Blood on the Tracks

Written By: - Date published: 10:27 am, July 10th, 2015 - 127 comments
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First up, a rare thing; mild praise for the National Government. In ignoring Treasury’s advice to do fully to KiwiRail what the troika is doing to Greece, Bill English has thrown our rail network a two year lifeline. This is a very good thing. Well, a step in the right direction, at least.

Without a rail network, all our goods would be moved via roads. And our roading system is already struggling to cope with the damage done by trucks as it is. Much like the dairy industry, the road transport lobbyists are determined that they should not have to compensate the taxpayer for the damage they cause. Both industries rely heavily on disguised subsidies from you and I to repair and maintain the infrastructure and environment that they so gleefully corrupt. Both claim to be vital to the NZ economy, but both are parasitic in nature.

Without rail, NZ would be entirely dependant on a form of transport that is nearing its nadir. The coming generation is likely to be the last that thinks energy inefficient and polluting trucks are the answer. They’re actually part of the problem.

Rail Leaflet_web

Labour transport spokesman Phil Twyford is correct when he says KiwiRail is effectively two seperate businesses, freight and lines, and that the pair should be treated differently.

The freight business absolutely should be expected to run profitably, but, as Twyford says,

“the lines are as much part of our national infrastructure as the roads or the water supply. You shouldn’t throw economic rationality out the window but this is infrastructure for the nation”.

We’ve invested nearly a billion dollars into KiwiRail since it was effectively nationalised by a forward thinking Labour government. It’s not profitable overall and, yes, it’s costing us millions each year. But that’s an investment that pays the kind of dividends that Treasury hates to acknowledge.

Twyford sums it up perfectly.

“This proposal by Treasury for the Government to consider actually shutting down the rail network is just nuts and it shows that Treasury doesn’t really understand transport economics and they certainly don’t get rail.”

Treasury is still locked in a 1984 Freedmanite free market mind set. They are only focussed on the bottom line, not the benefits investments like Kiwirail bring. And it’s not just Kiwirail they want to kill off, these weirdos also reckon the actual Kiwi bird is, ahem, “not aligned with overall Government priorities”.

Libertarians? Doncha hate ’em?

Here’s a thought. We could save ten million bucks a year by closing Treasury and hiring a couple of daleks. The effect would be pretty much the same. Crush, Kill, Destroyyyyyyyy!

National have given Kiwirail a two year grace period. Like the troika’s threat to Greece, this period is supposed to be spent finding internal economies (ie slash and burn). Expect job cuts, service reductions and a return to the regime of minimal maintenance and infrastructure upgrades. The same recipe that got our railways into the mire in the first place.

I’m kinda angry about this stuff. I grew up a couple of blocks from a railway workshop and some busy marshalling yards. When I crossed the railway bridge to go to school, hundreds of railway workers would be walking toward me as they went to good, constructive jobs. Now my old suburb and the one on the other side of the river are bywords for unemployment, drugs, gangs and apathy. The apathy mainly being from our ‘local’ Tory MP, who actually lives two hundred kms away from the city he represents, in another province altogether. He’s completely disengaged from the history of rail in that city, just as Treasury are disengaged from the future of rail in New Zealand.

train

We can’t just wait for the next Labour led government to give our rail network a viable future. This current administration need to be looking a lot further out than two years. They need to see the big picture and instead of letting rail limp along, they need to be looking at new lines, extensions to the old ones, re-opening of the Napier/Gisborne line, and electrification, electrification and electrification.

We have the bones of a truly great transport infrastructure already. We need to invest heavily to build and rebuild rail. We need to own our future or else we are truly trucked.

Last words to Phil Twyford:

“This proposal by Treasury for the Government to consider actually shutting down the rail network is just nuts and it shows that Treasury doesn’t really understand transport economics and they certainly don’t get rail.

To shut down, even to contemplate shutting down this valuable part of our nation’s infrastructure, is barmy.”

 

127 comments on “Blood on the Tracks ”

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  1. BM 1
    10 July 2015 at 10:51 am

    This site here has a lot of interesting truck information

    http://www.rtfnz.co.nz/transport-facts/importance.

    After having a quick browse I can see why the government emphasis is on trucking and not trains.

    • Skinny 1.1
      10 July 2015 at 11:19 am

      Without bothering to read your snake oil link to the National Party’s largest political donators the Trucking Lobbyist Group, we know how unbalanced the playing field is and that further carving up of state assets were always on the cards. Of course the public won’t tolerate a repeat of last disastrous privatisation scam National done.

    • philj 1.2
      10 July 2015 at 11:20 am

      This is PR spin from a self interested corporate lobby group. Where is the balance representing the common good? Where is the real costs of trucking and the cross subsidy that it receives? The entire system needs changing, that is obvious but current thinking is more trucks and highways. Signs of a rudderless ship me thinks.

      • Draco T Bastard 1.2.1
        10 July 2015 at 12:37 pm

        Where is the real costs of trucking and the cross subsidy that it receives?

        Yep, get rid of the huge subsidies that trucks receive and long distance trucking would disappear overnight. This is why I support road user charges for all vehicles properly set for mass. 0.1 cent per kilometre for the average one tonne car, $10 per kilometre for a fifty tonne truck.

        Trains will, of course, remain the same price as now as they don’t receive any subsidies.

        Signs of a rudderless ship me thinks.

        Nope. National definitely have plans and those plans are to cement in place the systems that benefit their donors no matter how much it costs the community.

        • philj 1.2.1.1
          10 July 2015 at 12:58 pm

          Cheers DTB.
          You misunderstand my point. I am saying the ‘captain’ knows where he is going, but his rudder has fallen off, and possibly the propeller too! Regards.

    • John Shears 1.3
      10 July 2015 at 11:30 am

      A set of charts and comments from the trucking lobby , really??

      Some of the data is believable , perishables for instance but that used not to be the case. I was personally involved in sending about a ton of perishables from Wellington to Auckland , every week, by rail. Product was produced on a Monday loaded on Tuesday before 11am and ready for pickup and delivery in Auckland on Wednesday morning at 8am. That was in the 1960’s before the Trucking lobby became powerful in long haul traffic.

      There were equally efficient services out of Wellington on a daily basis to lower NI towns by a combination of rail & truck.Parcels Rail was another very efficient service , Auckland to Wellington as an example delivered in Wgtn city by 11am next day in the 1970’s.

      In the late 1990’s I could ring my supplier in Rotorua place an order before 11am and be unloading the rail wagon next morning at 8am in the Helensville yard. On one occasion they sent the order by road and it took 4 days to arrive.

      • dukeofurl 1.3.1
        10 July 2015 at 11:38 am

        Are you sure , Rotorua to Helensville in one day ?, by rail ? memory is playing tricks.

        You cant get that today by road ! ( maybe end of the next day)

        I have heard that Auckland to Napier by rail was up to two weeks during the 80s.

