Back on Track?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:05 am, April 7th, 2024 - 71 comments
Categories: act, benefits, economy, greens, health, labour, Maori Issues, maori party, national, Politics, poverty, same old national, Te Reo Māori, treaty settlements, workers' rights - Tags:

This was National’s campaign slogan last election and it is appropriate to consider how they are going in achieving what they promised.

They have been very busy, very very busy. With a 100 day plan and a recently announced three month plan they have been doing a lot of planning. But has it made the country a better place? And if so who for?

How about this list of the Government’s achievements so far. It has:

Proposed that gang members be required to wear foundation when they go out into the public.
Proposed more lung cancer so that landlords can get a tax cut.
Planned to cut tobacco excise duty.
Delayed changes to vape rules in a move that allowed Phillip Morris to get rid of its excess stock.
Abandoned the promised Working for Families abatement adjustment so that landlords can get a tax cut.
Cut fair pay agreements even though they were warned the removal would disproportionately impact women, Māori and Pasifika and young people.
Ordered a pathetic increase in the minimum wage, well below the rate of inflation thereby giving minimum wage earners a wage cut. Brooke Van Velden wanted it to be even less than Cabinet agreed to.
Attacked the use of Te Reo by the public service by europeanising Ministry names and stopping payments for Public Servants gaining proficiency in Te Reo.
Scrapped the Māori Health Authority using urgency.
Acted to remove references to Te Tiriti from laws including the Oranga Tamariki Act;
Insulted Ratana.
Cancelled Three Waters on spurious racist grounds and caused Councils to have to plan for significant rates increases to pay for necessary upgrades. And relaxed consultation and audit requirements for Councils so they basically do not have to talk about how much they may have to put rates.
Implemented $7.4 billion of cuts and savings many affecting core services.
Gleefully announced thousands of public service job cuts just before Christmas.
Raised the prospect of hospitals and schools and roads being built using PPPs.
Introduced 90 day fire at will legislation for all companies under urgency just in time for Christmas.
Wound back RMA reforms and gave the Minister extraordinary powers to rewrite planning documents.
Cut funding for cultural reports despite the important role they play in determining what is a just sentence for an offender.
Repealed under urgency the Tax Principles Reporting Act so that IRD no longer had to report to us on how our tax system is functioning and if rich people are paying a fair amount of tax. Interestingly this urgent action did not appear in any of the coalition agreements or in the Government’s 100 day plan.
Proposed making English an Official Language, as if it wasn’t.
United Māori in a way not seen before while at the same time insulting Kiingi Tuuheitia.
Increased congestion by starving Auckland of necessary funds through the Regional Fuel Tax.
Increase unemployment by changing the Reserve Bank’s focus on inflation and employment to one of inflation only.
Stopped blanket speed restrictions and decreased safety.
Canned Auckland Light Rail and Let’s get Wellington moving.
Suspended the preparartion of Regulatory Impact Analyses for some of its proposals so that proper analysis of its proposals did not happen.
Advanced work on Act’s Dog Whistle Treaty Principles Bill.
Had Shane Jones claim that the previous Government’s approach to climate change was hysterical, that mining of the DoC estate including Stewardship land would be fast tracked and that “if there is a mining opportunity and it’s impeded by a blind frog, goodbye, Freddy“.
Made gas guzzling utes and large vehicles cheaper thereby undermining the previous Government’s attempt to make the country’s vehicle fleet more sustainable. The number of EVs entering the fleet has subsequently plummeted.
Released a draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport that did not have climate change as a priority consideration.
Stopped work on policies that would provide transport alternatives to private cars.
Started work to justify the gutting of Kainga Ora and the wind back of the provision of social housing by the state.
Planned to increase sanctions against beneficiaries despite there being no evidence that they work.
Announced a review of gun laws which may increase the number of semi automatic weapons in the country.
Required teachers to return to the halcyon days of the 1950s by requiring them to teach reading and writing, something they do anyway.
Brought back Pseudoephedrine. The gangs are rejoicing.
Gave Shane Jones a $1.2 billion slush fund also known as the Regional Infrastructure Fund.
Offered the Police less than Labour had previously during wage negotiations, an offer described as an insult and a joke.
Started work on resuming block offers for offshore oil drilling at a time where any serious climate scientist says we have to leave undiscovered oil in the ground.
Stood by and did nothing as the media sector was decimated.
Planned to cut significantly into the budget for free school lunches despite these being a very effective way of assisting families with cost of living pressures and positively contributing to attendance and academic performance.
Proposed shutting the Suicide Prevention Office.
Had the Minister walk back the proposed shutting of the Suicide Prevention Office. And I thought Ministers were going to go through Ministry budgets line by line to cut waste.
Reversed the ten year bright line test. First home buyers will now have to fight more landlords to buy homes.
Underestimated the cost of the Landlord Tax cut by $800 million.
Overestimated the tax raised by the Offshore Gambling Tax by $500 million.
Diverted money needed to address climate change into tax cuts for landlords.
Scrapped the groundbreaking Living in Aotearoa study which collected important data needed to measure child poverty.
Told Te Papa to take down the defaced Treaty of Waitangi display even though the Minister has no power to direct the Museum on what it should display.
Scrapped the proposal for a Sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands a proposal that actually started with John Key. According to Jones “[t]here’s far too much misinformation, and I’ve had to put up with green muckery over this issue. There is already a host of protective measures there.”
Announced brutal cuts to the Ministry of Pacific People which may see the numbers working there being slashed by 40%. I guess this is not surprising when you remember that before the election David Seymour threatened to blow the ministry up.
Had an absolute melt down on the fact that Auckland University has a space for Māori and Pacific students. Winston Peters claimed rather bizarrely that having the spaces was comparable to the Klu Klux Klan. Not to be out done David Seymour claimed that the spaces were segregationist.
Simeon Brown extending his tacky little culture war on cycleways by extending the attack to public transport with proposals that will increase the cost of living for all users of public transport.
Imposed retrospectively compulsory referenda on Councils that had exercised their right to decide what shape their electoral system took but only if they established Māori wards.
Announced savage cuts to disability payments that sent the sector into turmoil and then walking back the news because the Ministry had done an “inadequate job in conveying changes to disabled people’s funding”.
Introduced legislation that would give Shane Jones, Simeon Brown and Chris Bishop unprecedented powers to grant consents for things such as mining in Doc land and not including the list of projects in the draft bill released for consultation.
Suffered a number of leaks of sensitive Cabinet Papers.

