Biden goes, Kamala Harris for US president

Written By: - Date published: 9:26 am, July 22nd, 2024 - 80 comments
Categories: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, us politics - Tags:

from RNZ

US President Joe Biden dropped his faltering re-election bid on Sunday, amid intensifying opposition within his own Democratic Party, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the party’s candidate against Republican Donald Trump.

Biden, 81, in a post on X said he will remain in his role as president and commander-in-chief until his term ends in January 2025. He has not been seen in public since testing positive for Covid-19 last week.

“While it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote.

If officially nominated, Harris, 59, would become the first Black woman to run to lead a major-party ticket in US history. A former attorney general of California and former US senator, she ran unsuccessfully for president against Biden in 2020.

“My intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said in a statement. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party – and unite our nation – to defeat Donald Trump.”

80 comments on “Biden goes, Kamala Harris for US president ”

  1. weka 1

    That’s a relief

  2. Tiger Mountain 2

    Ms Harris will likely do well with women and younger voters who are essential to denying Mango Mussolini.

    The last thing needed is another “coot in a suit”.

    • Obtrectator 2.1

      I wouldn't count on her doing well with women. We knew (and knew of) too many who didn't want Trump, but didn't want a bar of Hillary either, and abstained.

      • mpledger 2.1.1

        Past picks have shown that misogyny is more powerful than racism so I suspect Kamala will stay vice and they'll put a white guy up against Trump.

        Although now that Biden can act with impunity – maybe they should put up Obama. If there is anyone who could send Trump into a fatal froth, it's Obama.

        I'm really sorry for Biden. He's been a really good president looking from afar, apart from all the show-pony stuff. Things got done quietly and quickly without making the USA look like a failing state.

        • alwyn 2.1.1.1

          "maybe they should put up Obama. If there is anyone who could send Trump into a fatal froth, it's Obama."

          I suggest that you read the twenty-second amendment to the US Constitution.

          They cannot "put up Obama". The Constitution doesn't allow it.

          • Incognito 2.1.1.1.1

            Keep up, Alwyn, the context is female candidates and they were referring to Michelle Obama, I think surprise

            • alwyn 2.1.1.1.1.1

              Really?

              And when he (she) says "Biden can act with impunity " I suppose I am meant to assume that it is Jill Biden being talked about?

      • Tiger Mountain 2.1.2

        Overturning of Roe v Wade, womens reproductive rights, is not popular with women of all stripes.

  3. SPC 3

    Like Barack Obama, she has the advantage of having no ancestry from black slaves.

    She has a lot in common with many students of colour at elite colleges, a first generation American born to parents who legally migrated.

    Her father came to the USA in 1963

    to earn a PhD from University of California, Berkeley which he completed in 1966.

    Throughout his career, Harris has worked on economic analysis and policy regarding the economy of Jamaica, his native country. He served there, at various times, as economic policy consultant to the Government of Jamaica and as economic adviser to successive prime ministers. On October 18, 2021, he was honored with appointment to the Order of Merit, Jamaica's National Honor award, "for his outstanding contribution to national development".

    (A dual national – Jamaican-American – of black African and Irish ancestry he was later professor emeritus at Stanford University)

    He met his future wife, Shyamala Gopalan through the civil rights movement.

    In 1958, aged 19, Shyamala unexpectedly applied for a masters program at the University of California, Berkeley; she eventually earned a PhD in nutrition and endocrinology at UC Berkeley in 1964.

    She served as a peer reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and as a site visit team member for the Federal Advisory Committee

    After the October 1964 birth of Kamala and January 1967 birth of Maya, Shyamala became a permanent resident of the United States in April 1968.

    Her story is about legal migration to America – and about those born there living in a meritocracy, where anyone can rise to the highest office. It is not about born into wealth and privilege.

    Her story is about an American melting pot, not critical race theory.

  4. Karolyn_IS 4

    A lot will depend on how the media responds, and on which influential funders and backers get behind Harris.

    Did Pelosi's attempted intervention have some impact?