        The railways is out of the small consignment business now, its a container load or nothing. Otherwise bulk commodities like coal

        • Macro 1.3.1.1
          10 July 2015 at 11:53 am

          Yep! Quite believable. I had a consignment of timber from Carterton to Coatesville delivered at a cost of $25 within a day in the 2000’s. Rail to Auckland overnight – onto a truck and delivered to Coatesville the next morning (less than 24 hours). The cost for the same amount of timber from Kumeu to Coatesville (a 15 min journey) by truck alone from one supplier was over $150! Naturally I went for the cheapest option and did not buy locally!
          Those are the transport costs I’m talking about. The cost of the timber was much the same from both.

          • Brigid 1.3.1.1.1
            10 July 2015 at 1:42 pm

            And if the rail head at Kumeu had still been operational, your consignment could have been trucked from there.

            • Macro 1.3.1.1.1.1
              10 July 2015 at 1:54 pm

              Yes indeed! It would also relieve the extra thousands of car journeys down the NWestern per day which will eventuate with the new subdivisions around Huapai – Kumeu, with a regular and timely passenger rail service as well.

              • Brigid …
                10 July 2015 at 10:31 pm

                Oh no, We had our chance. No more trainsies for us. We were given a passenger service for a year and didn’t patronise it enough. Although it was slower and more expensive than the bus, and just a damn useless service. Ungrateful bastard we are

                • Macro …
                  10 July 2015 at 10:39 pm

                  lol Yeah I remember that. I wonder how it would be now if the new trains were able to run up to Kumeu?
                  I’m now down in Thames by the way – had enough of taking my life in my hands every time I went out along the Coatesville Riverhead Highway – which was every time I went out. Now its 5 mins to practically everything.

        • John Shears 1.3.1.2
          10 July 2015 at 5:49 pm

          So you are calling me a fibber?? It is true.
          Required a little knowledge of how things work. As soon as the driver was back from loading in Rotorua my supplier rang thru the wagon number, I then rang rail with number and there it was next morning as regular a clockwork in those days there was a train every day taking coal from Huntly to the cement works near Whangarei.
          Why would I make it up?

    • Matthew Whitehead 1.4
      10 July 2015 at 4:58 pm

      I love the way that they’re essentially saying “well, we have most of the business now, so we should keep it.” That’s really only an argument when nobody has a subsidy, but truckers have been externalising their costs onto the rest of us for ages. There’s a reason why many private users of vehicles prefer to have mixed-use vehicles go corporate and buy diesel while paying RUCs: It’s cheaper, despite the fact that it’s supposedly paying for the extra damage to the road heavily-laden commerical vehicles can do.

      Properly, RUCs should be set for weight vs distance for each trip, (mass rather than weight if you want to get technical) however there are issues with enforcement of such a system as it would require honest reporting from everyone involved and significant auditing to do. Possibly a better way would be to work out an average load for a class of vehicle and charge that amount per KM. Either way, road transport would become far less economic overnight and the trains would find themselves in a business boom for all sorts of freight, and probably unable to expand fast enough to pick it up.

      But let’s not let that disturb your precious “road transport forum” group that is totally impartial and not at all lobbying on behalf of truckies.

  2. Old Mickey 2
    10 July 2015 at 11:09 am

    “Treasury is still locked in a 1984 Freedmanite free market mind set. TThey are only focussed on the bottom line, not the benefits investments like Kiwirail bring. ” – Would love to know what these benefits are ? And, if I recall 1984 economics was labour party economincs as well as Friedman’s. Lets not forget the how badly the state owned rail system in Greece is run.

    The gem in Phils arument is this “KiwiRail is effectively two seperate businesses, freight and lines, and that the pair should be treated differently.” The burden of running the lines company should be separated, however, I would be concerned if the lines business was run like an electricity lines company like TLC, who would make up an “capacity or demand based” pricing model which would make the freight business uneconomic.

    • greywarshark 2.1
      10 July 2015 at 12:08 pm

      OldMickey
      The benefits from the rail system are the same as they were when first the tracks and system were set up in NZ and united the country and enabled business. The
      rail system got sloppy as so many government services with guaranteed jobs and protective legislation can do.

      Introducing proper accounting, monitoring and ideas people looking at ways to increase business and customer satisfaction would help rail pay its way better. Treasury figures I put up last night in Wed Open Mike showed that Kiwirail in 2014 got advances of about $180 million and paid to government $10 million. Those are just bald figures and I don’t understand what methodology was used. I point out that we pay out many millions for Treasury and their value to the people is moot.

      There are uncounted values of Kiwirail and its unrepeatable installation which mean that they are unconsidered national treasures, working for us. The government is at all times a caretaker of our land and built structure and it should be illegal for them to throw away, sell, or otherwise dispose of our resources without a referendum. This would be accompanied by a deep, searching, totally unbiased Treasury report mining every pro and every con so that we can decide the best thing to do.

  3. ianmac 3
    10 July 2015 at 11:39 am

    In the olden days there were problems with security on trains, and speed and efficiency of goods delivery. But that could have been rationalised in the modern world. Computers, security, efficiency etc. Renew freight on trains I say. Build it up, though the road freight lobby would make that very very hard to do.

    One way to do that would to make truck road users pay for the real cost of heavy trucks on roads. The damage and constant cost of repairs should go to the users which would make the freight by rail viable again.

  4. Chooky 4
    10 July 2015 at 11:42 am

    Goldman Sachs advises Treasury on sale of state assets…and on private investment opportunities…Is NZ rail being starved of taxpayer funds so it can be sold off privately and made into a private rail network.? ( the way they have done in Britain?)

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/4730668/Big-benefits-seen-in-State-asset-sales

    http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/briefings/2014-commercial/bim-14-commercial.pdf

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privatisation_of_British_Rail

    “Goldman Sachs is one of the largest infrastructure fund managers globally, having raised more than $10 billion of capital since the inception of the business in 2006.

    The primary focus for GS Infrastructure Partners (GSIP) is on investment opportunities with the following parameters:

    Sectors including transportation infrastructure (such as airports, ports, railways and roads) and utilities infrastructure (such as electricity, gas and water networks and conventional/ renewable contracted power generation),….

    http://www.goldmansachs.com/what-we-do/investing-and-lending/direct-private-investing/equity-folder/gs-infrastructure-partners.html

    …..Interesting also that Bill English did not front this on Nine-to- noon but used instead Joanne Black ( who used to be Bill English’s secretary) to front jonkey Nact government policy of financially gutting NZ rail, in an era when all other countries are looking to expand rail services….GUTLESS!

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201761880/kiwirail-on-notice-what-is-its-future

    “The government has put KiwiRail on notice, giving it two years to identify savings and reduce Crown funding required. What is the future of the rail network and what is its importance to regional New Zealand? The Hawkes Bay Regional Council. Regional leaders are fighting to retain rail links, and in Hawkes Bay to re-open its rail service. The Napier – Gisborne line was mothballed back in 2012 after it was washed out by a major storm. The Hawkes Bay Regional Council is fighting for its resurrection and has put up five-and-a-half million dollars to part fund the line. Liz Lambert is the Chief Executive of the Hawkes Bay Regional Council. Lawrence Yule is the mayor of Napier and chairman of Local Govenrment New Zealand. Joanne Black is the spokesperson for Kiwi Rail.”