Is that enough? Let me know if I have missed anything in the comments.

And if you have had enough get involved. Join your union. Join Labour. Join the Greens or Te Pati Māori .

71 comments on “Back on Track? ”

Comments are now closed

Robert GLENNIE 1

7 April 2024 at 11:24 am

National, after years of being that conservative yet quite respectable relative at family gatherings, have become the xenophobic drunk waxing lyrical about things most are horrified by.

Here might be something better to wax lyrical about instead.
Anne 2

7 April 2024 at 11:26 am

For more on the proposal to shut the Suicide Prevention Office, see yesterday evening's one news – first item:

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/one-news-at-6pm/episodes/s2024-e97

So the ministries are being forced to take all the blame for the “confusion” around decision making? I smell a smokescreen around ministerial bungling and incompetency in carrying out their functions.
- mickysavage 2.1
  
  7 April 2024 at 11:40 am
  
  They tried to do the same with the Disability cuts. This is a pattern.
  - Anne 2.1.1
    
    7 April 2024 at 11:49 am
    
    Yes and there will be more of them. That is inevitable. Someone needs to start a list of them as they happen for future use.
    - Robert Guyton 2.1.1.1
      
      7 April 2024 at 5:42 pm
      
      They don't know what they're doing.
      - Dolomedes III 2.1.1.1.1
        
        8 April 2024 at 1:17 pm
        
        Right. And the previous government did know what they were doing? What did they touch that didn't turn to cack? They handled the pandemic OK, but apart from that … How many ministers did they lose in embarrassing circumstances during their last year in office?
        
        roblogic 2.1.1.1.1.1
        
        8 April 2024 at 1:28 pm
        
        You mean they had the decency to resign for their errors of judgement, as opposed to the current administration which places no value on competence or integrity, and does not punish malfeasance but seeks to cover it up.
        
        Robert Guyton 2.1.1.1.1.2
        
        8 April 2024 at 3:22 pm
        
        "They handled the pandemic OK, but apart from that …"
        
        Hilarious!
        
        That wee pandemic thingy; they done okay…I suppose…if I have to give them anything, BUT!!!
Phillip ure 3

7 April 2024 at 11:50 am

One of the things they are doing..is something the left should also do..

That is tell the punters what they will achieve/do in the upcoming quarter/three months…and into the future..and then having to deliver on those pledges..

(This is something the last gummint failed at)

..they didn't explain to us what they were doing..and so didn't take us with them…

In fact this could be taken to the degree of the left parties going into the next election campaign not only with a unified/coherent voice/policy-planks…but with a timetable for those policies to be enacted..

For the left to win they must do this…so the voters know exactly what they are voting for..and when they can expect those promised changes to happen…
- Anne 3.1
  
  7 April 2024 at 12:10 pm
  
  ..they didn't explain to us what they were doing..and so didn't take us with them…
  
  Its not so much they didn't explain, but rather their explanations were too long and too academic in nature. Labour governments going back decades have tended to over estimate the ability of the average voter to absorb complex policy proposals.
  
  Helen Clark understood this, and she boiled down her election pledges at one election to 5 or 6 simple one liners that hit the bullseye. Think it was the 2002 election. That was going to the other extreme of course but it worked.
  - Shanreagh 3.1.1
    
    7 April 2024 at 12:37 pm
    
    Its not so much they didn't explain, but rather their explanations were too long and too academic in nature. Labour governments going back decades have tended to over estimate the ability of the average voter to absorb complex policy proposals.
    
    I agree totally with this. I am not sure who was doing their Comms around Three Waters in particular I suspect those in the policy management mould. With the greatest respect to my former fellow colleagues Policy people are not skilled communicators. They are two different disciplines.
    
    I know when I mentioned, on here, my experience in the nexus between Policy & Communication and the advice we were given to aim for the comprehension of a pre secondary school reader I was slammed a little.
    
    The other good way is to listen to how someone who knows the topic explains it verbally to say pre secondary schoolers. Often these explanations can be worked up into press releases/explanations.
    
