web analytics

An honest man?

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, April 22nd, 2013 - 65 comments
Categories: john key, making shit up - Tags:

New Zealanders put their trust in John Key. As the 2008 election neared, New Zealanders sensed a positive change was in the offing, a change driven by optimism which held out the reassurance that the darkening and ominous clouds heralding financial meltdown gathering around previously rock-solid international banking institutions didn’t have to reach as far as us.

In fact, a multi-millionaire, a man who had made his fortune working with those very institutions had stepped up to offer his talents and to soften any impact such impending fiscal threat imposed. And look – he grew in a solo parent family dependent on a benefit for his family’s very food and rent. He knows struggle street, he’ll look after us, he’s one of us. Consider his own example; that’s how we work things out – be positive, couple our innate Kiwi optimism with a sturdy and aspirational mind-set to embrace a new New Zealand offered by John Key.

Sure, we can make mistakes, heh, just look at all that silly fuss about the Coldplay song on that promotion CD the nice smiling John Key sent to us. He won’t let us down. Yes, its time for a change. And guess what? John Key has promised live on television to never lie and to always do his best.

Now, four-and-a-half years later we know that was his first lie, and it certainly wasn’t going to be his last. And these are only the ones we know about. In fact, as the litany of lies still spills from John Key, it must be asked: is the litany orchestrated?

You decide. Take the “power” back.

01 – I promise to always be honest

02 – We’re not proposing to change the Employment Relations Act in a way that weakens unions

03 – we are not going to sack public servants, the attrition rate will reduce costs

04 – we are not going to cut working for families

05 – I firmly believe in climate change and always have

06 – We seek a 50% reduction in New Zealand’s carbon-equivalent net emissions, as compared to 1990 levels, by 2050. 50 by 50. We will write the target into law.

07 – National Ltd™ will provide a consistent incentive for both biofuel and biodiesel by exempting them from excise tax or road user charges

08 – I didn’t know about The Bretheren election tactics

09 – If they came to us now with that proposal [re trans-Tasman Therapeutic Goods regime], we will sign it

10 – I can’t remember my position on the 1981 Springbok Tour

11 – Tranzrail shares

12 – I did not mislead the House (1)

13 – Lord Ashcroft

14 – National Ltd™ would not have sent troops into Iraq

15 – Standard & Poors credit downgrade

16 – the double-down grade doesn’t really matter and its only about private sector debt

17 – I did not mislead the House (2)

18 – I didn’t say I want wages to drop

19 – the real rate of inflation is 3.3 percent.

20 – the tourism sector has not lost 7,000 jobs

21 – no I have never heard of Whitechapel

22 – I won’t raise GST

23 – people who are on the average wage and have a child are $48 a week better off after the rise in GST

24 – the purchase of farmland, by overseas buyers will be limited to ten farms per purchase

25 – the Pike River Mine was consented to under a Labour Government

26 – no promises were made to get the remains of the miners out of the Pike River mine

27 – I did not provide a view on the safety of the Pike River coalmine

28 – I did not mislead the House (3)

29 – capping, not cutting the public service

30 – raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour will cost 6000 jobs

31 – north of $50 a week

32 – privatisation won’t significantly help the economy

33 – wave goodbye to higher taxes , not your loved ones

34 – I never offered Brash a diplomatic job in London

35 – Tariana Turia is “totally fine” with the Tuhoe Treaty Claim deal

36 – Kiwisaver

37 – National Ltd™ is not going to radically reorganise the structure of the public sector

38 – tax cuts won’t require additional borrowing

39 – New Zealand does not have a debt problem

40 – New Zealand troops in Afghanistan will only be involved in training, not fighting

41 – the wage gap between New Zealand and Australia has closed under my National Ltd™ government

42 – It took 9 years for Labour to make a complete and utter mess of the economy

43 – National Ltd™ has changed the Overseas Investment Act to include 19 different criteria

44 – the price of goods and services has risen by 6 per cent since the last election, while the has actually gone up by 16 per cent

45 – no, although its a week ago and here I am being interviewed on television about them, I havn’t seen Gerry Brownlee’s comments regarding demolitions in Christchurch and which caused such outrage, but I can talk all about them

46 – our SAS soldiers were not involved in the Kabul Hotel gunfight

47 – the use of the Vela brother’s helicopter was required so I could attend meetings relating to national/international security concerns

48 – the DPS makes the decision about accompanying the Prime Minister or not, I had no choice but to take them on holiday to Hawaii

49 – I did not mislead the House (4)

50 – oh, maybe our SAS soldiers were in the Kabul hotel gun fight but they weren’t wounded by friendly fire

51 – New Zealand has lost $12 billion from GDP due to the Christchurch earthquake . . . oh, it might actually be around $15 billion from GDP due to the Christchurch earthquake . . . Blinglish said what?

52 – 10,000 houses will have to be demolished in Christchurch due to the earthquake

53 – 14,000 new apprentices will start training over the next five years, over and above the number previously forecast

54 – Our amendments to the ETS ensure we will continue to do our fair share internationally

55 – we are committed to honouring our Kyoto Protocol obligations

56 – any changes to the ETS will be fiscally neutral

57 – we [NZ] have grown for eight of the last nine quarters”

58 – National Ltd™ will tender out the government banking contract

59 – we will be back in surplus by 2014-15

60 – Nicky Hager’s book “Other People’s Wars” is a work of fiction

61 – unemployment is starting to fall

62 – we have created 60,000 jobs

63 – we have created 45,000 jobs

64 – the 2011 Budget will create in the order of 170,000 jobs

65 – I don’t know if I own a vineyard

66 – no, I did not mislead the House (5)

67 – the Isreali spy killed in the Christchurch quake had “only one” passport

68 – the Police will not need to make savings by losing jobs

69 – GCSB re Kim Dotcom x 3 (that we know about)

70 – I did not mislead the House (6)

71 – I voted to keep the drinking age at 20

72 – New Zealand is 100% Pure

73 – I’ve been prime minister for four years, and it’s really 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year

74 – baseball in New Zealand is attracting more government support

75 – the decision to buy brand new BMWs was made by the Department of Internal Affairs without reference either to their minister or to me

76 – I didn’t have a clue that Ministerial Services, which I am in charge of, was going to buy brand new BMWs

77 – even though two of my ministers knew all about it, I didn’t have a clue that brand new BMWs were being bought.

