Ardern has words for Trump and Turnbull

Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, November 13th, 2017 - 67 comments
Categories: australian politics, Donald Trump, International, jacinda ardern, us politics - Tags: , ,

(Graphic from the multi talented @FoxyLustyGrover)

Good to see the PM standing up to Donald Trump’s idiocy.

As part of his ongoing display of the most juvenile behaviour ever shown by a US president he has recently posted this tweet:

Ardern’s response was direct.

From Radio New Zealand:

On North Korea, Ms Ardern has echoed previous New Zealand leaders in emphasising the need for dialogue.

“Our position on North Korea remains absolutely the same.

“It does not change depending on what tweets are issued on any given day,” Ms Ardern said, referring to the latest jibes traded by US President Donald Trump and North Korea.

“It’s an important matter of regional security that we continue to use dialogue and pursue a de-escalation of the situation.”

And she is upping her language for Malcolm Turnbull and the festering sore that is Manus Island.

From the Australian:

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has blasted Australia’s handling of the refugee crisis on Manus Island as unacceptable as she seeks another meeting with Malcolm Turnbull on the issue.

Ms Ardern has continued to push New Zealand’s offer to accept 150 refugees and asylum seekers from Australia’s offshore detention centres since her first face- to-face meeting with her Australian counterpart in Sydney a week ago. She wants a more substantive conversation when both leaders reach the Philippines for the East Asia Summit this week.

“We made the offer because we saw a great need. No matter what label you put on it there is absolute need and there is harm being done,” she said on Sunday.

“I see the human face of this and I see the need and the role New Zealand needs to play. I think it’s clear that we don’t see what’s happening there as acceptable, that’s why the offer’s there.”

It’s her strongest statement to date against the unfolding situation.

It is great to have a New Zealand leader saying it like it is.

67 comments on “Ardern has words for Trump and Turnbull ”

  1. ScottGN 1

    After a decade of National’s utterly spineless foreign policy settings it’s going to take some getting used to to have a PM that’s prepared to put an opinion out there.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1

      It’s making the authoritarian followers nervous.

      “She’s showing strong leadership! But she’s a Socialist! Help! I’m becoming a Socialist!”

  2. Zorb6 2

    Not a good idea to be grandstanding ,especially on Manus Island.Let the Australians deal with it,and get on with addressing domestic priorities.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1

      Good thing this is one of our domestic priorities then eh: “being able to live with ourselves”.

    • Brendan 2.2

      “Let the Australians deal with it.”

      But they’re not dealing with it. They are washing their hands, and hoping it will disappear. But they forget they are actually dealing with people’s lives. The lack of moral compass the Australian government has on this issue is frightening.

  3. BM 3

    The golden child needs to pull her head in and show a bit of nous.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1

      😆

      Follow the leader. Australia’s leader.

      BM, the wrong side of history just called and asked if someone could get you to back off a bit. They like you, just not in that way, ok?

    • mickysavage 3.2

      Nous has worked really well so far.

    • The Other Mike 3.3

      Case of mind over matter, eh BM?

      You don’t mind and they don’t matter – to you.

    • tracey 3.4

      Cos Nats stance worked well… international fees for kiwi students in OZ… deportations and so forth. It is going to be hard for some Nat voters to watch a leader, well, leading.

    • Yep weakness is always rewarded isn’t it bm.

    • mac1 3.6

      BM, ‘nous’ is not a contraction of ‘not us”!

      We are there because we are also citizens of the world. Just as some like to criticise North Korea, and whoever else is not the flavour of the month with the US, so we criticise even our friends if they need it.

      Morality is outside of friendship.

  4. mauī 4

    I have to say on the news last night, she came across as quite war hawkish on North Korea. The goal seemed to be to pull N Korea into line. That’s the price of being part of the western alliance though I spose.

