This is how further Mike Hosking esque editorials can be created by AI. But relevantly there has been a history of Mike Hosking esque pieces being generated in the media already, that segment was known as ‘Like Mike’ by Jeremy Wells. Called correctly that kind of piece is known as an impersonation, or maybe a parody.

          The limitations of this should be somewhat obvious however. There as simply things which can’t be captured by a correct categorization of what is being dealt with. So (referring specifically to the INZ example) if you can’t determine, if a particular case will cause harm in NZ, should they not be deported, based on their country of origin and other factors (which you can’t) then this kind of application will always be quite problematic. In a best case, you might be able to accurately estimate the likely-hood that a particular case will cause harm in NZ, should they not be deported, based on their country of origin and other factors. But in fact all we can actually know is the rate of recorded incidents, where harm has been caused in NZ, after particular cases have not been deported based on their country of origin and other factors. This will always be open to accusations of racial profiling because that is what it is.

          Actually in the specific INZ case it seems they didn’t even get that right and effectively just made up the rate and assumed it was correct as a likely-hood estimate. The INZ thing on the other hand looks more like plain discrimination than racial profiling, because they never got far enough into the data to do racial profiling.

  2. Philg 2

    Why do I feel so underwhelmed by this? Sounds like algorithms are the way decisions will be made. Does this apply to medical procedures and end of life treatment? In Algos we trust?

    • Matthew Whitehead 2.1

      Let me put it this way:

      The government was already experimenting with this under National. Right now we have algorithms used in government, some of them that no expert has ever gotten eyes on, and the only thing they have to do is not breach existing legislation and we’ll most likely never hear about them.

      This review will dig all of them up and the government will consider all of them together, and develop guidelines for what’s acceptable and what’s not. If done properly, this could be a huge win, and essentially the start of overturning the “social investment” (ie. we target people through algorithms and statistics in the most stupid way possible) doctrine in government.

      I agree that we shouldn’t blindly trust algorithms, or spreadsheets, or what have you. They can be used to help remind public sector staff of a good consistent way to make decisions, when they’re well designed. But when it’s time for an actual decision to be made there should always be a human staff member reviewing if the algorithm has gotten everything correct and whether we need to consider another way, either for legal reasons or better public service reasons or just plain because we need to consider other, more humanistic values.

      And no, the End of Life Choice Bill, despite my many problems with it, does not allow for an algorithm to make the decision. It requires reviews by doctors. Those doctors could possibly inform their decisions with algorithms, but that seems unnecessary and unlikely at this point in time.

      The thing to realize is that you’re not going to stop the government from using mathematics and conditional logic to help make its decisions. They’ve been doing so before computers existed. What’s new with modern algorithms is that it’s cheap and the skills are relatively widespread. (An organisation with 100 people in it is likely to have at least one or two people who understand how to do this sort of thing, even if they haven’t specifically hired for it) That’s a given.

      So what’s better is to ask them to be transparent about what their formulas are, when they use them, why, and whether the results are reviewed afterwards. If the public service has to proactively release that information, what’s likely to happen is that people will bring up potential problems with the algorithms in public, debate them, and be able to pressure agencies to change if they’ve made an inappropriate decision- something that’s actually quite hard when policies are concealed or are made according to hidden criteria.

      That said, getting that much information isn’t promised at this stage. I’m all for it, and a couple other people have been advocating for it, but it’ll take more than a few of us talking at Shaw and Curran to get it done, as while Shaw may be onside, I can’t see Labour being too keen about more open government given their record so far this term.

    • Draco T Bastard 2.2

      In Algos we trust?

      Better than trusting feelings.

  3. Incognito 3

    I’m puzzled yet intrigued.

    Looking for patterns is ambiguous. Do they mean they look at data for the presence of absence of expected patterns, i.e. a biased analysis. Or will they have an unbiased look at data to find novel patterns and then figure out whether they are real and what they might mean?