    • Chooky 4.1
      10 July 2015 at 11:59 am

      would jonkey Nact like Goldman Sachs to redesign the New Zealand flag too?

    • Scintilla 4.2
      10 July 2015 at 12:14 pm

      Beat me to that RNZ link! Very interesting listening to the Regional Council spokesperson, Liz Lambert, on how a tender is coming up in July for lease of the Napier-Gisborne line to private operators. The Regional Council is facilitating this, rather than looking to operate it themselves. Major logging to come on stream in future and Gisborne have cruise ship visits that depend on a steam train trip being up and running. The Gisborne Rail outfit have permission for this from kiwirail.

      Napier Gisborne Rail

      The Napier-Gizzy rail trip is fantastic – beats me why it is not tourism gold. Package holidays for rich rail freaks.

      Yule is correct when he says there needs to be a ‘stand back and take a good, long look at 10-50 years out’ for the nationwide transport scenario, by the Minister of Transport and the Ministry, to ensure development is coherent and beneficial for the regions and the country.

    • greywarshark 4.3
      10 July 2015 at 12:31 pm

      That’s interesting Chooky. Why in hell should we have Goldman Sachs advising Treasury? What do we pay the Treasury staff inflated salaries for – their expertise and knowledge and professional training! I answer my own question here which is what they should be able to do with their examined questions, without bringing in their doubtful friends.

      Their friends Goldman Sachs and other money-spinners, come with pre-conceived notions that are not drawn from any fine, well-rounded economic texts of deep, objective theory. No, they are from cherry-picked lines out of their economic bibles, as with any semi-religious cult. All pronouncements are equally sacred, but some are more equal than others.

      Probably it’s old testament Hayek (et al), with a hatred of totalitarian society blinkering him from the way that following his bias would lead to deep authoritarianism in another direction.

      • Chooky 4.3.1
        10 July 2015 at 12:37 pm

        +100…”Why in hell should we have Goldman Sachs advising Treasury?”…and who is responsible for this!?

  5. Skinny 5
    10 July 2015 at 11:49 am

    The timing of this Treasury release is a calculated move in conjuction with the Nats i’d say. Note how quickly the language has turned on one of our few remaining assets, the Kiwi Rail ‘Dog’. This was Judith Collins on Paul Henry’s show this morning, with Henry barking like a mad dog in agreement.

    Guess what happens in New Zealand when high spikes in imported oil occur? Long distance haulage trucks are instantly parked at their depots and our railway comes into it’s own. Smart Logistics Company’s know they cannot be successful without utilising an integrated transport strategy.

    • half crown 5.1
      10 July 2015 at 1:02 pm

      “This was Judith Collins on Paul Henry’s show this morning, with Henry barking like a mad dog in agreement.”

      What did you expect from Prat Henry. If the National party shit on him from a great height he would try and convince you it was gold, or at least good quality shit.

  6. Born. Gisborne. 6
    10 July 2015 at 12:19 pm

    Could we have our Napier link back please,
    sincerely, Gisborne.

  7. Draco T Bastard 7
    10 July 2015 at 12:24 pm

    This proposal by Treasury for the Government to consider actually shutting down the rail network is just nuts and it shows that Treasury doesn’t really understand transport economics and they certainly don’t get rail.

    Actually, it proves conclusively that Treasury doesn’t understand the economy at all. They, like many economists, politicians and people in general, are focussed upon the financials and are completely missing how and economy works. How we need to be looking to use less resources rather than more. That even though the use of more resources produces more profits for the few that isn’t actually a valid measure of success for the economy.

    • Chooky 7.1
      10 July 2015 at 12:33 pm

      does Treasury work for the long term economic good of all New Zealnders?…that is the real question

      …or has Treasury been co-opted to the interests of the corporates like Goldman Sachs?

      ‘Goldman Sachs NZ’s earnings soar on asset sales’

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11262662

    • Macro 7.2
      10 July 2015 at 1:33 pm

      Actually, it proves conclusively that Treasury doesn’t understand the economy at all. They, like many economists, politicians and people in general, are focussed upon the financials and are completely missing how an economy works.

      QFT
      The problem is; many politicians (or Journalists for that matter), have any understanding on how an economy works either. Always focused on GDP, and making a profit, or “balancing books”, never on how they could work towards a more fairer distribution of resources.

  8. Skinny 8
    10 July 2015 at 12:41 pm

    Let’s hope one of the suits from Treasury were heading up to the Bay of Islands today and got a look at what happens when a 50 tonne truck comes to grief on our ‘public roads’.

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11478818

  9. dv 9
    10 July 2015 at 1:03 pm

    Or the Manawatu gorge.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/70117042/manawatu-gorge-closed-while-tanker-is-drained-of-animal-blood

    That would mean no access to Wairapa as the Rimatuka hill is/was closed

    • Macro 9.1
      10 July 2015 at 1:24 pm

      Pahiatua Track and Saddle Roads….
      http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Saddle-Road-Pahiatua-Track
      Actually the Track is a quicker route to the Wairarapa from Palmy than the Gorge – but more bumpy and windy overall.

    • Skinny 9.2
      10 July 2015 at 1:33 pm

      I drove down to the ski fields of central North Island on Sunday, the amount of trucks was annoying and scary in the wet. Ironically I ran into a yachting acquaintance at a BP station who use to be the former CEO of the then named Ontrack pre Kiwi Rail. Anyway he can’t believe the changes like doing away with the electricafacation between Wellington & Hamilton, if anything you would think they would be extending it through to Auckland and Tauranga. Unbelievably short sighted.

      I fully expect this outfit in charge to use this ‘fabricated opportunity’ to close lines and turn them into cycleways. North Auckland and West Coast Lines will be gone by Xmas I hear.

      Let’s hope the public get fully behind opposition party’s who are rallying to save this from happening.

      • Chooky 9.2.1
        10 July 2015 at 3:14 pm

        +100…however I doubt the lines will be used for cycleways….once the publicly owned state asset of Kiwi Rail is starved of taxpayer money and run down ….nact will be getting their mates and blind trusts to develop and run private railways

        Rail is the future with global warming and a fossil fuel crisis

  10. tc 10
    10 July 2015 at 1:17 pm

    National just doing what they normally do with treasury playing the bad cop role this time so jonkey and blinglish can save the day.

    The public service has become quite the govt lapdog as expected with all the ‘consultants’ NACT have placed all over the ministries.

  11. adam 11
    10 July 2015 at 1:23 pm

    “Libertarians? Doncha hate ’em?”

    Depends – if they work for the state at any level, then yeah, they are scum.

    But I know many libertarians who are completely at odds with treasury and the act party. Those individuals who find it abhorrent to use the state for their own ideology. These libertarians I get on with on the whole – yeah we argue over capitalism. They see the state, especially the 21st model as a sad shadow of itself. Unable to decide beyond populism it’s function and purpose.