  5. bwaghorn 5

    Is she any good ?, she's been invisible to this mildly politically aware fulla

    • Karolyn_IS 5.1

      Many Democrats prefer Gavin Newsom.

      Harris may be tainted by her close association with Biden.

      • bwaghorn 5.1.1

        I spied luxon with Newsom the other day , he Newsom exuded arrogance and looked exceedingly in love with himself , so probably right for the job!!

        • Res Publica 5.1.1.1

          You don't win public office in the US by being a shrinking violet.

          Newsom would be ideal for a lot of Democrats: he's got genuine progressive and populist bona fides, has great name recognition (important when voters won't have much time to get to know a candidate before election day), is an extremely confident public speaker and debater, and as the governor of California clearly has the experience to handle the job.

          But, they also can't afford any hint of division or doubt and need to coalesce around a candidate yesterday. And at this point, that means Kamala Harris. She is the sitting VP after all.

          If I was counselling Newson I'd suggest waiting until the next electoral cycle. That way, Trump will either be dead from cheeseburger related complications, term limited, or a washed up loser.

          Assuming there is still a United States to be elected the leader of. Or elections at all, of course.

          • Grey Area 5.1.1.1.1

            Pretty good summary. I'm sure it will be Harris and according to Simon Marks on RNZ just now she is busy getting delegates to switch their support ahead of the convention. One state already has.

            I think Newsom and Whitmer will keep their powder dry until 2028. Though she will need a VP candidate. Pete Buttigieg?

            • Res Publica 5.1.1.1.1.1

              Who takes up the vice-president slot is an interesting question.

              Generally, the rubric for choosing a VP is someone that can bring either new state or new demographic into play, but also won't risk losing a governorship or senate seat.

              In this particular instance, we can add the need for someone with sufficient name ID to be recognized by the average voter. And is preferably from the Midwest to help keep Wisconsin and Michigan in play. Which are 2 out of 3 of the states that will likely decide the election either way.

              Given that criteria, the list of candidates is fairly slim and limited (probably) to current or recent governors and senators.

              So potentially Gretchen Whitmer if you wanted to double down on the female progressive vote and lock down Michigan (and potentially Wisconsin). Or if you're looking for a male, you could also look at JB Pritzker in Illinois, or Tim Ryan, who lost his senate race in a pretty deep red Ohio to JD Vance by a bare 6 points.

              Pete Buttigieg would also count (who is from Indiana after all). But if Americans aren't ready for black female president, they definitely won't be ready for an openly gay vice president.

              Josh Shapiro would also be an option if you wanted to look at Pennsylvania instead, but then they would risk losing a pretty important governorship.

          • Michael Scott 5.1.1.1.2

            Newsom has endorsed VP Kamala Harris so will definitely be wating for the next election cycle

  6. weasel 6

    American voters seem to find it difficult to get their heads around the novel concept of a woman leader so why doesn't Biden step done today to allow people to get used to the idea of female president? Four months seems like a nice honeymoon period.

  7. tsmithfield 7

    My thought is that Harris is a bit too beltway for the swing states. Michelle Obama would be great. But I understand she isn't interested.

  8. SPC 8

    One thing Biden should do before he goes, is revisit his decision not to appoint two members to SCOTUS to compensate for the Gorsuch in Garland out cheat of Mitch McConnell.

    Term limits and removal for corruption, that he is looking at now, are insufficient.

    https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/SCOTUS-Report-Final-12.8.21-1.pdf

    • SPC 8.1

      For mine it should be retirement at age 75 for a Justice and age 80 for a Chief Justice.

      Clarence Thomas then goes immediately – replaced by Biden. And Alito next April.

      • SPC 8.1.1

        This path allows Biden to leave office with a 6-5 Democratic Party appointed majority on SCOTUS.

  9. Tony Veitch 9

    Just incidentally, Donald J Trump is now the oldest presidential candidate in US history!

    He's too old, he's too old, he's . . .

