Bad week for Key

Written By: - Date published: 6:37 am, October 12th, 2011 - 55 comments
Categories: disaster, john key, Media - Tags: , , ,

It’s been a bad week for John Key:

3News has him caught out lying (excellent video) about what Standard and Poors said about his double downgrade of the economy.  An economy that’s 3.6% smaller and $37billion deeper in debt than when he took it over.

The Standard has his office caught lying that his Radio Live piece was cleared by the Electoral Commission.  And of course there’s the complaint that his hour talking about his cat and trying to ignore the double downgrade was an election ad that may be taken from National’s allocation.

And his government’s failing to act on the worst environmental disaster New Zealand has had, with hundreds of tons of oil headed toward Mt Maunganui and Coromandel holiday spots.  The first couple of days of good weather were missed to avert disaster, and now heavy swells are making difficult work to prevent more mess.

Time for a change.

Although this post should be covered by the opinion section of electoral law and shouldn’t need authorisation, here’s mine anyway, just to be safe:
Authorised by Ben Clark, 54 Aramoana Ave, Devonport

55 comments on “Bad week for Key ”

  1. wyndham 1

    It will not pass unnoticed that Key, apart from one brief appearance, has now disappeared from the Rena disaster scene, leaving the field for Smith and Joyce to face the flack.
    National must preserve his carefully constructed ‘smile and wave’ image at all costs and disasters don’t fit into this scenario.

  2. tc 2

    Be nice to see some focus on the BS budget also with all it’s la la land growth values now the stats are proving what a crock of shit those assumptions were always going to be.

    If sideshow refuses to come out and play, Blinglish and co have no choice…..ready, aim and fire.

    • Lanthanide 2.1

      There was a snippet about this on the radio this morning.

      They said that the tax switch appears to have cost a lot more than initially expected, not sure if they said it was $1B more or not (half asleep). Bill English said that he was sure it would end up being fiscally neutral over the full 4 years. They had a quote from Russell Norman saying all you had to do was look at their ridiculous roads of national significance that for the most part hadn’t even been analysed for cost-effectiveness.

      The pre-election fiscal update (PREFU) is to be unveiled on the 25th of October. I expect it won’t be particularly rosy for National.

      • Ben Clark 2.1.1

        $1.1 billion it’s cost so far.

        Bill English is saying it was only ever going to be revenue neutral over 4 years and he’s sticking to that. But it was only meant to be $500 million down in year one and then be positive from then (due to the magic extra growth) – we’re in year 2, we’re still losing, and the many are paying $2.6 billion extra in GST to give tax cuts mainly to the the few of $3.7 billion.

        An economy that’s nearly $40 billion more in debt ($9 billion due to earthquake), and 3.6% smaller than when they took over. A great financial record.

        • Lanthanide 2.1.1.1

          Ok, good summary.

          Bill English is clearly lying if he thinks it will end up meeting their projections. Due to compounding growth, the only way to make up for lower growth in the early parts is with significantly higher growth in the latter. Weren’t they already forecasting something like 2-3% growth, meaning to counteract the growth deficit so far they’d need something in the ballpark of 4-7% to meet the initial forecasts?

          Someone should put that question to him.

        • Jim Nald 2.1.1.2

          With the tax switch, John Key and Bill English squandered a measure of resilience that was in our economic system.

          The opportunities and advantage we could have had have been bloody wasted by this lot in government.

        • Zaphod Beeblebrox 2.1.1.3

          How does English get away with such rubbery figures? Then he has the cheek to say that we might need some fiscal belt tightening ‘down the track’. Well… how much, where and when….. or are we supposed to vote for an open ended commitment the details of which are withheld?

  3. Craig Glen Eden 3

    Well we all new the chickens would come home to roost the sad thing at the moment most kiwis would go oh look chickens coming home to roost and Keys media team will go yup thats right eggs for all New Zealanders, little do they know it will be egg on their faces but the promise of a brighter future still beckons (oh the smell of those eggs wont it be wonderful)

  4. freedom 4

    there is no crisis at first five, we have CRUDEN, who should have been Carter’s understudy on tour last year anyway, but he is there now and Wallabies are on the menu. Go the All Blacks !!

    p.s. there is a cup of weak tea from Vernon Small in today’s Dom discussing Teflon Man.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/vernon-small/5771192/Teflon-Key-facing-toxic-backlash

  5. I dreamed a dream 5

    With all the bad publicity for Key and Co this week, if the next polls do not narrow, there would be something wrong — either with the polls or the public.

    • Afewknowthetruth 5.1

      Well you really said it that time.

      Have you not considered the possibility that opinion polls are rigged to produce the result required to programme the masses into believing the present government is doing a good job?

      Have you not consideed the possibility that a large sector of the general public are uninformed and stupid?

      Have you not considered the possibility that voting makes no difference and that a computer somewhere has aleready been programmed with results that produce the required government but make it look as though there was an election?

      • Lanthanide 5.1.1

        Now you’re getting into tinfoil hat territory.

        Such a pity that the strident ones who are mostly on-track, also have kooky fringe ideas and can’t seem to distinguish between them.

