web analytics

An illiterate from another age

Written By: - Date published: 5:20 pm, April 27th, 2009 - 43 comments
Categories: scoundrels - Tags:

I see that Michael Bassett has written about this site. However he doesn’t bother to check his facts or to keep up with current trends in online participation. It is a pity in a historian because he is obviously incapable of understanding how fast the world is changing. He seems to prefer to make either things up or gossip.

About The Standard he writes:-

Then there was the establishment of a blog called The Standard. The Labour Party ran a weekly newspaper from 1934 to 1959 that published political material. It was subject to the normal journalistic standards of the time. But the new blog version made no pretence at following even the reduced journalistic standards of modern times. Registered to an address in Helen Clark’s electorate, and operating out of the Beehive under ministerial supervision, it gave an airing to innuendo and false stories that ministers hoped might get picked up by the mainstream media.

Obviously Michael is referring to his own low journalistic standards. Fact checking is not one of his skills shown in this article.

You cannot register a domain to an address, you can only register it to a person, in this case me. All my details are on the DNS registration, including how to get hold of me – it is a requirement of InternetNZ.  Michael obviously thought that making things up was preferable to fact-checking as he has never talked to me. For that matter nor have any of the other  ‘investigators’ of this site who have been so confident of their ‘facts’.

At the time (September 2007) my address was actually in the Auckland Central electorate because of the boundary changes after the 2006 census. Very sloppy, you’d think that a political historian and would-be journalist would be aware of boundary changes.

Our About says how we formed and what the site is for. The site and the contributors do not make any claims to The Standard being a news site or its contributors to being journalists. Perhaps Michael should read up about what a genre blog site is, because it is clear that he has little understanding of the concept.

Most of our contributors don’t even support Labour in any formal sense. I’m a Labour activist because I pay the sub*. I’m not a office holder or employee. Quite simply I don’t take orders or even direction from people inside Labour. I’m well known as being a maverick who keeps trying to push them towards using more computer and net tech, and who you have to convince to gain my support for projects.

Helen had no idea about the site until months after it started. She is a bit of a technophobe (apart from that damn blackberry) just like Michael appears to be. I showed the site to her as an example of how to raise on-line activity. Over previous decades I’d donated her first personal computer, shown her how to use e-mail, how to use the web, and how an MBA in operations would run an electorate campaign. It is important to help politicians to keep up with modern culture and technique. It appears that the same thing is required for fossilised historians, as it is something that Michael is clearly failing to do.

The significance of all this is that New Zealand’s Labour dirty tricksters were all on the public payroll. They operated mostly from the Prime Minister’s Office where Helen Clark appeared to operate a kind of training school for younger versions of herself: people with degrees and absolutely no experience of life.

It is pretty obvious from this statement that Michael has been writing about something that he has not bothered to read. It’d be clear to any reader of the site that the posts are written by people who are upwards of 30 and who have considerable experience in many areas. Having degrees is not uncommon these days. There are a high proportion of the population who do.

Many people who did their 20’s during Michaels favourite times in the late 80’s and 90’s have considerable experience of life and are likely to have a degree or two. They had to suffer as Michael and his generation screwed up the economy worse than Muldoon had previously done because they were so inexperienced at the linkages between cause and effect (characterises the neo-liberals). Since Dr Michael was one of the prime movers and held a degree, perhaps he was describing himself.

It’d also be clear that many of the newer contributors (like myself) are even older. They’d have been writing comments and eventually get asked if they wish to write here – usually because they can write and clearly have life experience. Many of the people we ask decide not to write on the site for one reason or another, but go and form their own blogs.

Several are now on Labour’s backbenches, where they are still being supported by the taxpayer. The Standard still exists, but it has been hollowed out by the end of the Beehive’s funding. It would be interesting to know whether, in its current withered state, it is being funded from Phil Goff’s office.

We have steadily increased the number of contributors over the years from the few at the start to close to 20 now. None are backbenchers, and none are aspiring politicians. The literate politicians know that their words will be on the net forever and that everything eventually leaks. So they write for safer blogs. There are many contributors writing guest posts, but generally we won’t accept from politicians either.

