Banning smoking

Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, September 24th, 2009 - 69 comments
Categories: health, maori party - Tags:

I have a lot of respect for Hone Harawira. The voting for a Tory government thing has lessened it but his hatred for the tobacco companies balances things out. Harawira wants smoking banned. Says he would love to whip or worse the smoking company bosses (you know they cut the price of cigarettes during the recession so people could afford to stay addicted? bastards).

The Maori Affairs select committee is going to have an investigation into the effects of smoking on Maori. We already know the effects. One in three Maori deaths caused by smoking because 45% smoke. That’s got account for most of the difference in life expectancy between Maori and non-Maori. 

Think of all the health costs, lost productivity, and the cost of buying the cancer sticks. Imagine what we could do with all that money instead.

Of course, it should be the health select committee or, better, the Minister of Health doing the investigation. Turia is associate minister but she’s too much of a sell-out to push the issue. “I’m already talking to the government about those matters … I think we’re progressing,” she says. Well, we know how talks with the Nats turn out for the Maori Party. Screwed every time.

Turia’s also against a ban. Get rid of display walls and tax ’em more she reckons. Yeah, get rid of the walls, restrict sales to licenced premises too, but more tax? No. When tobacco tax goes up, the amount smoked goes down a little but not enough to counter the higher price. People actually end up spending more on tobacco. Just adds to the poverty of the predominantly poor addicts.

A gradually introduced ban is the way to go. Set an import cap. 90% of what was imported last year. Then lower the cap by 5% or 10% each year. The addicts get weaned off slowly cause there’s not enough to go around.

Don’t worry about the WTO. Use the sanitary and phytosanitary provisions. It’s a poison that kills 5,000 New Zelanaders a year after all.

Set a retail price per gram of tobacco that works out at about $13 a packet. Make that 90% tax. That way the suppliers can’t profiteer.

Harawira’s right. Most addicts want to give up. He should know. He was one. A gradually introduced ban, in the form of import restrictions, is the way to help people get off their addiction without taking more money out of poor people’s wallets.

69 comments on “Banning smoking ”

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  1. Christopher Nimmo 1
    24 September 2009 at 9:52 am

    Wouldn’t reducing imports have exactly the same pricing effects as increasing taxes?

  2. Zetetic 2
    24 September 2009 at 9:58 am

    Ordinarily, it would hence the second to last paragraph.

    “Set a retail price per gram of tobacco that works out at about $13 a packet. Make that 90% tax. That way the suppliers can’t profiteer.”

  3. George D 3
    24 September 2009 at 10:08 am

    It’s inventive. And I like it for that reason alone. It deserves further investigation.

    Since neoliberal thinking took over in the 1980s, both Labour and National have been scared of directly regulating anything. Contrary to the claims of the hysteric right, the Government only very lightly intervenes in most parts of society, even when there are very clear gains to be had by doing so.

    I’m not sure that this is the best thing to do, but I know that a lot more can be done – and because it is killing people, should be done.

  4. the sprout 4
    24 September 2009 at 10:11 am

    completely agree Z.

    the erradiction of smoking as a common behaviour is a desirable goal, but…

    just raising taxes results in even poorer addicts, the consequences of which outweigh the gains in smoking reduction.

    outright banning will just result in the problems of any prohibitionist policy, most notably a new revenue source for organized crime and the criminalization of a whole new sector of the community not otherwise involved in criminal activity.

  5. Rob 5
    24 September 2009 at 10:12 am

    Yeah, well it worked for marijuana….

  6. ghostwhowalksnz 6
    24 September 2009 at 10:12 am

    Just get them to ban ALL additives to smokes. There are a multitude of minute quantities of flavour enhancers added to make them more palatable for young smokers. ( This also with alcopops with so much sugar)
    Heres a list of whats possible.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_additives_in_cigarettes

    Quite a few are obviously flavours like vanilla, wine ? etc

    Heres a list of additives to the tobacco for Philip Morris cigarettes sold in NZ

    http://www.pmintl-technical-product-information.com/aspx/IngredientsInformation.aspx

  7. Zetetic 7
    24 September 2009 at 10:24 am

    Difference with pot and tobacco is pot grows well here. Tabacco’s all imported.

    Maybe don’t take the import limit all the way down to zero, 10% of current level or something.