78 – even though my Chief of Staff met with officials to discuss purchase of the the brand new BMWs, I didn’t have a clue

79 – Labour forced us into buying the brand new BMWs, its their fault

80 – ummm, look, sorry about that BMW thing , it was because I was so upset about the death of a New Zealand soldier and Julia Gillard was visit too

81 – the public demanded that we change the labour laws for The Hobbit

82 – “The Hobbit” created 3000 new jobs

83 – we have delivered 800 extra doctors in the public service

84 – I did not mislead the House (7)

85 – I wasn’t working at Elders when the sham foreign exchange deals took place

86 – I was starting School Certificate exams in 1978

87 – I don’t know who arrived on the CIA jet to visit the spies I am responsible for

88 – reducing barriers to property developers will increase the availability of affordable housing

89 – Labour left the economy in poor shape

90 – forecasts show unemployment will fall

91 – we have closed the wage gap with Australia by $27

92 – Ngati Porou and Whanau Apanui are not opposed to mining

93 – I have not had any meetings with Media Works

94 – our [NZ’s] terms of trade remain high

95 – the TPP is an example of democracy

96 – National Ltd™ will use the proceeds of state asset sales to invest in other public assets, like schools and hospitals

97 – New Zealand troops will be out of Afghanistan by April 2013

98 – overseas investment in New Zealand adds to what New Zealanders can invest on their own

99 – overseas investment in New Zealand creates jobs, boosts incomes, and helps the economy grow

100 – National Ltd™ will build 2000 houses over the next two years

101 – there are only 4 New Zealand SAS soldiers in Bamiyan and all working in the area of logistics and planning only

102 – selling state assets will give cash equity to those companies

103 – the Sky City deal doesn’t mean more pokies

104 – there was nothing improper about the Sky City deal

105 – my office has had no correspondence, no discussions, no involvement with the Sky City deal

106 – SkyCity will only get “a few more” pokie machines at the margins

107 – any changes to gambling regulations will be subject to a full public submission process

108 – Sky City has approached TVNZ about the purchase/use of government-owned land

109 – the Auditor General has fully vindicated National over the Sky City deal

110 – there’s a 50/50 chance the Hobbit is going off shore unless we do something

111 – David Shearer has signed up for the purchase of shares in Mighty River

112 – Solid Energy asked the government for a $1 billion capital investment

113 – fracking has been going safely on in Taranaki for the past 30 years without any issues

114 – no front line positions will be lost at DoC

115 – Iain Rennie came to me and recommended Fletcher for the GCSB job

116 – I forgot that after I scrapped the shortlist for GCSB job I phoned a life-long friend to tell him to apply for the position

117 – I told Iain Rennie I would contact Fletcher

118 – for 30 years, or three decades, I didn’t have any dinners or lunches or breakfasts with Ian Fletche

119 – I did not mislead the House (8)

120 – No, I did not say we would follow the US and Australia into a war against North Korea

121 – I paid for that lunch and I’ve got the credit card bill to prove it

122 – I called directory service to get Ian Fletcher’s number

123 – I did not mislead the house (9)

124 – I am honest and upfront

125 – cyber terrorists have attempted to gain access to information about weapons of mass destruction held on New Zealand computers

126 – the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom was an isolated incident

127 – New Zealand has an arrangement to have asylum seekers processed in Australian detention camps

128 – the law which says the GCSB cannot spy on New Zealanders is not clear

129 – the only way net new jobs can be created is by private investors putting their money into businesses in New Zealand

130 – an increase in the number of people looking for work indicates that confidence is returning to the economy

131 – the 10 percent of taxpayers in New Zealand who are the top earners pay 76 percent of all net personal tax.

132 – I did not mislead the House (10)

133 – the substantial wage growth under Labour was eroded by inflation

134 – National Ltd™’s 2010 tax changes were fiscally neutral

135 I did not mislead the House (11)

136 – the bulk of New Zealanders earn between $45,000 and $75,000 a year

137 – Pike River Coal did not put profits and its production ahead of the safety and lives of those 29 workers.

138 – Radio Live had sought advice from the Electoral Commission about my show just before the election

139 – it is because of National Ltd™’s policies that the price of fresh fruit and vegetables has dropped.

140 – the length-of-the-country cycleway will create 4000 jobs.

141 – police training for next year has not has not been cancelled

142 – National Ltd™ has only cut back-office jobs in the health service

143 – The Crown’s dividend stream from the Meridians, the Mighty Rivers of the world is large and there is no motivation to sell assets

144 – Gross.

– BLiP

65 comments on “An honest man? ”

  1. BM 1

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Cycle_Trail#Intended_benefits

    the length-of-the-country cycleway will create 4000 jobs.

    Prime Minister John Key noted that he expected about 500 jobs to be provided in construction of the cycleways in total, with up to 4,000 eventually created through tourism benefits the trails would bring.[19] In mid 2011, the newsletter of the New Zealand Cycle Trail reported 511 people employed on trail construction

    No doubt there’s a ton more bs in that list, but I’ve got better things to do than fact check lefty propaganda.

    • karol 1.1

      Yet yesterday Key was promoting high value tourism via conferences and convention centres. Didn’t say anything about getting all those wealthy Chinese, Indonesians and Latin Ameicans to use the cycleway.

    • Te Reo Putake 1.2

      “No doubt there’s a ton more bs in that list.”

      144 is a gross, not a ton, BM. Funny how, when presented with over a hundred examples of Prime Ministerial BS, you are more worried about minor nitpicking over one example than you are about the country being led by someone who lies shamelessly and regularly. The problem isn’t an individual lie on the list, it’s that the list exists at all.

      Dunnokeyo’s real diffficulty, as shown in the polls over the last few days, is not that he has smarmy, waffly answers to the questions about his integrity that are being put to him, but that he is being questioned at all. People are waking up to his essential shiftiness and many are coming to the conclusion that there is no smoke without fire. And, as we all know, smoke kills, too.

      • BM 1.2.1

        First one I looked at, must have just got lucky.

        This dishonest line you guys are spinning really runs opposite to what I hear

        When the topic of politics comes up in a conversation and John Key is mentioned, the first thing people say is that he’s up front, explains things well and you know where you stand with him, then it’s always followed by:
        “Unlike that shifty David Shearer who forgets that he has millions stashed off shore in secret bank accounts, yeah right, who does he think we are.”

        • Pascal's bookie 1.2.1.1

          Pull the other one BM, it shits bitcoins.

        • felix 1.2.1.2

          ““Unlike that shifty David Shearer who forgets that he has millions stashed off shore in secret bank accounts, yeah right, who does he think we are.”

          lolz BM. No-one knows who Shearer is.

          Besides, it wasn’t millions. I read somewhere that it was well over half a billion dollars.

    • felix 1.3

      Heh, the NZ Herald is now “lefty propaganda”.

      Whatevs BM. If it’s bullshit then show us the 4000 jobs.

    • felix 1.4

      “I’ve got better things to do than fact check lefty propaganda.”

      Really? Guess we won’t be seeing much of you then. Take care.

    • BM – that was in March 2009.

      By December 2010, the status of the cycleway was, according to the NZ Herald,

      “The national cycleway has so far generated just 215 jobs – well short of Prime Minister John Key’s expectation of 4000.