    And to some degree I agree we need a limited state. Especially, when the state becomes the political tool with which to empower the 1%, and destroy working peoples lives. Where have you been the last 35 years – the primary tool to hurt people has not been the market – it’s been the state. The market does not bring out the police to break up a picket, or evict people from homes. That’s not the market, that’s the state.

    So beyond health care, I’m not sure I want the state for much else. I think the state should get out labour laws – apart from compulsory unionism. And the obvious, no state protection for companies or banks. No limited liability companies, no corporations.

    I’m for smaller levels of governance. Contrary to the propaganda the Tory scum have pushed around, the borough system did work here. Local governance works well, and local governance can work collectively on issues across Aotearoa, to make things work – like rail.

  12. Stuart Munro 12
    10 July 2015 at 1:24 pm

    If the NZ government were not a useless self-serving sack of syphilitic weasels they’d be building hi-speed rail from Wellington to Auckland and Christchurch to Picton. It would be very profitable as it would compete with flying, and cushion NZ against future oil shocks. Too futuristic though – Treasury are still in the nineteenth century.

    • David 12.1
      10 July 2015 at 6:07 pm

      High speed rail? Do you have any idea how much that would cost? Auckland to
      Wellington would cost at least $20bn, double that more likely given NZ terrain.

      The futuristic option is to opitimise roads for self-driving trucks and cars.

      • Stuart Munro 12.1.1
        10 July 2015 at 10:21 pm

        Actually useful infrastructure pays for itself relatively quickly. Actually high speed rail ought to be considerably cheaper per km than roads.

        The private car and truck are not particularly efficient and use will decline if petroleum prices return to normal.

        Trains are in the long term more sustainable.

        • David 12.1.1.1
          11 July 2015 at 10:17 am

          Can you point to any high speed rail line in use by such a small population anywhere else in the world?

          f you can build high speed rail for less than roads, then I suggest you contact the UK and US and offer your services, they are spending a couple of hundred billion on short stretches of high speed rail, I’m sure they would be interested in your claim.

          • Stuart Munro 12.1.1.1.1
            12 July 2015 at 1:36 am

            South Korea? The KTX is a French model that has become the prototype for hi-speed rail through China because of its success in Korea (which is about the same size as the South Island, with numerous mountain ranges.) It readily beat the much better established tenderer, the Japanese shinkansen.

            • Stuart Munro 12.1.1.1.1.1
              12 July 2015 at 1:51 am

              The power distribution system developed at the University of Auckland is the obvious solution to the power/weight problems constraining maglev development – & maglev can readily compete with air.

              If cost constraints are hampering England then they should’ve kept Branson out of it – ‘Raped by a Virgin’ is the byword for his PPPs.

  13. greywarshark 13
    10 July 2015 at 1:50 pm

    Some great views of Kiwi trains along the Kaikoura track with their robust working sounds.
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRMW2E2d8c8)

    From Nz Midland line with mournful train whistle.
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaxP83FizJc)

    Through Arthurs Pass snowfall
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6acPX_00M9Q)

    steam in Manawatu
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLz56LHArCA)
    More Chch-Greymouth
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsdKxfZlBig)
    and Arthurs Pass
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqJMXzFF7aA)

    Ours mustn’t degrade to this but look how the system can overcome poor conditions, though slowly.
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUCU2GhG8zE)

    Trains seem to absorb the culture, the affections and hopes of prosperity of the people.
    Willie Nelson and The city of New Orleans and historic footage on this lovely song.
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6REdPhh5Ww)

    The song city of new orleans by the writer himself – Steve Goodman
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXGFKpWUOW0)

    About Steve Goodman and Arlo Guthrie and The City of New Orleans
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s87ODcsXFKE)

    Like Chet Akins? Copy the link and take out spaces between youtube. and com – I am trying not to have instant play on the blog.
    https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=SQJ9RAm3CZw

  14. Skinny 14
    10 July 2015 at 2:06 pm

    Geez Grey you could just post links rather than the whole foamer thing!

  15. wyndham 15
    10 July 2015 at 2:08 pm

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/opinion/riding-shotgun/7815848/Destruction-of-railways-a-national-disgrace

    Readers will be interested in this comment from 2012 in the ‘Naki Daily News. Those with grey hair will recall Prebble, the arch- henchman of Roger Douglas, going about the country with a massive “Save Rail” campaign. Upon being appointed Minister of Rail – – – “Goodbye Rail”. Probably one of the most blatant and cynical acts of betrayal ever committed by a Labour politician. He went on to sell off all our state forests to foreign interests at a fraction of their true worth.

    • Skinny 15.1
      10 July 2015 at 2:28 pm

      Funny you mentioned Prebble I was holidaying down Lake Rotoma eariler in the week staying at my partners parents place. Apparently he lives there, anyway I have been hoping to run into him at the local cafe which I purposely frequent so I can rip the shit out of him, enough so he trys to throw a punch so I can justify dropping him for the good lefties he let down.

      • te reo putake 15.1.1
        10 July 2015 at 2:39 pm

        For my sins, I door knocked for Prebble in two elections. My sweetest memory is him blubbing when he thought he was going to lose his seat early on election night 1990. Sadly, he went on to win by a couple of thousand votes.

        • Skinny 15.1.1.1
          10 July 2015 at 3:07 pm

          Not so ha-ha and tragic considering the betrayal that followed. The prick knew how to work the Fiji crowd so he got the nod as the candidate. Out smarted quite a few seasoned campaigner, McCarten & me old cobbah Spanswick in the process.

        • Chooky 15.1.1.2
          10 July 2015 at 3:20 pm

          …you “door knocked for Prebble” ….!!!!!

          • lprent 15.1.1.2.1
            10 July 2015 at 5:48 pm

            I went along to meeting hosted by Prebble in 1989. That was when I decided that I’d head over the border back to my home territory in Mt Albert

        • Macro 15.1.1.3
          10 July 2015 at 6:44 pm

          For your sins complete repentance and a thousand hail mary’s will not suffice! 🙂

          • te reo putake 15.1.1.3.1
            10 July 2015 at 6:58 pm

            If you think that’s bad, I also once helped out Jack Elder, the man who almost single handedly cost Labour the ’81 election. But, as I’ve said here a few times, I’m not that motivated by the personalities, more by the policies. MP’s come and go but the party remains.

      • tc 15.1.2
        10 July 2015 at 8:30 pm

        I thought he hung out at his retirement apartment in Selwyn village in akl’s point chev in between board junkets.

  16. greywarshark 16
    10 July 2015 at 2:12 pm

    @TRP could you just wipe the whole of the comment. I didn’t know that all the damned youtube links would show like this. It is just annoying to every one as it is, including me. Sorry folks I did pick out some styley bits of train stuff.

    And Skinny. Geez Skinny don’t you think I tried!

    • te reo putake 16.1
      10 July 2015 at 2:16 pm

      Good as gold. Shame though, there’s some great links. I’ll try and edit it so the previews don’t show up. If that doesn’t work, I’ll disappear it.

      Edit. I put ( ) around the links, seems to work.

