Audrey Young trashed in her own comments section

Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, March 28th, 2016 - 64 comments
Categories: Media, spin - Tags: , ,

Audrey Young wrote a piece on Key’s glorious defeat in the flag referendum, and how it was all Labour’s fault. Nothing unusual in that of course. What was unusual was how strongly she got called out in the comments. On the front page –

Unfortunately it was clear from day one that this bid to change the flag was going to fail. The process was also universally perceived as flawed and expensive.
The use of public figures to he hector the voters has been shown once again to be a bad idea.

No he is a loser. He lost $26 million dollars of taxpayers money. He should resign.

The result is inaccurate. The margin was likely much larger given the options were to do nothing or vote for change. Those who wished to do nothing probably did.

Talk about a sore loser. You lot lost. Get over it. You just reveal yourself as a mouthpiece.

Yup thats it , we are in a democracy, to change the the flag puts us in banana republic status, the majority have voted for the rule of law. No more no less…

What a load of tripe. There were some 20 percent voting who might have got the changed if the design was good, myself included. I think JK also politicised this and it offensive to just blame labour and greens.

No you are wrong. He is a loser and a failure. The country is 80 billion in debt. Kids are living in cars. He has sold our best assets to his rich mates. He sold us out with the tppa. Our farmers are about to go to the wall. But wait now he’s on holiday

What crap, a lot like the process John key implemented for flag change.

What a pathetic summing up. The author must feel that this grown man needs a strong woman to defend him. It’s the sort of justification note teachers received in ancient times from over possessive mothers.

The whole process was politicised by all sides. Accusing Lab/Greens of doing so and not Key/National is itself engaging in political point scoring. Key wanted a new flag and publicly wore a badge of Lockwood’s design. That’s politicising the process.

On it goes for 171 comments, with barely any in support. Remarkable.

64 comments on “Audrey Young trashed in her own comments section ”

  1. Dot 1

    A good story ,
    I do not buy The Herald any more , therefore would have missed
    this reaction. I doubt that it will dent the paper’s editorial attitudes.

  2. tc 2

    Yes but it is Easter and we aren’t in an election cycle yet.

    Many times the NACT shills get this type of crap out there without a comments section for folk to point out the obvious bs and spin.

    Granny shilling for the hollowmen as always and providing some pointers for the next diversion strategy.

  3. Anne 3

    It is always good for the soul to discover there are lots of people out there who can see through the veneer of spin and deceit. As time progresses I hope their numbers will continue to increase.

    Poor old Audrey. She was having a major fit of the sulks cos her side lost the debate.

  4. North 4

    Yes. Audrey Young has passed that critical point beyond which she is immediately dismissable as a helpless Key sucker. Not wilful. Just helpless. Seduced. I mean unless you believed it you’d be too embarrassed to write it, surely ?

    Pathetic in a grown person who claims special experience and insight. Check out the biographical notes at the foot of her articles. A tutor in journalism ???

  5. Chris 5

    The trouble is that the result was way closer than expected. More people seemed to warm to the idea as time went on, almost forgetting about how flawed the process was. Labour MPs, for example, throwing support behind red bloody peaks or whatever it’s called seemed quickly not to care that what they were doing was buying into key’s idiocy. If key et al had somehow extended the discussion period he may very well have succeeded and we would’ve been given with a flag with key’s narcissistic face all over it until the end of time.

    • sabine 5.1

      56% vs 43% is not just barely passing. He lost, NZ won. full stop.
      Red Peak (and i was no more fond of this dishrag then the others) was to introduce a somewhat third choice into a selection that was sorely lacking of diversity and genuine choice. Misguided perhaps, but it was pointing out just how odious the choices given to us where. Three times nothing and a black/white hypno flag. National was mocking the whole country, but somehow some of the blame must go to Labour and the Greens?

      • Chris 5.1.1

        “…but somehow some of the blame must go to Labour and the Greens?”