      In May, Mr Key said he expected the $50 million project, which involves building 18 cycleways throughout the country, to generate 4000 jobs.”

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10692801

  2. vto 2

    Key’s true nature has been magnified and put up in lights by his very own act in stepping up to the most public spot in the country. Did he not realise that this would happen? Did he not think that his bullshitting ways would become apparent? Silly egg. failure at the pinnacle.

  3. r0b 3

    Quite a list. 49 is an example of “didn’t mislead the house” that isn’t numbered in that sequence, shall I update?

  4. Morrissey 4

    That lie on television was not his first lie, not by a long shot. It was just another in a long line of lies by Key. Have a read of The Hollow Men to see just corrupt he is. And while you’re there, check out how much money Maurice Williamson, the new champion of gay lib, took from the Brethren, who hate homosexuals.

  5. Mary 5

    That’s very powerful put like that. It’s great, also, that readers of The Standard have been given the opportunity to see things see things for what they are.

    The next step is to convince David Shearer that he needs to start conveying these sorts of messages to the public so that everyone gets to see the truth about what Key and his mates are doing. Will Shearer do this? I doubt it, and that’s why he’s hopeless.

  6. Ennui 6

    Number 140…..the Cycleway. My personal grudge.

  7. Blue 7

    One of my personal favourites is when one of the TV stations stuck a camera in his face around the 2008 election and asked him why he wanted to be PM. He replied “to help people”.

    Even he didn’t sound convinced.

    • mac1 7.1

      Not necessarily a lie. “It’s jush a matta of which peepul you’re referring to, like the onesh whoshe phone numbers I know.”

  8. red blooded 8

    The man is a creep and always has been. This is an impressive compilation; how about publicising it more widely than this?

    • weka 8.1

      +1

      Wouldn’t be that hard to put it up on wordpress, have a static page for the list that can be updated over time. That page’s URL and intro etc (or whole list) and the updates could be circulated via email, FB, twitter etc. Then do blogposts for the new lies as they come to pass. Plus people can make suggestions in the comments.

  9. Rosie 9

    Holy Moley that is one epic list! Good work on the compilation. Hope you had a cup of tea and a lie down afterwards.It would have been exhausting recording such a multitude of lies.

    Such a glorious list deserves to be a press release in its own right.

  10. ianmac 10

    Could hire a Tui billboard and one a week? eg:
    [John says, “We will not cut Working for Families.” Yeah Right!]

  11. Dv 11

    That is 1.4 lies per week!!!!!

  12. fambo 12

    Let’s not forget he compared himself to Barack Obama. That’s either a lie or a delusion.

  13. Jane Vile 13

    quote from Arthur Vile journalist and politician, written in 1950 and still relevant today.
    What is wanted is a goverment that will legislate for the whole of the people, and will provide, as nearly as possible, equal opportunities for all. Instead of politicians who are actuated solely by expediency and a desire to retain office at any price; instead of having an executive that panders to class and extends patronage and largesse to its friends, we must have statesmen whose one and only aim is to promte the welfare of the country and bring happiness and contentment to the whole of its people

  14. bad12 14

    Blip’s list of Slippery’s grand litany makes a excellent read, it’s a shame that it has taken all of 4 and a half years for the New Zealand voters to catch up with the little Shysters game of spin, a gamble by the gambler in charge pitting His ability to talk ‘utter shit’ against his own popularity,

    To think that i got banned from Sam Morgan’s old site for repeatedly putting up a thread titled ‘is John Key a Liar’ and refusing to desist,

    The only surprise would be that Slippery has held so many in thrall for so long covering up one piece of ‘modified truth’ with an even bigger one and then resorting to snivelling that He wouldn’t be answering any media questions immediately as even the likes of the commercial press tired of His daily diet of treating the voting public with disdain….

  15. Chrissy 15

    Let’s face it. The only time key is not lying is when he’s got his mouth shut.

  16. ghostrider888 16

    You are a credit to The Standard BLiP; a sign of the times that this man leads “Godzone”; more like Erewhon.

  17. BLiP 17

    Having been exposed for the inveterate liar that he is, John Key has decided to start telling the truth reorganise his public relations team.

    • ghostrider888 17.1

      now that’s ‘avin’ a larf, takin’ the p*ss, and p*ssin’ in the wind simultaneously; an Accumulator next? we wonder.

    • karol 17.2

      Ms Kelly McAra, controversial (well almost) ex-journalist at the Waikato Times, dismissed as a hack by a scientist who was anti-genetic engineering in 2000.

      Finally I point out that the reporter Ms McAra was explicitly forbidden to use my embargoed advance text for any purpose but to prepare some account of it for publication (it was an 11am talk; the Times comes out at noon, she said). Her report implies that she used the embargoed text for much more than that. Mind you, the responses she thus procured could be seen as favourable to us, in that they are so crude & extremist. She didn’t speak to me at the seminar.

      Fiona Barber of the NZ Herald is another hack who has dishonoured the embargo contract.

      Conclusion: don’t trust hacks. They’re treacherous. When in any doubt, give them nothing.

      Edit: ODT on the PM’s comms reshuffle, including the Waikato Times part of McAra’s CV.

    • BLiP 17.3

      More on National Ltd™’s Ministry of Truth from John Armstrong.

  18. Karl Sinclair 18

    ‘Nullius in verba’

  19. Linz 19

    You forgot my favourite: “I never said David Beckham was as thick as bat shit.”

    • Mike Smith 19.1

      Evidently the PM’s office said that if Beckham had heard what the PM really said he, Beckham, would have been flattered. When asked what exactly the PM had said the office replied that the matter was closed.
      Go figure.

  20. Logie97 20

    Would it be possible to keep this post at the the front of The Standard’s page views as a “current blog”, and when TS is notified of further lies, they can be added by the Editors, rather than let it slip off the screens? A little “Update” note could be included at the foot of the the main post. I am sure that all visitors to this site would like to see this particular post kept up to date rather than lost in time.

  21. 145 – In my statement to Australia’s National Crime Authority/Serious Fraud Office in May 1991, who asked how I could recall the 31 August 1988 lunch alluded to in Lie 121, I told them I could recall the lunch because it was my farewell do with a colleague – I was to start working for Bankers Trust in Auckland the next day. I told media that I got a call from infamous Bankers Trust currency raider Andrew Krieger not long after I started working for the firm, and my ex boss, BT CEO Gavin Walker says Krieger’s trades with me soon made our Auckland dealing room the most lucrative fx co in the country (go me!) – it’s mere semantics that Krieger had resigned from the company some six months prior! And if any of you knuckleheads err journos ask me how that could happen I’m going to blame the controversial practice of using courier pigeons for forex dealing in the 80s. And don’t even bother wondering why my ‘1988’ resignation date 24 June is exactly 1 year to the day that my then employer’s parent co Elders IXL announced in 1987 their plans to restructure.

