About that Speech from the Throne

Written By: - Date published: 8:33 pm, December 6th, 2023 - 45 comments
Categories: climate change, Culture wars, farming, health, Maori Issues, Politics, water - Tags: , , , ,

About that Speech from the Throne

What a snooze fest! It was boringly predictable and even mentioned the strong and stable government again, as an affirmative note from the speechwriters to themselves.

The only two Ministers who get a specific mention are the Minister for Regulation (Seymour) and the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Peters). The speech is carefully crafted and edited to reflect the views and interests of the coalition partners and to counter any doubts over how much consensus or coherence there is among them – smug & cocky comes to mind.

Obviously, the speech reflects the political agenda and ideology of NACTF. It implicitly criticises the previous government’s policies and praises the new government’s plans, without acknowledging any potential drawbacks or challenges. It also ignores the views and interests of many others who may not agree with this government’s direction.

As expected, the speech leans heavily to the Right and focuses on economic growth, productivity, and efficiency as the main goals and measures of success for the country. It advocates for tax relief, spending cuts, deregulation, and private sector involvement in various sectors and services, all straight from the RW Manual. Suffice to say, it doesn’t address the possible social, environmental, or cultural impacts or trade-offs of these policies, nor the distributional effects or equity issues that may arise from them.

Where the speech really becomes unhinged is in & by its cultural bias. The speech starts & finishes with a token Māori greeting, but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge or respect the diversity and identity of New Zealand’s people and cultures. For example, it proposes to disestablish the Māori Health Authority, repeal the Three Waters legislation, and remove references to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi from other legislation. It also implies that different rights and responsibilities based on race or ancestry are undesirable or divisive, rather than a recognition of historical and contemporary realities and aspirations.

The Māori Health Authority was created to address the health inequities and disparities faced by Māori, who have poorer health outcomes and lower life expectancy than non-Māori. The abolishment shows a lack of understanding and empathy for the historical and contemporary factors that affect Māori health, such as colonisation, discrimination, poverty, and trauma. It also undermines the principle of self-determination and autonomy, which are paramount in fully consented health care, which is enshrined in the Treaty of Waitangi.

The repeal of the Three Waters legislation, which aimed to improve the management and delivery of drinking water, wastewater, and storm water services, while ensuring the protection of Māori rights and interests in water, shows a disregard and disrespect for the cultural and spiritual significance of water for Māori, who view water as a taonga and a source of life. It also violates the principle of participation and consultation that is required by the Treaty of Waitangi, as well as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which New Zealand has endorsed under the previous National government.

In the speech, the new Government proposes to remove references to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi from other legislation. This shows a denial and rejection of the relevance and importance of the Treaty of Waitangi as the constitutional foundation of New Zealand and the extensive supportive existing legal framework, and the basis for a fair and just relationship between Māori and the Crown. It also contradicts the principle of protection and redress that is expected by the Treaty of Waitangi, e.g., through the Waitangi Tribunal, as well as the international human rights standards and obligations to which New Zealand has committed.

The speech indicates that the Government will restrict the use of land for carbon sequestration, which may affect the economic and environmental opportunities for Māori landowners and iwi, who have significant interests in forestry and climate change mitigation.

Taken together, these proposals reflect a cultural bias that is rooted in a narrow and exclusive vision of NZ that prioritises the interests and values of the dominant group, and marginalises and silences the voices and perspectives of the diverse and multicultural communities that make up Aotearoa New Zealand. Such a cultural bias isn’t only unfair and unjust, but also harmful and dangerous, as it erodes the social cohesion and unity, and fuels resentment and conflict that could threaten stability and security. This is in direct contrast to the rhetoric elsewhere in & of the speech and illustrates that people read what they want to read, as is known full-well by the speechwriters.

This isn’t a time for cynicism but instead for laser-sharp criticism of this Government, and to pull them up at every occasion on transparency & accountability and pin them down at every opportunity on specific evidence & relevant facts – they will be weakest at the start of this term and this is the time to rattle them and shake their smugness confidence.

45 comments on “About that Speech from the Throne ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Ad 1
    6 December 2023 at 8:51 pm

    Any chance of a link, or quote?