  8. Andrei 8
    24 September 2009 at 10:32 am

    Think of all the health costs, lost productivity, and the cost of buying the cancer sticks. Imagine what we could do with all that money instead.

    Utterly fallacious reasoning – everybody dies and uses the health system in the process. If a smoker dies at 65 he or she has probably saved the taxpayer money, not only in superannuation but also in the other health costs – eg hip replacements, intensive nursing for dementia etc that the elderly consume.

    I am not saying that smoking is a good thing but it is not the demon that you seem to think it is either.

    • Zetetic 8.1
      24 September 2009 at 10:44 am

      “If a smoker dies at 65 he or she has probably saved the taxpayer money”

      typical ignorant comment. It seems clever only because you’re uninformed. In fact, smokers have more years of poor health than non-smokers and use more health resources during that time. Don’t believe me? You’ve got the internet, get educated.

      Also, you’re argument basically boils down to ‘keeping the poor addicted and dying young is cheaper on my taxes’. Wrong and inhuman.

    • Armchair Critic 8.2
      24 September 2009 at 10:54 am

      What a genuinely revolting thing to say. People die early, unnecessarily and in a horrible manner as a result of smoking – is that not sufficiently demonic for you?
      I doubt your economic argument is valid either, the taxes on tobacco surely don’t cover the resulting costs.

    • Andrei 8.3
      24 September 2009 at 12:22 pm

      It seems clever only because you’re uninformed. In fact, smokers have more years of poor health than non-smokers and use more health resources during that time.

      Smokers have a lower life expectancy than non smokers – So do Gays for that matter who have an even lower life expectancy than smokers – what-ya want to do about that?.

      The fact is that sooner or later you are going to get sick and DIE of something and along the way you are very likely to consume a significant amount of health resources. Can’t be avoided, if the cancer don’t get you Alzheimer’s will or kidney failure or something else and they all cost money to ‘treat’.

      You choose to smoke or not as the case maybe and you take your chances.

      You lefties always miss the bigger picture – can’t seem to grasp more than one idea at a time and everything is a class war.

      • Armchair Critic 8.3.1
        24 September 2009 at 12:43 pm

        “You choose to smoke or not as the case maybe and you take your chances”
        It is a bit more subtle than that, Andrei. You may well choose to start smoking. Nicotine is addictive, though, so continuing to smoke is much less of a choice.

      • Maynard J 8.3.2
        24 September 2009 at 1:04 pm

        You are still completely wrong Andrei. The average healthcare cost to the taxpayer for smokers is significantly higher than the general population. They dying is the cheap part, to be frank.

        You do not miss the bigger picture, you can not even seem to ge the frame in focus.

        • Andrei 8.3.2.1
          24 September 2009 at 1:53 pm

          The average healthcare cost to the taxpayer for smokers is significantly higher than the general population.

          I’ll bet it isn’t, particularly since smokers die slightly younger.

          I know an old lady – never smoked who has had two hip replacements and survived breast cancer and who is currently in the high needs unit of a rest home and has been there for nearly three years – easily a million dollars spent on her health care over the past twenty years and thats just one example.

          My own mother is on a very expensive drug, which presumably is keeping her alive, and which has to be approved by Pharmac. I’d be prepared to bet that if she had been a smoker she would not have got the approval and maybe that would be the correct call in a system with limited resources, who knows.

          So why is it more expensive to treat a smoker for heart disease than a non smoker? – explain how you come up with this reasoning.

          • Maynard J 8.3.2.1.1
            24 September 2009 at 2:01 pm

            You demean us all by introducing individual examples, for shame. I nkow someone who died at a decent age after not having seen a doctor for over 30 years – what is the relevance there? Absolutely none.

            “So why is it more expensive to treat a smoker for heart disease than a non smoker? explain how you come up with this reasoning.”

            Explain how you came up with the idea that that was my reasoning first.

            Especially when the word “Average” was in my comment, which would imply you are barking up the wrong tree with that assumption (in fact you are in the wrong forest).

            • Andrei 8.3.2.1.1.1
              24 September 2009 at 3:25 pm

              You demean us all by introducing individual examples

              Why so?

              I am just demonstrating by example of why this thesis that smokers use more of the public health resource is BS.

