Bludger Bridges

Written By: - Date published: 6:56 pm, August 13th, 2018 - 63 comments
Categories: benefits, class war, Economy, minimum wage, monetary policy, poverty, scoundrels, Simon Bridges, welfare - Tags: , ,

Simon Bridges, the current National Party leader, has been been found with his snout deep in the taxpayer’s trough.

He’s pissed away more than $100,000 in just the last three months, taking an extended holiday around NZ on what he cynically calls a ‘road show’.

Some road, some show!

Newshub has been leaked the National Party leader’s expenses, which show Bridges has spent waaaay more on travel and accommodation than MP’s usually get by on.

Travel and accommodation topped $113,973, and most of that, $80k, was blown travelling the country in fine style, staying in some of the countries best accommodation. And a top of the range BMW Crown limousine has chauffeured Bridges from Kaitaia to Southland as part of his three month ‘Getting to Know Simon’ roadshow.

Well, we’re getting to know Simon all right.

It turns out, the man’s a lightweight in Parliamentary debates, but a heavyweight when it comes to the luxuries of life.

Happily, Simon doesn’t give a shit.

“I’m working incredibly hard as Opposition Leader to get out there and understand what’s happening in New Zealand. I’m getting out and doing the hard mahi.”

Yeah, right. Scoffing Bluff oysters is hard work. The hardest!

Bludger Bridges has blown $900 a day on expenses. There’s beneficiaries who don’t get that in a month.

National, you can’t afford him long term and the country clearly can’t even afford him short term.

I’ll chip in the charcoal if some brave Tory MP wants to fire up the barbie.

Just don’t expect me to turn up in a limo.

 

UPDATE:   A desperate Matthew Hooton tries to divert attention from Bridges’ bludging by blaming a baby. And spectacularly fails.

63 comments on “Bludger Bridges ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Macro 1
    13 August 2018 at 7:17 pm

    Bloody Hell!
    Talk about “entitlement”….
    Today I went down to make breakfast for the dozen or so who were sleeping rough in our town last night. It was a cold night but at least it wasn’t raining. It might be a bit harder tonight for them though.
    I wonder if Simon met a few of the 40,000 NZ homeless on his way – I think not. $140,000 would go a fair way to feeding them for 3 months. But does he give a shit?

  2. McFlock 2
    13 August 2018 at 7:21 pm

    Which is a flipside of his roadshow he should have seen coming. No attempt to moderate expenses – silly.

  3. Nick Stone 3
    13 August 2018 at 7:23 pm

    I don’t understand the hit job here.

    For the 2 months prior to the election Ardern (as Leader of the Opposition) spent almost 3 times as much on limos as Bill English = *insert sound of wind whistling through trees*

    That wasn’t a story..?

    • te reo putake 3.1
      13 August 2018 at 7:46 pm

      Have you got a link for that, Nick? You might be correct, however, I suspect as a Wellington resident English simply may had less need for the car. Or perhaps his travel at that time was reported under the PM’s expenses?

    • Clive Macann 3.2
      13 August 2018 at 7:50 pm

      Proof please??

    • Delia 3.3
      13 August 2018 at 8:32 pm

      No she did not. The reality is Simon Bridges has blown the most out of any if them in a three month period and that includes English when PM. Link, TV3 tonight..and I will give another prediction, it is over for Bridges, it finished tonight.

    • Grant Insley 3.4
      13 August 2018 at 11:13 pm

      Almost as good as Hooton at making shit up!

  4. Cinny 4
    13 August 2018 at 7:26 pm

    simon …’frankly the government should be doing more of this…’

    Doing more of what simon…..living it up using taxpayer money?

    See ya simon, wouldn’t wanna be ya! He’s a waste of money and a waste of space.

  5. Patricia Bremner 5
    13 August 2018 at 7:35 pm

    Thanks for this Post. I found it enlightening that someone in the National Party? .. leaked the information to Newshub. Clearly they were unimpressed, as Macro said, this money could have done so much good.

