A Takahe is not a Pukeko

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, August 22nd, 2015 - 57 comments
Categories: Conservation, Environment - Tags: ,

Takahe Pukeko

There is a saying amongst public servants that you can squeeze an organisation but when the pips start coming out you know you have gone too far.

The Department of Conservation is showing signs of the pips coming out. It used a local chapter of the Deer Stalkers to use split second judgment before deciding if they were shooting pest Pukekos or priceless Takahes.

Both birds look similar. But Takahes are larger and do not fly. They are also facing extinction. There are only 263 of them left. You would think that DOC would be careful when allowing anyone to shoot guns near them. And a Deerstalker is probably good at spotting deers but may struggle to tell the difference between the two birds.

So a bunch of deer stalkers were allowed onto Motutapu Island and shot some Takahe who look like Pukeko which they were meant to shoot.

Couldn’t DOC afford some professional Pukeko cullers? Are they that lacking in cash that they had to let some good old boys with guns go on a shooting spree?

DOC is reporting that the Takahe were killed by shotgun pellets. You know where you fire a cartridge and pellets get sprayed over a wide area. Whoever though that shotguns and not single shots should be used needs to take responsibility.

The Government’s response is to talk about prosecutions of said good old boys for shooting birds that looked very similar to the birds they should have been shooting but were slightly fatter. While using shotguns and firing shotgun pellets. This is a classic example of an attempt to shift the blame.

I get the strong impression the pips are coming out and the future of the Takahe is being compromised because of a lack of resources meaning that cash strapped DOC is making stupid decisions. And the Government needs to wear this, not a bunch of good old boys allowed to shoot shotgun pellets.

57 comments on “A Takahe is not a Pukeko ”

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  1. Lanthanide 1
    22 August 2015 at 9:12 am

    Strange that you keep focussing on takahe being fatter but otherwise similar birds.

    There is one very basic difference between them, which would give 100% success rate in avoiding deaths of takahe – only shoot birds that are flying.

    DOC says they told the deer stalkers this. The deer stalkers evidently didn’t listen.

    • mickysavage 1.1
      22 August 2015 at 9:17 am

      The birds were killed by shotgun pellets. The deerstalkers may have shot at Pukeko but the Takahe may have been caught in the spray.

      • Naturesong 1.1.1
        22 August 2015 at 10:04 am

        If the hunters only shot birds that were on the wing, the likelyhood of any Takahe being caught in the crossfire is approximately zero.

        Four birds were killed.

        Until an alternate explanation appears, it looks like one or more of the “hunters” didn’t know what they were doing, and didn’t particularly care.

        Or to quote what a hunter friend of mine said when the news broke: Fucking cowboys!

        • Dave 1.1.1.1
          22 August 2015 at 11:49 am

          Pukeko barely fly either, hence the name ‘bush chicken.’ I’d have thought avoiding shooting the fat ones with bands on their legs would be a better thing to tell these idiot deerstalkers.

          • Naturesong 1.1.1.1.1
            22 August 2015 at 1:18 pm

            I agree, it’s not hard.

            If you see a bunch of birds with blue feathers and you’re not sure which are which?
            The ones acting like assholes are Pukeko.

            Also, the hunters were told to only shoot birds on the wing.

      • cricklewood 1.1.2
        22 August 2015 at 11:47 am

        A Shotgun is the appropriate weapon to shoot what are fast moving mobile birds. Given the effective range and spread of shotgun pellets the chances of accidentally killing a Takahe would be next to zero. The far greater likelihood is misidentification and a deliberately aimed shot.
        Also using a rifle for a mass bird cull with multiple hunters on an island would be ineffective not to mention extremely hazardous.

        The sole issue is the engagement of inexperienced and inappropriate hunters for a bird cull in a sensitive area. Squeezed or not DOC should not have allowed this to happen.

        • Macro 1.1.2.1
          22 August 2015 at 2:19 pm

          The sole issue is the engagement of inexperienced and inappropriate hunters for a bird cull in a sensitive area. Squeezed or not DOC should not have allowed this to happen.

          That it is it in a nutshell – and yes a shot gun is the the appropriate weapon for the pukeko on the wing. But they really only fly when startled. and usually only a short distance.
          They breed like rabbits too. We had about a hundred of the buggers on our block – and they stole practically every persimmon, pear, apple, and peach we ever grew. Whenever I see people with pottery pukeko ornaments in their garden I have a wry smile to myself – if those birds were live, the people wouldn’t be thinking they were so attractive.

