A police recruitment freeze?

Written By: - Date published: 9:54 pm, November 23rd, 2011 - 43 comments
Categories: law - Tags: , ,

I’ve never seen a new story break in a leaders debate before but tonight Phil Goff broke the news of the government’s secret plan to freeze police recruitment.

Looking at Key’s response I suspect that this recruiting freeze and the plan to keep it on the down-low are true.

That’s significantly at odds with the National government’s tough on crime and no cuts to the front-line claims and, coupled with the claim of a pre-election cover-up, it goes to the integrity of the claims National is selling itself with.

Also, Espiner’s move to shift the debate on before Key gave a proper response is simply bad journalism.

I can understand that he was probably thrown by the claim and wanted to maintain control of his show but I would have thought that TVNZ’s political editor would have had the nous to recognise a good story and let if play for just another half a minute – that would have been enough to get Key’s reaction without unsettling the debate.

Update: 726 Police staff left the job last year, of a workforce of 11,984. So, a freeze on replacement cops would see hundreds fewer on the job after just one year.

43 comments on “A police recruitment freeze? ”

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  1. RedLogix 1
    23 November 2011 at 10:07 pm

    Couldn’t help but notice how Guyon shut Goff down very, very fast on this one.

  2. Colonial Viper 2
    23 November 2011 at 10:09 pm

    Goff should have been much harder on this point, wresting time off Espiner. Just watched the first 20 mins of the debate on line, and feel that while Goff did well, he let Key get away with too much BS (which literally was every other word).

    • Lanthanide 2.1
      23 November 2011 at 10:20 pm

      Key was very slogan-heavy, particularly around some answers. Would have been nice for Goff to point that out.

      I think Goff hardly ever answered with slogans.

      • freedom 2.1.1
        23 November 2011 at 11:07 pm

        i did notice the number of unemployed in 2008 had become 17,000 when on Monday it was 18,000 🙂

        To be fair though, up against Key’s “labour left NZ with hundreds of billions in debt” from RNZ interview this a.m., it seems kind of insignificant.

        A lot of people are going to want very clear answers to the Police issue that has been raised
        including the guys and girls who had planned to begin the next few rosters

        I believe Goff did the smart thing, pull the pin and walk away, leaving this one to do all the damage on its own. I missed the actual comment as i had left the room momentarily, but from all accounts Goff played it well, and tomorrow there is plenty of time for the media to pay attetion. If they go mute, then the citizen media is already well aware of it and by Friday this little detail will be a very large edifice that will be difficult to ignore. More so if there is any truth that National directed the Police to remain silent on the issue.

        • Blighty 2.1.1.1
          23 November 2011 at 11:38 pm

          the low point was just under 17,500 in May. But if you want to say what it was in June 2008, which Goff did on Monday, it was about 17,700. so, he was right both times.

          What’s the unemployment benefit number now? Oh, yeah …..

          • freedom 2.1.1.1.1
            24 November 2011 at 8:24 am

            i included that before a RWNJ tried to make out it was important and we were hiding things 🙂

        • Hami Shearlie 2.1.1.2
          24 November 2011 at 12:06 am

          Can we doubt it? Add up the things the Nats are trying to keep secret. Teapot tape, Asset Sales reports, future Police numbers, details of the TPP trade agreement with USA – and that’s just the ones we KNOW they are trying to hide – there must be many, many more. Pretty shifty behaviour – and they’ve only been there 3 years! Love to see the video being kept hidden about Richard Worth too!

        • CnrJoe 2.1.1.3
          24 November 2011 at 6:23 am

          and police have so much spare time on their hands these national govt days

    • RedLogix 2.2
      23 November 2011 at 10:29 pm

      Goff has had to tread a very tight line between taking the fight to Key, and creating opportunities for the media to slag him for being ‘negative’ and ‘playing the man and not the policies’.

      It’s all a slimy media game of course… but frankly I’ve been pleasantly impressed at how well Goff has campaigned despite it. Everyone has had a go at dumping shit on the man in the last three years. Even I’m on record for being less than enthusiastic about him. I always respected Goff as a capable, experienced Minister, and always hoped he would be part of a future Labour govt… yet for a long period he wasn’t firing; letting Key set and dominate the agenda. And it hasn’t helped that Key’s govt has had a lot of good political luck go it’s way. Plenty of events that had the potential to hurt them badly, have nicely turned to the Nat’s favour.

      Having said that… in this last few months Goff”s come into his own. To quote a tired phrase, he now looks ‘prime-ministerial’. Given that he’s started from well behind Goff has played the cards dealt to him with dignity and passion. Campaigning has brought out the best in Goff, while it’s shown Key up in a far less flattering light.