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/11/what-donald-trump-s-asia-pacific-dream-means-for-nz.html

    • mickysavage 4.1

      They have nukes and they keep threatening to use them …

      • mauī 4.1.1

        If your country had been starved for 60 years, and had a superpower camped on your border for 60 years who liked to play regular wargames, then it’s kind of understandable.

        • marty mars 4.1.1.1

          They get on with China. Are you a supporter of north Korea?

          • mauī 4.1.1.1.1

            I’m supportive of their right to not feel threatened and to not have to be at war still 60 years after it ended.

            • marty mars 4.1.1.1.1.1

              Cool, so you obviously oppose their dictator and his heinous crimes against the good people of north Korea. Man the fear those people must feel is unimaginable unless you lived on the wrong side of the wall in Berlin I spose. So much suffering and so unnecessary – I hope they don’t have any more famines because all their resources are being used to compensate you know who for you know what, via nukes. ffs size doesn’t matter – pity trump doesn’t get that too.

              • mauī

                That’s what I’m saying is that we’ve put the Berlin wall in place in Korea and made the country more isolated and more aggressive through our own actions.

                Also our lens on the country is totally biased as it’s tainted by the corporate media view that has always painted them as an enemy, so I don’t think we really have much of an idea on the true goings on in that country.

                I’m anti dictators like the next person and you know it always ends up well when the west gets involved with these so called despots – Saddam, Gaddafi, Assad. 3 ruined countries now. Why don’t we learn from our mistakes and give them some breathing room for a start and try to understand why their government might be the way it is.

                • Yeah I hear you.

                  I don’t know why Korea ended up the way it is I wish things were different. I have zero love of dictators and bullies on any side.

                  I don’t know what freedom is for other peoples or empowerment or happiness. I know what it is for me but that is only so useful in understanding other peoples and cultures.

                  Of all the stupid ways humans will kill themselves off – shooting and bombing one another has got to be the thickest and most pathetic.

                  I wish we could call the occupants of an interplanetary craft for help.

                • Brigid

                  ” 3 ruined countries now.”
                  Who ruined them?
                  If Syria is so ruined why do you suppose the UN says Syrians are returning?
                  “According to a recent statement from Andrej Mahecic, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, an estimated 440,000 displaced Syrians who remained in the country have returned to their homes since the year began. In addition, 31,000 refugees in neighboring countries also returned to Syria in the first half of the year, with 260,000 having returned to Syria from other nations since 2015.”
                  http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-07-05/over-500000-syrian-refugees-return-government-controlled-areas-syria

              • Brigid

                Heinous crimes like free housing, healthcare, education. Yep it’s real rough.
                Why don’t you talk to people who live there, or have visited recently?
                That is, of course, unless you prefer to keep repeating fake news from the msm.

                • Have you been there? What did you see and hear from those living there? Who did you talk to? Did you leave your government minder at any point?

                  • Brigid

                    I know people who have been there in the last couple of months.
                    I know a person who organises tours around any part of the country one wants to go to. A Korean tour guide always accompanies tourists and does not restrict anybody from seeing anything or taking photos anywhere, accept military bases.
                    However, you will be fined heavily for littering.
                    It’s a very safe country generally. Damned site safer than the US from what tourists say.
                    Koreans generally don’t discuss politics, they don’t feel any need to.
                    Their education facilities would make you drool with envy.
                    But they are pretty pissed off at the sanctions which make maintaining their very flash medical equipment difficult. As they say, it hurts the people who are most vulnerable.
                    North Koreans are pretty happy people and just don’t understand the west’s animosity and why the west believes the rhetoric that the MSM spews.
                    And just why the hell shouldn’t North Korea have nuclear weapons? Israel has.
                    And considering the US practically leveled every major city in the country during the Korean War I think they have every damn right to arm themselves to the teeth.

                    Now show me the quote from Kim Jong-un where he threatens the US, or any country.

                    You really should go have a look.

                    Now. Where do you get your information from?

                    • Well done for having a friend that has just been there. I have zero desire to go anywhere.