    Another thing to do is to pretend that you are at a public meeting, what questions are asked? Then go through any material to make sure these questions are answered within the release.
    
    Looking at the huge rises in our rates (16.4% in Wgtn) because of water related issues, I rue the fact we don't have 3 Waters and that Labour did not seem to follow basic best practice comms in getting buy-in on this flagship work.
  - Incognito 3.1.2
    
    7 April 2024 at 12:53 pm
    
    One possible approach is to meet somewhere in the middle where top-down and bottom-up deliberation through extensive consultation synthesises explanations and policy proposals that can be understood by most people if they want to.
    
    Here’s just one illustrative example of what might be achieved: https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/04/05/chosen-aucklanders-change-minds-in-favour-of-time-of-use-charging/
    - Shanreagh 3.1.2.1
      
      7 April 2024 at 9:28 pm
      
      Yes we did similar many moons ago when I was in one of the better iterations of the health reforms.
      
      We found that we needed time so staff in time-,staff- and cost- cut depts may not be able to do this.
      
      We also found that we needed to confidence build in those that we wanted bottom up from.
      
      It worked.
  - SPC 3.1.3
    
    7 April 2024 at 5:40 pm
    
    Labour will issue a pledge card at the start of the election campaign, a device it also used in the past two elections.
    
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/labour-to-campaign-with-pledge-cards/MYXBAG2DO7QB7Y2WR264J5VUXQ/
    
    Pledge cards are a device used frequently in politics in the past both here and overseas – including by the British Labour Party and by New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Helen Clark, who famously produced one in every election from 1999 onwards.
    
    National's card features eight personal guarantees:
    
    https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/national-launch-campaign-eight-point-pledge-card
  - mickysavage 3.1.4
    
    7 April 2024 at 6:58 pm
    
    Its not so much they didn't explain, but rather their explanations were too long and too academic in nature.
    
    This is Labour's problem in a nutshell.
    
    There is a level of intellectual snobbery in the top ranks. And they want 5 page discussion documents instead of three bullet points.
    - Obtrectator 3.1.4.1
      
      7 April 2024 at 11:01 pm
      
      Absolutely. Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene II is a perfect demonstration. Brutus gives a closely-reasoned academic analysis of why he and his band believed it necessary to assassinate JC. Antony responds with a shameless appeal to the emotions and baser instincts of his audience. And who wins out?
    - Darien Fenton 3.1.4.2
      
      8 April 2024 at 12:57 pm
      
      Intellectual snobbery? Then you get "Labour didn't explain it well enough". I hope you are taking your point to the policy discussions going on. If you can three dot points out of members having a say, well done.
- Shanreagh 3.2
  
  7 April 2024 at 12:22 pm
  
  What I hope our lot don't do when they get back in in 2026 is to embark on the tiresome refrain of 'we're doing this because they did it'.
  
  I hope we don't have 3 monthly or 100 days of nasty creepy OTT stuff over innovations that may have been good for NZ, their constituencies, included
  
  What I hope they will do is to look carefully at whatever has been put in place from the point of view that it may not have been exactly what we would have done but it does benefit the wider group of people of NZ. (I know hard to imagine but I am sure over the next few years by luck there may be something) This concept is called 'throwing the baby out with the bathwater'.
  
  What I hope they will do is to get some quick hit runs on the board of innovative/creative ideas.
  
  These ideas are put forward on the basis that not everything done by a group or person is bad
  
  We should not be bad mouthing those who went before, especially as they were elected by NZers. This based on comms theory that it is a reputational loss making venture to do what the Nats are doing and bad mouthing those who went before all the time. It makes them look petty.
  
  The comms theory is that we shouldn't do this as these people were responding to a different set of drivers ie the beat of a different drum.
  
  We should be concentrating on signalling a way forward and then giving priority to the actions that will effect positive change.
  
  Taking to the Nats I know, don't know any ACT followers, there is a sort of sighing at the level of pettiness of some of the actions (like the Maori names for Depts, the allowance for translator type expertise in Te Reo, the bald slashing of PS budgets like the sinking lids of old)
  
  The Nats seem to think the cuts are like a household budget where some use the mantra of 'look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves'. We are a million miles away from running a country as if it was a household budget or we should be.
- Robert Guyton 3.3
  
  7 April 2024 at 5:45 pm
  
  "That is tell the punters what they will achieve/do in the upcoming quarter/three months…and into the future..and then having to deliver on those pledges.."
  
  Nah. They're bullshi**ing.
  
  The Left shouldn't adopt the Right's cynical, misleading strategies, or they'll become … the Right!
  - Shanreagh 3.3.1
    
    7 April 2024 at 9:42 pm
    
    Agree with this.
    
    I find it OTT and creepy and worrying at the same time. Worrying because in many cases they've ruled by fiat without genuine select committee submissions /hearings etc.
    
    The excuse for doing this is that it was in the manifesto or the coalition agreement.
    
    This fact has never stopped Govts in the past from seeking submissions etc on the basis of democracy etc. Also the reason the one that depts found great, and that was that some submissions would present a new way of thinking about legislation or a better way of expressing it. Thus reinforcing that Govt, Ministers & departments are not the sole repositories of knowledge
Belladonna 4

7 April 2024 at 11:59 am

Most of which, while arousing hatred in the political opposition, goes down rather well with their core constituency.