    • Wayne 5.1
      14 August 2018 at 8:07 am

      Leak was almost certainly from Parliamentary Services.

      • solkta 5.1.1
        14 August 2018 at 8:13 am

        That is quite an accusation. By the way, it is “Parliamentary Service” not ‘Services’. Like as in the Public Service not as in a cleaning company.

      • Chris 5.1.2
        14 August 2018 at 3:44 pm

        Motives would be far greater within the National party than PS.

  6. RedLogix 6
    13 August 2018 at 7:40 pm

    Yeah nah … I’d like to see a breakdown on this $900 per day. If it was just personal expenses I’d doubt you could justify more than $300 per day tops, so goodness knows where the rest went.

    Air fares could easily add a fair bit, but it’s meant to be a ‘road show’ is it not?

  7. alec larsen 7
    13 August 2018 at 7:57 pm

    the trouble for national is not simon bridges .There problem is they have no coalition partner might I suggest Judith Collins starts a party after tweeting her way out of the leadership of national.I would do a peters resign cause a by election win it people in clevedon only no about horses,then form a party to cohabit with national.you will only give your support if you are pm.

    regards alec larsen

    • Dennis Frank 7.1
      13 August 2018 at 11:07 pm

      Could happen like this: Jude does the numbers in the caucus & realises too many of her colleagues think she’s too divisive. Only way to capitalise on that hugely favourable poll rating is to do as you say. But, she thinks, why don’t I join up with Seymour, he’s nearly as right-wing as me?

      He’d have to do as he’s told, of course, but he’d make an okay deputy. Have to change that brain-dead brand, something center-right because voters need a centrist option to switch to when Peters retires at the end of this term.

      So, the Center Right Alternative Party! Excited, too busy brainstorming the future to notice the acronym, she immediately calls a press conference & announces her resignation, wins the by-election a few months down the road & succeeds in getting ACT members to vote her in when she challenges Seymour for the leadership. ACT then has two MPs and with her pulling-power there’s the realistic prospect of several more come the next election: balance of power!! Then she directs the party to change it’s name to CRAP and it all turns to custard…

    • paul andersen 7.2
      14 August 2018 at 4:15 pm

      as with most things, starting a new poli party takes $$$$, would collins have that much backing, probably not from corporates, maybe from chinese dosh.

  8. Ed 8
    13 August 2018 at 8:37 pm

    $900 a day.
    That would feed quite a few queuing for food parcels.
    Disgusting waste by this craven self promoter.

  9. Ed 9
    13 August 2018 at 8:51 pm

    Bridges has form.

    “The records showed Transport Minister Simon Bridges spent $10,455 in the past three months, of which $6519 went on flights and Crown limos in Northland.”

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=11441612

    • Hanswurst 9.1
      13 August 2018 at 10:06 pm

      In that same article, Mallard appears to be suggesting that the figures used by Newshub may not be accurate, and that they in fact include the spending for the previous quarter; says the same happened to Mallard himself.

  10. alec larsen 10
    13 August 2018 at 9:13 pm

    what I am saying is forget about $100,000 that simon spent .What the labour coalition have to stop is national getting apartner.
    regards alec larsen

  11. BM 11
    13 August 2018 at 9:24 pm

    Is Mediaworks getting bailed out by Labour?

  12. Nordy 12
    13 August 2018 at 9:26 pm

    The way National are ‘going’ they will do that nicely by/to themselves. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of idiots, flakes and liars.

  13. AsleepWhileWalking 13
    13 August 2018 at 10:22 pm

    So…did anyone here show up & kōrero with Simon? How’d it go if you did?

    So what if he needs a super fluffy pillow. If it connects National/Bridges to the real issues it might be worth the inflated cost.

  14. WILD KATIPO 14
    13 August 2018 at 11:02 pm

    Good work , TRP.

    Show these neo liberal bludgers up for what they are.

    Thatcher once said ‘Socialists are good at spending money , – so long as its someones else’s money’.