  2. Patricia Bremner 2
    6 December 2023 at 9:37 pm

    They are vindictive dismissive and dangerous. The three headed horror is just wrecking all established custom and law, back to might is right. Complete with lips drawn back from his teeth the new PM finger pointed and wagged, telling us it was new management. Not Leadership … no….. management of backroom decisions made by three cavalier men indifferent to the harm to our social fabric, as it distracts from their other plans.
    The stirred hornet nest will sting and distract and allow Law and Order to be deployed. Sad, sad.
    However they may just have over reached.

  3. Anne 3
    6 December 2023 at 9:38 pm

    This isn’t a time for cynicism but instead for laser-sharp criticism of this Government, and to pull them up at every occasion on transparency & accountability and pin them down at every opportunity on specific evidence & relevant facts.

    Absolutely! What is more, this new government is providing them with unprecedented fodder which should enable the Opposition parties to feed on it for the next three years.

    TPM is first out of the block but Labour and the Greens should not be far away. It is a time when all three parties need to work closely together on an agreed strategy that will enable them to take full advantage of the negative effects this government’s policies are going to have on the country as a whole.

    • Incognito 3.1
      6 December 2023 at 9:48 pm

      Not just the opposition parties but also the media (MSM and SM) have an important role to play in holding this shambolic Government to account and each and every individual can do the same and even submit OIA requests and submit in consultation rounds (e.g., of Parliamentary Sub-Committees), public enquiries, et cetera – this is democracy in action at the grassroots level. Or will ACT only pay lip service to freedom of speech & opinion and allow NZF to attempt to muzzle MSM?

      • Kat 3.1.1
        6 December 2023 at 10:15 pm

        "Not just the opposition parties but also the media (MSM and SM) have an important role to play in holding this shambolic Government to account………"

        Best to be optimistic, always look on the bright side of life……..but…..look at the MSM, who is in it, who reports daily……and, well…..do you really think its going to happen….

        Unless of course there is a new in depth political show headed by Kim Hill in the making……

        • Anne 3.1.1.1
          6 December 2023 at 10:52 pm

          I agree Kat. John Key effectively bribed the MSM with bottles of wine from his vineyard. Worked a treat. He had most of them living in his pocket. For all his adherence to Christianity, I can see Luxon doing likewise only it would probably be something else.

          • Robert Guyton 3.1.1.1.1
            7 December 2023 at 8:30 am

            "something else"?

            Framed photos of Judith kneeling at the pew?

            Free passes to The Upper Room?

            A golden hair from his Magisterial head…

            …oh…

            …hang on…

      • Incognito 3.1.2
        7 December 2023 at 8:53 am

        I meant Parliamentary Select Committees.

  4. SPC 4
    7 December 2023 at 9:00 am

    angelSure the political right (in all 5 Eyes nations) is taking neo-liberalism to the point of requiring an authoritarian regime to suppress an oppressed majority (as it will be post the home owning boomer generation).

    Both reason and compassion is absent in the hydra headed coalition because they are driven by short term greed – class war agenda by the haves.

  5. Ad 5
    7 December 2023 at 10:08 am

    The left won't win with the same old pc lines defending all the wet causes we spent the last 6 years funding.

    It might win the first 6 months. If we unify by supporting each other even if we don't particularly agree with what's been marched for, and if the mainstream media continue to favour the left's same liberal causes.

    It won't win more than that.

    • That_guy 5.1
      7 December 2023 at 12:08 pm

      I agree. We have got to stop doing a Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and saying that every question is either stupid ("you just don't understand, you need to educate yourself") or <something>ist. We need to start listening and have an honest appraisal of why we lost.

      It also implies that different rights and responsibilities based on race or ancestry are undesirable or divisive

      I don't hold this position because life is more complicated than that and IMHO some stuff got stolen and it should be returned, and the only practical way of doing so does involve race and ancestry.

      What I will not do is characterise anyone who holds this position as stupid and/or racist. I'm sure some of them are. But really, what's the play? If someone holds this position because they are racist, calling them racist won't make them less so. If someone holds this position because of a genuinely held belief that colourblindness is a good thing and left-wing perspective, calling them racist will drive them into the arms of the right. Which is why we lost.

    • SPC 5.2
      7 December 2023 at 2:31 pm

      What was your problem with Hipkins and his calls then?

      • That_guy 5.2.1
        7 December 2023 at 3:24 pm

        Well, quite a few, including the “captains call” ruling out a wealth tax, but the main problem is he’s not a captain and our country isn’t a ship and he did not have the authority to make that call.

        • SPC 5.2.1.1
          7 December 2023 at 3:37 pm

          Ad does not refer to captains calls. It refers to standing by wet policy positions.