What will be interesting is to see if/when their policies start to impact on their voters.

"It's the economy, stupid" – is just as important between elections as it is in an election year.
- Obtrectator 4.1
  
  7 April 2024 at 11:03 pm
  
  Whose economy?
  - Belladonna 4.1.1
    
    8 April 2024 at 8:16 am
    
    The one the individual concerned is experiencing…..
Patricia Bremner 5

7 April 2024 at 12:19 pm

"It is the economy stupid" if you believe all these destructive Policies and unexpected moves are to improve the economy then I have a bridge to sell you.

"It is about power and wealth, not the country's health.
Shanreagh 6

7 April 2024 at 12:40 pm

Agree with both Belladonna and Patricia.
Ad 7

7 April 2024 at 1:45 pm

Also lowering farmers' methane target by end of year, completely sidelining the Climate Commission despite its statutory role.

Announcement yesterday.
- Patricia Bremner 7.1
  
  7 April 2024 at 1:57 pm
  
  Could they do this to other departments with a statutory role?
  
  Can the Govt/Ministers be taken to court?
  - Ad 7.1.1
    
    7 April 2024 at 6:19 pm
    
    Well firstly it's not illegal for a government to go advice shopping. Climate Commission advice isn't binding.
    
    Even if they'd done something illegal, there's no that many NGOs would have the capacity. Maybe: Lawyers for Climate Action, Greenpeace, and Forest and Bird's legal team. It would need a good coalition to win that's for sure.
Cricklewood 8

7 April 2024 at 2:18 pm

Pretty impressive list… at least if you were a Nat NZ1st or Act voter / donor.

Cant say they havent been effective.
- mpledger 8.1
  
  8 April 2024 at 12:03 am
  
  Yea, if you want to see who they owe their allegiance and funding too, then it's pretty clear.
- Bearded Git 8.2
  
  8 April 2024 at 4:10 am
  
  Effective for the top 5% Crickle, and negative for the rest of us. Except even the top 5% will be affected as the planet burns.
  
  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/06/simply-mind-boggling-world-record-temperature-jump-in-antarctic-raises-fears-of-catastrophe
  
  Micky’s excellent post illustrates that this Coalition of Cuts is trying to do too much too quickly, and many of the things it is doing are not widely popular. This is a recipe for disaster and for a one term government.
  - Cricklewood 8.2.1
    
    8 April 2024 at 2:01 pm
    
    Dunno, i'm thinking theyre moving fast with the unpopular stuff so it'll be forgotten by the time the next election rolls around. Helped by a bunch of populist policy and lollies targeted at the middle class and gold card holders.
    - Bearded Git 8.2.1.1
      
      9 April 2024 at 6:46 am
      
      I don't think people will have forgotten the 352 school building projects being put on hold by this government. For instance this one in Alexandra.
      
      https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/central-otago/%E2%80%98devastated%E2%80%99-after-build-paused
      
      "Devastated." That is how Alexandra Primary School principal Fi Mackley described the school community’s reaction to the decision to put two property projects under review — just weeks before they were due to start……Data released by the Ministry of Education to RNZ last week shows 352 building projects across 305 schools around the country are on hold as they are reviewed for "value for money".
      - Drowsy M. Kram 8.2.1.1.1
        
        9 April 2024 at 10:01 am
        
        I don't think people will have forgotten the 352 school building projects being put on hold by this government.
        
        What those schools / hospitals / ferry terminals need is a canny landLord
Stephen D 9

7 April 2024 at 2:24 pm

What I’m learning from this CoC is when Labour/Green/TPM get back in power just go for it. Make sure policy is in place, and ram it through.
georgecom 10

7 April 2024 at 3:47 pm

And David Spendmore running around moaning about government spending whilst wasting tax payers & rate payers money left right and centre
Christopher Randal 11

7 April 2024 at 4:45 pm

What annoys the hell out of me is that the Minister for Regulation hasn't taken a knife to the costs of Parliament.

He could:

Reduce MPs/Ministers salaries to the living wage.

Reduce Parliamentary services by 10%

Make Parliament sit 40 hours a week

Have Members pay for their own transport/accommodation
- Obtrectator 11.1
  
  7 April 2024 at 11:09 pm
  
  Why stop at Ministers' and MPs' salaries? Reduce the number of MPs! (Wasn't there a referendum one time, with a thumping majority in favour of doing just that?) And why don't we forget the absurd fiction that Cabinet has to number 20-odd? Everyone knows there's never any more than about 5-7 ministers who really matter.
  - Darien Fenton 11.1.1
    
    8 April 2024 at 1:07 pm
    
    Minimum wage etc always sounds good, but you do know it means only the well off could ever become MPs? If you want the rich dominating, that's the way to go about it. And perhaps you don't realise, but Parliamentary Services includes cleaners who get the living wage, thanks to Labour. More importantly, did you realise that Ministerial positions are now up to 25% of our entire parliament – with multiple associate ministers and new Ministries/Ministers in things such as Guns, Space Minister, Hunting and Fishing Minister? And a whole new Ministry for Mr Seymou's baby for Regulations?
- James Simpson 11.2
  
  8 April 2024 at 10:17 am
  
  I'm curious. How many hours do you think MPs work now?
  - Christopher Randal 11.2.1
    
    8 April 2024 at 6:44 pm
    
    That's not what I said. We all know that they claim to put in many many hours "work" outside sitting time but their sole focus should be in the House
    - James Simpson 11.2.1.1
      
      22 April 2024 at 9:59 am
      
      Why?
      