    Yet for the last 34 years we’ve been treated to the biggest bludgers and rorters we’ve ever seen in this country. Neo liberals – good at spending other peoples cash. Never their own.

    As for Hooten ?… here’s a parody I posted at TDB. With compliments of a worker and a Gunn. My apologies for the length.

    ———————————————————

    Oh ,… here’s an interesting article in the NZ Herald today from the little man Hooten and his predictions:

    Matthew Hooton: ‘Worsening crisis of confidence’
    ——————————————————-

    ‘The outlook risks being catastrophic not just to the thousands who will lose their jobs but also to the Government’s re-election hopes ‘.

    TRANSLATION : The Govts new Industrial Relations laws are scaring the shit out of groups like the NZ Initiative and so its time to pull out the old tried and true ‘if wages go up unemployment will increase ‘ line.

    –

    ‘Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson have spent the week denying there is a crisis while also insisting it’s everyone else’s fault ‘ .

    TRANSLATION : At all costs we must not disclose the fact that tax cuts for the rich and the deliberate under-funding of infrastructure under National is why this govt struggles to allocate sufficient funding all at once to repair the nine year long austerity programs of National to achieve a budget surplus.

    –

    ‘ They are right that business confidence has slipped globally because of Brexit and Donald Trump’s trade war, but that does not explain why things are so much worse in New Zealand ‘ .

    TRANSLATION : SEE ABOVE.

    –

    ‘ Business confidence is plunging, not just in absolute terms, but also relative to the rest of the world ‘ .

    TRANSLATION : Despite the fact that ‘absolute terms’ is an obscure piece of economic jargon , we will use that because it is so broad based and all encompassing that it enables us to argue from any bogus stand point we like and still sound credible. And although we are not at all like Venezuela we want to scare the living crap out of the population into thinking we are headed that way.

    –

    ‘ Two years ago, New Zealand businesspeople were the second-most confident in the developed world ‘.

    TRANSLATION : And as any self respecting far right winger knows , – that was because of the fact that our great and glorious John Key was in power. Not only did our John teach the actors union a thing or two, he put all those pesky unions in their place and made sure workers didn’t ever try to rise above their stations. The low wage economy stayed intact, as did Johns tax havens. And if any of those uppity workers complained , – there was always the park bench for them and their family’s to sleep on.

    –

    ‘Now they are the second-least confident, with pessimism as bad as during the Global Financial Crisis ‘.

    TRANSLATION : Johns gone.

    –

    ‘True to form, the Beehive’s response has included smearing those who collect the data and participate in the surveys. Trade Minister David Parker has led that charge, saying the studies are “junk”, a “survey of the emotions” and “the vibe of a self-selected subset of CEOs”.

    TRANSLATION : That bastard Parker !!! He’s gone done called us all snowflakes with an agenda and showed us all up !!! Damn him !!!

    –

    ‘Labour’s media surrogates have loyally argued it’s all just a tantrum about the colour of the new Government. But the Government is not “new”.

    TRANSLATION : Things have sure gone downhill since John Keys ‘Mr Fixit’ Stephen Joyce is no longer around,… after successfully getting rid of John Campbell and installing our own people in key positions in the media its just that much harder to label everyone who doesn’t agree with us as ‘screaming left wing conspiracy theorists’.

    –

    ‘ It was elected nearly a year ago and business confidence did not sink to its current depths immediately ‘.

    TRANSLATION : Yet although by comparison to nine years of National being in power this govt is actually very new,- we cant admit that because of the lavish employer rights ( including landlords ) we enjoyed under National all that time. This has all changed. We are depressed. Sniff. And now unions look like they are being empowered. Sniff again.

    –

    ‘ The real problem is that Ardern, Robertson and the rest of the Labour crew were either incapable, too lazy or too distracted to do any policy work during nine years in opposition ‘.

    TRANSLATION : We need to keep using any emotive trigger words to deflect and conceal the fact that we of the right lived high on the hog because in actual fact it was National that was incapable, lazy and far too distracted by the good life for them and their mates to do any policy work after nine years of incumbency.