    It goes without saying that algorithms cannot be reviewed without the relevant context, which includes the “relevant data” and the “potential outcomes”. The word “outcome” is yet another ambiguous word. Do they mean “impact” or “ consequence”?

    Whatever the reviewers do, I think they first need to sharpen up the definitions of the terminology.

    This is complex stuff and I’d also love to know how they plan “to give New Zealanders confidence that their data is being used appropriately”; to say “trust us” won’t cut it …

  4. ropata 5

    I fully support Minister Curran’s initiative. Half arsed algorithms can kill.

    It is concerning that spreadsheets are treated as a reliable software tool for implementing business logic. Spreadsheets are not usually subject to the rigorous design/development/testing that is needed to deliver reliable information tech.

    Spreadsheets are a half arsed shortcut, and that leads to shit like Novopay

    • Draco T Bastard 5.1

      Spreadsheets are a half arsed shortcut, and that leads to shit like Novopay

      I suspose that depends upon how much effort went into developing the spreadsheet. Modern spreadsheets are fairly powerful and can do fairly complex stuff if people put the time and effort in.

      Novopay has nothing to do with spreadsheets but poor design and programming by the ‘professional’ software company which was developing it using a database.

    • Matthew Whitehead 5.2

      Spreadsheets are a perfectly reasonable tool for assisting people in doing their maths well, so long as they check their numbers and where they’ve put them. Using a calculator or a webpage is also a shortcut.

      Novopay’s issues were very different to using a spreadsheet, and largely revolved around poor UX and poor compliance in filling out information. (that latter likely being a result of the former)

      What I want is the same level of caution with approving off-the-cuff spreadsheet calculators and models as we use for professionally developed software solitions, where front-line experts and managers review them to make sure that the results are correct and it accounts for the vast majority of cases before it’s approved for usage.

  5. stever 6

    I agree that their algorithms need scrutiny and that they should make them public. But the statement made by the Govt seems confused. (It also falls into the modern, trendy, trap of using the term “AI” to mean only machine learning!!! There’s a lot more to AI, and decades of work on it, than just the area of machine learning.)

    A lot of decisions these days are made using models that are the outputs of machine learning, and though the the machine learning algorithms themselves are standard and algorithmic, the models that they build and which are the things that *actually* get used to identify patterns, make decisions etc. are (and this is the point) not themselves “algorithmic” in the sense of deterministic processes. They are models which classify data–broadly into “yes, this piece of data IS one of these” or “no, it isn’t one of these”…and does it with some calculable error, i.e. we know statistically how often they give the wrong answer. (BTW, getting these models to “explain” their categorisations, rather than merely saying “yes” or “no” is hard, and a focus for research.)

    So, seeing the algorithms in this case misses the point. What we need are the *models that the algorithms build*, the stats around how often they give the wrong answer and so on.

    Will they show us all that too?

    I’m assuming the Govt statement is based on trying to “make things simple” (or perhaps ignorance? I hope not!) but as it is currently worded is misses the main point.

    We don’t need the algorithms that build the decision mechanisms, we need the decisions mechanisms and the data on their reliability.

  6. DB 7

    Spreadsheets sure are getting a bad rap. It’s not the tool, it’s the idiot wielding it.

    I really hope Elon Musk is using his AI think tank to develop AI that ‘outs’ nefarious algorithms. Judging by the way very basic AI devices are already proving to be smart-ass, creepy, racist, and often still working for corporate overlords…

    “Trying to humanise AI and give it more complex tasks [is that] some people end up passing on their subjective views. And the problem of AI bias is nothing new. From 2010, when AI assumed that East Asians were blinking when they smile, to 2015 when Google’s photo service tagged black people as gorillas. In April of this year, Princeton University academics used an algorithm called GLoVe to show how AI can replicate stereotypes in human language.