  10. Karolyn_IS 10

    UK Independent puts the case for Harris as Dem candidate.

    It's possible she could swing more young and black people, plus more women to support her. Also, she inherits Biden's funding and campaign organisation.

    But there's a lot of uncertainty around what might happen.

  11. Sanctuary 11

    AOC has played a blinder in all this. She isn’t going to be the romantic but ultimately doomed progressive insurgency that was Saunders run for the democratic nomination. She stuck loyally to Biden – winning the Dem establishment – and now she'll throw her weight behind Harris. She wants to be president in 2028 or 2032.

  12. Macro 12

    All 50 Democratic party state chairs have thrown their weight behind Harris to be the party's new presidential nominee, according to sources familiar with the matter. The chairs held a conference call on Sunday after President Joe Biden announced he was stepping aside as the party's candidate. There was "full support" in backing Harris to be at the top of the ticket, one source said.

    Prominent members of the party, including past contendor Pete Buttigieg, California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Clintons have expressed support for Harris.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/522747/live-updates-us-president-joe-biden-pulls-out-of-election-race

    “In a potential matchup between Harris and former President Donald Trump, Harris and Trump were nearly tied with 42% supporting her and 43% supporting the former president, according to a Ipsos poll released earlier this month.”

    https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-drops-replace-harris-trump-polls/story?id=111648515

    I believe that now with Joe Biden no longer a distraction in Trump v's Democratic nominee polling, the vote will swing towards the more sensible and younger candidate.

  13. Ad 13

    OMG this is such a heart attack.

    Bearded Git we need to organise and book a Democrat Party gig for Convention day.

  14. TeWhareWhero 14

    Has the US finally grown enough in political maturity to elect a woman of colour? There have been attempts to get an ERA since the 1920s… always defeated by a male-led ultra conservative coalition which career/dynasty presidents of either stripe have been too craven to oppose. The ease with which state legislatures have moved towards curtailment of reproductive rights, and the way the Trump camp is playing up the hyper-masculinist angle suggests that hasn't changed. Add in the depth of "blue collar" disillusionment and anger as life becomes more precarious and the American Dream morphs into a nightmare or is revealed as a trompe l'oeil … and Harris as President is a stretch.

    • Karolyn_IS 14.1

      Yes. I think it will be extraordinary if Harris does become Pres. But unlikely.

      • Macro 14.1.1

        Just remember who is the Repugnant Candidate: Trump, a twice-impeached felon and instigator of the January 6 insurrection. Furthermore now the Republicans will have to deal with issues of mental competence and an ageing candidate. The narcisstic clown is now the oldest ever candidate for President!

    • weka 14.2

      she might not even get the nomination.

      • Macro 14.2.1

        I'd be extremely surprised if she doesn't. Apart from a few leading Democrat's she is receiving endorsements from across the Democratic spectrum including an early endorsement from progressives such as AOC.

    • Sanctuary 14.3

      Weelllll… Harris's donations page is apparently getting almost as much traffic as Grindr was getting during the RNC so that is a good sign.

  15. The Democrats thought they were getting a Female Barack Obama but ended up with a Brown Hillary Clinton.

    Harris looked good at the start of 2019 but was gone before the first votes were even cast in Iowa, and not over anything dramatic. She just slowly deflated.

    She was rejected by Democrat voters, not "racist, misogynistic Republicans". And they rejected her because she turned out to be a tin-eared politician with no personal charm or charisma and a record of twisting with the wind – a fact shown by Tulsi Gabbard who tore into her about all the poor buggers she'd thrown in jail on marijuana charges, back when Harris thought that "getting tough on crime" would make her name. She also seemed to be clueless on policy, hence the word salads.

    Moreover, when people looked into her campaign they found massive staff turnover, which also happened to her staff when she was a Senator, California DA and the SF DA. In other words she's as horrible in person as she is in public, as has been testified to by countless ex-staffers who said she's awful to work for. Not reading briefing papers and then blaming her staff being just one example.