      Few govts are overturned after just one term, and Key’s brand, carefully constructed as it is, remains very, very popular in the electorate. Will the left win this election? I’d still be surprised. But frankly if we lose it will be with dignity; no-one will need to say that we didn’t do our best to turn around a massive electoral momentum against us.

      • Colonial Viper 2.2.1
        24 November 2011 at 12:34 am

        But frankly if we lose it will be with dignity; no-one will need to say that we didn’t do our best to turn around a massive electoral momentum against us.

        If Labour lose on Saturday, nothing changes – the battle continues.

        This time to fight and delay National’s second term agenda to a bleeding standstill, and to ensure that John Key is the most unpopular Prime Minister in recent memory by this time next year.

    • Hami Shearlie 2.3
      24 November 2011 at 12:00 am

      Words and phrases I now HATE:

      Ass-pirational(heard this word so damn much over 3 years, it’s sure gone stale)
      Ekshully
      So(to start a sentence)
      In my view
      Let me just say this
      Arcane – it means mysterious -so John Key thinks maori seats are mysterious? It may not be as dennimik, but the word Key was searching for is archaic?

  3. Dean Reynolds 3
    23 November 2011 at 11:12 pm

    Irish Bill – can someone at The Standard tell me why the hell The Standard is carrying propaganda from the right wing, Vote for Change arseholes, promoting their shitty SM voting option? The Standard’s editorial stance is to support MMP, the most democratic option – why are you promoting the view of the Business Roundtable?

    [our judgement on taking ads from organisations we don’t agree with is it’s much simpler to trust the wisdom of our readers and take the bastards’ money than try to reach a collective decision over every ad. We donate the Keep MMP campaign ad space for free. Eddie]

    • Jared 3.1
      23 November 2011 at 11:14 pm

      Google Adsense im guessing? The same way Kiwiblog is showing Labour advertisements.
      Deal with it.

      • lprent 3.1.1
        24 November 2011 at 2:39 am

        I didn’t notice until after midnight. But I couldn’t let it lie. Take their money because they’d only use it for some other nefarious purpose. Respond in an appropriate manner.

        How do you like the logo for the next couple of days?

    • RedLogix 3.2
      23 November 2011 at 11:15 pm

      Personally I never notice ads…

    • mickysavage 3.3
      23 November 2011 at 11:38 pm

      I say let them advertise and take their money. Their crap advertising will not persuade any of the sophisticated intelligent people who read the Standard.

  4. infused 4
    23 November 2011 at 11:33 pm

    One word. adblock

  5. Afewknowthetruth 5
    24 November 2011 at 12:19 am

    A drop in police numbers provides additional opportunities for privatisation or for corporations to profit from ‘security’.

    It always pays to look at the big picture or look for the hidden agenda.

    Talking of the big picture, I still cannot understand why anyone thinks current economic-financial arrangements will persist much beyond the end of next year:

    ‘Numbness mixed with panic settled over Washington following the admission of defeat by the bipartisan super-committee formed in August to find ways to cut federal spending by $1.3 trillion over 10 years. The legacy of its failure promises to be complicated. All sides darted in different directions to start the blame game. In New Hampshire, President Barack Obama appealed to Congress at least to extend middle-class tax breaks that are set to expire, while runners for the Republican presidential nomination excoriated him for a failure of leadership in another debate.

    If there is panic it is partly because the terms under which the committee was created stipulated that, in the event of its failure, a swathe of cuts would automatically come in to effect to achieve the same reduction in spending. They are due to begin biting in January 2013 and hold terror….’

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/can-america-escape-its-13-trillion-black-hole-6266366.html

    The annual federal deficit is of the order of $15 trillion and total underfunded US liabilities are estimated at well over $200 trillion.

    Then there is the global derivatives market awaiting implosion.

    The horrendous global financial mess is topped off by peak oil, which is flagged to result in a significant decline in global energy supplies from 2010 or 2011 onwards.

  6. hoom 6
    24 November 2011 at 2:59 am

    Was intriguing to see Keys response.
    Initially a startled ‘I wouldn’t necessarily trust what Goff says’
    But when pushed ‘Thats an operational matter for the Police’ aka yes but in a dinnamic way.

  7. Carol 7
    24 November 2011 at 7:02 am

    I’m now in wait-and-see-how-it-plays-out mode for the elections and aftermath. With the world set for an uncertain and turbulent period being in government. It may not bode well for a government without a very strong mandate for a new left wing direction.

    I really have no firm opinion the election outcome. It is possible National will get an outright majority, which would be the worst possible outcome. They would do vast damage to the country. But it’s also possible that the left could put a halt to that by winning the numbers for Labour to lead a coalition government.