        Yes, for giving support however tacit to key’s ridiculously misguided and narcissistic exercise. Diehard Labour supporters like Leftie are blinded to what happened. I’m not saying that Labour wasn’t critical of things but they certainly weren’t united in opposition to key’s filthy and irresponsible ploy. If they had been I don’t think the result would’ve been so close. And yes, I do think that 56% v 43% is close. The margin was far greater at the beginning of the process and it may have easily been a matter of time for that gap to close. For a lot of people key’s choice “grew” on a lot of people and I think many got sick of the negativity around the exercise how ever fucked up it was. As I said, if key had allowed more time for the discussion the result may well have been different. Thank goodness he didn’t.

        • Leftie 5.1.1.1

          @Chris, you don’t need to get personal. All the blame and failures rests solely on John key’s shoulders, no one else. You are just parroting Audrey Young. Almost 2 years is plenty of time for key to have engaged the public properly, after all didn’t he first raise it back in 2010? John key made it all about him, he politicized it, he did say he wanted it as his legacy.

          What would have been the real result if people hadn’t of tried to game the system in favour of John key? So how trustworthy are the results? In all likelihood, the gap between the winning current flag and the failed John key’s flag could be even greater.

          • Chris 5.1.1.1.1

            Again you’re not addressing one single point I’ve made. Are you doing that deliberately? Or are you just really thick?

            • Leftie 5.1.1.1.1.1

              Shows you can’t read Chris.

            • the pigman 5.1.1.1.1.2

              What points, Chris? Glad Leftie pulled you up on this already. Your central point was that Labour supported this process. But that is revealed for the baseless lie it is. Is there anything else to address in there, from the sea of contradictory jumble at 5.1.1? All I see is that your one-eyed hatred for Labour being profoundly dull – anything I’ve missed?

    • Leftie 5.2

      @Chris, it was the Greens who pushed for the inclusion of Red Peak. Others supported the move to give people more choice in an inherently flawed process. Key, in his desperation, changed the rules to allow it, but refused to allow a yes/no question, that would have saved tax payers a lot of time and money.

      • Chris 5.2.1

        For fuck’s sake. You’ve been back for 5 minutes and already I’m sick of your inability to read.

        • Leftie 5.2.1.1

          I can read well and respond accordingly. Just pulled you up on your bull, that’s all. You don’t have to read my posts Chris.

          • Chris 5.2.1.1.1

            I enjoy reading your posts.

          • Chris 5.2.1.1.2

            I didn’t say Labour supported key’s flag change fiasco in an upfront way as you’re suggesting I said. I did say that by not taking a strong united position Labour was giving tacit support to the idea that the flag could be changed via the process key was foisting upon us. The red bloody peaks campaign is proof of that. And I’m just as critical of the Greens and other parties that also failed to take a proper stand against what key was trying to do. I single Labour out because they’re supposed to be the main opposition party leading the attack on what key and his mates have done to NZ over almost three terms and who are about to embark on a fourth. Labour ought to know better.

            http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/284312/50,000-names-speak-for-the-peak

            • Leftie 5.2.1.1.2.1

              @Chris. Why do National supporters like yourself think that the Key government will be in line for a 4th term? rofl, in your dreams. The blame for the flag fiasco that wasted tax payer time and money lies with John key. No one else. You are senselessly singling out Labour for no other reason than to bash it. Thanks for the supporting link that shows it was the Greens who pushed for the inclusion of Red Peak. Others supported the move to give people more choice in an inherently flawed process. Key, in his desperation, changed the rules to allow it, but refused to allow a yes/no question, that would have saved tax payers a lot of time and money.

              • Chris

                “Others supported the move to give people more choice in an inherently flawed process.”

                There’s your tacit support there, little man.

                • Leftie

                  Well no, it is not actually. Have you got little man syndrome? You are implying that Labour was trying to change the flag via the process, which is untrue. Remember, it was Labour that wanted the inclusion of the yes/no question to save the tax payer a lot of time and money.

                  • Chris

                    I think I know what I was implying.

                    “it was Labour that wanted the inclusion of the yes/no question to save the tax payer a lot of time and money.” Again, more evidence of Labour’s tacit support for Key’s narcissistic personal project.

