Bombs Away?

Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, September 12th, 2014 - 73 comments
Categories: democracy under attack, election 2014, greens, making shit up, Media, Politics - Tags: , , ,

So after however many days, months and years spent tripping Labour at every turn, it now appears that the National Party’s dedicated ‘dirty network’ is switching attention to the Greens.

Last month (as reported by NRT and Chris Trotter) , an outfit calling itself ‘The Opinion Partnership’ appeared to be launching a negative advertising campaign targeting the Green Party.

Today we have the Greens (and Labour) seeking to contain Corin Dann’s spin on TVNZ that suggested they will align with the National Party. That line seems to have launched off the back of a column written by John Armstrong on Wednesday.

Now, of course it screams of the dirty politics tactics that Nicky Hager outlined in his book. But short of some leaked email communication, can the genesis of this particular play be traced back beyond Armstrong’s column?

That as it may be, can I suggest you re-read Trotter’s updated piece on ‘The Opinion Partnership’ if you haven’t already?

And if you are of the left, quit the negative fucking arm flailing over claims the Green Party are going to jump into bed with the National Party and get digging instead. Thanks.

73 comments on “Bombs Away? ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. toad 1
    12 September 2014 at 5:07 pm

    Bizarre thing about this sort of bullshit is that the chances of the Labour Party forming a confidence and supply agreement with the Nats are higher than the Greens doing it.

    For the Greens, any Coalition or C&S agreement is not in the hands of the Leadership or even the Caucus – it has to be ratified by the membership at a Party Special General Meeting. And that is just not going to happen for the Nats, whose policies are toxic to the vast majority of Greens.

      • Bunji 1.1.1
        12 September 2014 at 5:45 pm

        It regularly amazes me how little the political punditry understand political parties.

        They had it that the Labour Caucus would kick Cunliffe out against the party’s wishes – both when the party would immediately vote him back, and in that 3 month pre-election period that would have been electoral suicide (both with voters and with the party troops not doing the leg work with disenchantment). Where do they come up with this stuff? It’s certainly not thought through.

        And the Greens membership backing a C&S deal with National?

        Do they actually engage their brains?

        • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1.1.1
          12 September 2014 at 6:05 pm

          Of course they engage their brains.

          Their brains tell them that if they’re no longer prepared to put up with this shit, there’ll be another idealistic dupe along in a minute to take their job.

          Super injunctions are so super, simply splendid, sucks eh.

        • mickysavage 1.1.1.2
          12 September 2014 at 7:52 pm

          Agreed.

          Some of my best friends are greens. They would rather drive spikes through their eyes than go with National.

          Methinks Bill is right and there has been some dirty politics on the part of the media happening.

        • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.3
          12 September 2014 at 7:58 pm

          It regularly amazes me how little the political punditry understand political parties.

          It’s either that or they’re spinning for all they’re worth. Personally, I think it’s the spin.

          • AmaKiwi 1.1.1.3.1
            12 September 2014 at 8:29 pm

            If a media story says the Budapest soccer league is falling apart, I accept it because I don’t follow Hungarian soccer.

            By destroying local governments we have been made powerless in even the most minor, local, political decisions. We live under a rotating parliamentary dictatorship.

            It is wise not to waste your time thinking critically about things over which you have no control, like Hungarian soccer and NZ governance. Simpler to accept the spin.

    • Weepus beard 1.2
      12 September 2014 at 5:25 pm

      Why is anyone even talking confidence and supply with National?

      It’s not time to wave the white flag just yet, is it?

      • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2.1
        12 September 2014 at 6:07 pm

        Anyone who’s talking confidence and supply with the National Party must be investigated by the Royal Commission. Their complicity is seditious.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2.1.1
          12 September 2014 at 6:13 pm

          To expand a little: this National Party filth machine is a constitutional crisis, akin to a government of foreign spies. The ballot box is one of the tools to prosecute the scum, and it will be inadequate unless enforced by the other pillars of government.

          If the police (and/or other judicial arms) do not have powers of arrest in respect of the Prime Minister’s crimes, the next Parliament needs to address that problem.