None of our contributors have ever worked from parliament to my certain knowledge. Since I’m the only one who can read the web-logs that would prove this one way or another, then I’d have to conclude that Bassett is simply making this up. We have an informal internal policy that we do not allow politicians or would-be politicians to write. They waffle too much and don’t have sharp enough tongues.

It is clear that Bassett also has no idea of the economics of running a site like this. The minimal amounts required to keep the site running are paid by me,  and I have done so since inception. Currently this is less than NZD 20 per month. The site requires people with basic skills in computers, network access, some spare time and above all an ability to write. It doesn’t require paying peoples salaries.

The number of posts is steadily increasing and getting to be of better quality now that the activists have stopped working on their various campaigns. The number of comments is also steadily increasing. The page views closing in on election week.

This is a site for sharp-tongued activists, not faded politicians. In his younger days Michael probably had the skills to write for something like The Standard. However he has now dropped to simply gossiping and dealing in bullshit. I haven’t looked through his other material, but if it is of the same low standard of fact checking as the commentary about this site, then it isn’t worth reading. He is merely an illiterate from another age.

hat-tip: thanking Whaleoil

[update *my labour card just arrived…]

43 comments on “An illiterate from another age ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Christopher Nimmo 1
    27 April 2009 at 6:08 pm

    Surely this is actionable?

    • lprent 1.1
      27 April 2009 at 6:31 pm

      Surely this is actionable?

      Bassett’s column probably was. Since I am the sole ‘owner’ on this site and he’d clearly read my domain entry, he was also clearly referring to me when he alleged misuse of parliamentary funds to run this site.

      Mostly what I was referring to is his lack of facts. He got exactly one thing right, that my address was in the Mt Albert electorate in early 2007 – pity the site started in late 2007. My post is mainly expressing my opinion of his article based on the facts in my possession.

      He is welcome to sue.

  2. illuminatedtiger 2
    27 April 2009 at 6:19 pm

    The media in New Zealand are hypocrites bashing The Standard for bias while turning a blind eye to Kiwiblog!

  3. Anita 3
    27 April 2009 at 6:20 pm

    Is he right that the original weekly newspaper was run by the Labour Party? When I looked at some copies in the Alexander Turnbull Library there was a “Labour Party Page” in some (just like the “New Zealand Workers Union” page and so on) but it didn’t look like it was a party paper.

    Of course Bassett is a historian, so one would hope he’d have that bit right.

  4. Christopher Nimmo 4
    27 April 2009 at 6:33 pm

    I was talking about Bassett’s column.

    • lprent 4.1
      27 April 2009 at 6:42 pm

      Yes, but I cannot be bothered with that. It is more fun writing my opinion in response.

      However Helen would have my full support if she could be bothered suing the weasel. He is clearly lying to my certain knowledge through much of his article, but stating it as fact, in the bits about this site.

      Unfortunately I don’t think she’d bother.

  5. Pascal's bookie 5
    27 April 2009 at 7:27 pm

    “But the new blog version made no pretence at following even the reduced journalistic standards of modern times.”

    Te funny, seeing he got sacked from his dompost gig for not being up to their ethical standards.

  6. Thomas Beagle 6
    27 April 2009 at 7:37 pm

    Cor, over 1100 words in response. He must have really struck a nerve.

    • George Darroch 6.1
      27 April 2009 at 7:52 pm

      Thomas, when someone lies about you directly and repeatedly in a major newspaper, you have a right of reply.

    • lprent 6.2
      27 April 2009 at 9:03 pm

      It was a good day for releasing tension. Once I started it was hard to stop

      • Paul Williams 6.2.1
        28 April 2009 at 5:57 pm

        It’s a great piece. I don’t know why Bassett’s taken seriously? He is, as you say, from another era and is so thoroughly embittered by his failings in the fourth Labour government, that his commentary reads like an endlessly evolving self-justification. Despite all this, I’m pleased you’ve so thoroughly refuted his various erroneous claims.