  2. Jono 2
    22 August 2015 at 9:47 am

    DOC has had the guts ripped out of it over the last few years so this is not a surprise. In the last six months my partner, their current manager, their former manager, and several equally experienced colleagues have resigned from the same North Island office-more than a hundred years experience gone and all as a result of the 2013 restructure.

    Al Morrison has a shitload to answer for, running the restructure and then bailing for the SSC and leaving the implementation to Lou Sanson who, to be fair, is doing the best with the shut sandwich he has been left with.

    • RedLogix 2.1
      22 August 2015 at 12:09 pm

      Bloody sorry to read that Jono.

      As a life-long keen tramper and ex-club officer I’m vividly aware of how much frontline DoC staff achieve with so little love from their political masters. And what you write merely confirms the stupidity, incompetence and willful arrogance of this govt’s treatment of DoC.

      What absolutely enrages me is seeing political flunkies like Morrison parachuted into DoC – with absolutely no bloody idea what they are doing. Zero professional experience in the work of the department – but plenty of political connection. The result is ALWAYS a fuckup. Which you have to think was the intended outcome.

      Good luck to Lou Sanson. I’ve never met him, but the latest Federated Mountain Club journal speaks well of him. Shit he has a job ahead of him.

      • weka 2.1.1
        22 August 2015 at 12:23 pm

        Morrison was the perfect Trojan horse. All that time previously on RNZ where he was so reasonable and the middle classes loved him. But in reality he was a conduit for some pretty fucked up political maneuverings.

        • Macro 2.1.1.1
          22 August 2015 at 2:24 pm

          So true. I was astounded with the “revisions” he undertook. An absolute disaster, and this tragedy is a direct result.

  3. weka 3
    22 August 2015 at 9:53 am

    “The Government’s response is to talk about prosecutions of said good old boys for shooting birds that looked very similar to the birds they should have been shooting but were slightly fatter. While using shotguns and firing shotgun pellets. This is a classic example of an attempt to shift the blame.”

    Bet that’s going to go down well with the hunting and rural community. And what effect is that going to have on the volunteer community, on which DOC is highly dependent? Is the Deer Stalkers Ass going to want legal contracts next time?

  4. Charles 4
    22 August 2015 at 9:53 am

    Always identify your target. There is no excuse. The birds aren’t shooting back, you can get really close to a puk, and they don’t move all that fast.

  5. dukeofurl 5
    22 August 2015 at 10:12 am

    Deerstalkers Club?

    Since when did deerstalkers use shotguns ?. Or have any experience with shooting birds.

    It was clearly DUCKHUNTERS they were using, the ‘deerstalkers’ is clearly a coverup

  6. meconism 6
    22 August 2015 at 10:19 am

    Or raid the nests of the pukeko and stand on the eggs before they hatch then you don’t have to take guns near critically endangered birds period.

    • Lanthanide 6.1
      22 August 2015 at 10:45 am

      Such approach requires a time machine if it is the adult population they are trying to control.

    • freedom 6.2
      22 August 2015 at 10:59 am

      which nest is which meconism?
      http://i.imgur.com/EYiO9mw.jpg?1

      now imagine different light conditions, weather, physical tiredness of the person involved.
      (and maybe the person compiling the image played around with the number of eggs in the nest to prove a point)

      If the mature bird is being misidentified you really think finger-crossing egg smashing is a solution?

      may as well do this in that case
      http://i.imgur.com/CGCcnfb.jpg

      • Jilly Pendleton 6.2.1
        23 August 2015 at 9:43 am

        Horrified as I am by the ‘accidental’ killings of the takehe. I have heard stories of hunters putting possums on possum free islands just to piss off DoC, felling of native trees just to piss off conservationists, could this have been a deliberate action to damn DoC.
        Also in the UK it is a recognised action to coat eggs in Vaseline, these will not hatch but the birds will still sit on them, preventing them from laying more eggs and hence reducing reproduction rates. So once a year greasing of eggs in Spring may lower the pukeko numbers.

  7. Stuart Munro 7
    22 August 2015 at 11:11 am

    If they were serious they’d’ve picked off the pukekos with a .22 – on the ground, after scrupulous IDing. One takehe fatality might be conceivable human error, four is on a par with National’s economic policy – epic stupidity. It seems reasonable to conclude that Treasury is involved – epic stupidity is their modus operandi.