      Select committee is where the most important work is completed
- Michael P 11.3
  
  8 April 2024 at 10:54 pm
  
  "Reduce MPs/Ministers salaries to the living wage."
  
  100% in my opinion our MP's get paid far too much. I think it's gotten so high that you start to get people attracted to the job for the high pay as a major consideration.
  
  I would make it equivalent to the median wage though. That way it is clearly transparent to everybody and it also gives MP's a great helpful incentive for increasing the median wage.
  
  This may also help in starting to get parliament looking more representative of the population it is supposed to represent.
Mike the Lefty 12

7 April 2024 at 4:50 pm

This government is proceeding exactly how we knew it would.

Luxon is the public smile and wave front man, the power behind the scenes is Seymour and Peters.

A weak National Party bereft of ideas and solutions themselves, but beholden to the directions of rich urban yuppy corporates and ranting conspiracy theorists.
- Dolomedes III 12.1
  
  7 April 2024 at 5:14 pm
  
  If Seymour had as much power as you're suggesting, and if Luxon were merely a frontman, we would be facing a referendum on treaty principles, and the demographic ministries would be gone – not just trimmed. What we're seeing is the result of agreements negotiated between the three parties in government. Peters has pandered to the anti-vax lobby, but the current government is hardly "beholden" to covid conspiracy theorists.
  - Robert Guyton 12.1.1
    
    7 April 2024 at 5:41 pm
    
    No, they're not. They're beholden to life-destroying industries.
    
    Much better, I'm sure you'll agree.
  - Descendant Of Smith 12.1.2
    
    7 April 2024 at 5:46 pm
    
    Time will tell. A national MP once wanted to ban water.
    
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/mp-tries-to-ban-water/XM4GJ7XG3WC4ANBIFP2IVFNANE/
    
    And there's lots of conspiracy theories other than COVID-19.
    
    Taking our guns, handing the country over to Maori, 15 minutes cities, cashless society, government surveillance through facial recognition, chemtrails, flat earth, child sex rings, earth is only 6,000 years old, the rapture is coming…..
    - Robert Guyton 12.1.2.1
      
      7 April 2024 at 5:52 pm
      
      Help me, Jesus!
      - Descendant Of Smith 12.1.2.1.1
        
        7 April 2024 at 8:30 pm
        
        The algorithms are at it again. Mention the rapture in this post and what appears in my feed.
        
        Descendant Of Smith 12.1.2.1.1.1
        
        7 April 2024 at 8:34 pm
        
        Fuck didn't realise it was tomorrow. I haven't even packed.
        
        Phillip ure …
        
        8 April 2024 at 8:34 am
        
        I haven't finished that netflix series..
        
        Now I'll never know..
        
        Phillip ure …
        
        8 April 2024 at 8:50 am
        
        (ahem..!)..
        
        I put the 'ure' into 'rapture'..
        
        Stephen D 12.1.2.1.1.2
        
        22 April 2024 at 12:45 pm
        
        https://theoatmeal.com/comics/rapture
        
        An oldie, but a goodie.
    - Dolomedes III 12.1.2.2
      
      7 April 2024 at 9:41 pm
      
      And so? You have evidence that Luxon, Seymour and/or Peters believe in "chemtrails, flat earth, child sex rings, earth is only 6,000 years old, the rapture is coming….."?
      - Descendant Of Smith 12.1.2.2.1
        
        7 April 2024 at 10:51 pm
        
        Forgot to mention trickle down economics.
      - Phillip ure 12.1.2.2.2
        
        8 April 2024 at 9:01 am
        
        @dolo.. correct me if I am wrong..
        
        But my understanding is that luxon is part of a fundamentalist religion..
        
        ..that pretty much has bags permanently packed..
        
        …in anticipation of the rapture..
        
        …and that believe that earth has had a much truncated existence…(which flies in the face of accepted sciences…)
        
        N'est ce pas…?
        
        Robert Guyton 12.1.2.2.2.1
        
        8 April 2024 at 9:04 am
        
        It is indeed so, Phil.
        
        Ad reminded me of Luxon's attendance at *The Upper Room.
        
        *Not a place to which Gaia has been invited
        
        Descendant Of Smith 12.1.2.2.2.2
        
        8 April 2024 at 9:53 am
        
        In the tangled web of National politics and favours another member of his congregation is Ian Grant's daughter.
        
        They of the 2.4 million dollars largesse for parenting courses. Still haven't seen an evaluation of them.
        