  7. Quoth the Raven 7
    27 April 2009 at 7:37 pm

    Why is it these wingnuts are so obsessed with this issue? The links between DPF and the National party (as Poneke expounds on) are well established, do they care? is the sky falling?

    • mike 7.1
      27 April 2009 at 9:17 pm

      But he doesn’t deny it qtr. The over the top defensiveness is what makes it so obvious you have something to hide…

      • Pascal's bookie 7.1.1
        27 April 2009 at 9:22 pm

        Ah, so your avatar is about you being more of the gestapo type. That’s the spirit!

  8. Akldnut 8
    27 April 2009 at 8:01 pm

    jeez mate I’ll throw a couple at hundred at you if you wanna smack this dork around a courtroom.

  9. barnsleybill 9
    27 April 2009 at 8:22 pm

    I wonder how quickly you would start deleting comments if we start naming your posters and where and who they work for?

    • gingercrush 9.1
      27 April 2009 at 8:27 pm

      Who the fuck gives a shit. This pathetic obsession with who is behind “The Standard” is an absolute joke.

    • QoT 9.2
      27 April 2009 at 9:16 pm

      And that would, obviously, be TOTALLY about hiding the Giant Standard Conspiracy and not, you know, creepy invasions of people’s privacy.

    • lprent 9.3
      27 April 2009 at 9:26 pm

      The ‘evidence’ has to be far better than they’re using similar meta tags (not even the same tags) in photo-shop. Especially if you cannot even match the tag to a person.

      To date that hasn’t happened. It’d be hard enough for me to figure out who people are. The technically challenged like Whale (who you’d inevitably quote) doesn’t have a chance..

      Besides wingnut ‘investigators’ simply ignore alternate possibilities and jump straight to desired result. Actually so do all of us but a wingnut or moonbat is almost defined by this behaviour.

      For instance with the photoshop ‘evidence’. Most cracks for major products pop in interesting tags. It is the crackers way of finding out where their stuff gets used.

      When I dispose of my old machines they wind up in all sorts of weird places. Womens refuges, refugee centres, electorate offices, all kinds of kids from around the family, etc. Not to mention that I have no idea where a couple of stolen laptops wound up.

      However most of the wingnuts like Whale find it impossible to stop themselves from treating a logic sequence as being something like 1, 2, 55. They miss out at least 5 steps on the way through that are required to establish a chain of logic.

      Bassett does it regularly in the article above. That is why he is under the category “fuckwits”. For instance he went straight from I live in Helens electorate (well I did at one time) to Helen is an evil mastermind raising identical clones in the 9th floor of the beehive. This guy probably thinks that James Bond scripts are written by historians as real histories, because that is essentially what he described.

      Eventually we shut down the ‘debate’ because there wasn’t any (just repetition of unsubstantiated claims), it was boring and getting in the way of debate.

      These days we just view it as someone wants to be a martyr, so like the kind people we are, we help… You can peddle your fantasies elsewhere, but not here.

    • Jungle Feaver 9.4
      27 April 2009 at 10:32 pm

      I wonder how quickly you would start deleting comments if we start naming your posters and where and who they work for?

      Very quickly I would imagine. Last thing anyone needs is pictures of their home turning up on some fuckwit’s blog.

  10. George.com 10
    27 April 2009 at 9:32 pm

    Am I the only person, or do others find Bassett more and more these days a bitter old man? He makes much of the ‘dirty tricks’ of the left, whilst simuntaneously making a number of arguable (on the record of facts presented by lprent above) smears himself. Perhaps a case of pot calling the kettle black Michael? Really, if you want to complain about the ‘dirty tricks’ or ‘smearing’ of others, one should be above reproach yourself. The apparent mistakes (in good faith lets simply believe they is what they are) Bassets makes are arguably smears. Moreover, is Bassett to follow up this gem with a review of the ‘dirty tricks’ of the right wing? I very much doubt it.

  11. Tim Ellis 11
    27 April 2009 at 9:44 pm

    I don’t have an issue with people posting their views anonymously at the Standard, although I do have an issue with people hiding behind anonymous names to smear others. I think there is a difference.