    But it’s also very possible to end up with this scenario:

    http://www.norightturn.blogspot.com/2011/11/let-em-swing.html

    In such circumstances, it would be better for the Greens to simply stand back and let National swing. A National government hamstrung with Winston achieves some of their policy aims (e.g. stopping asset sales) without their having to lift a finger. Meanwhile, they can pursue an MOU and cooperate on areas they feel comfortable with, while helping to block any legislation they don’t. Not as effective as being in government, but a lot safer, and with a hefty dose of schadenfreude into the bargain.

    Meanwhile, a resurgent left, evident in this campaign, with Mana, Labour, the Greens etc, would have time to gain in strength and develop new directions in the face of the on-going global crisis.

  8. Carol 8
    24 November 2011 at 7:21 am

    Repeating some of what I just posted on open mike:

    National cheerleader Tacy Watkins, gives the debate to Goff…. well kinda… she first says Goff scored the “knock-out punch” when he dropped in the question about National secretely planning to cut police numbers. But in Watkins’ final line she calls it “an even match”.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/campaign-trail/6023331/Goff-saves-best-till-last-in-TV-debates

    Last night, Mr Goff hit back with a handy right hook. And his opponent didn’t even see it coming.

    The Labour leader wound up for the sucker punch innocently enough, leaning across to Mr Key to ask him in typically earnes Phil Goff fashion whether he believed the extra 1250 frontline police hired under Labour had contributed to falling crime rates.

    Mr Key wasn’t going to let that one pass without a quick jab back at Mr Goff, of course reminding him that under National 600 more frontline police had been hired.

    That left the door wide open for Mr Goff to stroll in with his next question: Was that why police had made a decision to defer all recruiting next year a decision which they had been told to keep secret till after the election?

    Mr Key responded with the usual politician’s answer – those sorts of decisions were “operational”, but there was no doubt that Police Minister Judith Collins had asked police to make savings.

    The prime minister looked increasingly uncomfortable.

    […]
    The real Phil Goff finally emerged from behind the automaton-like character that turned voters off for the previous three years. They had a chance to judge him as a person, not just a politician
    […]
    And at the end they shook hands, an even match.

    BTW, at the end, when Guyon thanked the studio audience, Goff partly turned to look at and acknowledge the audience. But Key kept looking straight ahead, totally uninterested in the audience. A telling moment, I thought.

  9. Pete George 9
    24 November 2011 at 7:51 am

    National’s response:

    Police recruits not needed due to high retention – National

    The National Party says the cancellation of next year’s January intake of new police recruits is not a freeze on recruitment.

    National’s law and order spokesperson Judith Collins says there are so few people leaving the police at the moment that the January intake of recruits is not needed.

    She says the first intake next year will be in March instead.

    Ms Collins says there will be no reduction in frontline police numbers under a National Government

    Deliberate misleading? Or Goff had poor advice?

    • lprent 9.1
      24 November 2011 at 7:57 am

      Unlikely.

      Most electorate politicians pick up contacts in the police quite early (part of the constituent work). Goff has always been perceived to be a bit of a law’n’order type person inside the party – so he will have more than the usual quota. Senior politicians tend to have senior contacts.

      I’d say that he is hearing a leak either direct to him or from a senior politician (his deputy Annette King used to be minister of police).

    • higherstandard 9.2
      24 November 2011 at 8:09 am

      I suspect Goff had advice from a reliable source it’s just that said source added two and two and got seven.

      It will just depend on whether the media slate him over getting it wrong, who knows I suspect most of the population are fed up to the back teeth with stories on politicians and the election and that most have made up their mind who to vote/not vote for.

      Must be time for the prediction thread on the standard for people to put their reputations on the line.

    • Pete George 9.3
      24 November 2011 at 8:10 am

      From TVNZ:

      Goff’s police freeze claim rubbished by National
      Collins said she watched the debate and was very concerned by the claim and sought clarification.

      “I telephoned the Police Commissioner Peter Marshall who knew nothing about these allegations,” she said.

      “What Mr Marshall said to me was because the number of people leaving the police is so low now, the January police recruitment wing is going to be a March recruitment wing and that’s because we’ve had almost 300 new police in the last four months of this year and they don’t need new police recruitment until March.”

      She said there would be no reduction in front line officers but the police were constantly reviewing costs after they were given no new money in the Budget.

      Key seemed genuinely surprised by Goff’s claim. So did Goff tsake a punt and put to much weight on a rumour?

      • mickysavage 9.3.1
        24 November 2011 at 8:48 am

        Pete

        Rather than parroting National lines how about checking out the facts and making an informed decision.