        Paula Bennett’s Ministry of Social Development will pay $2.4 million to Parents Inc for “parenting courses for the caregivers of vulnerable children”. This contract was untendered and previously unknown.
        
        https://thestandard.org.nz/parents-inc-its-peda-redux/
        
        Phillip ure …
        
        8 April 2024 at 11:08 am
        
        That doesn't smell…much..
    - Obtrectator 12.1.2.3
      
      7 April 2024 at 11:12 pm
      
      They should ban protium hydroxide – it's well known to be capable of dissolving more stuff than any other solvent.
Michael who failed Civics 13

7 April 2024 at 8:35 pm

FWICS, the Nactzis are delivering to the people who matter to them – the very rich. Unlike Labour, the Nats and ACT don't even pretend to care about people outside their base. They do need votes from people who are not rich but that's what the culture wars are all about – a distraction and a diversion. NZ First is slightly different because their voters are getting shafted by the government their Party is propping up. But that's where the culture wars apply – it's easy to ignore the fact you're getting shafted if another group (Maori, Pasifika, people with disabilities) are getting a good kicking. So I think the Natczis are pretty safe where they are, not least because Labour is totally unfit for office and isn't taken seriously.
- mpledger 13.1
  
  8 April 2024 at 12:10 am
  
  The thing is National isn't fit for office either.
  
  I guess another thing is the back-breaking bureaucracy of getting the ECE rebate. If anything gives away that they have no idea about scale and still have small business mindsets then that is it.
roblogic 14

8 April 2024 at 11:16 am

They cancelled the much needed Interislander Ferry upgrades, when the project was already half completed, thereby burning a couple of billion, just for spite.
roblogic 15

8 April 2024 at 11:19 am

Our Minister of Regulation is planning to relax the rules for building materials, because he thinks another leaky homes disaster would be a laugh.
- roblogic 15.1
  
  8 April 2024 at 11:29 am
  
  We can’t afford another leaky homes crisis | The Spinoff
- Michael P 15.2
  
  8 April 2024 at 11:02 pm
  
  Leaky homes was a design issue not a materials issue.
  
  We’ve been getting absolutely ripped off in building materials prices and availability for decades so anything that may help to change this is welcome
  - Shanreagh 15.2.1
    
    9 April 2024 at 9:52 pm
    
    Not entirely correct. 'Underdone' (treatment/drying-wise) framing materials were also part along with the no eaves design, no adequate sub flooring/ventilation/drainage.
roblogic 16

8 April 2024 at 11:22 am

They are getting rid of free vaccinations and Seymour wants more sick children to take their germs to school

Changes to free flu vaccine eligibility are a missed opportunity to close NZ’s health equity gap
roblogic 17

8 April 2024 at 11:24 am

Some long overdue upgrades to schools just got shitcanned too.

Rotting classrooms as Govt hits pause on school rebuilds (1news.co.nz)
Adders 18

8 April 2024 at 4:16 pm

Onslow Lake hydro project, future-proofing the nation's electricity supply – canned.
thinker 19

9 April 2024 at 5:28 pm

Back on Track
In a Cadillac
Passing urgent legislation, I'm a power pack
Yes, I'm in the NATs
With some twats
Helping landlords put cash in their vats
'Cause I'm back on track
Not just a management hack
Gonna hurt the poor, gonna give them a whack
So look at me now
Making the bottom half pay
Don't try to push your luck, just get out of my way

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Greens

1 week ago
Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less

The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis

With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’

Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...

Māori Party

1 week ago
Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again

For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Govt’s miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards

The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes

All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again

The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers

The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex

The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty

The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat

The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction

New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day

The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families

Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas

Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation

Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker

The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
One year on, still no progress on new ferries

Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more

After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Labour fully supports greyhound racing ban

The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Greyhound racing industry ban marks new era for animal welfare

After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Rangatahi voices must be centred in Government’s Relationship and Sexuality Education refresh

In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Govt introduces archaic anti-worker legislation

The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Winston Peters – Kinleith Mill Speech

Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...

NZ First Press Release

2 weeks ago
Swarbrick calls on Auckland Mayor to end delay of revival of St James Theatre

Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...

Greens

3 weeks ago
He Ara Anamata: Greens launch Emissions Reduction Plan

Today, the Green Party of Aotearoa proudly unveils its new Emissions Reduction Plan–He Ara Anamata–a blueprint reimagining our collective future. ...

Greens

3 weeks ago

Be wise around water this summer

Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Drive safely this summer

The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Internationally-trained doctors jump at chance to boost health workforce

Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
PM appoints business leader to APEC Business Advisory Council

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
New intelligence oversight appointments

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
New housing developments able to progress more quickly

Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Actions to speed up air travel delivering results

The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Ending contracted emergency housing in Rotorua

The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Vocational education and training decisions support return to regions

The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Reducing the environmental impact of synthetic refrigerants

The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Ngāruawāhia section of Waikato Expressway back to 4 lanes for Christmas

People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Appointments to the ENZ board

Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Government to celebrate Waitangi Day around NZ

The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
More gangs added to Gangs Act list

Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Judicial appointment announced

Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
GDP data highlights importance of growth

The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Strengthening Free Speech in Universities

Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Launch of Emergency Cellular Priority Service

Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Minister reopens Mangamuka Gorge

State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Funding confirmed for second Ashburton Bridge

The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Government boosts support for avian influenza response

The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Levelling the playing field for media advertising

Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Inspector-General of Defence appointed

Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Fire and Emergency New Zealand final levy rates confirmed

Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
More AML relief on the way for Kiwi businesses

The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Hawke’s Bay Expressway moving at pace

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Government seeks partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned-land

The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Wide ranging legislation to make justice system more efficient

Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Diverse skills in community trust appointments

A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Torture redress for survivors of the Lake Alice Unit

The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
A busy year in the House

It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Consultation opens on working with engineered stone

“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Greater reporting on Treaty settlement commitments

Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
New appointments to the Charities Registration Board

Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Building consent processing times improve

More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Faster access to support through Innovation Fund

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
New Zealand to assist Vanuatu on earthquake response

New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Government takes steps to reduce card fees for Kiwis

The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Review recommends ECE regulation shakeup

Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Offshore Renewable Energy Bill passes first reading

The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago

‘The mission is clearly possible’: On watching every single Tom Cruise movie ever made

Summer reissue: I watched all 46 of Tom Cruise’s films over the past 12 months. The question on everyone’s lips: why? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be ...