              Smokers are more likely to get some diseases than non smokers but if they do and especially if they die early it just means they don’t get other diseases. Fairly obvious really.

            • NickS 8.3.2.1.1.2
              24 September 2009 at 3:37 pm

              For someone how claims to be intelligent, it’s surprising that you fail to understand why we use data rather anecdotes as evidence for a argument.

            • Andrei 8.3.2.1.1.3
              24 September 2009 at 3:46 pm

              For someone how claims to be intelligent, it’s surprising that you fail to understand why we use data rather anecdotes as evidence for a argument

              So where is your data? Hmmm

              You mean the numbers which dear old Hone pulled out of his arse?

              Thats data??????

              Yeah right!

            • Maynard J 8.3.2.1.1.4
              24 September 2009 at 3:55 pm

              “I am just demonstrating by example of why this thesis that smokers use more of the public health resource is BS. ”

              Oh, so because you know one example, then the whole thery is false. I did not know that you also know every one else that uses or has ever used the PH system. It is very cold outside – climate change must be a crock right 😉

              Smokers get and die of costly diseases at a significantly greater rate than non-smokers. They suffer health problems at an early age, which makes them less productive, and there is a very high social cost of thousands of premature deaths.

              It is offset by lower super payments, but to think that accounts for the healthcare costs, productivity losses and so on strkies me as unlikely.

              If you look at the statistics relating to health problems faced by smokers, and then consider the average expenditure required to treat them you might get an idea – but I get the impression you want to be fed those stats. You have a web browser, get out there yourself if you do not think that smoking causes expensive premature deaths in a vastly greater proportion that experienced by non-smokers.

              You are arguing against orthodoxy – make a point and spare us the silly anecdotes.

            • NickS 8.3.2.1.1.5
              24 September 2009 at 5:35 pm

              So where is your data? Hmmm

              You mean the numbers which dear old Hone pulled out of his arse?

              Thats data??????

              Yeah right!

              Nice shifting of the goal posts there by not actually addressing why we should prefer anecdotes over data.

              As for finding Hone’s exact source, one would suggest emailing him, but a little bit of google hunting turned up this;

              Number of deaths annually attributable to cigarettes

              Cigarette smoking accounted for 31 percent of all annual Māori deaths during 1989-93 as compared to 17 percent of all deaths in the total population.

              Key words; maori smoking deaths

              Pretty simple, mayhaps too simple for Andrei.

      • Reggie 8.3.3
        25 September 2009 at 10:23 am

        Andrei, let’s try some numbers shall we? And let’s exclude lung cancer, throat cancer, heart disease, premature births and pregnancy problems. Let’s also exclude strokes, amputations and impotence. Let’s just stick to a single disease which only affects smokers, emphysema (or COPD). In 2003 the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, the body that represents respiratory specialists, commissioned a report to determine the prevalence and cost burden of COPD in New Zealand.
        •COPD ranks third overall in its impact on the health of New Zealanders after ischaemic heart disease and Stroke: 2nd in men & 5th in women.
        •220,000 COPD patients in New Zealand.
        •9,250 hospital discharges and predicted to be over 12,000 by 2007.
        •4th leading cause of death.
        •Estimated cost between $102 – $192 million in direct healthcare costs.
        •COPD mortality rates for Maori women in NZ are higher than reported in any other known population of women worldwide.
        NO WAY does dying earlier counter these costs.

    • burt 8.4
      24 September 2009 at 1:07 pm

      I would also like to see an honest breakdown of the health related costs of smoking. My experience tells me that overweight people and people who live longer consume much more overall in health related resources.

      Easy to say smokers costs a lot in health terms to justify the revenue grab from addicted people – but is it accurate ?

    • nic 8.5
      25 September 2009 at 10:29 am

      Two points:

      1. Smoking is clearly bad. But smokers actually save the government on healthcare,costs over their life time, even before you take into account the very high tax revenues.

      See here:
      http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/337/15/1052

      and here:
      http://www.slate.com/id/2184475/

      2. Banning cigarettes would be a disaster. Prohibition has never worked. Tobacco can and will be grown in NZ. I think increasing regulation is the way to go. Things like banning retail displays and limiting outlets that can sell cigarettes. And we should also accept that a small minority of people will always smoke, no matter what we do.