    I value your integrity LP, and I think the practice of outing people who simply post their views is despicable. DPF and WO go way over the top in this regard in my view. WO and DPF have made specific allegations about one of the Standard’s authors being an employee in the Prime Minister’s office, however. That is a material issue in my view.

    If you are saying that WO and DPF are lying about that particular connection, LP, then I take your word.

    • Tane 11.1
      27 April 2009 at 11:25 pm

      Tim, Lynn was pretty clear on that. Farrar and Whale are just flinging mud and hoping it sticks. You’ll remember they accused Rob Salmond of being the mastermind of The Standard, and then had Rob himself come onto Kiwiblog and point out that he had nothing to do with it.

      We don’t play the game of confirming or denying for obvious reasons – there are only so many left-wing activists in NZ. But I can tell you that some of those who have been supposedly ‘outed’ by Farrar and Whale have expressed to me their bewilderment as to how their names ever came to be associated with this blog.

      Farrar, Hooton, Whale and ‘Steady Eddie’ (we all know who he is now) are simply engaging in a game of smear and intimidation to try and shut down what they obviously see as a successful left-wing voice. Personally I don’t know why we should even give them the time of day.

      • lprent 11.1.1
        28 April 2009 at 12:04 am

        Damn I’d forgotten that one about Rob Salmond in my reply below. It all sort of fell to pieces when Rob said that rather than being a evil genius of long standing, he’d only been employed in parliament for a quite short time.

        Whale and Farrar have tried so many stories so far it is hard to keep track of them all. Personally I like winding Whale up occasionally. I keep hoping that his steroids will catch up with him when he gets apoplectic and he will increase the average intelligence of the world.

    • lprent 11.2
      27 April 2009 at 11:46 pm

      This outing stuff is just so stupid. I can confirm a couple of nots that don’t violate policy.

      If you are referring to Chris Elder who Whale alleged was all_your_base. That is incorrect. I’ve met a_y_b in real life and I’ve met Chris Elder – they are not the same person. Besides we don’t allow people in parliament to write on the site.

      For that matter he alleged that rOb was the Rob from No8Wire. Wrong again. Both said that Whale was incorrect. Consequently I can confirm that as I’ve met rOb at a conference.

      I can also say that there are no known parliamentary or government department IP ranges in use for writing posts. Of course there is plenty of reading, some commenting, but no posting.

      The other allegations I can neither confirm nor deny because either I don’t know or because I’m not going to say. However I can say that Whale’s investigative track record is so poor, I’m surprised that he can find his arse with his hands. .

      • Jungle Feaver 11.2.1
        27 April 2009 at 11:53 pm

        However I can say that Whale’s investigative track record is so poor, I’m surprised that he can find his arse with his hands.

        Indeed and that’s why it’s so funny because sooner or later he’s going to piss the wrong person off and will end up hot water for it! 😀

  12. ripp0 12
    27 April 2009 at 10:18 pm

    He [ the Bassett fellow ] makes much of the ‘dirty tricks’ of the left..

    Can one presume that he [ the Bassett fellow ] as a historian is also aware of the ‘dirty tricks’ on the right. Yes, the enzed right as well as the US. Methinks that the US compenent would throw him (likely willingly). But should it.?

    For instance does he realise that the broader right includes a deliberate fool category — saith President G.W. Bush: you fool them once and they stay fooled — so long as another or others are picking up the tab..

    In this regard the NYTimes has a most pertinent article in print right now with links to legal case material(pdf and summary supplied) that take the point of political dirt and deceit to whole new level.

    And whose content along with backstory reveals a substantial stain upon the credulous creeps of climate change denial… and all thereby tainted by association with them…

    Historians of the right mind, as it were, scared I’d say, that such stuff might through blogs and bloggers with their organic media growth potential leave the likes of himself in the dust.

    On the face of this so far and in disgust at the above I’d go so far as to declare lprent QED.

  13. Irascible 13
    28 April 2009 at 12:06 am

    Once upon a time Bassett was a credible historian with a reputation to uphold. It doesn’t seem that he is applying those standards any more to his research or writing. That makes his credibility as an historian of NZ politics even more questionable than his commentary on contemporary N.Z. has proven. My heart bleeds for the collapse of a critical academic reputation.