      • greywarshark 16.1.1
        10 July 2015 at 8:12 pm

        @TRP
        Thanks so much. I was p.o. to think I had spent a few hours (doesn’t time fly when you’re enjoying yourself) sorting out the best and then have it not work out. It’s good they are getting enjoyed. There are a many fans filming the grunty machines.and putting on youtube.

    • red-blooded 16.2
      10 July 2015 at 2:33 pm

      Hey, I enjoyed the snow scene (and the original version of City of New Orleans). Don’t beat yourself up.

  17. Macro 17
    10 July 2015 at 2:43 pm

    Here are some sensible proposals re Kiwirail and just why we need to reject this lunacy from National and Treasury out of hand.
    https://blog.greens.org.nz/2015/07/10/closing-kiwirail-would-send-new-zealand-off-the-rails/

    To BM – note the enormous subsidy to trucking – in the order of $3 billion per year, building roads we would not need if we were to have less not more trucks, and the on flow costs of reduced economic benefits to the regions.

    Treasury’s proposals will cost at less an extra 3000 trucks on NZ roads and extra roading to cope with them.

    Like all “successful businesses”, Trucking has learned to externalize its costs onto the general population – eg Oil Companies, Food and Beverage Companies, Dairying. NZ picks up the tab, Truck Companies pick up the ‘profit’.

  18. Ad 18
    10 July 2015 at 3:03 pm

    Rail supports exactly the high-friction bulk commodity export economy that holds us back.

    Coal is dead.
    Milk in bulk should not be encouraged.
    Logs are just stupid.

    Electric metro rail is a Council concern (other than track access and maintenance).

    Rail freight doesn’t support the New Zealand economy we need.

  19. Kevin 19
    10 July 2015 at 4:09 pm

    “We’ve invested nearly a billion dollars into KiwiRail since it was effectively nationalised by a forward thinking Labour government. ”

    Labour bought a dog for an outrageous price and we’re still paying for it.

    • tc 19.1
      10 July 2015 at 8:32 pm

      Yes $1 very poorly invested to rescue much needed infrastructure. would 25c have been a better ROI ?

  20. Ad 20
    10 July 2015 at 4:13 pm

    CV
    No argument from the export side then.
    Small quick rail lines from Edendale and Mosgiel to Port Chalmers make sense as they are profitable and almost purely bulk. For example.

    As for the import side, rail from Auckland Port (as primary importer) to Wiri inland port, Hamilton’s Te Rapa, and Tauranga, make sense. That’s where the demand for building products (and other heavy bulk items) is.

    No party is promoting the return of the preference for rail over x kilometres of freight.

    Rail freight – despite what TRP says – has had plenty of taxpayer subsidy unde this government and others.

    Time to put the questionmark over the perpetual rail-romance.

    • Colonial Viper 20.1
      10 July 2015 at 4:27 pm

      But are we not going to be shipping logs and milk powder for a long time to come?

      No party is promoting the return of the preference for rail over x kilometres of freight.

      Indeed.

      • Macro 20.1.1
        10 July 2015 at 4:34 pm

        It will return. A stupid decision made in the past will be overturned when the inevitable comes to pass.

    • Macro 20.2
      10 July 2015 at 4:30 pm

      Your comment is nonsense.

      The annual subsidy by government to the trucking industry is measured in the Billions.

      The cost of scrapping our rail will be thousands of more trucks on our already congested arterial routes, Increased carbon emissions. (Transport accounts for over 20% and NZ is one of the “leading” causing a rise of over 45% in carbon emissions from transport since 1997.)
      http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/Pub/pdf/10GHGTrends.pdf

      Fortunately we have a rail system in existence – we need to see it for what it is – a public good and we need to preserve it, and develop it further, for it is our hope in the future

      • BM 20.2.1
        10 July 2015 at 4:38 pm

        Multi use, buses, cars, motorbikes use the same roads as trucks, trains are too one dimensional and not really suited for NZ.
        I get the feeling the left only want rail because with rail comes union growth.

        NZ is much better served by a decent road network with trucking doing the majority of the haulage.

        • Colonial Viper 20.2.1.1
          10 July 2015 at 4:40 pm

          You can ship many more tonnes of freight by rail per tonne of diesel, than via road.

          • Draco T Bastard 20.2.1.1.1
            10 July 2015 at 4:45 pm

            And if you use electricity it costs even less.

          • indiana 20.2.1.1.2
            10 July 2015 at 4:46 pm

            Are all NZ businesses located next to railway yards? Would you build a railway line just for one business located in a regional town simply because of your rail per tonne ideology?

            • McFlock 20.2.1.1.2.1
              10 July 2015 at 4:58 pm

              ah. “No rail line to the door” must be the tory talking point of the day.

              Fucking trucking lobby.

          • BM 20.2.1.1.3
            10 July 2015 at 4:47 pm

            Can trains do daily, over night, door to door.?
            Trains are too inflexible and slow for the majority of NZ businesses.

            As the link I posted at the top said the vast majority of freight transportation in NZ is in the Auckland, Hamilton Tauranga triangle, distances that are far too short for trains to make them a viable option.

            • McFlock 20.2.1.1.3.1
              10 July 2015 at 4:55 pm

              What trucking company in the country does a residential door to door courier service solely using b-train trucks?

              None.
              Van picks up the package, takes it to a distribution centre, where it gets assigned to plane, train or truck for the longer haul.

              Your “inflexible” argument is fucking moronic. Trains don’t do door to door at all. But they do Invercargill to ChCh bloody well. Even daily.

            • Skinny 20.2.1.1.3.2
              10 July 2015 at 5:00 pm

              Don’t go putting up your anti Rail argument to the head of logistics company Main Freight he will think your a short sighted lunatic as he knows the profits are good, hence they freight by train inter city where possible and truck to the door inner-city. Smart man you would have to agree Blind Man going by Main Freights high share price.

            • Draco T Bastard 20.2.1.1.3.3
              10 July 2015 at 5:08 pm

              Can trains do daily, over night, door to door.?

              Yes.

              Trains are too inflexible and slow for the majority of NZ businesses.

              You do understand that, on average, they’re faster than trucks don’t you?

              As the link I posted at the top said the vast majority of freight transportation in NZ is in the Auckland, Hamilton Tauranga triangle, distances that are far too short for trains to make them a viable option.

              Which is false logic on your part. The triangle you mention is actually the perfect example of where rail should be used over trucks.

            • John Shears 20.2.1.1.3.4
              10 July 2015 at 5:59 pm

              Yes of course they can where are you coming from BM?

        • McFlock 20.2.1.2
          10 July 2015 at 4:50 pm

          Trucks are less efficient, more polluting, and damage the roads much more than everyone else using the same roads.

          Rail is an efficient way to move goods and people between distribution hubs, between cities and within some of the larger cities.

          The right want to kill rail because having the pretence of multiple rail companies on one line network is farcical and patently inefficient, and having competition in line networks is all but impossible. The market mechanism fails to account for rail, therefore the religion fails, therefore rail must be eliminated.

        • Draco T Bastard 20.2.1.3
          10 July 2015 at 4:50 pm

          Multi use, buses, cars, motorbikes use the same roads as trucks, trains are too one dimensional and not really suited for NZ.