    Then, in August, research revealed that a selection programme for a UK medical school negatively selected against women and ethnic minority candidates.”

    http://www.wired.co.uk/article/what-happened-in-ai-in-2017

    And then there’s Alexa…

    Spying, reporting, transferring conversation files to contacts… Generally being creepy (corporate design – surprise!). Google it.

    The eggheads have outdone themselves this time. Somewhere, rooms of self-entitled shits who’ve never been laid without their credit cards are writing code to ‘imbue human characteristics’ in AI, namely, to be creepy little wierdos.

    Notice how computers keep updating and adding shit to themselves without your permission, all… the… time… They think they’re entitled to do this. It’s an update! (new apps on desktop too).

    Malicious code, spying code, edging into your conscious uninvited or whatever human rights are infringed upon in code – the employers of coders, and writers of said code should be criminally charged with the offenses. But that’ll never happen because $$. When some corporate shit needs a scapegoat they’ll throw the coders on the fire if and as needed but the clowns in suits will not relent.

    Rebrand and resurface. That’s the corporate way.

    Excellent work by this Government recognizing that inhuman systems need to be vetted. Thoroughly!

    • Matthew Whitehead 7.1

      Yeah, I’m with you that Spreadsheets are getting a bad wrap. The problem with the INZ one was that it was profiling people in ways that are discriminatory with no reasonable evidence. We are told they were overstayers but there was some information that may have been inconsistent with this about visa status. (this could be INZ considering the status of an expired visa ofc, but it’s not 100% clear that was what happened)

      People would probably have liked the EQC one I helped with because it frequently made sure they didn’t have to ask for extra money by ensuring they got their full cash settlement paid correctly, and in one go. Before we instituted it, we had a lot of problems with maths errors in settlement, or leaving out relevant info, that the settlement aid spreadsheet helped them remember to include and check.

      In short, the INZ spreadsheet was a bad tool that couldn’t bare scrutiny. Bringing the algorithms into the daylight by proactively disclosing them would be ideal and make sure we have good tools that can wherever the full maths can be publicly disclosed, but even having good guidelines produced by DIA and Stats in this review will help.

  7. Antoine 8

    Well

    I think its going to be a lot of work and chew up a lot of analyst time, and at the end of the day, people will still be running bad models in dark corners. Or just making decisions off the cuff without modelling support.

    A.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 8.1

      It’ll make it harder for the National Party to justify.

      Minister: “I want to replace this algorithm with one that’s more hateful”.
      Judicial review: “Fuck off Judith”.

    • Matthew Whitehead 8.2

      They might, but if the government has taken reasonable steps to prevent it at least it will be clear who’s at fault when the issue is discovered, and the Minister can reasonably demand that person go.