                    Read what I’ve said: at no time did Labour take a forceful and united position against what key was doing. How do you think Jacinda Ardern ended up showing public support for the inclusion of red bloody peaks or whatever it’s called? Because Labour showed no guts as an opposition by slamming key and the whole process. Instead we see Ardern in a photo op showing active participation in that flawed process, which equals tacit support.

                    If you don’t get this now you are extremely fucking thick.

                    • Leftie

                      @Chris. There are no doubts about it, you are thick, and all you want to do is bash Labour. What you have implied, no matter how many times you repeat your bull, it is still not true.

                      “It was Labour that wanted the inclusion of the yes/no question to save the tax payer a lot of time and money.”…. AFTER John key refused point blank to put a halt to his referendum. National’s “standfor” website overwhelmingly showed the majority of NZers had no stomach for change. Labour acknowledged the will of the majority, said its not the right time for it and told Key to stop. So why didn’t your leader John key listen to the people like Labour did?

    • the pigman 5.3

      Ahaha Chris your Labour vendetta would make another author on this blog blush…! Shameless!

      It wasn’t Labour MPs backing Red Peak.
      It was the Greens.
      It was the Greens who gave the process legitimacy by doing a shabby little deal with Key.

  6. Keith 6

    Audrey Young is an advertorial writer for the National Party and a warning should be given as such. Labour convinced Judith Collins to vote for the current flag to follow Audreys logic, amazing stuff really.

    I reckon had the red and blue version of Keys flag , the one that won the first ballot, been left the winner rather than the Mickey Mouse voting system to give John the flag he wanted, well that would have sneaked the flag change over the line. But I believe Key didn’t like the redness, too Labour. Dumb arse!

    • BM 6.1

      Have you not seen the Labour logo?

      http://iforce.co.nz/i/kzciwi1h.4ni.jpg

      I think it is you, who is the dumbarse.

      • North 6.1.1

        Poor BM – stampeded and hurting as much if not more than Audrey ‘Sprung’ Young. As evidenced by his/her ridiculous non-sequitur centred on Labour’s colours at 6.1 above.

    • Anne 6.2

      You are spot on Keith. I, too, have suspected the red/blue/white version might have won but Key and his toadies wanted the blue/black/white version because they are the National Party campaign colours. They saw it as a permanent subliminal reminder of themselves that would see them in govt. forever and a day. Dumb arses is almost too kind an adjective for them.

      I’m looking forward to driving past Maggie Barry’s electorate office to see if the tall flag pole – from which the tea towel has been proudly billowing since the beginning of the year – has been taken away in a fit of pique.

  7. swordfish 7

    Banal, barely-disguised, apologetics from Audrey (I’m assuming she, rather than her National MP brother, wrote it ? – has more than a whiff of Nat Comms about it).

    Suggesting (somewhat tortuously) that it “should be easy for John Key to defend himself against inevitable criticism in the immediate wake of the result from critics”, Our Audrey goes on to list a few examples (and, by employing the term “easy”, she’s clearly implying that most of the general public/voters will accept Key’s responses):

    Here are two examples of her mendacity:

    (1) “To those say who say (sic) people should have been asked first if they wanted change, it was a question biased toward no change.”

    Audrey clearly believes most voters will accept that argument. But here’s what the polls suggest …

    In an April 2015 Herald-Digi (ie The Herald’s very own Pollster) almost 80% believed that the first referendum should ask if the public wants a flag change in the first place (rather than waiting to pit the current flag against the alternative in the second referendum).

    In the UMR Poll of February 2016, 66% of voters (including a plurality (47%) of Nat voters) agreed that The Flag Referendum has been a distraction and a waste of money. New Zealanders should send John Key a message by voting for the current flag.

    And back in February 2014, a Colmar Brunton Poll found only 2% thought that changing the flag was an important issue.

    Taken together, those 3 pieces of polling evidence would appear to undermine Audrey’s attempt to reassure our esteemed PM and his supporters.
    .