    So not a good retail politician and not a good behind-the-scenes operator either, as her VP job has shown. Even Biden's staff have been pissed with her uselessness on things they've handed her to take care of (although TBF the Border thing was a hospital pass).

    Add in those word salads and the general air of cluelessness and Democrat voters had every reason to reject her – which is notably why Obama hasn't endorsed her now. He knows an electoral loser when he sees one.

    The Democrats can do better – not much better, but a bit better with other candidates,

    • Kat 15.1

      Gosh Tom, you have so much inside knowledge, such a fountain of information…..wow…just wow!

    • SPC 15.2

      She's running against Trump.

      She can quote Vance. She can quote those who worked in his past administration, they say worse things about him. She can quote those of GOP on Capitol Hill back in 2015-2016 and again in 2021 – when they thought they might be rid of him. Even Tucker Carlson.

  16. Jilly Bee 16

    I've been reading several news items and opinion pieces today about Pres Joe Biden's withdrawal from the USA presidential 'race'. Then there's this, courtesy of course from N Z Herald – https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/joe-biden-quitting-the-presidential-race-is-too-little-too-late-hes-been-humiliated-tim-stanley/URS4AJ5R2FDHDGZ6LEWRK2HBEE/

  17. Joe90 17

    See new posts

    How it's going.

    .

    @M_McDonough

    Here is the exact timing & impact of Biden's announcement on ActBlue donations today:

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GTDN11WbwAARjmZ?format=png&name=medium

    https://x.com/M_McDonough/status/1815177017303908791

    @KBAndersen

    In the last nine hours online donations to the Harris presidential campaign have reached around $60 million. The haul for the first 24 hours is going to be an extraordinary number, surely record-setting.

    https://x.com/KBAndersen/status/1815221881890328598

  18. Woolly Mammoth 18

    Tom Hunter is bang on. Watch her debate from 2019 (?) with Tulsi Gabbard and cringe.

    I'm unable to link. They don't seem to have been algorithmically suppressed – yet.

    [Your comment was caught in the automated SPAM-trap because you used a different e-mail address this time. Please stick to the one address to avoid making work for Mods, thanks – Incognito]

  19. tWig 19

    Ryan's interview with US correspondent Simon Marks this morning gives a great potted summary of likely next steps. One point Marks makes is that Biden gained support in the Democratic Party for 2020 by promising to be a 'transitional' president, the transition to be to a younger candidate in 2024. Biden's refusal to step away in 2023means that a full process for building up the profile of a fresh candidate was stymied, and brought him a loss of support within the Party.

  20. Sanctuary 20

    The real race is for VP nomination. It won't be Whitmer, two women would be suicide. Won't be Newsom, that would be two from California and as well, California isn't a swing state. I am picking Josh Shapiro, a reasonable looking white guy from Pennsylvania who'll reassure people.

    • Ad 20.1

      No itch for Buttigieg?

    • SPC 20.2

      Having a Democratic Governor in Pennsylvania is an asset. He is only 2 years in.

      It might be a second term Governor, there it is Newsom and Whitmer. The other option is a Senator up for election in a safe state, such as Warren.

      Beshear is not a national candidate for Democrats.

    • FFonTS 20.3

      She will have to do an Obama and pick a straight, white Christian male. Buttigieg is very bright and would make a great president but a Harris/Buttigieg ticket would be too much to win this time. I'd love to see him as Secretary of State. A great option would be Arizona Senator Mark Kelly – veteran fighter pilot/astronaut with 39 combat missions, also very smart, and comes across with a type of 'non-politician' military command presence which makes Americans comfortable. Harris has a very academic California liberal persona and Kelly complements that very well.

      [Please stick to your approved user name, thanks – Incognito]

  21. And Tulsi has not forgotten Harris:

    Biden’s out, Kamala is in. Don’t be fooled: policies won’t change. Just like Biden wasn’t the one calling the shots, Kamala Harris won’t be either. She is the new figurehead for the deep state and the maidservant of Hillary Clinton, queen of the cabal of warmongers. They will continue their efforts to engulf the world in war and taking away our liberty.