    –

    ‘ The Government’s 100-odd working groups are designed to fill that gap, but their combined effect is to leave every area of policy open to radical change but with no real indication of the nature of that change or when it might happen ‘.

    TRANSLATION : And with them doing that it leaves all us far right wingers completely in the dark as to how concoct a counter story once they have made their decision. They can undermine us anywhere, anyhow and anytime they choose! Damn them !!!

    –

    ‘ We have no idea what taxes might be dreamed up by the Tax Working Group, let alone which will be implemented or at what rate ‘ .

    TRANSLATION : This can only mean one thing and a more than compelling reason for us to shit our pants ,- they are going to introduce a realistic corporate tax and lighten the load of the working person at the same time! Damn again!! The party’s over!!!

    –

    ‘ The proposed independent Climate Change Commission means Parker and Nick Smith’s Emissions Trading Scheme might be replaced with something better or worse ‘.

    TRANSLATION : If its better the corporate’s will still make on the deal, if its worse , – they wont. Sniff.

    –

    ‘It’s unclear if the Government will streamline the Resource Management Act processes or expand the Auckland urban boundary ‘ .

    TRANSLATION : Either way the chips are gonna be down for the landed gentry and the land bankers. Sniff.

    –

    ‘ On water, some sort of tradeable rights scheme seems inevitable, with Māori taking some percentage as with the fishing quota. But the Government is unable to indicate when it will happen, how it will operate or what it might cost ‘.

    TRANSLATION : So there’s still time yet to sneak in a few more deals selling bottled water in China and buy that water for peanuts if we are quick enough.

    –

    ‘ Consequently, farmers and growers don’t know if their access to water will be restricted or a charge introduced. Potential new entrants, including iwi, don’t know if they might get better or cheaper access. Neither can invest until the policy is resolved ‘.

    TRANSLATION : Now’s the time to invest in shares and take a punt.

    –

    ‘ Similarly, no one knows what Jim Bolger’s Fair Pay Agreements working group will conclude, with fears it will be the biggest reversal in industrial relations since Bolger himself abolished compulsory unionism in 1983 ‘.

    TRANSLATION : That craven Benedict Arnold ! After all we and the Business Roundtable did for him ! Furnished his govt with bogus economic reports to facilitate our far right wing agenda’s, paid for slanted speakers to smear and discredit the unions, broke collective award rates and put em all on contracts instead…and he turns round and does this to us….

    –

    ‘ Future immigration policy is unclear, despite its reduction being Winston Peter’s central political message for a quarter century. Almost every other important area of policy, including health and education, is equally up for grabs ‘.

    TRANSLATION : WHATEVER ,- JUST WHATEVER you do , – keep up prayers and offerings to the god of Mammon to ensure immigration settings stay as they do ! You know as I know that we need those mass resources of cheap labour to not only maintain us in our lavish lifestyles but to drive down those wages as far as we can get em !!

    –

    ‘ Meanwhile, businesspeople are right to worry Shane Jones might suddenly turn up at your competitor’s operation with a big cheque from his $3 billion Provincial Growth Fund ‘ .

    TRANSLATION : Look , – we are known as believing in a ‘level playing field’, ‘competition driving down prices’ , but hey !- that’s just for the public’s consumption. The reality is our foreign owned monopoly’s are just fine as they are , thank you very much !!!

    –

    ‘ After the oil and gas decision, there is no certainty internal coalition politics won’t mean your entire industry won’t suddenly be declared unwelcome ‘.

    TRANSLATION : We always knew this coalition had it in for all our foreign buyer mates of NZ’s assets but this is just going too far !!!

    –

    ‘ Alongside its diversions and smears, the Government tried this week to launch a charm offensive, with Ardern and Parker’s “Trade for All” initiative and Robertson’s people pointing media to a speech he gave at SkyCity ‘.

    TRANSLATION : Damn that man ! , – exorcising the ghosts of our great and glorious leader John Key and the deals HE made at Sky City. What a cad !!!