          If he means traditional Labour ones, what was his problem with Hipkins captains calls?

          • That_guy 5.2.1.1.1
            7 December 2023 at 4:05 pm

            Well Hipkins is still leader, and he's ruled out a wealth tax while he is leader, so I'd call that "standing by a wet policy position".

    • Incognito 5.3
      9 December 2023 at 3:26 pm

      Your comment is a classical binary misinterpretation of the OP, which is a criticism of the new Government, not a defence of the old one.

      You seem to have been reading different MSM pieces than I have over the last 3 years, in particular.

      Your comment would have been a useful derail, at least, if it had offered any specific insight that could have been used as a segue into something less superficial and simplistic than a whining repeat of RW talking points.

      The new Government is offering nothing more than the same old, same old and no alternatives that we could use for moving forward. Its thinking and actions are deconstructive and retrograde and backward looking and navel-gazing is the last thing the Left should be doing right now (and definitely not under this Post!).

  6. That_guy 6
    7 December 2023 at 12:19 pm

    Calling something a "dog whistle" implies that anyone who responds to that message is a dog.

    Yet to be convinced that's a good electoral strategy. Not seeing much honest self-reflection of why we lost.

    • SPC 6.1
      7 December 2023 at 2:27 pm

      Check out the actual meaning of the term dog whistle.

      The only place one finds people called dogs is in the Christian bible – immoral dogs and dogs outside a city. It is presumably from this source that a term for a pregnant female with a dubious male partner derives.

      • That_guy 6.1.1
        7 December 2023 at 2:55 pm

        I’ll do that if you check out the actual meaning of the term “electoral loss”.

        Pretty funny that I make a point about perhaps not telling people constantly that they should educate themselves and in the same thread I get told to educate myself. Point proven.

        • SPC 6.1.1.1
          7 December 2023 at 3:00 pm

          No a strawman does not work.

          You made a statement of untruth, that you cannot defend.

          That is called losing.

          • That_guy 6.1.1.1.1
            7 December 2023 at 3:22 pm

            lol yeah because “dog whistle” means “a device for emitting sounds in a particular frequency” and only ever means that and words never change meanings in different contexts and people don’t ever interpret the meanings of words according to a particular political context. Cool story bro.

            • SPC 6.1.1.1.1.1
              7 December 2023 at 3:32 pm

              Educate yourself and stop making up stuff about a site moderator – are you ignorant of site policy?

              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_whistle_(politics)

              • That_guy …
                7 December 2023 at 4:02 pm

                Yeah, ok, "educate myself". Yep. Let me explain in greater detail. This post IMHO implies that the statement:

                "different rights and responsibilities based on race or ancestry are undesirable or divisive"

                Is a dog whistle. Not a value, or a position, or a honestly held belief. A dog whistle. Even if you accept that the political meaning of that term is the only possible meaning, which I do not, what this says is that it's not a belief worth discussing or respecting, despite the fact that about 15 years ago it was a perfectly respectable position on the left. It clearly falls into the category of denigrating and casually dismissing honestly held positions or beliefs of potential left voters.

                And all I said was: I am not convinced using this language is a good political strategy. Because some people on the left are in the bad habit of characterising honestly held positions of others as stupid or evil, by saying things like "educate yourself" or "you're <something>ist."

                And then you come along and tell me to educate myself.
                And then other posters actually explain to me the political meaning of the term "dog whistle" as if I don't already know and as if it's impossible for suitably motivated people to interpret it in another way.

                Which simultaneously misses my point and proves it.

                • SPC …
                  7 December 2023 at 4:08 pm

                  Evasion.

                  Calling something a "dog whistle" implies that anyone who responds to that message is a dog.

                  No it does not. End of.

                  • That_guy …
                    7 December 2023 at 4:15 pm

                    Do you believe that the statement:

                    "different rights and responsibilities based on race or ancestry are undesirable or divisive"

                    is:
                    1) a coded message designed specifically to appeal to racists without actually being blatantly racist

                    or

                    2) a moral and political position that some people on both the left and the right honestly hold?

                    • SPC …
                      7 December 2023 at 5:37 pm

                      That is a question for the person who wrote the post, they might make a response if you ask them to.

    • Incognito 6.2
      9 December 2023 at 3:32 pm

      You’ve been commenting on this site for over 7 years and you claim or pretend not to understand what dog whistle means!?