  9. Graeme Edgeler 9
    24 September 2009 at 10:57 am

    According to Hone on Back Benches last night, 5000 people in New Zealand die each year from tobacco, including 400 Maori. This suggests Maori mortality from tobacco is actually quite low.

    • Zetetic 9.1
      24 September 2009 at 11:05 am

      1 in 3 Maori deaths. Hone said it in his speech yesterday. It was on RNZ too.

      • Graeme Edgeler 9.1.1
        24 September 2009 at 11:09 am

        yes – but with his numbers it would be even higher for non-Maori.

        • Zetetic 9.1.1.1
          24 September 2009 at 11:11 am

          yeah i understand that. suggests that number is out

          anyway. it’s not a Maori issue. it’s a class issue.

          • Zetetic 9.1.1.1.1
            24 September 2009 at 11:13 am

            actually, we’re assuming that Maori and non-Maori die in proportion to their share of the population. The Maori population is a lot younger, so that assumption might be wrong.

        • ghostwhowalksnz 9.1.1.2
          24 September 2009 at 11:17 am

          400 Maori out of 5000 total means that in proportion they are less likely to die from smoking related causes.If they were at the same rate it would be 600. Has Hone got his numbers wrong, I would have thought 800-1000 would be more like it

          • NickS 9.1.1.2.1
            24 September 2009 at 12:44 pm

            /sigh

            The 5000 refers to the total number of those dead from smoking related causes, it doesn’t refer to all Maori deaths. Meaning going like you do “400 out of 5000” is actually wrong. What you need to do is “smoking related deaths for Maori, out of the total number of Maori deaths over time t”.

            It’s not that hard people.

  10. IrishBill 10
    24 September 2009 at 11:12 am

    Ah Zet, you obviously don’t understand the simple joy of putting your feet up with a nice glass of stout at the end of a long hard day, lighting your pipe and browsing your favorite passages of Das Kapital.

    • Rob 10.1
      24 September 2009 at 11:16 am

      No he does not, however he certainly wants to tell you what you can do with your pipe.

    • Zetetic 10.2
      24 September 2009 at 11:24 am

      with me it’s screeds of US leftwing websites, powered by rum.

      the occasional pipe is unlikely to get you addicted or lead you to an early grave. that’s why i like the falling supply cap, you could leave it at a low level.

      now i think about it, a supply cap on alcohol could be the way to go too. Rather than trying, largely ineffectively, to move stuff out of people’s price range with tax, just limit the total amount that can be sold.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 10.3
      24 September 2009 at 12:10 pm

      Browse ? Its on You Tube! like most things from a two room flat in Soho

  11. Daveo 11
    24 September 2009 at 11:20 am

    Clearly you’d need an exemption for cigars.

  12. Quoth the Raven 12
    24 September 2009 at 11:23 am

    Think of all the health costs, lost productivity, and the cost of buying the cancer sticks. Imagine what we could do with all that money instead.

    Spend it on enforcement?
    Accroding to the harm rankings in a lancet paper alcohol is worse then tobacco. See this graph. So does banning tobacco make sense?

  13. gobsmacked 13
    24 September 2009 at 11:55 am

    Hone might want to start by having a word with his colleagues in the National caucus:

    NZ Herald, October 2005:

    National’s political correctness eradicator, Wayne Mapp, is eyeing changes to the ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, which he says is an example of the “nanny state”. …

    “Non-smokers are entitled to have a smoke-free environment, but you can get a reasonable balance on this.”

    Note the familiar ‘balance’ line, the classic cover for reactionary policies, as heard daily from this National government.

  14. Seti 14
    24 September 2009 at 12:28 pm

    Accroding to the harm rankings in a lancet paper alcohol is worse then tobacco. See this graph. So does banning tobacco make sense?

    Whilst there appear to be no redeeming benefits from tobacco there is some research that suggests alcohol indeed saves more lives than it takes –

    Alcohol saves more lives than it takes, according to new research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
    While alcohol is blamed for more than 13,000 deaths a year, largely among heavy drinkers, a moderate intake saves 15,000 lives a year, says the study.
    Modest consumption of between one and two units a day is thought to give protection from coronary heart disease to men over 40 and to postmenopausal women. Alcohol is also known to help raise the levels of protective cholesterol.