        • Colonial Viper 5.1.1.1

          Geez Lanth in the US they have advanced very expensive computerised software which focuses on gerrymandering congressional districts.

          There have been claims for a long time that voting and vote counting in Ohio and Florida were rigged.

          Now I agree that these scenarios are much less likely in NZ. But that does not put them into ‘tin foil hat’ territory.

          BTW just heard today that the Bank of New York Mellon has been charged with systematically and consistently allocating bad prices to pension fund currency clients while keeping the best prices for itself. In other words, ripping off the retirements of tens of millions of working Americans, over years and years.

          Put nothing past these guys mate. Its why they are sociopaths.

  6. King Kong 6

    Word on the street is that Key was drinking with the captain of the Rena before the vessel left. Apparantly they were absolutely wasted and Key dared the Captain to drive.

    We needn’t worry though because I hear Phil Goff will be arriving on the scene today and I expect he will fix everything.

  7. I dreamed a dream 7

    Has Captain Key and his National ship hit a reef? It may well turn out to be the Worst Disaster in NZ Election history (from National’s point of view that is). Here’s hoping.

  8. Afewknowthetruth 8

    ‘Time for a change.’

    It sure is. In fact it’s long past time for a change. Unfortunately the Goff team will only offer more of the same, slightly tweaked, just as was the case when they were last in power.

    So, if Goff manages to pull off a victory for Labour we will still continue on the same path to economic, social and environmental destitution that we’ve been on since the 1970s, the same collission course with reality.

    Actually, we have already hit reality. It’s just that most people still have not noticed, what with the distractions of rugby, the latest sitcoms and dancing with the stars etc. We are post peak oil and we are in the early stages of climate chaos and financial meltdown. An accelerating collapse is inevitable.

    The next few months are going to be very interesting, now that a few more people overseas have worked out that the present system offers them no future, so they are starting to revolt.

    (By the way, the leaking ship is not NZ’s worst environmental disaster: the contruction and operation of the Bluff aluminium smelter probably is, followed by extraction and burning of coal, Motunui, the dairy industry, tourism, consumerism, offshore oil extraction, the construction of roads etc. The leaking oil from the ship will soon be gone and forgotten; the other disasters will continue a while longer.)

    • Draco T Bastard 8.1

      (By the way, the leaking ship is not NZ’s worst environmental disaster: the contruction and operation of the Bluff aluminium smelter probably is, followed by extraction and burning of coal, Motunui, the dairy industry, tourism, consumerism, offshore oil extraction, the construction of roads etc. The leaking oil from the ship will soon be gone and forgotten; the other disasters will continue a while longer.)

      /agreed

      All of that is a consequence of the capitalist drive to produce far more than needed so that they (the capitalists) can have a continual profit.

    • freedom 8.2

      I go with Dairy being our biggest environmental disaster ever. The worst part of the Dairy disaster is how much NZ’rs pay every week for the privilege of destroying our water and our pastures.

  9. There seems to be a new meme developing around Dear Leader – that of liar. As more such instances occur, his reputation becomes more tainted, bit by bit.

    This is his weakness.

  10. Barry 10

    The last 3 years has seen the most accident prone government since Peter Fraser had to deal with World war II.

    • fmacskasy 10.1

      Yeah, but if it had been John Key dealing with WW2, he’d no doubt try to blame that on Labour as well…

    • Colonial Viper 10.2

      You call it “accident prone” I call it cursed.

    • Lanthanide 10.3

      Pike River was a disaster of their own making. As was leaky buildings.

      The Rena grounding is probably not directly attributable to them, but they appear to have dropped the ball with the 3 days of calm weather wasted, when they could have at least *tried* to do something (instead of doing nothing).

      Tax cuts to people who don’t need it during a recession and refusing to reverse them or put in a temporary levy for EQC resulted in the credit rating downgrades.

      • Colonial Viper 10.3.1

        Apparently the Rena already had multiple citations against it in safety audits.

        And we seem to have a Maritime NZ which was far far too slow acting and deferred decision making to the private sector instead of leading.

        • Lanthanide 10.3.1.1

          “Apparently the Rena already had multiple citations against it in safety audits.”

          Yeah, but that doesn’t make it John Key’s government’s fault. It makes it a fault of the ministry, which may or may not be because of this governments meddling.

          All it takes is a couple of people in the authority chain to make bad decisions and you end up with bad outcomes. But those same people could have made perfectly reasonable decisions for all situations they were faced with in the past, so there may not have been any way for the government to know about it. In other words, this same thing could still have happened with Labour in government.

          What they are directly in control of, though, is the cleanup and recovery. They appear to have wasted 3 days.

          • Colonial Viper 10.3.1.1.1

            I understand. The NAT govt did not run the Rena into Astrolabe reef, and I agree.

            It did let Maritime NZ get away with fucking around for the first 72 hours, setting up bird cleaning stations, issuing notices and cleaning up small spills of oil.

            I really only blame them for the latter not the former.

            this same thing could still have happened with Labour in government.