  22. Every day that passes without Biden being seen (not since July 17) causes questions about him continuing to be President to increase in frequency and volume.

    If Kamala Harris wants to be an elected President she could crack open this election right by rounding up the Cabinet and using the 25th Amendment to force Joe out. Admittedly it's not as easy as it sounds:

    Advocates would have to convince a majority of the cabinet and a supermajority of the Congress (2/3s as with Impeachment) that the president is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office” – not politically, but as a matter of medical fact. That isn’t going to happen here since Biden (or more precisely his staff) has the power under the amendment to counter “that no inability exists,” and would not go along with it. Kamala Harris, who would have everything to lose if she failed in the attempt, has never shown she takes such risks. And Congress, which would be called upon to follow through in the unlikely event the cabinet pulled the trigger, is not going to vote for it,

    Biden's WH staff may no longer be so keen to argue that, given how he threw them under the bus with his announcement on X to step down – which is how almost all of them found out. I still think Harris won't do it – but she should. It would cement her as the Democrat nominee, show she can be organised, tough and ruthless (in your face, Trump), and boost her in the polls by actually being President.

    It would also be the right thing to do for America.

    • SPC 22.1

      Why would any Democratic Party nominee

      1.act in accord with GOP talking points?

      2.cause division in their own party and place of work, the White House?

      3.want to associate being organised, with being tough and ruthless?

      There is a point of difference to not being like Trump …

      As for Trump and GOP retail politics …

      • Tom Hunter 22.1.1

        I'll take those in reverse order

        3.want to associate being organised, with being tough and ruthless?

        It worked for Helen Clarke, Michael Cullen and numerous Left leaders that I'm sure you've admired over the years, even if they perhaps made you uncomfortable occasionally. In any case you'll have no worries with Kamala, who is none of those things.

        2.cause division in their own party and place of work, the White House?

        Division? As if Biden has supporters beyond the staff who had jobs because of him. One of the reasons his campaigns for President died in 1988 and 2008 was that he had no core of supporters outside his grifting family. The response was eye-rolling, "Oh that's just Joe". In fact he still hadn't won even a single candidate in all his Presidential campaigns after the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries in 2020. He can thank Jim Clyburn of the Congressional Black Caucus, for rescuing him as Clyburn realised that the rest of the Dem field would fail against Trump, picked Biden up, dusted him off and told his Dem voters in South Carolina to back him, after which Biden never looked back.

        No, there would be no division in the White House or the campaign were Kamala to do this. They'd likely be grateful – well, aside from Jill and Hunter.

        1.act in accord with GOP talking points?

        What talking points would those be? The ones pushed since 2019 that he was suffering from dementia, which would only get worse, and therefore should not be even running for President, let alone being President?

        As opposed to the talking points of the Democrats during that same time: that Joe was just "old", plus attacking such critics as being merely partisan ("Biden is far sharper, more intellectually curious, and far more insightful on global affairs than any House GOP speaker I have met over 30 years.")

        Even in the month leading up to the debate we constantly heard about "Cheap Fakes" – until tens of millions of watchers of MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and readers of everything from the NYT and WaPo to Axios finally saw with their own eyes what their sources had been hiding from them for five years.

        Believe it or not – and I'm sure you don't – I'm offering this suggestion because I think it produces a good outcome for the USA. Putting my partisan hat on I'm quite happy to see this Democrat shit-show continue on as it has been,

        • SPC 22.1.1.1
          1. want to associate being organised, with being tough and ruthless?

          You have not negated my comment

          There is a point of difference to not being like Trump …

          2..cause division in their own party and place of work, the White House?

          No, there would be no division in the White House or the campaign were Kamala to do this. They'd likely be grateful – well, aside from Jill and Hunter.

          Is this consistent with

          That isn’t going to happen here since Biden (or more precisely his staff) has the power under the amendment to counter “that no inability exists,” and would not go along with it.

          And failing would make her look weak and ambitious for herself (see 3.).