          • Weepus beard 1.2.1.1.1
            12 September 2014 at 6:47 pm

            The ballot box is one of the tools we have to hold them to account but I wonder if there are enough of us to make it work.

            My biggest concern is the Kiwi male, only 18% of whom identify with Labour right now.

            I was speaking to a fellow parent from my kids’ school (dec 5) the other day at a BBQ I put on for the kids and I felt sure he would be a Labour or Green voter but as the conversation went on it was clear he was worried that National would not get in.

            Another parent who I knew would be a National voter because he and his brothers inherited and worked the family business wondered about the relevance of “Dirty Politics” and specifically whether anybody read blog sites at all so why was it such a big deal? I said to him: Journalists read blog sites and the public read journalists.

            I can understand the second one being conservative but it’s the first one which is a worry. This is the sort of working Kiwi bloke (ok, so he’s management, but still a one income family) who for some reason has bought into the government spiel even though I’m sure he and his kids would be better off with a Labour led government.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2.1.1.1.1
              12 September 2014 at 7:07 pm

              Anecdata, although a general rule is that the National Party’s relentless perfidy relies on ignorance, the Dunning Kruger effect, and confirmation bias; there is an increasing body of evidence that a good strategy to educate right wing dupes is an emotional rather than fact-based approach, since they lack the cognitive ability to absorb the latter.

              • KJT …
                12 September 2014 at 8:03 pm

                And the previous perfidy of Labour, especially in the 80’s.

              • AmaKiwi …
                12 September 2014 at 8:38 pm

                “there is an increasing body of evidence that a good strategy to educate right wing dupes is an emotional rather than fact-based approach”

                The emotion is FEAR.

                I worry about saying this so close to the election, but National could enhance their chances by announcing a terrorist attack is imminent.

                If you see NZ troops guarding the Beehive and Harbour Bridge, remember you read it first on The Standard.

    • word 1.3
      13 September 2014 at 3:39 am

      @Toad. Well I think its utter bullshit that you think labour would go into a C&S with a most insidiously corrupt and toxic national party, thats just a load of rubbish.

  2. karol 2
    12 September 2014 at 5:18 pm

    Well said, Bill.

    Too much in-fighting as the result of a couple of MSM journalists running with wedge politics lines.

    Time to get back tot he real struggles – against those NAct two trackers.

    Got my easy vote card today – let’s get back to getting everyone out to vote and…

    Keep calm and vote left – whatever that means to each person.

    And the real story is, The NActs and Key see their support slipping. Why else is Key going for only half an hour – minus the ad breaks – for the final leaders debate?

  3. Deb Kean 3
    12 September 2014 at 5:24 pm

    “Today we have the Greens seeking to contain Corin Dann’s spin on TVNZ that suggested they will align with the National Party.”
    And yet they probably will align with National, which is one of the many reasons why the Greens will not ever again be getting my vote.

    • Weepus beard 3.1
      12 September 2014 at 5:28 pm

      Hang on Deb, while I understand the frustration, Bill has asked us not to fight and I agree with him on that point.

    • weka 3.2
      12 September 2014 at 5:31 pm

      “And yet they probably will align with National,”

      🙄

      • outofbed 3.2.1
        12 September 2014 at 6:46 pm

        “And yet they probably will align with National,”
        I am one of “they”
        And we won’t

        • Corokia 3.2.1.1
          12 September 2014 at 6:53 pm

          damn right outofbed, we won’t!
          I’d put my money on Deb Kean being a troll and not someone who has been a Green voter in the past.

          • Deb Kean 3.2.1.1.1
            12 September 2014 at 7:45 pm

            “I’d put my money on Deb Kean being a troll and not someone who has been a Green voter in the past.”
            I’d put my money on your being an arrogant male. Who gave you the right to call me a troll just because I don’t trust the (blue) Greens?
            I did vote Green, but no more, and one reason was Russel Norman and Metiria Turei proudly annoucing in 2011 that they’d support National on confidence and supply.