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  • Westland Milk puts heat on competitors as global dairy demand  remains softer for longer
    Hokitika-based Westland Milk Products  has  put the heat on dairy giant Fonterra with  a $120m profit turnaround in 2022, driven by record sales. Westland paid its suppliers a 10c premium above the forecast Fonterra price per kilo, contributing $535m to the West Coast and Canterbury economies. The dairy ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    2 days ago
  • BRYCE EDWARDS’ Political Roundup:  The Beehive’s revolving door and corporate mateship
    * Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: The Beehive’s revolving door and corporate mateship
    New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public office and becoming lobbyists and ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago
  • A miracle pill for our transport ills
    This is a guest post by accessibility and sustainable transport advocate Tim Adriaansen It originally appeared here.   A friend calls you and asks for your help. They tell you that while out and about nearby, they slipped over and landed arms-first. Now their wrist is swollen, hurting like ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • The Surprising Power of Floating Wind Turbines
    Floating offshore wind turbines offer incredible opportunities to capture powerful winds far out at sea. By unlocking this wind energy potential, they could be a key weapon in our arsenal in the fight against climate change. But how developed are these climate fighting clean energy giants? And why do I ...
    2 days ago
  • The next Maori challenge
    Over the past two or three weeks, a procession of Maori iwi and hapu in a series of little-noticed appearances before two Select Committees have been asking for more say for Maori over resource management decisions along the co-governance lines of Three Waters. Their submissions and appearances run counter ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • Secret “war-crime” warrants by International Criminal Court is mischief-making
    The decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue war crimes arrest warrants for the Russian President and the Russia Children Ombudsman may have been welcomed by the ideologically committed but otherwise seems to have been greeted with widespread cynicism (see Situation in Ukraine: ICC judges issue arrest warrants ...
    3 days ago
  • How to answer Drunk Uncle Kevin's Climate Crisis reckons
    Let’s say you’re clasping your drink at a wedding, or a 40th, or a King’s Birthday Weekend family reunion and Drunk Uncle Kevin has just got going.He’s in an expansive frame of mind because we’re finally rid of that silly girl. But he wants to ask an honest question about ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • National’s Luxon may be glum about his poll ratings but has he found a winner in promising to rai...
    National Party leader Christopher Luxon may  be feeling glum about his poll ratings, but  he could be tapping  into  a rich political vein in  describing the current state of education as “alarming”. Luxon said educational achievement has been declining,  with a recent NCEA pilot exposing just how far it has ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: More Labour foot-dragging
    Yesterday the IPCC released the final part of its Sixth Assessment Report, warning us that we have very little time left in which to act to prevent catastrophic climate change, but pointing out that it is a problem that we can solve, with existing technology, and that anything we do ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Te Pāti Māori Are Revolutionaries – Not Reformists.
    Way Beyond Reform: Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer have no more interest in remaining permanent members of “New Zealand’s” House of Representatives than did Lenin and Trotsky in remaining permanent members of Tsar Nicolas II’s “democratically-elected” Duma. Like the Bolsheviks, Te Pāti Māori is a party of revolutionaries – not reformists.THE CROWN ...
    3 days ago
  • When does history become “ancient”, on Tinetti’s watch as Minister of Education – and what o...
    Buzz from the Beehive Auckland was wiped off the map, when Education Minister Jan Tinetti delivered her speech of welcome as host of the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers “here in Tāmaki Makaurau”. But – fair to say – a reference was made later in the speech to a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Climate Catastrophe, but first rugby.
    Morning mate, how you going?Well, I was watching the news last night and they announced this scientific report on Climate Change. But before they got to it they had a story about the new All Blacks coach.Sounds like important news. It’s a bit of a worry really.Yeah, they were talking ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • What the US and European bank rescues mean for us
    Always a bailout: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Government would fully guarantee all savers in all smaller US banks if needed. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: No wonder an entire generation of investors are used to ‘buying the dip’ and ‘holding on for dear life’. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Who will drain Wellington’s lobbying swamp?
    Wealthy vested interests have an oversized influence on political decisions in New Zealand. Partly that’s due to their use of corporate lobbyists. Fortunately, the influence lobbyists can have on decisions made by politicians is currently under scrutiny in Guyon Espiner’s in-depth series published by RNZ. Two of Espiner’s research exposés ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • It’s Raining Congestion