    • lprent 13.1
      28 April 2009 at 12:12 am

      Yes, that is the worst of it. Some of his stuff was pretty good in the Economist mode rather than Fox news. If you knew the bias you could find interesting info there, if only because he also put the alternate viewpoints as well.

      He seems to have lost that.

  14. appleboy 14
    28 April 2009 at 8:09 am

    Bassett is a purse lipped hang wringing bitter hearted right whinger who has been fired from the DomPost for lack of honesty in his journalism. What more needs saying.

    • Rich 14.1
      28 April 2009 at 9:30 am

      ired from the DomPost for lack of honesty in his journalism

      That’s an amazing achievement in itself!

  15. Doug 15
    28 April 2009 at 11:30 am

    Labour seem to have a habit of turning on it’s own.
    Sir Rodger Douglas,
    Dr Michael Bassett,
    Judith Tizard.

    • lprent 15.1
      28 April 2009 at 2:42 pm

      The first two left of their own accord. Besides I was talking about Bassett’s attack on this site. As per my usual policy, I respond acerbically. Mind you it took a bit to get as acid. I’m not sure I succeeded

  16. gnomic 16
    28 April 2009 at 3:38 pm

    Who cares what Michael Bassett thinks? I recently read his hagiography of Roderick Deane, any credibility the man had vanished with the publication of that volume.

  17. sheesh 17
    30 April 2009 at 7:25 am

    Sheesh Lynn,

    You really are worried that Rob Salmond is coming down on you for fucking up the labour spin on Mt Albert arent you buddy? Imagine attacking someone of Bassetts calibre, a man inside the Mt Albert electorate who many in the area hold in high esteem.

    You must be backed into a corner buddy!

    The best of luck, you’ll need it!

    • lprent 17.1
      30 April 2009 at 7:35 am

      Bassett, as you can see by the comments here, is not regarded highly. I simply pointed out that he is completely wrong in his facts – somehow he has dropped from being a historian to being a wingnut.

  18. sheesh 18
    30 April 2009 at 7:41 am

    Oh comer on Lynn, you are donkey deep with the Labour party and with Helens old regime in the Mt Albert electorate. Bassett knows it, you know it, we all know it. It’s really a matter of record now. Rob and his team are desperately trying to dig Labour out of your hole!

    [lprent: Another troll – in this case someone who has bugger all idea about either the way this blog operates or how the NZLP operates. The Rob (Salmond) one is amusing – I think he is still in America.
    Banned for attacking post writer and not the post content ie a wish for martyrdom ]

  19. Danyl Mclauchlan 19
    30 April 2009 at 8:04 am

    As I’ve been saying for ages, you guys bring this stuff on yourselves. When you have large number of anonymous bloggers posting fervently pro-Labour material it’s pretty easy to accuse you of being a Labour astro-turf outfit. The fact that you were closely linked to Mike Williams failed smear campaign didn’t help you much in that respect.

    I know that some of you are Greens, some posts are critical of Labour, yadda yadda yadda, it’s just that you’ve gone out of your way to be opaque and unaccountable. Obviously that has it’s advantages for you guys or you wouldn’t have done it but it also has some costs, and one of them is that it makes you very vulnerable to this sort of criticism.

    • lprent 19.1
      30 April 2009 at 8:33 am

      You get the same behaviour on places like the Handmirror where the majority of the posters are not anonymous. It is the mindless attacks with spin lines without bothering to engage the brain that is irritating.

      The advantage for us is that we don’t get this type of behavior happening to us in real life. The track record of the right in how they attack opponents isn’t particularly nice. A lot of us remember the last national government. This one appears to be following the same path.

      The other advantage is that it means the posts must be taken in their own context. In my opinion it leads to a better debate. That is certainly borne out with the number of the comments, generally with the quality of the comments, and the number of page views in to read the comments. The formula works, and the troll component is something pretty trivial to control these days.