    (2) “To those who thought it was a waste of money, it is not what they were saying in 2013 on the referendum for state asset sales for which the government had received a clear mandate at the 2011 election.”

    For a start, as we’ve seen (above), fully Two-Thirds of voters agree that the whole thing has been a waste of money – not some sort of small harping hardcore lefty minority as Audrey implies. I really don’t think 66% of people are suddenly gonna change their minds and cheerfully accept that, hey !, the flag referenda wasn’t a waste of money after all because, you know, there was that asset sales referendum a while back, so we’d be hypocrites if we objected to this. What ever were we thinking of ??? There is such a thing as Wishful Thinking, Aud.

    Second, there was no clear mandate for asset sales at the 2011 General Election. Every single poll carried out on the issue found large-to-overwhelming majorities (including a large minority of Nat voters) opposed to asset sales. And the 2013 Referendum Result = 67% against.

    As numerous political scientists, other scholars and various commentators have painstakingly pointed out over the years, Election ‘Mandates’ just don’t work like that.

    And, of course, a number of Polls carried out immediately after the 2011 Election confirmed that large majorities remained opposed to the planned partial privatisations (eg 3 News Reid Research Feb 2012 – 62% opposed (including a third of Nats).

    As Political Scientist, Stephen Levine, commented at the time: it was only Key’s personal popularity in 2011 that was “preventing opposition to asset sales from hurting National in the polls.”

    Maybe Audrey should have read the editorial of one of her own Paper’s Herald-DigiPoll reports: It suggests that “Not even the most ardent National party supporter would claim the party had convinced a majority of the public of the merits of flogging off our assets” and “clearly, a crucial number of those uncomfortable with the idea of floating even a minority stake in state companies supported National (at the 2011 Election) despite the policy”.
    The editorial was, of course, mistaken – there was, and apparently still is, one ardent Nat (dear old Aud herself) who’s happy to make this claim.

    Third, I don’t think Audrey is quite so daft that she really believes what she’s arguing here – that voters think this Flag Referenda has been a waste of money because they believe ALL Referenda are. As the Polls on asset sales revealed, large numbers were mobilised over an issue that angered them. Hence, it was a Citizens initiated Referendum. In stark contrast, only 2% of New Zealanders thought changing the flag was of any importance whatsoever, with these two Referenda forced on voters. Theres a crucial difference for those without ideological blinders to see.

    • Jenny Kirk 7.1

      Its good to have your reminding us of all these polling events, Swordfish – because now that the MSM have cried and booed and YanKey is over in his favourite place, they are going to come up with another distraction.

      Fran whatshername has started in the Herald with an item saying Key wants to make NZ the Switzerland of the Pacific. Deja vue. Just what Roger Douglas wanted almost 30 years ago – he wanted to make NZ the Hong Kong of the Pacific. Nothing new here …… it didn’t work then, it won’t work now.

      • Tautuhi 7.1.1

        New Zealand is the Hong Kong of the South Pacific with all these [Nat: nah] little people buying up most of Auckland’s cheap real estate?

        • fender 7.1.1.1

          Wish you could have thought a little more deeply about your choice of language here.

        • ropata 7.1.1.2

          Seems accurate. The whole “immigrant investor” scheme is legal money laundering approved by NatCorp Inc™. There are thousands of immigrants buying up all the fscking property under the “investor” scheme (have to “invest” 1.5 million NZD within 2 years) and Kiwis don’t get a look in.

          South China Morning Post:

          China was the nation’s biggest source of long-term arrivals at 6,200, followed by 6,100 from India and 5,800 from Britain over the same period. Ming Tiang, head of Chiwi Immigration Services in Auckland, said that half of all Chinese immigrants to the country arrived through the investor scheme. The rest were parents whose children studied there.

          It’s the biggest election bribe of all time, pleasing FJK’s well heeled constituency & fuxking hard working Kiwis

    • Incognito 7.2

      I thought the flag referendum was a little unusual because it was a binding referendum while all other referenda have been non-binding IIRC.