            I’m not sure if the outcomes would have been different, but the style definitely would have been. Far more hands-on and less let’s wait for private sector action.

            • insider 10.3.1.1.1.1

              What exactly should have been done, when and why? Who would have done it and with what equipment?

              • Colonial Viper

                Hopefully the ship had proper charts, operational and up to date navigational equipment, and a properly trained and experienced crew.

                Otherwise they should not have been permitted in NZ waters.

                Clear enough for you?

                • insider

                  It;s had repeated inspections in China, NZ and Aus before the grounding. It passed after fixing up some issues within 24 hours. The standards may not be what you want, but it did meet them.

                  • Macro

                    It’s not just physical standards (eg bits of kit and operability of equipment) that is the problem here. These vessels operating under flags of convenience, are poorly manned, with skeleton crews who are poorly paid, and working long shifts. (The Rena had previously called at 3 other NZ Ports in about a week and the ships compliment would have been working around the clock during that time). This has been long cited by the maritime unions of western countries as a disaster waiting to happen. To allow such large poorly manned vessels to continue to ply NZ waters is an indictment on both National and Labour govt’s who have allowed this situation to develop over recent decades. And we are not alone in having such disasters occur. All can be sheeted home to poor manning and over tired crews.

        • insider 10.3.1.2

          I wouldn’t overcook the ‘citations’. You ever been through an audit where there have been absolutely no findings? They always find something, just for the sake of it. Every vessel gets an inspection on arrival. most of those listed looked minor operational, equipment and paperwork issues not critical. I suspect most ocean going vessels will have some findings, expecially after a long trip.

          • KJT 10.3.1.2.1

            I could go on any ship, no matter how well run, and make a similar list. It is what is being done about it, that is the difference.

            Should look at how many port State inspections, customs, cargo work and other extra hours the crew had to do, and how many port calls.

            With most accidents like this fatigue is a major factor.

            Arresting crew members is not the answer. Even Captains these days have little control over the money spent on maintenance and the quality of their officers.
            Ships crew are already strongly motivated to keep the ship in one piece. Making them criminals just increases the pressure.
            The endless paperwork designed to cover the butts of shore management, National Maritime safety agencies, shipping companies and Governments does not help either.

    • Draco T Bastard 10.4

      Not accident prone – just ideological (blindly following their faith) and incompetent.

  11. Brooklyn 11

    Two highlights: The comedy gold of the press conference and the RWNJs trilling “But what about painter gate”. The sainted one lowered himself to the level of the evil Aunty Helen. I guess that on the 26th we’ll find out whether “it’s the economy stupid” or just stupid.

  12. Dv 12

    Have the NACTS met ANY of there targets in the three years?

    • Colonial Viper 12.1

      yes they made the top 1% richer. Bonuses all round (for them that is).

    • Jasper 12.2

      what targets?

      Their policies in 2008 were;

      Wave goodbye to a brighter future
      Sayonara to your loved ones (in body bags from Afghanistan)
      Dumbing down the education system
      Tax cuts north of $50 per week for incomes over 80K pa
      Increasing GST if a “half decent job of managing the economy” isn’t achieved
      Implementing policies that affect people that can’t vote
      Protecting Brand Key at all costs.

      I suppose you could say that their targets were all (un)officially met.

    • mik e 12.3

      They stuck oil
      PM gets on Every Tv station a least once a day record
      Manges to break every promise.
      Manages not to take any responsibility for a party thats socoldly built on taking responsibilty.

  13. coolas 13

    Like all fancy packaging that disguises an inferior product you have to take off the wrapping first. And slowly but surely Brand Key is being unwrapped. What lies beneath the ‘smile and wave’ product is a shallow, mean, and nasty little man.

    Hopefully the throat slitting gesture and lying about S&P are the start of an election campaign which will more and more expose Key for what he is; a narcissistic and dishonest front man for his corporate masters.

  14. Zaphod Beeblebrox 14

    About time we got back to talking about who has the best economic plan. Labour needs to relentlessly get its themes set and repeat them ad nauseum. An $18.5B budget deficit and no plan to pay it down other than vague mentions of belt tightening (well what are they??) would be a good start. The 170K jobs and balance the books by 14/15 lies should be next. They need to stop talking about any other crap.

  15. randal 15

    According to espiner on the radio this morning Key was just having a bad hair day. Yeah right. so that explains everything I dont think.

    • Ianupnorth 15.1

      He was totally banal – absolutely refused to throw any mud that could stick to his best mate John.

  16. randal 16

    well national campaigned on the plank that it was time for their “turn”.
    Well they have had their “turn” and everything they have trouched has turned into a bloody disaster!
    I say “turn” then out.

    • mik e 16.1

      I know now what key was saying in parliament when he did his throat slitting gesture
      I’ll finally doe something good for the ordinary citizen and top my self. and save New Zealand from the eminent disaster that would happen if Key gets more time at the HELM.

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    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    1 day ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    1 day ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    3 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    3 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    4 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    5 days ago
  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    5 days ago
  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    6 days ago
  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    6 days ago
  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    32 mins ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
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