          1.act in accord with GOP talking points?

          Going back to 2019 is unwise since Biden won debates vs Trump in 2020. And was then still able to move better than Trump.

          Crying wolf did not work in 2020.

          That the capacity for long hours of work declined is obvious. But the same applied to Reagan falling asleep at cabinet meetings.

          The GOP needs to walk away from the issue as the old guy running, is now Trump.

          Old age, forgetting small things, is just the beginning.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Clarke_(field_hockey)

    • joe90 23.1

      Harris's introduction was for the benefit of the blind and visually impaired in attendance.

      But lying sacks of shit lie, eh Tommy.

      /

      https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/kamala-harris-woman-blue-suit/

      • SPC 23.1.1

        Someone of the State Freedom Caucus who believes the Arch-Angel Michael is fighting on their side.

        We're bringing the Freedom Caucus to the states to take on the 50 swamps |

        "A very important group of people – President Trump

        https://x.com/SFC_Network

        Reminds one of those who believe in this Arch Angel fighting some end time battle in heaven to usher in tribulation on earth. Hopefully the "raptured" into their kingdom won't be able to vote, leaving the secular left on earth to win.

      • Tom Hunter 23.1.2

        Harris's introduction was for the benefit of the blind and visually impaired in attendance.

        Ah! Kamala Harris: the choice of the deaf, dumb and blind!

        Sounds about right.

        BTW, have you been re-programmed in the BIG RAT since the Trump-Biden debate? I assume so if you're now fluffing for Harris and forgetting Joey?

  23. SPC 24

    The next POTUS.

  24. Is this consistent with…

    Only if you ignore that the latter quote is from 2021 and mine is from today as well as ignoring the comment I made in the previous post to the effect that:

    “Biden’s WH staff may no longer be so keen to argue that, given how he threw them under the bus with his announcement on X to step down – which is how almost all of them found out.”

         And failing would make her look weak and ambitious for herself.
    

    That’s already baked into the cake.

         That the capacity for long hours of work declined is obvious...
    

    Still with the old age talking point eh? The debate ended that. We’re way past that spin – even Democrats are now way past that spin. It’s senility as everyone now knows.

         The old guy running, is now Trump.
    

    Speaking of talking points I saw the Left running with that within 24 hours of Biden’s announcement. Again, doesn’t work in the face of free-wheeling 2 hours speeches and quickly ducking after being shot.

    But I’m sure you’ll keep pushing it.

    • SPC 25.1

      It’s senility as everyone now knows.

      Tom Hunter et al MD?

      Mary Trump, psychologist

      used to deny being related to Donald

      https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/22/mary-donald-trump-interview-bestseller-racism-incompetence-cruelty

      On Sunday morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson declared that President Biden absolutely, positively had to run for another four years as president.

      “It’s not possible to simply just switch out a candidate who has been chosen through the democratic, small-d democratic process,” he told ABC News’s “This Week.”

      On Sunday afternoon, Johnson proclaimed that Biden absolutely, positively could not remain in office for even one more minute.

      “He must resign the office immediately,” the Louisiana Republican said in a statement.

      Confused? The Republicans certainly are.

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/07/22/gop-response-biden-withdrawal-confused-weak/

      • Kat 25.1.1

        The Republicans are not only confused they are now very concerned that their leader the great orange chosen one that had God on his side is in for another painful but honest ear full.

      • Tom Hunter 25.1.2

        Mary Trump, psychologist? Nah. I give you Anthony Fauci, MD…

        It seems to have been a superficial wound to the ear, and that’s all. . . I don’t think there is much more to it I mean, from what we’ve seen and what we’ve heard, it was a bullet shot that grazed his ear and injured his ear, according to the physicians who examined him. There was no other further damage.

        Oh, and Mike Johnson is just stirring for shits and giggles. Good for him. With any luck we’ll see a series of GOP lawsuits around the 50 states to try and keep Biden on the ballot papers. They’ll lose of course but it’ll be fun while it lasts.