          What a load of fucken bullshit.

          If we had decent rail then nobody would be using cars, buses, motorbikes or planes long distance because it would be a hell of a lot cheaper and better to take the train.

          NZ is much better served by a decent road network with trucking doing the majority of the haulage.

          Nope. Roads and cars/trucks are uneconomical and always have been.

          We’ve built uneconomically in airports and roads when we should have been building better rail.

        • dukeofurl 20.2.1.4
          10 July 2015 at 5:21 pm

          Yes and 75% of the nations roads are subsidised by the other 25%.

          We saw in the budget, where a ‘new’ state highway is being created to run from Marsden Pt up the centre of Northland just to serve the trucking industry and logging.

          Cost$5 million per year in maintenance alone, and it they do rebuilds as the logging trucks will wreck the sub grade much much more.

          Be that road doesn’t pay its way ?

        • Macro 20.2.1.5
          10 July 2015 at 7:01 pm

          From the replies above – I rest my case.

          But to just elaborate.
          The damage done by large trucks to our rural road is enormous. Take a look next time you’re driving down a secondary highway to the “memory” left by large trucks on each side of the road. That is the dips or “ruts” where the wheels run. The edge of the road will be higher – where it should be the lowest section of the road. The road then dips then rises then dips then rises again to the middle. This “memory” is not caused by light traffic but by heavy trucks. The cost of 1 km of road can be millions $ and to repair such damage requires the road to be stripped back to its sub-grade and rebuilt again.
          The taxes collected in road user charges etc paid by trucking companies goes a small way towards repairing the damage but the majority is paid by the tax payer and car driver.
          http://www.aa.co.nz/cars/licensing-safety-fees/road-user-charges/

          • dukeofurl 20.2.1.5.1
            10 July 2015 at 8:25 pm

            Plus the new HPM trucks , which are over the 40t maximum, when they worked out it wasnt ‘economic’ using standard trucks they just came up with a new version to get around the rules in a cunning way.

            Hey presto they get a 50t ( plus a 2t overage) truck without having to pay for it by way of RUC

            • Macro 20.2.1.5.1.1
              10 July 2015 at 8:55 pm

              Yep! The worst ones around here are the logging trucks. Highway 26 between Thames and Paeroa is now pretty stuffed. There used to be a railway from Thames to Paeroa and beyond – it’s now a cycleway.
              Mind you the roads round Canada and USA are far worst – they carry those enormous Big Rigs. I remember counting 15 in one convoy between two cars on the 401 heading from Toronto to Detroit – and that was pretty much standard. The poor old 401 is just rubble in some places specially up near Montreal. I was driving a little Toyota and the car just shook!- i’ve never driven over a surface like it here in NZ. Then again they do have the ice and snows of winter to contend with – but the trucks don’t help.

              • Macro …
                10 July 2015 at 9:09 pm

                Flying back home from Toronto to Vancouver I sat beside two very interesting people. The woman in her 60’s bet me I couldn’t name her job. And no I couldn’t. She reckoned she could be a millionaire on that bet alone. 🙂 She was the first woman railroad engineer (train driver) in Canada.
                Whilst I was in Canada there was quite a few news items on the growing number of fatal accidents involving trains. She was able to confirm that this was the case and was the direct result of policies by the new CEO to double the length of trains and half the number of staff. Also new employment conditions which meant drivers were on call 24 hours ,which meant they had very little proper rest because one could never be certain when the phone was to ring. She had enjoyed her job but now couldn’t wait to retire.
                The guy sitting on the other side was a venture capitalist and was involved in the financing of Tesla cars. A fascinating fellow who had his eye very much on the future. All in all the flight went very quickly.

                • David …
                  11 July 2015 at 1:14 pm

                  So, the future is venture capitalists making cars is it?

                  • Macro …
                    11 July 2015 at 2:28 pm

                    No. But an interesting conversation on the feasibility of electric cars and their potential. and interesting Vancouver is definitely gearing up for electric cars – for instance the railway museum at Squamish (a fascinating visit for any railway buff) has a quick charge facility in its car park as have many other public places. BC is the only Province in Canada that has actually reduced it’s carbon emissions – despite a right wing government. Has used its carbon tax to reinvest in public transport such as the sky train.

        • John Shears 20.2.1.6
          10 July 2015 at 8:33 pm

          BM Br…Off you are a pain in the butt with your stupid comments.

  21. Ad 21
    10 July 2015 at 4:38 pm

    No taxpayer benefits from the direct taxpayer subsidy to rail.

    If business consortia want to rent the tracks, great. Better than shutdowns.

    If Fonterra wanted to buy the rest of rail, we could take the dump trucks worth of subsidy and spend it on something useful like hospitals or home insulation or homeless people.

    A target of the next government could be decreasing the need for long haul freight overall. Just stop the obsession with fat transport capex, be it road or rail.

    • Colonial Viper 21.1
      10 July 2015 at 4:41 pm

      Fossil fuel use is largely going away within the next 30 years Ad. Where will your recomendations leave our nation then?

    • Ergo Robertina 21.2
      10 July 2015 at 6:49 pm

      ”No taxpayer benefits from the direct taxpayer subsidy to rail.”

      Yes they do. For one thing, the roads are safer, meaning fewer crashes and less associated cost: financial, physical, social.
      That is the kind of flow-on effect the idiots at the Treasury do not appreciate.
      Having a robust rail network in a geographically difficult country with fragile low quality roads makes sense in every economic and productivity measure unless you are blinkered by a narrow cost accounting view of the world.

    • Macro 21.3
      10 July 2015 at 7:29 pm

      “No taxpayer benefits from the direct taxpayer subsidy to rail.”

      Tell that to the 13.1 million users of Auckland Rail last year!

      Auckland’s rail patronage is 10 times higher than in the early 1990s, having swollen to 13 million passenger trips in the past year.

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11411768

  22. Skinny 22
    10 July 2015 at 4:47 pm

    The Transport Blog has some interesting details that is well worth a read.

    http://transportblog.co.nz/2015/07/10/close-the-freight-rail-network

  23. Ad 23
    10 July 2015 at 6:02 pm

    Hey CV.
    Electric trucks!
    Monorail!

    Love to have a transition economy.
    It never happened.

    • Macro 23.1
      10 July 2015 at 6:39 pm

      Electric trucks have a limited range – and have to have a whopping big battery – cutting down their carrying capacity. They are useless for a trip from Auckland to Wellington for example.

      • Colonial Viper 23.1.1
        10 July 2015 at 6:47 pm

        And how do you maintain tens of thousands of kilometres of road without diesel and bitumen?

        • Bill 23.1.1.1
          10 July 2015 at 7:07 pm

          Cobble stones and many navvies?

          Or – with dirigibles running on bio-fuel and panels; coastal shipping running on electricity generated from tidal generators or bio-fuel; trains on electricity and people walking/cycling/riding the quaint overgrown rivers of the oil industry’s by-product from yesteryear, there might not be too much of a need to maintain many of those thousands of kms 😉

          On second thoughts, maybe they’d provide a reasonable base for smaller rail inlays…intercity trams?