    Yesterday afternoon it rained and traffic around the region ground to a halt, once again highlighting why it is so important that our city gets on with improving the alternatives to driving. For additional irony, this happened on the same day the IPCC synthesis report landed, putting the focus on ...
    3 days ago
  • Checking The Left: The Dreadful Logic Of Fascism.
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    3 days ago
  • Good Friends and Terrible Food
    Hi,From an incredibly rainy day in Los Angeles, I just wanted to check in. I guess this is the day Trump may or may not end up in cuffs? I’m attempting a somewhat slower, less frenzied week. I’ve had Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s new record on non-stop, and it’s been a ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – What evidence is there for the hockey stick?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    4 days ago
  • Carry right on up there, Corporal Espiner
    RNZ has been shining their torch into corners where lobbyists lurk and asking such questions as: Do we like the look of this?and Is this as democratic as it could be?These are most certainly questions worth asking, and every bit as valid as, say:Are we shortchanged democratically by the way ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • This smells
    RNZ has continued its look at the role of lobbyists by taking a closer look at the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Andrew Kirton. He used to work for liquor companies, opposing (among other things) a container refund scheme which would have required them to take responsibility for their own ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Major issues on the table in Mahuta’s  talks in Beijing with China’s new Foreign Minister
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has left for Beijing for the first ministerial visit to China since 2019. Mahuta is  to  meet China’s new foreign minister Qin Gang  where she  might have to call on all the  diplomatic skills  at  her  command. Almost certainly she  will  face  questions  on what  role ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago
  • Inside TOP's Teal Card and political strategy
    TL;DR: The Opportunities Party’s Leader Raf Manji is hopeful the party’s new Teal Card, a type of Gold card for under 30s, will be popular with students, and not just in his Ilam electorate where students make up more than a quarter of the voters and where Manji is confident ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Make Your Empties Go Another Round.
    When I was a kid New Zealand was actually pretty green. We didn’t really have plastic. The fruit and veges came in a cardboard box, the meat was wrapped in paper, milk came in a glass bottle, and even rubbish sacks were made of paper. Today if you sit down ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on how similar Vladimir Putin is to George W. Bush
    Looking back through the names of our Police Ministers down the years, the job has either been done by once or future party Bigfoots – Syd Holland, Richard Prebble, Juduth Collins, Chris Hipkins – or by far lesser lights like Keith Allen, Frank Gill, Ben Couch, Allen McCready, Clem Simich, ...
    4 days ago
  • CHRIS TROTTER:  Te Pāti Māori’s uncompromising threat to the status quo
    Chris Trotter writes – The Crown is a fickle friend. Any political movement deemed to be colourful but inconsequential is generally permitted to go about its business unmolested. The Crown’s media, RNZ and TVNZ, may even “celebrate” its existence (presumably as proof of Democracy’s broad-minded acceptance of diversity). ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Shining a bright light on lobbyists in politics
    Four out of the five people who have held the top role of Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff since 2017 have been lobbyists. That’s a fact that should worry anyone who believes vested interests shouldn’t have a place at the centre of decision making. Chris Hipkins’ newly appointed Chief of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Auckland Council Draft Budget – an unnecessary backwards step
    Feedback on Auckland Council’s draft 2023/24 budget closes on March 28th. You can read the consultation document here, and provide feedback here. Auckland Council is currently consulting on what is one of its most important ever Annual Plans – the ‘budget’ of what it will spend money on between July ...
    4 days ago
  • Talking’ Posey Parker Blues
    by Molten Moira from Motueka If you want to be a woman let me tell you what to do Get a piece of paper and a biro tooWrite down your new identification And boom! You’re now a woman of this nationSpelled W O M A Na real trans woman that isAs opposed ...
    RedlineBy Admin
    5 days ago
  • More Māori words make it into the OED, and polytech boss (with rules on words like “students”) ...
    Buzz from the Beehive   New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti is hosting the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers for three days from today, welcoming Education Ministers and senior officials from 18 Pacific Island countries and territories, and from Australia. Here’s hoping they have brought translators with them – or ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • Social intercourse with haters and Nazis: an etiquette guide
    Let’s say you’ve come all the way from His Majesty’s United Kingdom to share with the folk of Australia and New Zealand your antipathy towards certain other human beings. And let’s say you call yourself a women’s rights activist.And let’s say 99 out of 100 people who listen to you ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • The Greens, Labour, and coalition enforcement