        • SPC 25.1.2.1

          Gain of function research on human viruses was banned by Obama, Fauci said it it did not include gain of function research on the bat coronavirus – thus successfully adding a spike protein to it in China by Dec 2019.

  25. SPC 26

    Former national polling had Harris trailing Trump, as Biden was.

    Early polling suggests this is no longer the case. That said, the election is determined by the EC – where state polling is more useful. DP candidates can win more popular votes and lose the EC (as in 2016).

    https://www.realclearpolling.com/latest-polls

    https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/national/

  26. SPC 27

    JD “Mr Gilead” Vance (channelling his inner Don Brash) explains how only women who have children have a stake in his America.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350352893/donald-trumps-vp-pick-criticising-childless-kamala-harris-earns-widespread

  27. Religion and Evolution.

    Looking at that chart it seems to me that secularists, while winning their war against Christians in the West, are basically parasites, growing by consuming other groups’ children. If each group stuck with their own, like different species, the secularists would die out.

    But don't worry. Christians are the least of your worries, even in the West, though I doubt your 60's-80's socialist take will accept that. 🙂

    BTW, love the next Democrat Talking Point: from “Old Age” to “Project 2025”.

    • SPC 28.1

      You must have missed it, but Project 2025 was raised while Biden was still a candidate.

      The trend from religion to secularism in the USA is one reason for the Second Revolution (making the USA an overtly Christian nation) language of the Heritage Foundation. It is a revival of the fear of a demographic change that occurred during the Obama presidency.

      The real issue, as per demographics, is global warming (this is not just a feminist lifestyle issue but an appreciation that the planet is finite) and immigration.

      https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-24-07-2024/#comment-2005743

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  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    2 days ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    2 days ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    3 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    3 days ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    3 days ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    3 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    3 days ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    4 days ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    4 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    5 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    6 days ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    6 days ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    7 days ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    7 days ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    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 from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    1 week ago
  • Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    1 week ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: James Shaw’s legacy keeps paying off

    One of the central planks of the previous Labour-Green government's emissions reduction policy was GIDI (Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry). This was basically using ETS revenue to pay polluters to clean up production, reducing emissions while protecting jobs. Corporate welfare, but it got the job done, and was often a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Gravity

    Oh twice as much ain't twice as goodAnd can't sustain like one half couldIt's wanting moreThat's gonna send me to my kneesSong: John MayerSome ups and downs from the last week of August ‘24. The good and bad, happy and sad, funny and mad, heroes and cads. The week that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Ditch the climate double speak and get real

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The Government announced changes to the Fast-Track Approvals Bill on Sunday, backing off from the contentious proposal to give ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to August 30

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest science of changing sea temperatures and which emissions policies actually work; on the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • This Govt’s infrastructure strategy depends on capital gains taxes & new road taxes

    Billions of dollars in value uplift was identified around the Transmission Gully project, but that was captured 100% by landowners and not shared to pay for the project. Now National is saying value capture should be used for similar projects. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/ Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 30-August-2024

    Kia ora and welcome to the end of another week. Here’s our regular Friday roundup of things that caught our eye, in the realm of cities and transport. If you enjoy these roundups, feel free to join our growing ranks of supporters by making a recurring donation to keep the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Table Talk: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.

    That’s the sort of constitutional reform he favours: conceived in secret; revolutionary in intent; implemented incrementally without fanfare; and under no circumstances to be placed before the electorate for democratic ratification.TO SAY IT WAS RAINING would have understated seriously the meteorological conditions. Simply put, it was pissing down. One of ...
    1 week ago
  • Big Norm and Chris Hipkins

    It’s 50 years ago today that “Big Norm” Kirk died of a heart attack in Wellington’s Home of Compassion. Home of Compassion. Although he was Prime Minister for only 623 days, he has an iconic place in New Zealand history, particularly Labour history. When Labour leaders like Jacinda Ardern recite ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #35 2024