                      Good that you love their leader. I wish only good things for the people that live there.

                      My information on what is happening there is sourced through western media and some alternative left wing media.

      • One Two 4.1.2

        What’s is the point exactly?

        Threats of using weapons are made on a daily basis, around the planet

        Actual use of weapons occurs around the planet on a daily basis..

        NK have not used nuclear weapons nor do they regularly use weapons against multiple nations..

        USA does all of the above

        Bluster should not even make the ‘news’…

        But it creates fear…don’t buy into it…

        Suckers buy into the ‘drama’…

  5. BM 5

    It’s fairly obvious to anyone with an ounce of intelligence what this Manus Island stuff is all about.
    This is a partnership between the Australian and New Zealand Labour parties to undermine the Australian Liberal government.

  6. Wayne 6

    On North Korea, Bill English said the tweets were not helpful and that New Zealand preferred constructive dialogue, so no real change there.

    Yes, the PM has now been a bit more forthright in her language on Manus Island, but what will actually flow from it? Even in the quote she simply reiterated the same offer as was already on the table from last Sunday, which was in fact the same offer as under the previous government. Perhaps she is hoping that her words will lead to an earlier acceptance than might otherwise be the case.

    But the main question, given the expectation of this article, is she actually going to do anything more?

    Or will her big foreign policy move (if there is one at all) be in a quite different area? Presumably something in climate change.

    • Yes, the PM has now been a bit more forthright in her language on Manus Island, but what will actually flow from it?

      Being able to sleep at night? Retaining a little self-respect? Those strike me as pretty good things. I do appreciate that a National Party PM would be untroubled by such pangs of conscience though.

    • tracey 6.2

      Is she just talk you mean? If she is just talk with Australia we are no worse off than under the prior 9 years. I am hoping for better of course.

    • Anne 6.3

      If Jacinda is continuing along the same path that was trodden by National – and she appears to be – then it’s a good thing because it is the right path. I guess the hope is that PM Turnbull and his advisers will eventually change their minds and let the 150 refugees come to NZ. To keep pressing the issue is about all that can be done.

      Her big foreign policy will almost certainly be related to Climate Change as she regards it as the most pressing issue facing the world today. I couldn’t agree more.

      • veutoviper 6.3.1

        Climate change and climate change refugees was the subject of her first appearance on the international stage at the formal APEC meetings in Vietnam – her participation in a panel discussion

        I have yet to track down a video of the full discussion but here is a short excerpt from Youtube *

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqS-ztMVk9Q

        * Note: Youtube is not just music etc
        I have been frustrated in trying to track down recordings/videos of Ardern’s speeches etc as the Labour Party website does not seem to archive these at present. Some appear on JA’s Facebook page but not all.

        A much better techo than I am advised me that most of these are in fact archived on Youtube – probably the last place I would have looked! And it turns out to be the case.

        I now search using, for example, “youtube Jacinda Ardern climate change” and up pops lots of videos and links.
        You can then use filters like country, date or similar.

  7. Puckish Rogue 7

    Talk is cheap but what will she actually achieve?

    • What will the Prime Minister of New Zealand achieve on matters of US/PRK confrontation and Australian immigration policy? I’m picking “Not much.” Were you under the impression things might be otherwise?

      • tracey 7.1.1

        You’d think they would be more receptive to empty words vis a vis Australia, after 9 years of sagely nodding and agreeing.

    • tracey 7.2

      PR in fairness the benchmark is the last Govt, so if nothing changes we are no worse off. However we are worse off in relation to Australia than we were in 2008.

    • BM 7.3

      Probably New Zealanders requiring a visa to travel and work in Australia.

      If Australia can’t trust Ardern and labour to not turn New Zealand into a backdoor for illegal immigrants trying to get into Australia, then they’ll shut that door.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 7.3.1

        If they once were illegal immigrants, they aren’t now. Now they are refugees, and the Liberal Party made them that way.

        Personal responsibility means it’s all Labour’s fault. Loser BM speaks with forked tongue.