        Goff talked about a freeze. The nats have agreed that the January intake has been cancelled. This will mean through attrition that numbers will go down at a time when the population is increasing.

        • Pete George 9.3.1.1
          24 November 2011 at 9:00 am

          Goff claimed a freeze for the whole year. Delaying the next intake from January to March suggests his information was wrong, or worse. They say attrition is lower than expected.

          Do you have actual numbers to dispute that?

    • Tom Gould 9.4
      24 November 2011 at 8:18 am

      Seems Goff was correct, they are cutting the budget and cutting recruitment. Now for the spin. It is operational. It is not a cut. The cops have never been happier. There are more cops than ever. So have they got ‘too much spare time on their hands’? Well, yes and no. Yes if you ask MonKey and no if you ask Crusher. Even arch-Tory O’connor is now saying the cops budget is being cut by 5 to 15 percent, and 80 percent of spending is personnel, but he is “relieved” by his buddy Crusher’s “reassurances” that cutting the budget will really mean more money and more people. Problem solved in Toryland.

  10. ianmac 10
    24 November 2011 at 8:11 am

    Remarkable that Collins had to appear on RNZ, nostrils flaring, to defend the cuts and saying that because retention was so high they had no need to run the January intake. By the figures above the loss is 6%. Seems funny Judith that so quickly you can cut back on frontline staff?

  11. jaundiced 11
    24 November 2011 at 8:25 am

    It seems Mr Goff may have been misled by his sources:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/policies/6023626/National-Goff-police-recruitment-claim-wrong
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10768312

    Both these sites say that because the police attrition rate is so low now, few people are leaving police and the January intake is now deferred to be a March intake.

    Judith Collins says “By the end of this year we will have 600 extra frontline police and we expect to maintain those levels.”

    This is not a freeze on recruiting and is at odds with the claims made by Mr Goff last evening.

    [have you got a source other than Collins for there being 600 extra cops? because the police annual report says its 442, and 362 of them were in 2008/09 – Labour’s last budget. Seems like National’s lying to you again. Eddie]

    • freedom 11.1
      24 November 2011 at 8:35 am

      Jaundiced,
      Tony Ryall has been saying there have been 800 new doctors too, but we know that is only recycled employment and fiddling with job titles. The number of Doctors is basically the same as when National came to power.
      “”But people working at the frontline haven’t seen any evidence of Mr Ryall’s ‘ghost’ doctors, and they are the ones you would expect to know about these things.”
      http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/un-doctored/2011/november-2011/18/tony-ryall-produces-ghost-doctors.aspx

    • jaundiced 11.2
      24 November 2011 at 8:53 am

      Eddie

      Judith Collins says “By the end of this year we will have 600 extra frontline police is a forward-looking statement of what is anticipated in the future.

      The police annual report is reporting on past recruiting – that’s a historical statement.

      The comparison you make about historical manning levels is not relevant to Judith Collins comments nor to my own observation that Mr Goff may have been fed misleading information.

      And no – I don’t have a source other than Judith Collins comments as reported in the MSM – but by the same token do you have a source other than Mr Goff that recruiting will be frozen for all of next year? That claim has been rubbished by National and as the subject of police recruiting is in the public interest perhaps we should know who has misled Mr Goff.

  12. Ed 12
    24 November 2011 at 8:43 am

    It appears that the information Goff received was correct, but Collins has been forced to talk down the prospect of deferrals after January, and importantly forced a hasty commitment to retain current numbers of “front-line” officers, which will have pleased O’Connor. He hinted at the impossibility of the force complying with both retention of officer numbers and teh cuts that police have been asked to make.

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    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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    6 days ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. 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 Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 week ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week 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
    6 hours 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
    6 hours 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
    8 hours 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

    The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Delivering priority connections for the West Coast

    A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington

    A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Waikato through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more efficient, safe, and resilient roading network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With almost a third of the country’s freight travelling into, out ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Building reliable and efficient roading for Taranaki

    A record $808 million for transport investment in Taranaki through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Taranaki’s roads carry a high volume of freight from primary industries and it’s critical we maintain efficient connections across the region to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Supporting growth and resilience in Otago and Southland

    A record $1.4 billion for transport investment in Otago and Southland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more resilient and efficient network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in Otago ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Delivering connected and resilient roading for Northland

    A record $991 million for transport investment in Northland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s connections and support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that every transport dollar is spent wisely on the projects and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Top of the South to benefit from reliable transport infrastructure

    A record $479 million for transport investment across the top of the South Island through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will build a stronger road network that supports primary industries and grows the economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We’re committed to making sure that every dollar is ...
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  • Government delivering reliable roads for Manawatū-Whanganui

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