    –

    ‘The former is an Ardern special. A year-along “conversation” about what trade means to you, complete with yet another “advisory board”.

    TRANSLATION: THAT Woman ! , – leads a flagging Labour to victory , sides with Winston Peters, has a baby and STILL runs an incredibly popular govt. DAMN !

    –

    ‘ Robertson’s speech was the usual precis of historic economic data combined with vague references to an Economic Plan, written in the style of a high school debating runner-up ‘.

    TRANSLATION : And that’s what gets me about Robertson,… that blasted ability he has to preface a problem, present a solution then be able to break it down so that even a high school debating runner -up can understand. We haven’t got a chance. Sniff.

    –

    ‘ The Beehive PR machine needs to remember it’s communicating with investors and business leaders, not infants ‘.

    TRANSLATION : And despite the fact that many actually DO carry on like infants who wont share the toys in the sandpit , – we demand this govt listen to us or we WILL spit the dummy !!!.

    –

    ‘ In fact, Robertson knows full well there is no plan. How could there be when absolutely any policy that counts, including even whether trade is a good thing, is to be left undetermined not just for weeks or months but, in some cases, for years? ‘.

    TRANSLATION: Aside from the fact that the rhetorical question on ‘whether trade is a good thing ‘ is as nebulous as my argument against the coalition at the moment, – and because it sounds all so high minded and philosophical , – I’ll leave that last line in because as we all know , – there is no crystal ball and I can sound as if I’m criticizing the govt when in actual fact I’m not saying anything of substance at all.

  15. SpaceMonkey 15
    13 August 2018 at 11:30 pm

    And here I was thinking that “road show” was paid for by the National Party… silly me! Anything from the Taxpayers Union on this…? *Crickets*

  16. mac1 16
    14 August 2018 at 12:36 am

    I attended a Bridges roadshow and spotted the limo.

    He was not very convincing though he has a reasonably nice sense of self-deprecating humour.

    He believed the Key years were good. Didn’t rate Labour as an opposition. He’s now learning from the people by his roadshow. Labour has “Slogans but no plans.” He’s about offering credible alternatives (yet to see them though). He’s old-fashioned which after being used twice about cannabis, decriminalisation and crime was actually a dog-whistle about his innate and trustworthy conservatism. He’s for less regulation, less tax but could not see the hypocrisy in that later he said that governments could afford everything he promised, as a strong economy addressed all funding issues, presumably by offering more tax. Didn’t want to be seen as stereotypical but then gave us a very sterotypical problem family which he reckoned he could assist better than this government. Gave out the old deception that National spent more on health last year than Labour did this year (but did not explain about a $1.5 billion court-ordered payout for salary arrears. Banged on about the unemployment moving back upwards from 4.4% to 4.5%. Called the money for the provinces, in a provincial centre mind you, Shane Jones “slush fund”. National at 45% doing well but he did not mention his own rating of 10% when he couldn’t even secure convinced National voters to award him their preferrred PM rating. He referred to the ‘Communist Green party” which to him was not even a green party, and twice referred to Aunty Helen. He’s picking a CGT will be introduced.

    What was interesting is that he was not at all positive about beating Labour in 2020. He said
    “It was pretty historic to be a one term government” and that the government will return unless people get “knocked in the head”, which he was not picking would happen, though it’s an inexperienced government (but he did not elaborate on how experienced it will be after three and then six years in power.)

    He said Kiwi build was ‘a mirage’ and that the capacity was not there to build the planned houses but again he did not see the problem that his government had over nine years neglected to ensure
    enough resources. He blamed not having enough houses on lack of land in a town where the District Council proudly estimates it has enough land for houses for years to come.

    He also said that in opposition his party would commend the government when it got something right. A pity that he forgot that right away when he criticised the announcement of the ban on one-use plastic bags.

    Mana in Mahi was not mentioned, nor the winter warmth announcement.

    If you’ve read this far, and are fully bored, then so too was I. I only kept interested because I took copious notes. In summation, keep him on the road doing his meet the people. He’s already defeated, and knows it.