  22. Gruntie 22

    Blue – Donkey didn’t lie that he wanted to “help people” as pm – he just forgot to say “help rich people”

  23. Justin 23

    Someone spent a long time collating these articles and vids….
    Reeks of “content marketing”
    Labour, Greens? come on own up “Guest Post”
    #MediaDiet

    • BLiP 23.1

      I had the list for a while but was challenged on one or two points so added DOX to each of the lies. Took me the better part of a weekend – maybe 16 – 20 hours tops. Here’s one of the early versions. As you can see, there have been some changes. For example, I backed off on the lie that John Key claimed to be Jewish/Christian/Agnostic, reworded others, and even dropped a few when I couldn’t find supporting DOX. Here’s when I started collecting the lies, what I should’ve done was keep up links to the DOX.

      I also keep a list on National Ltd™’s environmental record, and a list on the New Zealand police – expect a post on that shortly – and I’m starting a list on another matter which might not pan out, so nuff said on that.

      Okay, so I’m slightly OCD when gathering facts showing National Ltd™’s failings and, yeah, using hard data when arguing with RWNJ’s doesn’t change their mind, but I do this as my own wee personal contribution to The Standard. Take your knowledge of “content marketing” and shove it up your arse. kthxbai

  24. georgecom 24

    As far back as 2002 Key was having Tranzrail “brain fades”. “25,000 to 50,000 shares”. Oh, um, oh, “50,000 to 100,000 shares”.

    “I don’t remember, I can’t remember…”

    Bit of a pattern here eh.

    • tricldrown 24.1

      don’t forget how he was touting the Irish economy and how well Merrill lynch was doing and both went belly and he claims to know nothing!Merrill Lynch were the most corrupt finance company in the world!
      Selective memory loss!
      From a man that can remember his childhood friends!

      • Colonial Viper 24.1.1

        Merrill Lynch were the most corrupt finance company in the world!

        Just another one of the cartel, and by no means the biggest or the baddest. For that, look to JP Morgue or the Vampire Squid (aka Goldman Sachs).

  25. BLiP 25

    And (to go along with Mr Macskasy’s two additions) another one for the list. Thank’s John, I’m lovin’ it . . .

    – I told Cabinet that I knew Ian Fletcher

  26. username 27

    If he is the most publicised and publicly viewed politician, then I worry what the rest of them are up too!

  27. Jak 28

    Would be great if this became something that was constantly updated as more appear.

    • lprent 28.1

      BLip does it pretty much all of the time. And yes I should find him space to update it – needs to be a page he can edit and that shows up on the front page. Mutter, space mutter….

  28. mcclairy 29

    The first time I had heard the word, “Underclass” was when the Key was wandering around the back streets of Mt Roskill raving on how he would give these people the opportunities to say bye-bye poverty ?

    Latest figures on Child Poverty – which translates to parent poverty – are up in the 290,000 mark and growing. When I am in the occasional paranoid moment I claim the guy is a plant to benefit US and his former employers….MRP but one example of flogging off the commons, a natural monopoly. They just happen to be a part of the group who specialise in the sale of SOE’s around the world.