      …anonymous bloggers posting fervently pro-Labour material

      Not exactly, there are a number of critical posts on Labour, either explicitly (eg Irish, Tane, etc) or implicitly. In the case of the latter, I do a reasonable number of posts on climate change, where it is pretty obvious that I thought Labour had been dragging the chain. Other posters do the same in their particular interest areas. But most of us also have access to the various parties that we support, and can help move policy there directly.

      I suspect what you see is that we don’t publish fervently anti-labour posts, but do a large number of fervently anti-right posts. This is a left partisan blog after all. We exist to make the right defend their policies. Particularly relevant now that the government is led by the right, and we’re more of an opposition blog.

      Political blogs have more freedom to attack when those that they support aren’t in government. This is something that is showing up on the right blogs at present. Kiwiblog has been going almost bland so far this year

  20. zzzzzzzzzzzz 20
    1 May 2009 at 8:34 am

    More endless verbose droning from Lynn.

    [lprent: expat – thank you for those kind words. In line with your usual lack of effort.

    Just to remind people:
    expat is in auto-moderation so I can embellish his comments because most lack a basic level of understanding. However I’m sure that he can be brought up to standard with a lot of work

    Doesn’t look like he is trying. ]

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • 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
    11 hours 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
    14 hours 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
    15 hours 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
    20 hours 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
    21 hours 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
    2 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days ago