    • Quoth the Raven 14.1
      24 September 2009 at 12:44 pm

      The paper includes social harm not just physical. I think that number (13000) is just those from disease not accidents and such which you don’t get with tobacco and the benefits in terms of heart disease are only for older people. In any case we really don’t need any more restrictions on either of them.

  15. randal 15
    24 September 2009 at 12:41 pm

    nah..they should make smoking compulsory and give them free pot to go with it.
    after the rupture rent in the social fabric with boy racers and p then tobacco and pot could hardly do any worse.

    • burt 15.1
      24 September 2009 at 1:02 pm

      Think of the lost govt revenue. It’s not acceptable for suppliers to put the price up and make profit – but govt profit from cigs is OK. Hell Zetetic wants to add another $2 or more to each packet.

      • Maynard J 15.1.1
        24 September 2009 at 1:07 pm

        Govt profit from cigarettes? Oh and all those costs they incur, that are paid by the government, are completely unrelated I guess.

        • Rob 15.1.1.1
          24 September 2009 at 4:25 pm

          They profit today from having smoking. If they ban it they will pay the costs of the healthcare for another 50 years with no cigarette tax money to cover it.

          • Maynard J 15.1.1.1.1
            24 September 2009 at 8:23 pm

            …which would imply they do not get enough money from smoking to cover the costs incurred.

            • Armchair Critic 15.1.1.1.1.1
              24 September 2009 at 8:36 pm

              Which could be construed to mean that the government doesn’t make a profit from cigarettes. Now, what was burt’s point, again?

            • burt 15.1.1.1.1.2
              24 September 2009 at 9:10 pm

              Advanced logic from Armchair Critic.

              Here is a tip: Base your argument on facts and reason rather than simple contradiction of what I say. There is no logical basis for saying that removing all tobacco related income now while costs are delayed proves that there is not a profit being made from tobacco taxes.

              Shees, that’s like saying if I stop earning now and live for another 20 years getting further and further into debt that I wasn’t earning more than it cost to live today….

            • Armchair Critic 15.1.1.1.1.3
              24 September 2009 at 9:52 pm

              I restated MJ’s point and made a remark about your comment, I’m pleased you can see arguments and logical bases there.

  16. Rob 16
    24 September 2009 at 2:43 pm

    Yep, so he can afford to build a special administration team to monitor consumption and jack up pricing. Off course the greater the price increase the greater the revenue the greater the team.

  17. BLiP 17
    24 September 2009 at 3:07 pm

    Given that the Associate Minister of Health is a cigar smoking punch-up artist recipient of British American Tobacco largesse, it seems unlikely there will be any sensible policy in this area.

  18. Quoth the Raven 18
    24 September 2009 at 3:47 pm

    Zet in agreement with the Wall St Journal?

  19. Rich 19
    24 September 2009 at 4:12 pm

    It’s pretty clear that prohibition of any recreational drug doesn’t work.

    I’d suggest that the reason for most problematic substance use is that people have a lack of self-fulfillment that leads them to misuse substances. Better general education, living standards and social support will reduce tobacco addiction. That’s why tobacco addicts are predominantly in the poorer part of society.

    • Ari 19.1
      24 September 2009 at 9:28 pm

      One of the interesting ideas around that was to make cigarettes prescription-only. Thus people who already smoke could continue to get them, but they’d become very inconvenient to get.

      Often making things annoying works better than making them expensive or illegal.

      Of course, it’s certainly possible that this approach would have some of the same problems as an outright ban.

  20. millsy 20
    24 September 2009 at 10:59 pm

    The Maori Party has strong connections with the Mongerel Mob/Black Power.

    Guess who will benefit in black market cigarette sales if the Maori Party gets its way….

    • burt 20.1
      24 September 2009 at 11:03 pm

      millsy

      Can you demonstrate the strong connections with the Mongrel Mob/Black Power or are you just being racist ?

      You know gangs of Maori people, Maori political party – must be a link right ?

      However I don’t dispute the gangs benefit from banning desirable/addictive substances.

  21. Swampy 21
    26 September 2009 at 11:23 pm

    And if you’re such a strong supporter of banning tobacco I assume you are also strongly in support of banning all other drugs and alcohol as well.

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  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

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