    James Shaw gave the Green party's annual "state of the planet" address over the weekend, in which he expressed frustration with Labour for not doing enough on climate change. His solution is to elect more Green MPs, so they have more power within any government arrangement, and can hold Labour ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • This sounds familiar…
    RNZ this morning has the first story another investigative series by Guyon Espiner, this time into political lobbying. The first story focuses on lobbying by government agencies, specifically transpower, Pharmac, and assorted universities, and how they use lobbyists to manipulate public opinion and gather intelligence on the Ministers who oversee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Letter to the NZ Herald: NCEA pseudoscience – “Mauri is present in all matter”
    Nick Matzke writes –   Dear NZ Herald, I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland. I teach evolutionary biology, but I also have long experience in science education and (especially) political attempts to insert pseudoscience into science curricula in ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • So what would be the point of a Green vote again?
    James Shaw has again said the Greens would be better ‘in the tent’ with Labour than out, despite Labour’s policy bonfire last week torching much of what the Government was doing to reduce emissions. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Green Party has never been more popular than in some ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Gas stoves pose health risks. Are gas furnaces and other appliances safe to use?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler Poor air quality is a long-standing problem in Los Angeles, where the first major outbreak of smog during World War II was so intense that some residents thought the city had been attacked by chemical weapons. Cars were eventually discovered ...
    5 days ago
  • Genetic Heritage and Co Governance
    Yesterday I was reading an excellent newsletter from David Slack, and I started writing a comment “Sounds like some excellent genetic heritage…” and then I stopped.There was something about the phrase genetic heritage that stopped me in tracks. Is that a phrase I want to be saying? It’s kind of ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON: Radical Uncertainty
    Brian Easton writes – Two senior economists challenge some of the foundations of current economics. It is easy to criticise economic science by misrepresenting it, by selective quotations, and by ignoring that it progresses, like all sciences, by improving and abandoning old theories. The critics may go ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s Middle East strategy, 20 years after the Iraq War
    This week marks the twentieth anniversary of the Iraq War. While it strongly opposed the US-led invasion, New Zealand’s then Labour-led government led by Prime Minister Helen Clark did deploy military engineers to try to help rebuild Iraq in mid-2003. With violence soaring, their 12-month deployment ended without being renewed ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • The motorways are finished
    After seventy years, Auckland’s motorway network is finally finished. In July 1953 the first section of motorway in Auckland was opened between Ellerslie-Panmure Highway and Mt Wellington Highway. The final stage opens to traffic this week with the completion of the motorway part of the Northern Corridor Improvements project. Aucklanders ...
    5 days ago
  • Kicking National’s tyres
    National’s appointment of Todd McClay as Agriculture spokesperson clearly signals that the party is in trouble with the farming vote. McClay was not an obvious choice, but he does have a record as a political scrapper. The party needs that because sources say it has been shedding farming votes ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • As long as there is cricket, the world is somehow okay.
    Rays of white light come flooding into my lounge, into my face from over the top of my neighbour’s hedge. I have to look away as the window of the conservatory is awash in light, as if you were driving towards the sun after a rain shower and suddenly blinded. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • So much of what was there remains
    The columnists in Private Eye take pen names, so I have not the least idea who any of them are. But I greatly appreciate their expert insight, especially MD, who writes the medical column, offering informed and often damning critique of the UK health system and the politicians who keep ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Mar 12, 2023 thru Sat, Mar 18, 2023. Story of the Week Guest post: What 13,500 citations reveal about the IPCC’s climate science report   IPCC WG1 AR6 SPM Report Cover - Changing ...
    6 days ago
  • Financial capability services are being bucked up, but Stuart Nash shouldn’t have to see if they c...
    Buzz from the Beehive  The building of financial capability was brought into our considerations when Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced she had dipped into the government’s coffers for $3 million for “providers” to help people and families access community-based Building Financial Capability services. That wording suggests some ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago
  • Things that make you go Hmmmm.