    Open access notables Arctic glacier snowline altitudes rise 150 m over the last 4 decades, Larocca et al., The Cryosphere: We mapped the snowline (SL) on a subset of 269 land-terminating glaciers above 60° N latitude in the latest available summer, clear-sky Landsat satellite image between 1984 and 2022. The mean SLA was extracted ...
    1 week ago
  • Unravelling the String of State: New Zealand Sovereignty and the Treaty of Waitangi

    Oh dear. Sometimes people just need to prod the sleeping dog. We currently have a parliamentary dispute over the nature of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, as signed between the British Crown and New Zealand Maori: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/526451/sovereignty-debate-split-on-party-lines Specifically, the National Government takes the traditional view that Maori ceded sovereignty ...
    1 week ago

  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
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    4 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
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    4 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
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    4 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
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    4 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
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    4 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
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    4 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
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    5 days ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
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    5 days ago
  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
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    5 days ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
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    5 days ago
  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

    The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...
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    5 days ago
  • Delivering priority connections for the West Coast

    A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...
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    6 days ago
  • Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington

    A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...
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    6 days ago
  • Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Waikato through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more efficient, safe, and resilient roading network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With almost a third of the country’s freight travelling into, out ...
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    6 days ago
  • Building reliable and efficient roading for Taranaki

    A record $808 million for transport investment in Taranaki through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Taranaki’s roads carry a high volume of freight from primary industries and it’s critical we maintain efficient connections across the region to ...
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    6 days ago
  • Supporting growth and resilience in Otago and Southland

    A record $1.4 billion for transport investment in Otago and Southland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more resilient and efficient network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in Otago ...
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    6 days ago
  • Delivering connected and resilient roading for Northland

    A record $991 million for transport investment in Northland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s connections and support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that every transport dollar is spent wisely on the projects and ...
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    6 days ago
  • Top of the South to benefit from reliable transport infrastructure

    A record $479 million for transport investment across the top of the South Island through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will build a stronger road network that supports primary industries and grows the economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We’re committed to making sure that every dollar is ...
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    6 days ago
  • Government delivering reliable roads for Manawatū-Whanganui

    A record $1.6 billion for transport investment in Manawatū-Whanganui through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s importance as a strategic freight hub that boosts economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. ...
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    6 days ago
  • Restoring connections in Hawke’s Bay

    A record $657 million for transport investment in the Hawke’s Bay through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support recovery from cyclone damage and build greater resilience into the network to support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We are committed to making sure that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Transport resilience a priority for Gisborne

    A record $255 million for transport investment in Gisborne through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and restore the cyclone-damaged network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With $255 million of investment over the next three years, we are committed to making sure that every transport ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Prioritising growth and reduced travel times in Canterbury

    A record $1.8 billion for transport investment Canterbury through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Christchurch is the economic powerhouse of the South Island, and transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and ...
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    6 days ago
  • Supporting growth and freight in the Bay of Plenty

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Bay of Plenty through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and unlock land for thousands of houses, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in the Bay of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Getting transport back on track in Auckland

    A record $8.4 billion for transport investment in Auckland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will deliver the infrastructure our rapidly growing region needs to support economic growth and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Aucklanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, phantoms projects, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Record investment to get transport back on track

    A record $32.9 billion investment in New Zealand’s transport network through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more reliable and efficient transport network that boosts economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “New Zealanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Consultation is open on gambling harm strategy

    Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey has welcomed the start of Gambling Harm Awareness Week by encouraging New Zealanders to have their say on the next three-year strategy to prevent and minimise gambling harm.  “While many New Zealanders enjoy gambling as a pastime without issue, the statistics are clear that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • JOINT STATEMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL VISIT OF NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER CHRISTOPHER LUXON

    1.    Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim hosted Prime Minister Rt. Hon Christopher Luxon on an Official Visit to Malaysia from 1 to 3 September 2024. Both leaders expressed appreciation for enduring and warm bilateral ties over 67 years of diplomatic relations. The Malaysia – New Zealand Strategic Partnership 2.    The ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

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