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • What I wanted to say before the mob stopped women speaking
    by Daphna Whitmore I thought the #LetWomenSpeak meeting would be a good time to talk about free speech and why it is important for the left. Then the mob stampeded the open-air gathering and no one got to speak. Here’s what I was had prepared. Today I want to talk ...
    RedlineBy Admin
    8 hours ago
  • Women’s rights meeting silenced
    By Don Franks Today my friend Ani O’Briien went to a meeting in Auckland and wrote: “No sooner had Kellie-Jay Keen Minshull arrived at the Rotunda, a protestor (who had managed to get past the barrier) ran at her and threw a red substance all over her and a security ...
    RedlineBy Admin
    9 hours ago
  • A serving of soup curbs Posie Parker’s appetite for speaking – and shows that might is right in ...
    Jonathan Milne, managing editor for Newsroom Pro, has expressed his indignation about the outcome of a court decision yesterday in an article headed Posie Parker wins the beautiful freedom to make an ugly argument. Newsroom Pro laments: High Court Justice David Gendall has regretfully allowed an outspoken anti-trans activist to enter New ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    12 hours ago
  • It’s official: National have an education policy
    imagine my surprise this week when the National Party, in their infinite wisdom, decided to release an education policy. As you can imagine, this got us so riled up here in the office that we dusted off our Windows XP laptop, waiting 17 hours for all the updates to be ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    13 hours ago
  • Prosperity through Productivity.
    Come on Jess thought Mr Evans come on. He watched the large clock on the wall tick closer to 8:40am. Come on girl.In two minutes he had to submit the class attendance report and with Jess having already been late once that term it’d mean an automatic visit from the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    14 hours ago
  • The hoon for the week that was to March 25
    This week’s UN IPCC report warned climate emissions will need to be cut by almost half by 2030, if warming is to be limited to 1.5°C. Bronwyn Hayward points out in The Hoon podcast how far behind NZ’s government and councils are now on climate action compared to the rest ...
    The KakaBy Peter Bale
    19 hours ago
  • The big question for Labour: Will Hipkins have any more success than Ardern did with the top priorit...
    Chris  Hipkins,  after  he became prime minister, committed  to defeating the  cost-of- living crisis. He  proceeded to make a  bonfire of policies  that were at  the  heart of Jacinda Ardern’s administration.  But, as   Richard Prebble pointed out this week, “the government has not just U-turned, it has repudiated the ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    1 day ago
  • Reality check.
    There are some wellness, crystal-gazing, holistic spiritual guidance types in my disaster-hit coastal community who insist that the power of positive thinking will overcome the physical and material damages incurred by the community. They object to restrictions on road travel … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 day ago
  • High Performance Instability in the Financial Sector
    Evaluating the recent crashes of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and Credit Suisse in Switzerland plus two other banks (perhaps more by the time you read this) needs to begin with a review of the inevitable instability in the financial sector. The financial sector is inherently unstable, like military ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 day ago
  • The week in review
    1. We see here new police minister Ginny Andersen. Which larger than life NZ political figure was her great-uncle?a. Rob Muldoonb. Bill Andersenc. Richard John Seddond. Norman Kirk2. We see here archival footage of Ginny Andersen coming out of her electorate office to ask ex-tobacco lobbyist Chris Bishop if he ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Nash splashes out with a $900,000 investment in the blue economy (or is it more corporate welfare?)
    Buzz from the Beehive Stuart Nash, speaking as Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, one of his remaining portfolios after he was dropped down the Hipkins Government batting order, has drawn attention to the blue economy and its potential. Nash says the government is investing in the blue economy, or – ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Ask Me Anything about the week to March 24
    Photo by Josh Mills on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for the next hour, including:The runs on Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank on the west coast of the United States that forced the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 24-March-2023
    Roundup is back! We skipped last week’s Friday post due to a shortage of person-power – did you notice? Lots going on out there… Our header image this week shows a green street that just happens to be Queen St, by @chamfy from Twitter. This week (and last) in ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Keen-Minshull visit
    After threatening Prime Minister Chris Hipkins of consequences if he dared to bar her entry, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull has been given her visa, regardless. This will enable her to hold rallies in Auckland and Wellington this weekend, and spread her messages of hostility against an already marginalised trans community. Neo-Nazis may, ...
    2 days ago
  • BRYCE EDWARDS’ Political Roundup:  NZ needs to distance itself from Australia’s anti-China nucl...
    * Bryce Edwards writes – The New Zealand Government has been silent about Australia’s decision to commit up to $400bn acquiring nuclear submarines, even though this is a significant threat to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The deal was struck by the Albanese Labor Government as ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Wayne Brown's #Auxit moment
    Boomers voted him in, but Brown’s Trumpish moments might spook Aucklanders worried about what a change to National nationally might mean. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has become our version of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, except without any of the insatiable appetite for media appearances. He ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: NZ needs to distance itself from Australia’s anti-China nuclear submarines
    The New Zealand Government has been silent about Australia’s decision to commit up to $400bn acquiring nuclear submarines, even though this is a significant threat to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The deal was struck by the Albanese Labor Government as part of its Aukus pact with the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago
  • Posie Parker vs Transgender Rights.
    Recently you might have heard of a person called Posie Parker and her visit to Aotearoa. Perhaps you’re not quite sure what it’s all about. So let’s start with who this person is, why their visit is controversial, and what on earth a TERF is.Posie Parker is the super villain ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Select Committee told slow down; you’re moving too fast
    The chair of Parliament’s Select Committee looking at the Government’s resource management legislation wants the bills sent back for more public consultation. The proposal would effectively kill any chance of the bills making it into law before the election. Green MP, Eugenie Sage, stressing that she was speaking as ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #12 2023
    Open access notables  The United States experienced some historical low temperature records during the just-concluded winter. It's a reminder that climate and weather are quite noisy; with regard to our warming climate,, as with a road ascending a mountain range we may steadily change our conditions but with lots of ...
    2 days ago
  • What becomes of the broken hearted? Nanny State will step in to comfort them
    Buzz from the Beehive The Nanny State has scored some wins (or claimed them) in the past day or two but it faltered when it came to protecting Kiwi citizens from being savaged by one woman armed with a sharp tongue. The wins are recorded by triumphant ministers on the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Acceptance, decency, road food.
    Sometimes you see your friends making the case so well on social media you think: just copy and share.On acceptance and decency, from Michèle A’CourtA notable thing about anti-trans people is they way they talk about transgender women and men as though they are strangers “over there” when in fact ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Climate Change: More Labour sabotage
    Not that long ago, things were looking pretty good for climate change policy in Aotearoa. We finally had an ETS, and while it was full of pork and subsidies, it was delivering high and ever-rising carbon prices, sending a clear message to polluters to clean up or shut down. And ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Is bundling restricting electricity competition?
    Comparing (and switching) electricity providers has become easier, but bundling power up with broadband and/or gas makes it more challenging. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The Kākā TL;DR: The new Consumer Advocacy Council set up as a result of the Labour Government’s Electricity Price Review in 2019 has called on either ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Westland Milk puts heat on competitors as global dairy demand  remains softer for longer