          • weka 23.1.1.1.1
            10 July 2015 at 7:43 pm

            which govt oversaw the removal of train tracks off the main trunk line into the provinces?

        • Macro 23.1.1.2
          10 July 2015 at 7:09 pm

          Exactly – I was just pointing out that Electric Trucks might sound like a good idea – and around town where they should be used they are. No one here is saying trucks do not have a place in our transport mix. But they should not be the main vehicle for freight over long distances – that is clearly the job of rail. It was in the past – as we referred to above – it being illegal to run a truck from Auckland to Wellington when shipping by rail was an option.

          • Colonial Viper 23.1.1.2.1
            10 July 2015 at 7:44 pm

            As Ad had inferred, in the ‘old days’ I understand it was illegal to freight something more than 25km by road, if rail was available.

            • Macro 23.1.1.2.1.1
              10 July 2015 at 8:02 pm

              Yes that was the case – the overturning of that rule was a serious mistake IMHO – leading to the rise and rise of the inefficient trucking industry, and many dollars in a few peoples pockets.
              BM might cite the numbers of people involved – but few are making a lot out of it. Most “companies” are franchises and the driver owns the truck and has the maintenance and road costs etc to pay as well as insurance etc. They drive as long as they are legally able – just to make ends meet. Such is the way of our market economy.

              • Draco T Bastard …
                10 July 2015 at 8:15 pm

                This is our ‘trucking’ market:

                I know some of these drivers. They borrow to buy the big rig, put their name on the side and are all set to go into their own small business.

                Trouble is, as owner-drivers, they have little or no bargaining power. If the company decides to slash their contract price, the only recourse they have is to the Courts – requiring expensive lawyers and thousands of dollars the drivers don’t have.

                I met some of the drivers mentioned in the SST. They work for large well-known iconic companies and they are at the end of their tether, so have decided to speak out.

                They told us that driving 100 hours, seven days a week is common, how they put bald tyres scraping on the rims onto the inside of the truck because they can’t afford replacement tyres, how some of them found themselves asleep at the wheel, and how one had a crash on the way home from work because he was so knackered.

                We heard how the company had unilaterally cut $700 a week from their pay, and there was almost nothing they could do about it without spending thousands of dollars they don’t have on lawyers and court action.

                Somebody’s making money but it ain’t the truckies.

          • dukeofurl 23.1.1.2.2
            10 July 2015 at 8:31 pm

            Electric trucks ?

            We have these now…well sort of … we join the trucks together with the electric engine at the front …its called a train

  24. Ad 24
    10 July 2015 at 6:25 pm

    God sorry about repetition there

    [ repetitions removed (to trash). If the nesting and numbering screws up then I’m pouring me a wine and running away ;-)] – Bill

  25. Bill 25
    10 July 2015 at 6:25 pm

    It’s a fact that we have to have zero energy related CO2 emissions by around 2050. Many people don’t like that fact or the medium term implications of it. Regardless, trashing the only part of our distribution/travel network that can be both quickly and easily converted so that it produces zero carbon emissions isn’t stupid: it’s fucking criminally insane.

  26. millsy 26
    10 July 2015 at 6:43 pm

    Laos, Jamaica, PNG and Afghanistan.

    None of those countries have rail networks.

    Do we really want to be alongside them?

  27. BM 27
    10 July 2015 at 6:46 pm

    I know every one here is keen on rail .
    But trucking does employs a fuck load of people both directly and indirectly

    There are 23,500people employed in the road freight industry according to the Statistics Department.

    An estimated 15,000 more people are indirectly employed by the industry, providing services ranging from vehicle equipment and maintenance to legal and accounting advice.

    With 4,057individual firms, road freight is typical of most other industries in New Zealand. It’s largely made up of locally-based and family-owned and run businesses, often started by taking out a mortgage on the family home. More than half have been in business for a decade or more.

    Most companies operate fewer than five trucks and have fewer than five people working for them.

    http://www.rtfnz.co.nz/transport-facts/transport-facts

    also lots of money is raised via RUC as well.

    http://www.aa.co.nz/cars/licensing-safety-fees/road-user-charges/

    • Ergo Robertina 27.1
      10 July 2015 at 7:08 pm

      Many are working in a stressful and dangerous manner, forced to ignore fatigue and work long hours, breaking the rules. And as trucking becomes ever more powerful, they have fewer options and are less likely to leave unsafe positions or speak up.
      And it’s a bit rich you trying to make a show of sticking up for the workers.
      Hillside in Dunedin employed more than 100 people whose livelihoods were sacrificed for the sake of the ludicrous economic dogma to which you adhere.

      • BM 27.1.1
        10 July 2015 at 7:13 pm

        Hmmm
        100 vs 45,000

        • weka 27.1.1.1
          10 July 2015 at 7:46 pm

          it’s not 100 vs 45,000. You’re not stupid, so why make the comparison.

          There are plenty of ways to create jobs. We’re well past the point of thinking we have to keep certain jobs that create huge problems, for the sake of the jobs.

        • Ergo Robertina 27.1.1.2
          10 July 2015 at 7:47 pm

          I don’t know the full job loss figure for Kiwirail; obviously it’s higher than 100.
          But it’s not just about direct jobs – high quality manufacturing jobs have bigger flow-on benefits to the wider economy, as demonstrated in the Berl Hillside report:
          http://www.rmtunion.org.nz/documents/downloads/kiwirail-build-in-nz/BERL_Report-Economic_benefits_of_building_rolling_stock_in_New_Zealand_Final.pdf

          And putting aside the wider economic effects argument (which I know you probably can’t take it anyway as it challenges your narrow view of the world), it’s illuminating that you imply it’s all about headcount, without any concern for the dangerous conditions affecting people in the industry.

      • Macro 27.1.2
        10 July 2015 at 7:15 pm

        🙂 Beat me to it! Hillside, Lower Hutt, – in the 1980’s many of today’s mechanical engineers learned their trade in our railway workshops.

    • Draco T Bastard 27.2
      10 July 2015 at 7:13 pm

      But trucking does employs a fuck of people both directly and indirectly

      Which is just another part of what makes it uneconomic. Economics is about using less, not more.

      also lots of money is raised via RUC as well.

      Just not enough

      http://transportblog.co.nz/tag/heavier-trucks/
      http://www.infrastructure.govt.nz/plan/2010development/submissions/pdfs/s-ifi-sts-oct09.pdf

      Road freight transport services are indirectly subsidised by about $2.5b (Ministry of Transport, 2009) of non-freight sector money over and above service provider RUC’s. This benefits all road users, however road transport gains significant free benefits in terms of transit times, network development, capacity, network maintenance, route availability, and service provider access opportunities.

      Yeah, as per normal you’re talking out your arse.

    • Bill 27.3
      10 July 2015 at 7:15 pm

      The jobs don’t matter. All that matters is that we configure an economy in such a way that people don’t starve when the market economy implodes before the climatic onslaught that’s coming down on us.