  8. greywarshark 8
    22 August 2015 at 11:14 am

    How can you trust any bunch of shooters. Even if they are mostly experienced and trying to identify their targets and follow all rules, they still have an underbelly that can shoot each other when out on a weekend sporting trip or the unforgettable situation of a walker being killed while cleaning teeth outside a trampers hut.

    DoC has not kept its quality, experienced and reliable staff as permanents for years. Just use whoever is available when the appropriate time for action comes up. They have forced so many good people to step away because of the lack of continuity from DoC. Their lack of adequate budget, commitment and care in conserving all the animals and birds under their care, with much being needed by volunteer citizens, has led to losing the human skilled workers who are informed and committed to the task.

    It is probably because of the ‘lean machine’ employing contractors idea that has been current so long. What a load of shut. By the time contractors are paid either their inordinate expense has cost twice that of one or two permanent employees or else the job is not done satisfactorily by people who, if they are lucky, manage to contact someone with the requisite background historical institutional knowledge.
    edited

    • weka 8.1
      22 August 2015 at 11:24 am

      Not all hunters are the same. There are plenty of responsible hunters out there who don’t shoot other people because they know what they are doing and they pay attention to the rules.

      Using contracted, experienced hunters rather than training DOC staff to be good hunters makes sense to me. I suspect the problem here was one of supervision (by DOC and/or by the Deerstalkers Ass or whoever). Probably also training re bird ID, and trusting people too early.

      It’s pretty routine for contracted herbicide sprayers to spray native broom because they can’t tell the difference between it and introduce broom. But it’s a pretty easily learned skill, so something else is going on.

      DOC staff make mistakes too. You just have to hang around rural communities with a big DOC presence to hear those stories.

      • RedLogix 8.1.1
        22 August 2015 at 12:19 pm

        Using contracted, experienced hunters rather than training DOC staff to be good hunters makes sense to me.

        Absolutely. What they really needed were some experienced pest-control professionals, the kind of guys who safely put 10,000 rounds through their rifle every year. Most hunters, even good ones, are just keen amateurs by comparison.

      • greywarshark 8.1.2
        22 August 2015 at 1:12 pm

        My point is that DoC don’t try hard to keep experienced workers even if they are employed just over a season. Keeping the past valuable employees on a list for priority for next year is not an automatic system in all the Department.

        And the point of experienced contracted hunters rather than trained DoC staff isn’t strong. Why not have a list of shooter employees available for casual work, who are proved and experienced for DoC purposes? An experienced contract shooter is a step away from someone known and proved to Doc.

        • weka 8.1.2.1
          22 August 2015 at 1:32 pm

          DOC have been seriously underfunded for a long time and relying on volunteers for just as long. I agree that some of their processes are inefficient, but I would see most problems as arising from the funding first (and then other causes after that).

          “An experienced contract shooter is a step away from someone known and proved to Doc.”

          Maybe it varies around the country, but most DOC workers I know aren’t experienced shooters. DOC contract in for various things including pest control, and there is no reason why that can’t be done competently. In this instance I’d want to know if there was a DOC officer on site while the shoot was happening.

          • greywarshark 8.1.2.1.1
            22 August 2015 at 3:34 pm

            I am not saying that regular DoC employees should have to be good gunmen. I am saying that they should have the experienced shooters that are trusted and informed and willing to be employed on a casual basis, on a list and call on them first. Then you don’t get eager beavers who know what they know and don’t know what they don’t know and …..Donald Rumsfeld style.

  9. Stephen Dickson 9
    22 August 2015 at 1:32 pm

    It seems there is a high rate of naive people here.
    If you think doc haven’t done this killing endangered critters before well, another sadly mistaken bunch of people. And it has been happening for a lot if years. Yeh Yeh doc restructure is bad. But they were killing protected animals before that. They have poisoned all kinds of animals but no one seems to give a shit about that.
    Why worry now? Because they were actually shot???

    Then you have to ask yourself, why are they killing off another native bird, namely the Pukeko?

    • weka 9.1
      22 August 2015 at 1:40 pm

      I don’t know the area concerned, but I’m guessing that Pukeko are outcompeting the Takahe for food and nesting sites.

      “But they were killing protected animals before that.”

      I alluded to that above, but didn’t want to get into specifics and DOC bashing as then I’d have to start naming all the stupid shit I’ve seen hunters do and then between them we’d be here all day.