      In fact, you used the term only 6 months ago:

      I agree that they aren't really interested in road safety, and I agree that it's a dog whistle. [my italics]

      https://thestandard.org.nz/blowin-in-the-wind/#comment-1952136

      FYI, ‘dog whistle’ is a very well-known term in politics:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_whistle_(politics)

      So, please don’t insult our intelligence.

      Stick to the topic of the OP or take it somewhere else, e.g., OM, a Guest Post, or start your own blog.

  7. Patricia Bremner 7
    7 December 2023 at 1:00 pm

    Ok start victim blaming!! That is silly.

    We lost because they have money and we don't.

    They have billionaires and we don't.

    They have well supported well resourced representatives and we don't.

    Our representatives failed to represent us, and went off on some tangent. Some were shown to be inadequate.

    Too many people did not value the social gains, so they voted for the money, because their pockets were effected by events.

    When people get scared, they vote conservatively.

    Buyer’s remorse is setting in as they read the fine print, and the see the tears in the social fabric.

    • That_guy 7.1
      7 December 2023 at 1:12 pm

      Thank you for at least starting a conversation about why we lost.

      We lost because they have money and we don't.

      They have billionaires and we don't.

      They have well supported well resourced representatives and we don't.

      All of these things were still true in the years that we won.

      Our representatives failed to represent us, and went off on some tangent. Some were shown to be inadequate.

      Agree.

      Too many people did not value the social gains, so they voted for the money.

      Disagree, I don't think people voted "for" anything. This was a vote against something.. a set of values that they didn't agree with, because some reasonable questions about those values weren't answered.

      My idea (and it is only an idea that deserves to be inspected and challenged) is that we got into a bad habit of characterising anyone with questions or reservations as stupid ("you don't understand, you should educate yourself") or biased ("you are <something>ist or <something>phobic and therefore are evil, so your opinion doesn't count").

      When that happens, no human ever says "why yes, I am what you say I am, I'll educate and decolonise myself forthwith". What they do say is "FU, I'm off to vote for Winston First".

      For example, with Treaty settlements, I would respond to people saying "why should we allocate resources on the basis of race" by saying first that it's a reasonable question, and second by pointing to specifics. Like the time when there were two laws on the books simultaneously, one prohibiting Māori from developing their land, one confiscating Māori land that was undeveloped. And I'd say: stuff got stolen, on the basis of race and heredity. So for practical purposes we must include race and heredity in the return of that stuff.

      And that's the start of a conversation, and conversations is how we win votes. Implying that people are dogs isn't.

      • Kat 7.1.1
        7 December 2023 at 3:19 pm

        In politics, a dog whistle is the use of coded or suggestive language in political messaging to garner support from a particular group without provoking opposition. The concept is named after ultrasonic dog whistles, which are audible to dogs but not humans…………………

        It is a misnomer that the saying 'dog whistle' implies people are actual dogs…….words, context and meanings are very important in language…..otherwise communications and understandings become garbled…..

        • That_guy 7.1.1.1
          7 December 2023 at 3:33 pm

          You can’t stop people interpreting language in a way that doesn’t necessarily match the Oxford English Dictionary, and using this loaded term gives people yet another reason to think that the left looks down on them if they are inclined to do so. It’s a bad strategy.

      • Patricia Bremner 7.1.2
        7 December 2023 at 5:53 pm

        They did not vote for the $250 a fortnight? They fell for the sprat to catch a mackerel.

        Any money voters get will quickly be eaten up in fees and rate rises meeting tax blow out shortfalls. They will quickly be in negative territory as these inflationary policies are enacted. ie it is being admitted that Auckland rates will balloon, all rates will be higher to pay higher commercial insurance costs and meet storm repairs.

        This government wants private public arrangements, where shareholders take the wealth in dividends, while the rest of us pay as we use and cover any losses.

        Todays pirates come in suits.

      • Incognito 7.1.3
        9 December 2023 at 3:44 pm

        You build a straw man.

        You burn down the straw man.

        It’s a monologue with yourself and you feel good about yourself, obviously. Work on your listening skills before you comment again under my Posts.

  9. Mike the Lefty 9
    7 December 2023 at 4:56 pm

    I suspect that King Charles would neither know nor care about what his representative the GG says in his name. If he did I'm sure the speech would have been substantially different.

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    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

  • 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
    18 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
    21 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
    22 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
    24 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
    1 day 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
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

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