    • Ed 16.1
      14 August 2018 at 5:44 am

      Was the hall packed?
      How many attended?

      • mac1 16.1.1
        14 August 2018 at 9:17 am

        About 250, and 60% full. Afternoon meeting, mostly older citizens- the converted and a few political junkies. When ‘Aunty’ Helen was there in election 1999, the place was overflowing.

  17. Ed 17
    14 August 2018 at 5:51 am

    The story is growing legs.

    Newshub, then s Stuff, now RNZ.

    “The total bill came to $113,973. Most of that – $83,693 – was spent travelling in the crown limousine.

    Former Labour leader Andrew Little spent roughly $35,000 less on travel during the same period last year.”

    https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/364008/simon-bridges-defends-113k-expenses-bill

  18. Chris T 18
    14 August 2018 at 9:33 am

    I can’t believe people are actually taking this seriously as if it is a National thing

    Did everyone else miss the roadshow everytime Labour elects a leader?

    The 6 months meet and greet traveling round Little did win winning it?

    Little and Ardern’s 21 venue roadshow before he quit?

    Some people should look in the mirror

  19. Kevin 19
    14 August 2018 at 9:43 am

    “I’m working incredibly hard as Opposition Leader to get out there and understand what’s happening in New Zealand. I’m getting out and doing the hard mahi.”

    —

    What the hell was he doing for the previous 9 years then?

  20. Michelle 20
    14 August 2018 at 12:09 pm

    Who cares if Jacinda passed the baby around that didn’t cost us tax payers 100k it was free. In the meantime the bloody gnats are good at putting in the boot when it comes to others spending up large our taxes but when its them its okay cause they are allowed and they are doing their job, bloody hypocrites !

  21. Michelle 21
    14 August 2018 at 12:14 pm

    Remember this party has form ( a track record) when it comes to leaking things

  22. Jum 22
    14 August 2018 at 3:30 pm

    This whole tripping around NZ was done by Key, just after becoming prime minister in 2008. Into the second year of the GFC, business was publicly saying it was happy to keep current staff numbers and try to tough it out until the economy came back up, thereby keeping skilled staff, reducing future staff training costs. Sensible, logical business nouse.
    But, by the time Key had travelled around the country, businesses were dropping staff and then dropping their wages if re-employing them. Wasn’t Whitcoulls just one such example of re-employing at lower wages?

    Now Bridges goes around the country and suddenly businesses are worried, when actually the economic indicators are good.

    What lies did each of those men tell the public of New Zealand? Just go back to The Standards’ very long list of John Key’s twisting nature of fakery. Just look at the general arrogance and greed at the base of many of the current mps in national, who will do anything to get back to taking aways workers’ rights and reducing their wages and conditions and security of work.

    Business slammed Labour for daring to suggest having a conversation of creating a tax level playing field pre 2017 election, to put into place in 2018-20. So Labour said they would create a group to do this and then go to the next election on those plans. So business has only itself to blame for creating this public furore and slowing down of decision-making which now means future plans have to wait. Tell the idiot Bennett as she now waffles in parliament that it was her party’s misleading the public that produced the current waiting by business.

    And added to those two xxxxxxxx is Hooton, who has just been proved to be a national/act stooge. I have to ask, does he have a life-time contract with Radio NZ for the politics segment on Mondays? When do we get some more honest and intelligent debate from the right side of politics?

    As for the travel overspend by Bridges leak not coming from his nat competitors crawling out from the slime after the greedy position of nat leader? Oh ha ha ha hee hee hee ho ho ho.

  23. Paul Campbell 23
    14 August 2018 at 6:31 pm

    My current theory is that Bridges realised it was going to come out that he’d just spent $100k of the taxpayer’s money campaigning for National … what better way to get out in front of the inevitable scandal than to release the info yourself and then make a big fuss trying to find the mythical releaser … and of course throw a bit of shade at Judith in the process

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  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

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

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

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

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

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

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

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

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

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

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

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

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

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

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

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

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

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

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

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

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

  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    49 mins ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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