The SpinoffBy Caroline Shepherd

2 hours ago
A trip to the beach with the poo detectives

Summer reissue: In recent years, checking online for a green tick has become a necessary habit for Aucklanders heading to the beach. Shanti Mathias tags along with the team tasked with testing the water for pollution – and figuring out how to stop it. The Spinoff needs to double the ...

The SpinoffBy Shanti Mathias

2 hours ago
Who killed the Johnsonville mall?

Summer reissue: After two decades of promised redevelopment, Johnsonville Shopping Centre remains neglected and half empty. Joel MacManus searches for answers in the decaying suburban mall. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter ...

The SpinoffBy Joel MacManus

3 hours ago
Daily crossword, Thursday 26 December

The post Daily crossword, Thursday 26 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...

NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles

3 hours ago
Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 26 December

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NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles

3 hours ago
Digging up dirt in our own wee patch

Comment: I’ve been digging up dirt over the past few weekends. I plan to dig up more over summer.As global geo-politics heats up, I’ve impulsively turned to tending my wee patch of the world. The world is complex and messy. But I’m determined my quarter acre won’t be. Apparently, this is ...

NewsroomBy Jo Cribb

9 hours ago
Seymour takes aim at politics, the media, and economic recovery

Winston Peters was 47 when he founded NZ First. David Seymour is 41. “It’s probably unlikely I’ll still be in Parliament when I’m 47,” he tells Newsroom.“I always said, I have no intention of being a Member of Parliament when I’m 70-something.”In saying that, Seymour has already exceeded his own ...

NewsroomBy Laura Walters

9 hours ago
Gaza Christians pray for end of Israeli war’s ‘death and destruction’

Asia Pacific Report Silent Night is a well-known Christmas carol that tells of a peaceful and silent night in Bethlehem, referring to the first Christmas more than 2000 years ago. It is now 2024, and it was again a silent night in Bethlehem last night, reports Al Jazeera’s Nisa Ibrahim. ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

17 hours ago
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon shares Christmas message

"From our family to yours, we hope you have a very Happy Christmas," Christopher Luxon posted to social media. ...

Radio NZ – political

18 hours ago
From dead galaxies to mysterious red dots, here’s what the James Webb telescope has found in just ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Themiya Nanayakkara, Scientist at the James Webb Australian Data Centre, Swinburne University of Technology Dust in the heart of galaxy NGC628. NASA / ESA / CSA / Judy Schmidt, CC BY On this day three years ago, we witnessed the nail-biting launch ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

20 hours ago
Returning to a different New Zealand after 32 years away

Summer resissue: Has the country changed all that much in three decades? Loveni Enari compares his two New Zealands. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member ...

The SpinoffBy Loveni S Enari

1 day ago
I survived five hours on Christchurch’s first murder mystery train ride

Summer reissue: Alex Casey goes on a killer journey aboard the Tormore Express. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. It was a dark and ...

The SpinoffBy Alex Casey

1 day ago
The need for speed: What I learnt competing in an online jigsaw puzzle competition

Summer reissue: Speed puzzling is like a marathon for the mind – intense, demanding, surprisingly exhausting. But does turning it into a sport destroy it as a relaxing pastime? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read ...

The SpinoffBy Calum Henderson

1 day ago
The complete top 100 NZ TV shows of the 21st Century

Summer reissue: In October, we counted down the top 100 New Zealand TV shows of the 21st century so far (read more about the process here). Here’s the list in full, for your holiday reading pleasure. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue ...

The SpinoffBy The Spinoff's Top 100

1 day ago
The epic inside story of The Spinoff’s first 10 years

Summer reissue: Told in one crucial moment from every year, by The Spinoff’s founder Duncan Greive. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. 2014: An ...

The SpinoffBy Duncan Greive

1 day ago
Daily crossword, Wednesday 25 December

The post Daily crossword, Wednesday 25 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...

NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles

1 day ago
Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 25 December

Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 25 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...

NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles

1 day ago
An AI system has reached human level on a test for ‘general intelligence’. Here’s what that me...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Timothy Bennett, PhD Student, School of Computing, Australian National University OLaLa Merkel / Shutterstock A new artificial intelligence (AI) model has just achieved human-level results on a test designed to measure “general intelligence”. On December 20, OpenAI’s o3 system ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
‘Ambitious’ climate claim against Judith Collins dismissed

The Court of Appeal has dismissed Mike Smith’s “ambitious” climate claim against Attorney-General Judith Collins.Smith, a Māori climate activist, and Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Kahu elder, appealed a High Court decision that found his claims against the Crown – that its action on climate change was inadequate – untenable.The Appeal Court’s ...