  • Statement from the Prime Minister on Stuart Nash
    This morning I was made aware of a media interview in which Minister Stuart Nash criticised a decision of the Court and said he had contacted the Police Commissioner to suggest the Police appeal the decision. The phone call took place in 2021 when he was not the Police Minister. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • CPTPP Trade Ministers coming to Auckland
    The Government’s sharp focus on trade continues with Aotearoa New Zealand set to host Trade Ministers and delegations from 10 Asia Pacific economies at a meeting of Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission members in July, Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor announced today. “New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Govt approves $25 million extension for cyclone-affected businesses
    $25 million boost to support more businesses with clean-up in cyclone affected regions, taking total business support to more than $50 million Demand for grants has been strong, with estimates showing applications will exceed the initial $25 million business support package Grants of up to a maximum of $40,000 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • More than 160,000 new Kiwis to call NZ home
    80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visas applications have been processed – three months ahead of schedule Residence granted to 160,000 people 84,000 of 85,000 applications have been approved Over 160,000 people have become New Zealand residents now that 80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visa (2021RV) applications have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • New Zealand to attend regional security meeting in Australia
    The Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission’s Report into the Terrorist Attack on the Christchurch Mosques travels to Melbourne, Australia today to represent New Zealand at the fourth Sub-Regional Meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Security. “The Government is committed to reducing the threat of terrorism ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Health and safety action plan for ports
    The health and safety practices at our nation’s ports will be improved as part of a new industry-wide action plan, Workplace Relations and Safety, and Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced. “Following the tragic death of two port workers in Auckland and Lyttelton last year, I asked the Port Health ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Bikes and scooters to be exempt from FBT
    Bikes, electric bikes and scooters will be added to the types of transport exempted from fringe benefit tax under changes proposed today. Revenue Minister David Parker said the change would allow bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, electric scooters, and micro-mobility share services to be exempt from fringe benefit tax where they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Foreign Affairs Minister to reaffirm our close relationship with Fiji
    Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will hold bilateral meetings with Fiji this week. The visit will be her first to the country since the election of the new coalition Government led by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka. The visit will be an opportunity to meet kanohi ki ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • New legislation to streamline Cyclone recovery
    The Government is introducing the Severe Weather Emergency Legislation Bill to ensure the recovery and rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle is streamlined and efficient with unnecessary red tape removed. The legislation is similar to legislation passed following the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes that modifies existing legislation in order to remove constraints ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Cost of living package: More bread and butter support for Kiwi families
    Approximately 1.4 million people will benefit from increases to rates and thresholds for social assistance to help with the cost of living Superannuation to increase by over $100 a pay for a couple Main benefits to increase by the rate of inflation, meaning a family on a benefit with children ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Freeing up more government bandwidth and money to focus on the cost of living
    $1 billion in savings which will be reallocated to support New Zealanders with the cost of living A range of transport programmes deferred so Waka Kotahi can focus on post Cyclone road recovery Speed limit reduction programme significantly narrowed to focus on the most dangerous one per cent of state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • State of National Emergency to end for Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay
    The remaining state of national emergency over the Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay regions will end on Tuesday 14 March, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. Minister McAnulty gave notice of a national transition period over these regions, which will come into effect immediately following the end of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government delivers on Dawn Raids commitment
    The Government is today delivering on one of its commitments as part of the New Zealand Government’s Dawn Raids apology, welcoming a cohort of emerging Pacific leaders to Aotearoa New Zealand participating in the He Manawa Tītī Scholarship Programme. This cohort will participate in a bespoke leadership training programme that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New plan to increase productivity and high wage jobs across advanced manufacturing sector
    Industry Transformation Plan to transform advanced manufacturing through increased productivity and higher-skilled, higher-wage jobs into a globally-competitive low-emissions sector. Co-created and co-owned by business, unions and workers, government, Māori, Pacific peoples and wider stakeholders. A plan to accelerate the growth and transformation of New Zealand’s advanced manufacturing sector was launched ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Aotearoa New Zealand supports Pacific countries to combat animal disease 
    New Zealand will provide support for Pacific countries to prevent the spread of harmful animal diseases, Associate Minister of Agriculture Meka Whaitiri said. The Associate Minister is attending a meeting of Pacific Ministers during the Pacific Week of Agriculture and Forestry in Nadi, Fiji. “Highly contagious diseases such as African ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Government delivers better public transport for Christchurch
    The Public Transport Futures project will deliver approximately: 100 more buses providing a greater number of seats to a greater number of locations at a higher frequency Over 470 more bus shelters to support a more enjoyable travel experience Almost 200 real time display units providing accurate information on bus ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Minister praises education heroes in cyclone damaged regions
    All but six schools and kura have reopened for onsite learning All students in the six closed schools or kura are being educated in other schools, online, or in alternative locations Over 4,300 education hardpacks distributed to support students Almost 38,000 community meals provided by suppliers of the Ka Ora ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Government investments drive health and business outcomes in the Bay of Plenty
    A new health centre has opened with financial support from the Government and further investment has been committed to projects that will accelerate Māori economic opportunities, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan says. Community health provider QE Health will continue its long history in Rotorua with the official opening of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • UK NZ Working Holiday Scheme upgraded
    The new three year NZ UK Working Holiday Visas (WHV) will now be delivered earlier than expected, coming into force by July this year in time to support businesses through the global labour shortages Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says. The improved WHV, successfully negotiated alongside the NZ UK Free trade ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • 2023 Offshore Renewable Energy Forum, New Plymouth
    It seems like only yesterday that we launched the discussion document Enabling Investment in Offshore Renewable Energy, which is the key theme for this Forum. Everyone in this room understands the enormous potential of offshore wind in Aotearoa New Zealand – and particularly this region.  Establishing a regime to pave ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Milestone reached in crack down on gangs
    Police has reached a major milestone filing over 28,000 charges related to Operation Cobalt. “I’m extremely proud of the fantastic work that our Police has been doing to crack down on gangs, and keep our communities safe. The numbers speak for themselves – with over 28,000 charges, Police are getting ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New funding for Cyclone waste removal
    The Government will provide $15 million in the short term to local councils to remove rubbish, as a longer-term approach is developed, the Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. “Several regions are facing significant costs associated with residential waste removal, which has the potential to become a public ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Government working faster and smarter to support response and recovery
    $15 million of immediate reimbursement for marae, iwi, recognised rural and community groups $2 million for community food providers $0.5 million for additional translation services Increasing the caps of the Community and Provider funds The Government has announced $17.5 million to further support communities and community providers impacted by Cyclone ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • More Māori getting access to mental health and addiction services
    The Government’s approach of using frontline service providers to address inequities for Māori with mental health and addiction needs is making good progress in many communities, a new report says. An independent evaluation into the Māori Access and Choice programme, commissioned by Te Whatu Ora has highlighted the programme’s success ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2023-03-20T16:18:59+00:00