    Hokitika-based Westland Milk Products  has  put the heat on dairy giant Fonterra with  a $120m profit turnaround in 2022, driven by record sales. Westland paid its suppliers a 10c premium above the forecast Fonterra price per kilo, contributing $535m to the West Coast and Canterbury economies. The dairy ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    3 days ago
  • BRYCE EDWARDS’ Political Roundup:  The Beehive’s revolving door and corporate mateship
    * Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: The Beehive’s revolving door and corporate mateship
    New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public office and becoming lobbyists and ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • A miracle pill for our transport ills
    This is a guest post by accessibility and sustainable transport advocate Tim Adriaansen It originally appeared here.   A friend calls you and asks for your help. They tell you that while out and about nearby, they slipped over and landed arms-first. Now their wrist is swollen, hurting like ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • The Surprising Power of Floating Wind Turbines
    Floating offshore wind turbines offer incredible opportunities to capture powerful winds far out at sea. By unlocking this wind energy potential, they could be a key weapon in our arsenal in the fight against climate change. But how developed are these climate fighting clean energy giants? And why do I ...
    3 days ago
  • The next Maori challenge
    Over the past two or three weeks, a procession of Maori iwi and hapu in a series of little-noticed appearances before two Select Committees have been asking for more say for Maori over resource management decisions along the co-governance lines of Three Waters. Their submissions and appearances run counter ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Secret “war-crime” warrants by International Criminal Court is mischief-making
    The decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue war crimes arrest warrants for the Russian President and the Russia Children Ombudsman may have been welcomed by the ideologically committed but otherwise seems to have been greeted with widespread cynicism (see Situation in Ukraine: ICC judges issue arrest warrants ...
    3 days ago
  • How to answer Drunk Uncle Kevin's Climate Crisis reckons
    Let’s say you’re clasping your drink at a wedding, or a 40th, or a King’s Birthday Weekend family reunion and Drunk Uncle Kevin has just got going.He’s in an expansive frame of mind because we’re finally rid of that silly girl. But he wants to ask an honest question about ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • National’s Luxon may be glum about his poll ratings but has he found a winner in promising to rai...
    National Party leader Christopher Luxon may  be feeling glum about his poll ratings, but  he could be tapping  into  a rich political vein in  describing the current state of education as “alarming”. Luxon said educational achievement has been declining,  with a recent NCEA pilot exposing just how far it has ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: More Labour foot-dragging
    Yesterday the IPCC released the final part of its Sixth Assessment Report, warning us that we have very little time left in which to act to prevent catastrophic climate change, but pointing out that it is a problem that we can solve, with existing technology, and that anything we do ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Te Pāti Māori Are Revolutionaries – Not Reformists.
    Way Beyond Reform: Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer have no more interest in remaining permanent members of “New Zealand’s” House of Representatives than did Lenin and Trotsky in remaining permanent members of Tsar Nicolas II’s “democratically-elected” Duma. Like the Bolsheviks, Te Pāti Māori is a party of revolutionaries – not reformists.THE CROWN ...
    4 days ago
  • When does history become “ancient”, on Tinetti’s watch as Minister of Education – and what o...
    Buzz from the Beehive Auckland was wiped off the map, when Education Minister Jan Tinetti delivered her speech of welcome as host of the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers “here in Tāmaki Makaurau”. But – fair to say – a reference was made later in the speech to a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Climate Catastrophe, but first rugby.
    Morning mate, how you going?Well, I was watching the news last night and they announced this scientific report on Climate Change. But before they got to it they had a story about the new All Blacks coach.Sounds like important news. It’s a bit of a worry really.Yeah, they were talking ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • What the US and European bank rescues mean for us
    Always a bailout: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Government would fully guarantee all savers in all smaller US banks if needed. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: No wonder an entire generation of investors are used to ‘buying the dip’ and ‘holding on for dear life’. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Who will drain Wellington’s lobbying swamp?
    Wealthy vested interests have an oversized influence on political decisions in New Zealand. Partly that’s due to their use of corporate lobbyists. Fortunately, the influence lobbyists can have on decisions made by politicians is currently under scrutiny in Guyon Espiner’s in-depth series published by RNZ. Two of Espiner’s research exposés ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • It’s Raining Congestion
    Yesterday afternoon it rained and traffic around the region ground to a halt, once again highlighting why it is so important that our city gets on with improving the alternatives to driving. For additional irony, this happened on the same day the IPCC synthesis report landed, putting the focus on ...
    4 days ago
  • Checking The Left: The Dreadful Logic Of Fascism.
    The Beginning: Anti-Co-Governance agitator, Julian Batchelor, addresses the Dargaville stop of his travelling roadshow across New Zealand . Fascism almost always starts small. Sadly, it doesn’t always stay that way. Especially when the Left helps it to grow.THERE IS A DREADFUL LOGIC to the growth of fascism. To begin with, it ...
    4 days ago
  • Good Friends and Terrible Food
    Hi,From an incredibly rainy day in Los Angeles, I just wanted to check in. I guess this is the day Trump may or may not end up in cuffs? I’m attempting a somewhat slower, less frenzied week. I’ve had Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s new record on non-stop, and it’s been a ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • At a glance – What evidence is there for the hockey stick?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    4 days ago
  • Carry right on up there, Corporal Espiner
    RNZ has been shining their torch into corners where lobbyists lurk and asking such questions as: Do we like the look of this?and Is this as democratic as it could be?These are most certainly questions worth asking, and every bit as valid as, say:Are we shortchanged democratically by the way ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • This smells
    RNZ has continued its look at the role of lobbyists by taking a closer look at the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Andrew Kirton. He used to work for liquor companies, opposing (among other things) a container refund scheme which would have required them to take responsibility for their own ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Major issues on the table in Mahuta’s  talks in Beijing with China’s new Foreign Minister
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has left for Beijing for the first ministerial visit to China since 2019. Mahuta is  to  meet China’s new foreign minister Qin Gang  where she  might have to call on all the  diplomatic skills  at  her  command. Almost certainly she  will  face  questions  on what  role ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago
  • Inside TOP's Teal Card and political strategy
    TL;DR: The Opportunities Party’s Leader Raf Manji is hopeful the party’s new Teal Card, a type of Gold card for under 30s, will be popular with students, and not just in his Ilam electorate where students make up more than a quarter of the voters and where Manji is confident ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Make Your Empties Go Another Round.
    When I was a kid New Zealand was actually pretty green. We didn’t really have plastic. The fruit and veges came in a cardboard box, the meat was wrapped in paper, milk came in a glass bottle, and even rubbish sacks were made of paper. Today if you sit down ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on how similar Vladimir Putin is to George W. Bush
    Looking back through the names of our Police Ministers down the years, the job has either been done by once or future party Bigfoots – Syd Holland, Richard Prebble, Juduth Collins, Chris Hipkins – or by far lesser lights like Keith Allen, Frank Gill, Ben Couch, Allen McCready, Clem Simich, ...
    5 days ago
  • CHRIS TROTTER:  Te Pāti Māori’s uncompromising threat to the status quo
    Chris Trotter writes – The Crown is a fickle friend. Any political movement deemed to be colourful but inconsequential is generally permitted to go about its business unmolested. The Crown’s media, RNZ and TVNZ, may even “celebrate” its existence (presumably as proof of Democracy’s broad-minded acceptance of diversity). ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Shining a bright light on lobbyists in politics