NewsroomBy David Williams

2 days ago
Trish McKelvey: ‘It’s a big honour, truly humbling’

Trish McKelvey is listed 139 times in the index of the New Zealand women’s cricket tome The Warm Sun On My Face, authored by Trevor Auger and Adrienne Simpson.She wrote the foreword for the book and headlines two chapters addressing crucial events in the evolution of the sport.McKelvey’s appointment as New Zealand ...

NewsroomBy Adam Julian

2 days ago
‘A curse and a blessing’: Ginette McDonald on how Lyn of Tawa changed her life

Summer reissue: The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please ...

The SpinoffBy My Life in TV

2 days ago
Making a splash: Is this the most impressive select committee submission ever?

Summer reissue: You really won’t guess how it ends. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published October 4, 2024. Parliament’s Economic Development, Science ...

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2 days ago
How to get the kids through a long car trip without screens or losing your mind

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary-Rose McLaren, Professor of Teaching and Learning and Head of Program, Early Childhood Education, Victoria University Collin Quinn Lomax/ Shutterstock Some years ago, my daughter was set a maths problem: how much does it cost to drive a family of ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
Keep calm and carry on your routines: how to manage kids’ ‘Christmas crankies’ over the holida...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine E. Wood, Associate Professor and Clinical Psychologist, Swinburne University of Technology Asier Romero/ Shutterstock Christmas is coming, and with it many challenges for parents of young children. You likely have one festive event after another, late nights, party ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
I’ve calculated Santa’s speed on Christmas Eve – and this is what it would do to Rudolph’s n...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Nicole Driessen, Postdoctoral Researcher in Radio Astronomy, University of Sydney Tayla Walsh/Pexels With billions of children around the world anxiously waiting for their presents, Father Christmas (or Santa) and his reindeer must be travelling at breakneck speeds to deliver them ...

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2 days ago
How parents can safely navigate their kid’s first sleepover

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Higgins, Professor & Director, Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University Feeling unsure about your child going to a sleepover is completely normal. You might be worried about how well you know the host family, how they manage supervision or ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
50 years ago, Cyclone Tracy flattened Darwin – and Australia’s attitude to disasters changed for...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney Exactly 50 years ago, on Christmas Eve 1974, Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin and left a trail of devastation. It remains one of the most destructive natural events in Australia’s history. Wind ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
Work or play? The rise of online ‘kidfluencers’ is raising complex legal and ethical questions

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Irmine Keta Rotimi, Doctoral Candidate, Marketing and International Business department, Auckland University of Technology Videos of children opening boxes of toys and playing with them have become a feature of online marketing – making stars out of children as young as two. ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
My dance school is closed for the summer, how can I keep up my fitness?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Nicholas, Lecturer in Dance and Performance Science, Edith Cowan University Tatyana Vyc/Shutterstock Once the end-of-year dance concert and term wrap up for the year it is important to take a break. Both physical and mental rest are important and taking ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

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The Christmas album that heralded the end of a folk musical era: The Kingston Trio’s The Last Mont...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kit MacFarlane, Lecturer, Creative Writing and Literature, University of South Australia Capitol Records For those looking to introduce some musical conflict into the holidays, Bob Dylan’s Christmas in the Heart remains a great choice in its 15th anniversary – like it ...

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2 days ago
The Jewish community in NZ needs protecting from antisemitism

Opinion: As the year winds down and we pause for some reflection, I find myself, as chair of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, contemplating the unprecedented hatred aimed at Jewish New Zealanders. Antisemitism – the prejudice, discrimination or hostility directed at Jews – has snowballed to record levels, so much ...

NewsroomBy Deborah Hart

2 days ago
Hopes for 2025: To revitalise Tauranga

Opinion: It was February 2024 when my friends started getting in touch with me to suggest I run for the Tauranga City Council mayoralty. At the time, the council was governed by four Government-appointed commissioners, who had been in their roles since 2021. Their terms were coming to an end ...

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2 days ago
Shane Jones wants coal in his stocking

Resources minister reflects on Fast-Track Approvals Bill and developments in Māoridom The post Shane Jones wants coal in his stocking appeared first on Newsroom. ...

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Finding Joy: The fascinating and painful life of Aotearoa’s most prolific writer

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‘We’d never move back’: Nadia Lim and Carlos Bagrie on swapping the hustle for the harvest

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2 days ago
Chinese, but not a Chinatown: The rise and rise of Dominion Road

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2 days ago
Daily crossword, Tuesday 24 December

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NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles

2 days ago
Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 24 December

Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 24 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...

NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles

2 days ago
Moana Maniapoto on the sound of the 80s to world-class journalism

By Emma Andrews, Henare te Ua Māori journalism intern at RNZ News From being the headline to creating them, Moana Maniapoto has walked a rather rocky road of swinging between both sides of the media. Known for her award-winning current affairs show Te Ao with Moana on Whakaata Māori, and ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

2 days ago
Youth Organization Fears Government Decisions Mean Rangatahi Will Be Sleeping Rough This Xmas!

Kick Back has growing concerns about the impact that denying young people access to shelter is having on the mental health and physical safety of the young people we serve. ...

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2 days ago

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