      • Macro 9.1.1
        22 August 2015 at 2:32 pm

        “I don’t know the area concerned, but I’m guessing that Pukeko are outcompeting the Takahe for food and nesting sites. ”

        Yes pukeko breed prolifically, and needed to be culled.

        • Naturesong 9.1.1.1
          22 August 2015 at 4:04 pm

          Also Pukeko will raid nests and eat any chicks and eggs they can separate the parents from.
          They did that to our local duck population.

          They’re bastards.

          • weka 9.1.1.1.1
            22 August 2015 at 5:03 pm

            funny how Pūkeko managed to live ok within their ecosystem until that larger 2 legged arrived and fucked everything up and now likes to blame the Pūkeko.

            Breeding like rabbits… yous could always take the permaculture approach, the problem is the solution.

            • marty mars 9.1.1.1.1.1
              22 August 2015 at 5:17 pm

              lol the hating on Pūkeko is absurd – oh they eat the veges and compete for food with other birds and animals oh they must be EVIL and we must DESTROY THEM.

              • weka …
                22 August 2015 at 5:26 pm

                I’ve always liked them. I seem to remember they are very social within their own species. I would feel gratitude to have some living here, but then they’re rare in many places.

                • marty mars …
                  22 August 2015 at 5:47 pm

                  they are interesting birds in that they can pair bond but also, “In many areas, pukeko live in permanent social groups and defend a shared territory that is used for both feeding and breeding. Social groups can have multiple breeding males and females, but all eggs are laid in a single nest and the group offspring are raised by all group members.”

                  http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/pukeko

                  personally I just like their big feet.

              • Naturesong …
                22 August 2015 at 5:40 pm

                Because I find the habits of Pūkeko distasteful that must be the only reason I support the cull?

                Or, it might be I support DoC’s action as a way to increase the likelihood of Takahe avoiding extinction.

                Killing something because you don’t like it, or find it icky, or other frivolous reason is to be an ignorant child.

                • weka …
                  22 August 2015 at 5:47 pm

                  it’s possible to support the restoration of Takahē without hating Pūkeko or seeing them as bastards. Do you think that Pūkeko were in balance with Takahē and ducks before humans destroyed so much ecosystem? It seems strange to me that we would hate on a bird species for being natural.

                  • Naturesong …
                    22 August 2015 at 5:59 pm

                    I don’t like Pūkeko because used to lived next to a lot of them for a few years.
                    Nothing at all to do with the cull.

                    I’m also not that fond of Tui.
                    They bully the pair of fantails that say hello to me most mornings.
                    This also has nothing to do with the cull.

                  • lprent …
                    22 August 2015 at 6:17 pm

                    Yes indeed, Weka… 😈

    • greywarshark 9.2
      22 August 2015 at 3:29 pm

      Stephen
      In war there is such a thing as ‘collateral damage’. That is where, despite attempts to avoid it, civilians are killed. DoC is conducting a war on small predators and while it would be true to say that they have killed protected species, it is a sweeping statement to imply that it happens regularly, that they aren’t concerned about it and don’t want to keep it to a minimum. I would bet that if they followed whatever your idea is for solving their problems, the outcomes would be better for the protected species and for people in the area.

      It is an emotional argument you make. I guess you are involved in schemes for saving and protecting species. But just seeing DoC as the enemy is not a sensible approach.

      • maui 9.2.1
        22 August 2015 at 5:07 pm

        +1, sadly many of the people pointing the finger at DoC at accidental poisoning have vested interests. i.e. they’re hunters and DoC are on their patch. Improving NZ’s fauna and flora is not the no.1 priority of these people.

        • weka 9.2.1.1
          22 August 2015 at 5:13 pm

          while that may be true, I don’t think we can call 1080 bykill poisoning an accident.