    • Sacha 7.3

      Thanks for laying out the detail, mr swordfish. #onya

    • Hanswurst 7.4

      I think that two separate issues are often conflated when talking about National’s mandate or otherwise for asset sales. The asset sales were an election issue, and National won the 2011 election. Therefore they had a mandate – clear as day – to carry out the sales, which they did on pretty much exactly the terms they had laid out before the election.

      It’s also true that most people voted for parties that were against asset sales, that a large swathe of the voting public felt strong enough about it to kick off a citizens-initiated referendum on the issue, and that an even larger number were moved to vote against the sales in said referendum.

      However, citizens-initiated referenda don’t confer a mandate in NZ, whereas a general election does. In following through with the asset sales, the National government were not going over the heads of the public, flouting electoral principle – or, in fact, doing anything at all out of the ordinary as regards the functions of government in this country. It’s apparently important in NZ to stress a fairly elementary principle: if you don’t want the policies that National are offering, don’t vote for them.

  8. Bearded Git 8

    Can’t believe I’m saying this but I almost miss John Armstrong’s columns after reading Audrey’s Key arse-licking poison. The Cunliffe “resignation-time” letter fiasco aside Armstrong at least tried to give a veneer of balance to his pro-Gnat articles.

    No such subtlety with Audrey. She hasn’t the wit to realise that by being so biased her status as a political commentator is devalued and because of this she is ignored by many.

    Or maybe she is simply acting under orders.

    • Jenny Kirk 8.1

      She must be acting under orders, BG – no-one could possibly believe the tripe she writes, not even her.

      • RedBaronCV 8.1.1

        Heaven forbid, that the flag referendum =Nact popularity. I’m suspecting strict instructions are around to try not to let that idea get a toe hold. Hence the level of diversion..etc

      • Stephen Doyle 8.1.2

        We must remember who her father was, Venn Young, National minister under Muldoon. Her brother is current National MP Jonathon Young.
        Apples tend not to fall too far from trees.

      • Hanswurst 8.1.3

        I don’t think propaganda necessarily works that way. Granted, Young’s points are not remotely plausible, to the extent that it’s difficult to discern an argument from the collective thrust of her points. I think, though, that the article relies on there being a large number among the readership who are disposed towards thinking favourably of Mr. Key, but whose opinion of him might be dented by the publicity surrounding the flag referenda and the way the vote went. Young’s function is to provide a comforting headline and a readable article with a vaguely reasonable tone that will convince enough of those readers to think, “My favourable opinion of Key is justified – after all, there’s even an article in a newspaper to prove it”.

  9. Anne 9

    In contrast the outgoing GG makes this simple statement on RNZ:

    “Sometimes we’ve got distracted, and that’s the nature of politics, and that’s also possibly the nature of such an important emblem of who we are – this represents us. That’s the thing I think is special, and should have been special about what we were talking about.”

    “The neatest thing I’ve heard about this was last year. It was a young woman from Auckland who said: ‘This is not a branding exercise. This is our flag, this represents us. It’s important’. And that’s the thing that was special, and should have been special to talk about.”

    A strong criticism of the govt. and John Key wrapped in diplomatic speak?

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201794767

    • ropata 9.1

      Very well put, I would go further and state that the Lockwood flag ONLY represented the NatCorp™-loving well-heeled gated community class. They have gotten away with an awful lot in the last 8 years but this one was so obnoxious and transparently ego driven that Kiwis saw through the BS spin campaign.

      Plus it came just after the huge TPPA outcry where FJK further pissed off a large proportion of NZ, who were already annoyed by his asset sales & housing crisis & disdain for the poor.

  10. Richard@Down South 10

    National Debt Clocks.org

    New Zealand National Debt
    National Debt of New Zealand

    NZ$ 117,832,178,641

    and climbing…

  11. Tautuhi 11

    Evidently the debt isn’t a problem according to Key and English, if Labour had run up this debt National and the Press would be screaming “blue murder”?

  12. mary_a 12

    And both of Audrey Young’s NZH’s opinion pieces were closed off early, before too much critical debate could go up!

    Under strict instruction to keep the masses uninformed, with the intention of praising Most Deceitful Leader in any situation, through subliminal thought manipulation!