        • Wayne 7.3.1.1

          Draco
          Would you really terminate CER and access of NZers literally for their whole life on the issue of the Manus Island refugees.
          Even with the current rules all New Zealanders have the right to shift to Australia, work, buy houses. They don’t need visas and with no time limit on how long they can stay.

      • Probably New Zealanders requiring a visa to travel and work in Australia.

        I’m fine with that. If the Australians want to drop CER, and all indications are that they do, then we may as well do so.

      • Delia 7.3.3

        I think Ardern covered that one, but I cannot be bothered telling you because you are to one eyed.

      • Paul Campbell 7.3.4

        When global warming kicks in and the edges of Australia get all crispy we’re going to see a massive influx of Aussies, more than we could ever handle, best to nip that in the bud now

        • Kevin 7.3.4.1

          The Great Barrier Reef is telling them it has already kicked in.

        • tc 7.3.4.2

          They’ve an entire temperate state of their own to move to. Tasmania.

          Then there’s country Victoria for those who like the large flat brown bit to live in if the temperature/lack of green’s an issue.

      • tracey 7.3.5

        It’s been closing for quite a while BM, or have you been sleeping through the last 9 years? each time Aussie does something detrimental we get told we need to talk to them etc etc… and what have they learned? We just roll over so guess what? They did more stuff…

  8. Angel Fish 8

    Trump didn’t sign the TPP deal Jacinda!

    Finger waving at the overtly juvenile behaviour of Trump isn’t required.
    Everyone can see the juvenile behaviour for what it is.
    But standing up for the country and not letting it get ripped off is crucial and could affect generations to come.
    Don’t be so eager to give easy credits to the PM.

  9. Ad 9

    Since they are refugees of Australia having first landed in Australia, presumably they are claiming asylum under UNHCR. Jacinda Ardern would be more useful to the Australian government if she led a proper debate on how Australia and New Zealand can lead the debate. Gain a little leverage through leadership. Right now she just looks like a powerless supplicant.

    In her comments about how Australia faces real and large refugee issues, I see Ardern acknowledging that the international refugee regime is failing Australian national interests; the interests of the international community; and the interests of refugees themselves.

    I also see her as implicitly acknowledging that there is an unreasonable burden on destination states, which also has the perverse consequence of promoting people smuggling.

    Australia has one of the strongest track records in promoting the new approaches that are now required, including intervening to prevent atrocities, enhancing protection in regions affected by displacement, and combatting people smuggling. Wish I could say the same as much of New Zealand.

    What will send the strongest signal to people smugglers, wiile retaining reasonable human right engagement? From the point of view of the smuggling economy, every advantage their clients get is simply advertising of the smugglers’ success record. So they get to drum up more profit.

    I want to see Ardern step up beyond the current media cycle of emotion and up to something that works with Turnbull’s government on rejecting the status quo about smuggling people.

    There is support for reform across the political spectrum in Australia, unlike in Europe. And Canberra has already demonstrated its willingness to reject the status quo, albeit controversially.

    Ardern should take the lead jointly with Turnbull before she is reduced to a virtue-signalling palimpsest with no leverage whatsoever, at which point her credibility to actually lead rather than react will disappear.

  10. Sparky 10

    Well I have no time for this CPTPP shit Jacinda so please get Labour to dump it….thanks…..

  11. Tanz 11

    How about helping the homeless etc in NZ first. That three million would have helped many here in need. Ardern is showing arrogance by badgering Australia re this, and not five minutes into the job. She is out of step with Kiwis also, if social media and print opinion in Granny Herald is anything to go by. Typical ‘we know best’ stance from Labour, but it’s only going to lose votes and favour, which is already 10 seats behind National’s popularity. I knew this govt would be a shambles, and it certainly is. Virtue signalling and warm fuzzies, but no depth or common sense. Bring back BIll, NZ deserves much better. Three years or less…and counting.

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  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
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