        • greywarshark 9.2.1.2
          22 August 2015 at 6:30 pm

          @maui
          +100

        • weston 9.2.1.3
          22 August 2015 at 9:46 pm

          your last sentance is is just a tad final maui im a hunter and care very much about our fauna and flora but that doesnt mean i agree with throwing all sorts of poison arround to fix the problem for one thing we have our clean green reputation to live up to and for another its extreamly wastefull to throw away valuable resources .doc amongst others are guilty of vast over use of poison in fact would like to use more .i like pooks .i think they are an amirable species especially their ability to live in the noisy mess which we have made of what used to be their own patch.perhaps penning the newcomers for a while might be a good idea while the shooting is going on ….if it has to go on

          • maui 9.2.1.3.1
            23 August 2015 at 12:40 am

            The way I see the facts and the way DoC seems to as well is that 1080 is the best way to reduce pests numbers. I don’t believe it does effect our clean green image, it’s toxicity doesn’t last long in the environment, there are much more longer lasting and unsafe poisons widely used in pest control by our regional councils for example. It’s never been detected in any populations water supply, it doesn’t effect food sources (plants), it doesn’t accumulate in the environment. I would also put a good deal of probability that it is one of our most widely researched chemicals that we use in the environment, considering we’ve been using it for over 50 years now.

            Hunters opposition to it I think is because it effects their sport, which is fair enough to be upset about. But it is not because they understand conservation or how ecosystems work better. I would admit that poisoning animals like deer and morepork isn’t great from an animal welfare point of view, I think it’s deemed as “moderately humane”. Then again without poison, many more indigneous species would have disappeared from certain places in the jaws of a predator so I don’t see that as humane either. I would prefer there were automatic traps setup through the NZ countryside and where pest animals had become a rarity, but I’m not sure if we have the resources to get there.

            • weston 9.2.1.3.1.1
              24 August 2015 at 9:26 pm

              a couple of points maui first i dont hunt for sport i hunt for food .second despite yr cited 50 yrs experience we still have absolutely zero correct me if im wrong reserch on how 1080 affects humans.perhaps 1080 just passes harmlessly through our bodies but through secondary poisoning kills dogs and other animals stone dead . of course id rather eat my meat free of 1080 just in case !1if you compare 1080 with the herbacide roundup the same claims of harmlessness are made roundup breaks down quickly etc etc but i know if i keep applying roundup to the same areas repeatedely that the situation changes its simpley not true that it just breakes down harmlessly the data doesnt fit anymore and it fucks the soil for some time witness the weeds that will and wont grow in that particular environment .so just because the science makes the statement that something is safe doesnt make it safe in actuallity there are such things as vested interests and there are a shit load of vairiables .though many poeple hunt for sport many people hunt to put food on the table and theres a big differance .i also think that theres no such thing as moderately humane as far as poisons are concerned i think that very probably its a horrible way to go

    • Jenny Kirk 9.3
      22 August 2015 at 4:14 pm

      The Pukeko is not native. Its Australian. and it breeds like rabbits do, and eats Takahe eggs and young chicks. Its a pest. Not an endangered indigenous species.

  10. greywarshark 10
    22 August 2015 at 7:11 pm

    Jenny stated that pukeko is not an endangered indigenous species. And she makes some points about its omnivorous? habits. And that it is a pest. And that it breeds fast. Marty Mars had interesting info on their social habits. Those are facts to be going on with. I feel I have learned a lot about the pukeko.

  11. Robert Atack 11
    23 August 2015 at 10:22 am

    So how many native birds do DoC kill with 1080?
    Given the choice I think the Takahe would prefer to be shot.
    DoC – Department of Cruelty

  12. Robert Atack 12
    23 August 2015 at 10:34 am

    I feed about 6 Pukeko each morning, along with my 7 chickens and 2 ducks.
    When the Pukeko get a fright they ‘fly’ about 10 – 20 feet at the most, and about 6 foot off the ground, unless they are flying down into the bottom paddock, when they get a bit higher because of the contours of the land.
    And just like chickens, when/if the gun comes out (a 177 slug gun) you can’t see them for dust. I would guess the sound of a shotgun would ground them for quite a while, These ‘hunters’ would have had to poke around under the scrub, and maybe just shot a blue lumps?
    I have seen them on the roof of the glass house, but not when there are shot guns going off.

    • greywarshark 12.1
      24 August 2015 at 10:21 am

      Robert Atack
      Try being objective. The situation is not whether you can interact with pukeko. It is about how very endangered takahe got shot instead of unwanted pukeko which breed like humans. And there are so many humans with brains just like pukekos so it is nice to be able to get onto their wavelength so easily. Perhaps we need more humans that can think like takahe.

  13. hello 13
    23 August 2015 at 4:02 pm

    https://goo.gl/photos/ickVWdtjPCqcQQGLA

    In the Wing, on the Wing, So confusing for those deer hunters to understand.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

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