      Any necessary functions currently embedded within the concept of ‘jobs’ need to be safeguarded and continued, but the jobs will be gone.

      It’s kinda like…hmm, freedom.

      Just a shame that we might only adapt to it when everything’s kinda hellish when we could have claimed it while we had everything on a plate. Them’s the breaks of the stupid I guess.

      • Macro 27.3.1
        10 July 2015 at 7:37 pm

        Yep – We live in “The Age of Stupid”
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Stupid

        • greywarshark 27.3.1.1
          10 July 2015 at 8:36 pm

          I see The Age of Stupid had Pete Postlethwaite as the lead. Died in 2011 but he won’t be forgotten – an ordinary looking bloke who was a star because he was such a good actor. His wikipedia page says that Stephen Spielberg said he was the best actor in the world.
          (Getting off subject here sorry

          • Macro 27.3.1.1.1
            10 July 2015 at 10:00 pm

            Not really grey –

            He was gutted to be unable to attend the UN climate summit in Copenhagen in December 2009, but he dragged himself out of bed to be interviewed on Skype. He told me nothing cheered him up more than people stopping him in the street to explain how they were cutting their carbon.

            http://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jan/03/pete-postlethwaite-age-stupid

            And the film asks the question (among others) – why are we ripping up railway tracks when we need them right now?

            A bit like your referral to that excellent song The city of New Orleans and the moving story of the song writer Steve Goodman. He saw the value of rail back then in the 70’s and that song too was the product of a (young) man putting his life and soul into telling an important truth.

    • miravox 27.4
      10 July 2015 at 7:45 pm

      Never thought you’d be one to argue for ‘make work’ schemes, BM. Wasn’t the railways being apparently being used as a ‘make work’ scheme to keep unemployment down one of the arguments for privatisation of the rail network?

  28. greywarshark 28
    10 July 2015 at 8:29 pm

    Some commenters touched on using electric road vehicles and for those with an interest in them there is an interview on RadioNZ Kim Hill’s Saturday morning (though she is away at present and Noelle McCarthy is sitting in).

    9:40 Stefan Andreas Meyer
    Dr Stefan Andreas Meyer completed a post-doctoral Fellowship at the Raman Laboratory at Victoria University of Wellington before taking up a position at the Institute for Automotive Technology, Technical University of Munich. In his spare time, he was the driving force for the past few years behind a project to design and build an open source electric car, which he details at Blitz Conversions Limited.

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    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Spengeman People wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
    Skeptical Science
    14 hours ago

  • Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links at 6:36am on Tuesday, April 23
    TL;DR: These six news links stood out in the last 24 hours to 6:36am on Tuesday, April 22:Scoop & Deep Dive: How Sir Peter Jackson got to have his billion-dollar exit cake and eat Hollywood too NZ Herald-$$$ Matt NippertFast Track Approval Bill: Watchdogs seek substantial curbs on ministers' powers ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    16 hours ago

  • What is really holding up infrastructure
    The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    18 hours ago

  • “Pure Unadulterated Charge”
    Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    18 hours ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks for Monday, April 22
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: writes via his substack that’s he’s sceptical about the IPSOS poll last week suggesting a slide into authoritarianism here, writing: Kiwis seem to want their cake and eat it too Tal Aster writes for about How Israel turned homeowners into YIMBYs. writes via his ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • The media were given a little list and hastened to pick out Fast Track prospects – but the Treaty ...
     Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • Just trying to stay upright
    It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • “Unprecedented”
    Today, former Port of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson went on trial on health and safety charges for the death of one of his workers. The Herald calls the trial "unprecedented". Firstly, it's only "unprecedented" because WorkSafe struck a corrupt and unlawful deal to drop charges against Peter Whittall over Pike ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Time for “Fast-Track Watch”
    Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on fast track powers, media woes and the Tiktok ban
    Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • The Government’s new fast-track invitation to corruption
    Bryce Edwards writes-  The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    1 day ago

  • Maori push for parallel government structures
    Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • An announcement about an announcement
    Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • All the Green Tech in China.
    Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Western Express Success
    In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links at 7:16am on Monday, April 22
    TL;DR: These six news links stood out in the last 24 hours to 7:16am on Monday, April 22:Labour says Kiwis at greater risk from loan sharks as Govt plans to remove borrowing regulations NZ Herald Jenee TibshraenyHow did the cost of moving two schools blow out to more than $400m?A ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to April 29 and beyond
    TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #16
    A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: The Government’s new fast-track invitation to corruption
    The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • Thank you
    This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Determining the Engine Type in Your Car
    Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How to Become a Race Car Driver: A Comprehensive Guide
    Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How Many Cars Are There in the World in 2023? An Exploration of Global Automotive Statistics
    Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How Long Does It Take for Car Inspection?
    Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • Who Makes Mazda Cars?
    Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How Often to Replace Your Car Battery A Comprehensive Guide
    Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • Can You Register a Car Without a License?
    In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the Rule If you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • Mazda: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Reliability, Value, and Performance
    Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • What Are Struts on a Car?
    Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • What Does Car Registration Look Like: A Comprehensive Guide
    Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How to Share Computer Audio on Zoom
    Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How Long Does It Take to Build a Computer?
    Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How to Put Your Computer to Sleep
    Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • What is Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT)?
    Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • iPad vs. Tablet Computers A Comprehensive Guide to Differences
    In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How Are Computers Made?
    A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How to Add Voice Memos from iPhone to Computer
    Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • Why My Laptop Screen Has Lines on It: A Comprehensive Guide
    Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How to Right-Click on a Laptop
    Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • Where is the Power Button on an ASUS Laptop?
    Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How to Start a Dell Laptop: A Comprehensive Guide
    Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Serious populist discontent is bubbling up in New Zealand
    Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • How to Take a Screenshot on an Asus Laptop A Comprehensive Guide with Detailed Instructions and Illu...
    In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • How to Factory Reset Gateway Laptop A Comprehensive Guide
    A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 days ago

  • The Folly Of Impermanence.
    “You talking about me?”  The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • A crisis of ambition
    Roger Partridge  writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Have 308 people in the Education Ministry’s Curriculum Development Team spent over $100m on a 60-p...
    Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • 'This bill is dangerous for the environment and our democracy'
    Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • The Bank of our Tamariki and Mokopuna.
    Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • The worth of it all
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • What is the Hardest Sport in the World?
    Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • What is the Most Expensive Sport?
    The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Pickleball On the Cusp of Olympic Glory
    Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • The Origin and Evolution of Soccer Unveiling the Genius Behind the World’s Most Popular Sport
    Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How Much to Tint Car Windows A Comprehensive Guide
    Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Why Does My Car Smell Like Gas? A Comprehensive Guide to Diagnosing and Fixing the Issue
    The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Remove Tree Sap from Car A Comprehensive Guide
    Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How Much Paint Do You Need to Paint a Car?
    The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Can You Jump a Car in the Rain? Safety Precautions and Essential Steps
    Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Can taxpayers be confident PIJF cash was spent wisely?
    Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    4 days ago

  • EGU2024 – An intense week of joining sessions virtually
    Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Submission on “Fast Track Approvals Bill”
    The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    4 days ago

  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago

  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
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