    Do you ever come across something that makes you go Hmmmm?You mean like the song?No, I wasn’t thinking of the song, but I am now - thanks for that. I was thinking of things you read or hear that make you stop and go Hmmmm.Yeah, I know what you mean, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • The hoon for the week that was to March 19
    By the end of the week, the dramas over Stuart Nash overshadowed Hipkins’ policy bonfire. File photo: Lynn GrieveasonTLDR: This week’s news in geopolitics and the political economy covered on The Kākā included:PM Chris Hipkins’ announcement of the rest of a policy bonfire to save a combined $1.7 billion, but ...
    The KakaBy Peter Bale
    1 week ago
  • Saving Stuart Nash: Explaining Chris Hipkins' unexpected political calculation
    When word went out that Prime Minister Chris Hipkins would be making an announcement about Stuart Nash on the tiles at parliament at 2:45pm yesterday, the assumption was that it was over. That we had reached tipping point for Nash’s time as minister. But by 3pm - when, coincidentally, the ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    1 week ago
  • Radical Uncertainty
    Two senior economists challenge some of the foundations of current economics. It is easy to criticise economic science by misrepresenting it, by selective quotations, and by ignoring that it progresses, like all sciences, by improving and abandoning old theories. The critics may go on to attack physics by citing Newton.So ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • Jump onto the weekly hoon on Riverside at 5pm
    Photo by Walker Fenton on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week again when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kaka for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on Riverside (we’ve moved from Zoom) for our chat about the week’s news with ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Dream of Florian Neame: Accepted
    In a nice bit of news, my 2550-word deindustrial science-fiction piece, The Dream of Florian Neame, has been accepted for publication at New Maps Magazine (https://www.new-maps.com/). I have published there before, of course, with Of Tin and Tintagel coming out last year. While I still await the ...
    1 week ago
  • Snakes and leaders
    And so this is Friday, and what have we learned?It was a week with all the usual luggage: minister brags and then he quits, Hollywood red carpet is full of twits. And all the while, hanging over the trivial stuff: existential dread, and portents of doom.Depending on who you read ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • This station is Karanga-a-Hape, Chur!
    When I changed the name of this newsletter from The Daily Read to Nick’s Kōrero I was a bit worried whether people would know what Kōrero meant or not. I added a definition when I announced the change and kind of assumed people who weren’t familiar with it would get ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Greens don’t shy from promoting a candidate’s queerness but are quiet about govt announcement on...
    There was a time when a political party’s publicity people would counsel against promoting a candidate as queer. No matter which of two dictionary meanings the voting public might choose to apply – the old meaning of odd, strange, weird, or aberrant, or the more recent meaning of gay, homosexual ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago
  • Ask Me Anything about the week to March 17
    Photo by Joakim Honkasalo on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for the next hour, including:PM Chris Hipkins announcement of the rest of a policy bonfire to save a combined $1.7 billion, but which blew up ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Slow consenting could create $16b climate liability by 2050
    Even though concern over the climate change threat is becoming more mainstream, our governments continue to opt out of the difficult decisions at the expense of time, and cost for future generations. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTLDR: Now we have a climate liability number to measure the potential failure of the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • District Court Judges appointed
    Attorney-General David Parker has announced the appointment of Christopher John Dellabarca of Wellington, Dr Katie Jane Elkin of Wellington, Caroline Mary Hickman of Napier, Ngaroma Tahana of Rotorua, Tania Rose Williams Blyth of Hamilton and Nicola Jan Wills of Wellington as District Court Judges.  Chris Dellabarca Mr Dellabarca commenced his ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • New project set to supercharge ocean economy in Nelson Tasman
    A new Government-backed project will help ocean-related businesses in the Nelson Tasman region to accelerate their growth and boost jobs. “The Nelson Tasman region is home to more than 400 blue economy businesses, accounting for more than 30 percent of New Zealand’s economic activity in fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • National’s education policy: where’s the funding?
    After three years of COVID-19 disruptions schools are finally settling down and National want to throw that all in the air with major disruption to learning and underinvestment.  “National’s education policy lacks the very thing teachers, parents and students need after a tough couple of years, certainty and stability,” Education ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Free programme to help older entrepreneurs and inventors
    People aged over 50 with innovative business ideas will now be able to receive support to advance their ideas to the next stage of development, Minister for Seniors Ginny Andersen said today. “Seniors have some great entrepreneurial ideas, and this programme will give them the support to take that next ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government target increased to keep powering up the Māori economy