    Crosby Textor working hard to save their golden boy, who’s surface is becoming somewhat tarnished now! Good.

  13. newsense 13

    Well, Audrey likes to be the reasonable moderate. To find out that people have different interpretations of that and for once in a blue moon the blue rinse team has jumped the wrong way needs explaining some how. Grant dunnit.

  14. Sacha 14

    Real journalists are capable of rising above their own cognitive dissonance.

  15. logie97 15

    So many losers still flying the flag that came second from their flagpoles. Wonder if they will be replaced by the original and official flag by ANZAC day.

  16. grumpystilskin 16

    I worked on the pro flag change video. All the business people voiced an opinion on the flag being a marketing tool to differentiate our products overseas. As I’ve said time and time again, whats wrong with the “Made in NZ” Kiwi logo? Doesn’t warrant a flag change in my opinion.. Like most, that 26 million may have boosted nz posts income ($12Million from memory) but I’d rather someone like rape crises in Chch not be closed along with other important social providers getting some well needed cash.

  17. Wendigo Jane 17

    The PM’s admirers lost the plot long ago. I’m still laughing about this in Tracy Watkin’s column of 5 March about cyber bullying: “One meme apparently doing the rounds on Facebook, for instance, has Key standing in front of a flag bearing a silver fern which slowly morphs into a ponytail. And that’s a tame one. ” OMG – that’s a TAME one??!!! Gasp!! Can you imagine how completely shocking and offensive the others must be??!!

  18. Nick 18

    I voted specifically against key, because he tainted the whole thing because he forced it onto NZ. I would love to know the real reason he drove it, I don’t believe he had any real interest in a flag, he’s too shallow to worry about deep stuff with meaning….. So what was his true motive?

    • Anne 18.1

      So what was his true motive?

      Simple. He wanted to be sure his name was writ in historical lights as the prime minister who gave NZ a new flag. In other words his motivation was self interest. The only thing that matters to PM Key is: what’s in it for me?

      • peterlepaysan 18.1.1

        That is what Wall Street traders believe in,absolutely. Nothing else matters.

    • Ffloyd 18.2

      @Nick. I think that key uses these sort of issues as a litmus test. Like thinking that,if he can get away with rail-roading us into the result that he wants then all is as usual and he can carry on using the same strategies. Compliant media, derision of the opposition, lies, deceit, disappearing when the going gets tough (cowardice), the list goes on. If, in spite of all his machinations his pollings stay up then he will see this as validation that what he is doing is working. Therefore the status quo applies. He’s like a little bulldozer. He won’t quit until his fuel runs out. Until he is called out on every thing that he does,every time he does it, straight away, and loudly, he will carry on in his same little rut. His fuel will run out eventually. It might be sooner than he thinks. His only cheerleaders seem to be A.Young TWatkins, Pinky Hoskins(baby mouse), sad delusional p Henry and Rat up the drainpipe Gower. Everyone is so fed up with their boring predictable Labour/Little bashing and rs licking key/National that you don’t have to read their scribbling or listen to their world weary man of the world ramblings to know what is coming. Oh, forgot about Trevvie. Where has she got to. Banished to anonymous Editorials perhaps.

    • Jerko 18.3

      Good observation Nick! Key is too shallow to worry about deep stuff with meaning. That is what became obvious to the people who voted to keep the current flag. He wanted a flag that was a symbol of the ” shallow meaningless” people who continue to be duped by him and his puppeteers. I should emphasize Puppeteers because, I doubt that he can produce an original idea to save himself. And if that was it – well he is history. What hasn’t been mentioned is that the percentage of votes for his choice was about the same as his support in the polls which I find interesting. That has got to say something about the polls surely.

  19. AB 19

    New high point in hysteria from Audrey.
    They can’t bear the truth – a shallow, vulgar design almost foisted on us by a shallow, vulgar man. A bullet dodged.

  20. Lloyd 20

    The flag fiasco provides a wonderful slogan for the next election –

    “FLAG JOHN”

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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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