    Four out of the five people who have held the top role of Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff since 2017 have been lobbyists. That’s a fact that should worry anyone who believes vested interests shouldn’t have a place at the centre of decision making. Chris Hipkins’ newly appointed Chief of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago
  • Auckland Council Draft Budget – an unnecessary backwards step
    Feedback on Auckland Council’s draft 2023/24 budget closes on March 28th. You can read the consultation document here, and provide feedback here. Auckland Council is currently consulting on what is one of its most important ever Annual Plans – the ‘budget’ of what it will spend money on between July ...
    5 days ago
  • Talking’ Posey Parker Blues
    by Molten Moira from Motueka If you want to be a woman let me tell you what to do Get a piece of paper and a biro tooWrite down your new identification And boom! You’re now a woman of this nationSpelled W O M A Na real trans woman that isAs opposed ...
    RedlineBy Admin
    5 days ago
  • More Māori words make it into the OED, and polytech boss (with rules on words like “students”) ...
    Buzz from the Beehive   New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti is hosting the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers for three days from today, welcoming Education Ministers and senior officials from 18 Pacific Island countries and territories, and from Australia. Here’s hoping they have brought translators with them – or ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • Social intercourse with haters and Nazis: an etiquette guide
    Let’s say you’ve come all the way from His Majesty’s United Kingdom to share with the folk of Australia and New Zealand your antipathy towards certain other human beings. And let’s say you call yourself a women’s rights activist.And let’s say 99 out of 100 people who listen to you ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • The Greens, Labour, and coalition enforcement
    James Shaw gave the Green party's annual "state of the planet" address over the weekend, in which he expressed frustration with Labour for not doing enough on climate change. His solution is to elect more Green MPs, so they have more power within any government arrangement, and can hold Labour ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • This sounds familiar…
    RNZ this morning has the first story another investigative series by Guyon Espiner, this time into political lobbying. The first story focuses on lobbying by government agencies, specifically transpower, Pharmac, and assorted universities, and how they use lobbyists to manipulate public opinion and gather intelligence on the Ministers who oversee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Letter to the NZ Herald: NCEA pseudoscience – “Mauri is present in all matter”
    Nick Matzke writes –   Dear NZ Herald, I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland. I teach evolutionary biology, but I also have long experience in science education and (especially) political attempts to insert pseudoscience into science curricula in ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • So what would be the point of a Green vote again?
    James Shaw has again said the Greens would be better ‘in the tent’ with Labour than out, despite Labour’s policy bonfire last week torching much of what the Government was doing to reduce emissions. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Green Party has never been more popular than in some ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Gas stoves pose health risks. Are gas furnaces and other appliances safe to use?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler Poor air quality is a long-standing problem in Los Angeles, where the first major outbreak of smog during World War II was so intense that some residents thought the city had been attacked by chemical weapons. Cars were eventually discovered ...
    6 days ago
  • Genetic Heritage and Co Governance
    Yesterday I was reading an excellent newsletter from David Slack, and I started writing a comment “Sounds like some excellent genetic heritage…” and then I stopped.There was something about the phrase genetic heritage that stopped me in tracks. Is that a phrase I want to be saying? It’s kind of ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON: Radical Uncertainty
    Brian Easton writes – Two senior economists challenge some of the foundations of current economics. It is easy to criticise economic science by misrepresenting it, by selective quotations, and by ignoring that it progresses, like all sciences, by improving and abandoning old theories. The critics may go ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s Middle East strategy, 20 years after the Iraq War
    This week marks the twentieth anniversary of the Iraq War. While it strongly opposed the US-led invasion, New Zealand’s then Labour-led government led by Prime Minister Helen Clark did deploy military engineers to try to help rebuild Iraq in mid-2003. With violence soaring, their 12-month deployment ended without being renewed ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    6 days ago
  • The motorways are finished
    After seventy years, Auckland’s motorway network is finally finished. In July 1953 the first section of motorway in Auckland was opened between Ellerslie-Panmure Highway and Mt Wellington Highway. The final stage opens to traffic this week with the completion of the motorway part of the Northern Corridor Improvements project. Aucklanders ...
    6 days ago
  • Kicking National’s tyres
    National’s appointment of Todd McClay as Agriculture spokesperson clearly signals that the party is in trouble with the farming vote. McClay was not an obvious choice, but he does have a record as a political scrapper. The party needs that because sources say it has been shedding farming votes ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • As long as there is cricket, the world is somehow okay.
    Rays of white light come flooding into my lounge, into my face from over the top of my neighbour’s hedge. I have to look away as the window of the conservatory is awash in light, as if you were driving towards the sun after a rain shower and suddenly blinded. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • So much of what was there remains
    The columnists in Private Eye take pen names, so I have not the least idea who any of them are. But I greatly appreciate their expert insight, especially MD, who writes the medical column, offering informed and often damning critique of the UK health system and the politicians who keep ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Mar 12, 2023 thru Sat, Mar 18, 2023. Story of the Week Guest post: What 13,500 citations reveal about the IPCC’s climate science report   IPCC WG1 AR6 SPM Report Cover - Changing ...
    7 days ago
  • Financial capability services are being bucked up, but Stuart Nash shouldn’t have to see if they c...
    Buzz from the Beehive  The building of financial capability was brought into our considerations when Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced she had dipped into the government’s coffers for $3 million for “providers” to help people and families access community-based Building Financial Capability services. That wording suggests some ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago
  • Things that make you go Hmmmm.
    Do you ever come across something that makes you go Hmmmm?You mean like the song?No, I wasn’t thinking of the song, but I am now - thanks for that. I was thinking of things you read or hear that make you stop and go Hmmmm.Yeah, I know what you mean, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The hoon for the week that was to March 19
    By the end of the week, the dramas over Stuart Nash overshadowed Hipkins’ policy bonfire. File photo: Lynn GrieveasonTLDR: This week’s news in geopolitics and the political economy covered on The Kākā included:PM Chris Hipkins’ announcement of the rest of a policy bonfire to save a combined $1.7 billion, but ...
    The KakaBy Peter Bale
    1 week ago
  • Saving Stuart Nash: Explaining Chris Hipkins' unexpected political calculation
    When word went out that Prime Minister Chris Hipkins would be making an announcement about Stuart Nash on the tiles at parliament at 2:45pm yesterday, the assumption was that it was over. That we had reached tipping point for Nash’s time as minister. But by 3pm - when, coincidentally, the ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    1 week ago
  • Radical Uncertainty
    Two senior economists challenge some of the foundations of current economics. It is easy to criticise economic science by misrepresenting it, by selective quotations, and by ignoring that it progresses, like all sciences, by improving and abandoning old theories. The critics may go on to attack physics by citing Newton.So ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • Jump onto the weekly hoon on Riverside at 5pm
    Photo by Walker Fenton on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week again when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kaka for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on Riverside (we’ve moved from Zoom) for our chat about the week’s news with ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Dream of Florian Neame: Accepted
    In a nice bit of news, my 2550-word deindustrial science-fiction piece, The Dream of Florian Neame, has been accepted for publication at New Maps Magazine (https://www.new-maps.com/). I have published there before, of course, with Of Tin and Tintagel coming out last year. While I still await the ...
    1 week ago

  • Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua
    Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little has delivered the Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua for its historic breaches of Te Tiriti of Waitangi today. The ceremony was held at Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, hosted by Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, with several hundred ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs meets with Chinese counterpart
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has concluded her visit to China, the first by a New Zealand Foreign Minister since 2018. The Minister met her counterpart, newly appointed State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Gang, who also hosted a working dinner. This was the first engagement between the two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Government delivering world-class satellite positioning services
    World-class satellite positioning services that will support much safer search and rescue, boost precision farming, and help safety on construction sites through greater accuracy are a significant step closer today, says Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor. Damien O’Connor marked the start of construction on New Zealand’s first uplink centre for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • District Court Judges appointed
    Attorney-General David Parker has announced the appointment of Christopher John Dellabarca of Wellington, Dr Katie Jane Elkin of Wellington, Caroline Mary Hickman of Napier, Ngaroma Tahana of Rotorua, Tania Rose Williams Blyth of Hamilton and Nicola Jan Wills of Wellington as District Court Judges.  Chris Dellabarca Mr Dellabarca commenced his ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New project set to supercharge ocean economy in Nelson Tasman
    A new Government-backed project will help ocean-related businesses in the Nelson Tasman region to accelerate their growth and boost jobs. “The Nelson Tasman region is home to more than 400 blue economy businesses, accounting for more than 30 percent of New Zealand’s economic activity in fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • National’s education policy: where’s the funding?
    After three years of COVID-19 disruptions schools are finally settling down and National want to throw that all in the air with major disruption to learning and underinvestment.  “National’s education policy lacks the very thing teachers, parents and students need after a tough couple of years, certainty and stability,” Education ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Free programme to help older entrepreneurs and inventors
    People aged over 50 with innovative business ideas will now be able to receive support to advance their ideas to the next stage of development, Minister for Seniors Ginny Andersen said today. “Seniors have some great entrepreneurial ideas, and this programme will give them the support to take that next ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government target increased to keep powering up the Māori economy
    A cross government target for relevant government procurement contracts for goods and services to be awarded to Māori businesses annually will increase to 8%, after the initial 5% target was exceeded. The progressive procurement policy was introduced in 2020 to increase supplier diversity, starting with Māori businesses, for the estimated ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Continued progress on reducing poverty in challenging times
    77,000 fewer children living in low income households on the after-housing-costs primary measure since Labour took office Eight of the nine child poverty measures have seen a statistically significant reduction since 2018. All nine have reduced 28,700 fewer children experiencing material hardship since 2018 Measures taken by the Government during ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech at Fiji Investment and Trade Business Forum
    Deputy Prime Minister Kamikamica; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Tēnā koutou katoa, ni sa bula vinaka saka, namaste. Deputy Prime Minister, a very warm welcome to Aotearoa. I trust you have been enjoying your time here and thank you for joining us here today. To all delegates who have travelled to be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government investments boost and diversify local economies in lower South Island
    $2.9 million convertible loan for Scapegrace Distillery to meet growing national and international demand $4.5m underwrite to support Silverlight Studios’ project to establish a film studio in Wanaka Gore’s James Cumming Community Centre and Library to be official opened tomorrow with support of $3m from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government future-proofs EV charging
    Transport Minister Michael Wood has today launched the first national EV (electric vehicle) charging strategy, Charging Our Future, which includes plans to provide EV charging stations in almost every town in New Zealand. “Our vision is for Aotearoa New Zealand to have world-class EV charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • World-leading family harm prevention campaign supports young NZers
    Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention. Love Better will initially support young people through their experience of break-ups, developing positive and life-long attitudes to dealing with hurt. “Over 1,200 young kiwis told ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • First Chief Clinical Advisor welcomed into Coroners Court
    Hon Rino Tirikatene, Minister for Courts, welcomes the Ministry of Justice’s appointment of Dr Garry Clearwater as New Zealand’s first Chief Clinical Advisor working with the Coroners Court. “This appointment is significant for the Coroners Court and New Zealand’s wider coronial system.” Minister Tirikatene said. Through Budget 2022, the Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Next steps for affected properties post Cyclone and floods
    The Government via the Cyclone Taskforce is working with local government and insurance companies to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. “The Taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, has been working with insurance companies to undertake an assessment of high-risk areas so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New appointment to Māori Land Court bench
    E te huia kaimanawa, ko Ngāpuhi e whakahari ana i tau aupikinga ki te tihi o te maunga. Ko te Ao Māori hoki e whakanui ana i a koe te whakaihu waka o te reo Māori i roto i te Ao Ture. (To the prized treasure, it is Ngāpuhi who ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government focus on jobs sees record number of New Zealanders move from Benefits into work
    113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Vertical farming partnership has upward momentum
    The Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Conference of Pacific Education Ministers – Keynote Address
    E nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New $13m renal unit supports Taranaki patients
    The new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupō received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Second Poseidon aircraft on home soil
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Further humanitarian aid for Türkiye and Syria
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Community voice to help shape immigration policy
    Migrant communities across New Zealand are represented in the new Migrant Community Reference Group that will help shape immigration policy going forward, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced today.  “Since becoming Minister, a reoccurring message I have heard from migrants is the feeling their voice has often been missing around policy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • State Highway 3 project to deliver safer journeys, better travel connections for Taranaki
    Construction has begun on major works that will deliver significant safety improvements on State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan announced today. “This is an important route for communities, freight and visitors to Taranaki but too many people have lost their lives or ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ginny Andersen appointed as Minister of Police
    Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government confirms vital roading reconnections
    Six further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Foreign Minister Mahuta to meet with China’s new Foreign Minister
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for China tomorrow, where she will meet with her counterpart, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in Beijing. This will be the first visit by a New Zealand Minister to China since 2019, and follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions between New Zealand and China. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Education Ministers from across the Pacific gather in Aotearoa
    Education Ministers from across the Pacific will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau this week to share their collective knowledge and strategic vision, for the benefit of ākonga across the region. New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti will host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) for three days from today, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • State Highway 5 reopens between Napier and Taupō following Cyclone Gabrielle
    A vital transport link for communities and local businesses has been restored following Cyclone Gabrielle with the reopening of State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupō, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan says. SH5 reopened to all traffic between 7am and 7pm from today, with closure points at SH2 (Kaimata ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Special Lotto draw raises $11.7 million for Cyclone Gabrielle recovery
    Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds has thanked generous New Zealanders who took part in the special Lotto draw for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Held on Saturday night, the draw raised $11.7 million with half of all ticket sales going towards recovery efforts. “In a time of need, New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government delivers a $3 million funding boost for Building Financial Capability services
    The Government has announced funding of $3 million for providers to help people, and whānau access community-based Building Financial Capability services. “Demand for Financial Capability Services is growing as people face cost of living pressures. Those pressures are increasing further in areas affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle,” Minister for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao – new Chair and member
    Minister of Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, has announced appointments to the Board of Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao. Tracey Bridges is joining the Board as the new Chair and Dr Therese Arseneau will be a new member. Current members Dr Linda Sissons CNZM and Daniel Wilson have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Scholarships honouring Ngarimu VC and the 28th (Māori) Battalion announced
    Fifteen ākonga Māori from across Aotearoa have been awarded the prestigious Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships and Awards for 2023, Associate Education Minister and Ngarimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today.  The recipients include doctoral, masters’ and undergraduate students. Three vocational training students and five wharekura students, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Appointment of Judge of the Court of Appeal and Judge of the High Court
    High Court Judge Jillian Maree Mallon has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and District Court Judge Andrew John Becroft QSO has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Mallon graduated from Otago University in 1988 with an LLB (Hons), and with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ still well placed to meet global challenges
    The economy has continued to show its resilience despite today’s GDP figures showing a modest decline in the December quarter, leaving the Government well positioned to help New Zealanders face cost of living pressures in a challenging global environment. “The economy had grown strongly in the two quarters before this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Western Ring Route Complete
    Aucklanders now have more ways to get around as Transport Minister Michael Wood opened the direct State Highway 1 (SH1) to State Highway 18 (SH18) underpass today, marking the completion of the 48-kilometre Western Ring Route (WRR). “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Briefings to Incoming Ministers
    This section contains briefings received by incoming ministers following changes to Cabinet in January. Some information may have been withheld in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982. Where information has been withheld that is indicated within the document. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Teaming up for a stronger, more resilient Fiji
    Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta reaffirmed her commitment to working together with the new Government of Fiji on issues of shared importance, including on the prioritisation of climate change and sustainability, at a meeting today, in Nadi. Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand’s close relationship is underpinned by the Duavata ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Investment in blue highway a lifeline for regional economies and cyclone recovery
    The Government is delivering a coastal shipping lifeline for businesses, residents and the primary sector in the cyclone-stricken regions of Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced today. The Rangitata vessel has been chartered for an emergency coastal shipping route between Gisborne and Napier, with potential for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Next steps developing clean energy for NZ
    The Government will progress to the next stage of the NZ Battery Project, looking at the viability of pumped hydro as well as an alternative, multi-technology approach as part of the Government’s long term-plan to build a resilient, affordable, secure and decarbonised energy system in New Zealand, Energy and Resources ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2023-03-25T13:43:18+00:00