    A cross government target for relevant government procurement contracts for goods and services to be awarded to Māori businesses annually will increase to 8%, after the initial 5% target was exceeded. The progressive procurement policy was introduced in 2020 to increase supplier diversity, starting with Māori businesses, for the estimated ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Continued progress on reducing poverty in challenging times
    77,000 fewer children living in low income households on the after-housing-costs primary measure since Labour took office Eight of the nine child poverty measures have seen a statistically significant reduction since 2018. All nine have reduced 28,700 fewer children experiencing material hardship since 2018 Measures taken by the Government during ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Speech at Fiji Investment and Trade Business Forum
    Deputy Prime Minister Kamikamica; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Tēnā koutou katoa, ni sa bula vinaka saka, namaste. Deputy Prime Minister, a very warm welcome to Aotearoa. I trust you have been enjoying your time here and thank you for joining us here today. To all delegates who have travelled to be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government investments boost and diversify local economies in lower South Island
    $2.9 million convertible loan for Scapegrace Distillery to meet growing national and international demand $4.5m underwrite to support Silverlight Studios’ project to establish a film studio in Wanaka Gore’s James Cumming Community Centre and Library to be official opened tomorrow with support of $3m from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government future-proofs EV charging
    Transport Minister Michael Wood has today launched the first national EV (electric vehicle) charging strategy, Charging Our Future, which includes plans to provide EV charging stations in almost every town in New Zealand. “Our vision is for Aotearoa New Zealand to have world-class EV charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • World-leading family harm prevention campaign supports young NZers
    Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention. Love Better will initially support young people through their experience of break-ups, developing positive and life-long attitudes to dealing with hurt. “Over 1,200 young kiwis told ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • First Chief Clinical Advisor welcomed into Coroners Court
    Hon Rino Tirikatene, Minister for Courts, welcomes the Ministry of Justice’s appointment of Dr Garry Clearwater as New Zealand’s first Chief Clinical Advisor working with the Coroners Court. “This appointment is significant for the Coroners Court and New Zealand’s wider coronial system.” Minister Tirikatene said. Through Budget 2022, the Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Next steps for affected properties post Cyclone and floods
    The Government via the Cyclone Taskforce is working with local government and insurance companies to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. “The Taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, has been working with insurance companies to undertake an assessment of high-risk areas so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • New appointment to Māori Land Court bench
    E te huia kaimanawa, ko Ngāpuhi e whakahari ana i tau aupikinga ki te tihi o te maunga. Ko te Ao Māori hoki e whakanui ana i a koe te whakaihu waka o te reo Māori i roto i te Ao Ture. (To the prized treasure, it is Ngāpuhi who ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government focus on jobs sees record number of New Zealanders move from Benefits into work
    113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Vertical farming partnership has upward momentum
    The Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Conference of Pacific Education Ministers – Keynote Address
    E nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New $13m renal unit supports Taranaki patients
    The new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupō received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Second Poseidon aircraft on home soil
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Further humanitarian aid for Türkiye and Syria
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Community voice to help shape immigration policy
    Migrant communities across New Zealand are represented in the new Migrant Community Reference Group that will help shape immigration policy going forward, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced today.  “Since becoming Minister, a reoccurring message I have heard from migrants is the feeling their voice has often been missing around policy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • State Highway 3 project to deliver safer journeys, better travel connections for Taranaki
    Construction has begun on major works that will deliver significant safety improvements on State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan announced today. “This is an important route for communities, freight and visitors to Taranaki but too many people have lost their lives or ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Ginny Andersen appointed as Minister of Police
    Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government confirms vital roading reconnections
    Six further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Foreign Minister Mahuta to meet with China’s new Foreign Minister
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