            • Corokia 3.2.1.1.1.1
              13 September 2014 at 8:19 am

              The troll label was speculation on my part, I am highly suspicious of those who claim to be/have been Green supporters BUT totally misrepresent the Greens position
              You did it again. -“Russel Norman and Metiria Turei proudly annoucing in 2011 that they’d support National on confidence and supply”.
              CRAP! That never happened. The Greens have always opposed giving confidence and supply to National, except in the 2011 election, when they it said it was unlikely but didn’t rule it out.
              (and you lost your bet)

            • Corokia 3.2.1.1.1.2
              13 September 2014 at 10:06 am

              “And yet they probably will align with National” -NO, the Greens did not say that.
              Here is Metiria making it quite clear on Firstline
              “Unfortunately in a campaign you can’t always control how the story is told, so for those asking, let’s be clear: nothing has changed.
              Our 100% focus this election is to change the government in order to achieve a cleaner, fairer, smarter New Zealand.
              Three more years of National would be disastrous for our environment, our children and economy and we need to change the government”

              If you Deb Kean, expect to be believed you could try not making stuff up.

              • karol …
                13 September 2014 at 10:14 am

                Thanks for the quote from the interview, Corokia – will add it to my post on the Nats two track strategy.

              • Deb Kean …
                13 September 2014 at 2:27 pm

                “f you Deb Kean, expect to be believed you could try not making stuff up.”
                I made nothing up, so try again. Conveniently for you, you don’t give a link, just a quote from Metitiria, who is rumoured to be a good person, unlike Norman, so possibly she’s telling the truth. I would not count on it but. You’re going to get to screech troll at me even louder when I tell you that the main reason why I will never vote Green is their abortion policy, which sucks and blows.

    • BM 3.3
      12 September 2014 at 8:13 pm

      Personally, I find the new direction they’re taking quite appealing.

      I’m still voting National, but if the greens are willing to spend the next 3 years working under National, I’d be willing to flick a vote their way in 2017.

    • Vaughan 3.4
      12 September 2014 at 9:09 pm

      The day the Greens align with a traitor like ShonKey, or sell their political soul to a Party as corrupt and toxic to People and the Planet as National, is the day I and many fellow Green Party Members + Supporters, eat their hemp shoes. . . It just won’t happen Deb.

      NZH = Right Wing Spin / Propaganda Machine – don’t believe their hype, or their polls. The only poll that matters is on September 20!

  4. Rich 4
    12 September 2014 at 5:27 pm

    And just now we have Len Brown’s documents released by the council to the Herald about the time of his affair, yes AFFAIR.

    Now at least we know what this is all about. SEX, don’t let the plebs have sex!

    But guess what Herald readers, the Herald did not get what they wanted. Ms Chuang did not travel with Len to China! Yes China, that’s where Ms Chuang is from, they must be shocked. Damn it write the story anyway.

    • karol 4.1
      12 September 2014 at 5:32 pm

      Yeah. Amazing – headlined as Breaking News.

    • sockpuppet 4.2
      12 September 2014 at 5:34 pm

      WTF ?

      • Rich 4.2.1
        12 September 2014 at 9:04 pm

        You want a translation? The herald put an OIA in expecting to get confirmation of a suspicion that Ms Chuang travelled with Len Brown on council money to China. But instead they got confirmation that this did not happen. But instead of slinking off without telling anyone they wrote the story anyway, trying to give it traction by mentioning that it was at the same time as the AFFAIR.

        Now there is also an equivalence here between Brown having an affair and what is happening on Key’s watch, which most of us would view as much, much worse.

        And that is a peek into the thought processes of these morons, unintended as always but there nevertheless.

  5. Macro 5
    12 September 2014 at 5:29 pm

    What bill and what toad says!
    There are some dim witted commentators about making all kinds of unrealistic assertions.
    Nat + Green is just not going to happen.
    That is not to say that the Greens not will seek to advance their Policies – no matter what.

  6. weka 6
    12 September 2014 at 5:34 pm

    Wayne Mapp posted this comment on Weds,

    There will be shortly a post of mine on Pundit where I discuss the convergence of the Greens, Labour and National on dairy farming practices in respect of clean water.

    If you actually take the time to read the polices of each of the parties you will be surprised at the degree of convergence. I did not expect this level of convergence, but I was twigged to this by the Greens announcements in the weekend which seemed surprisingly similar to that of the Nats earlier last week. The Greens have an 18 page paper on the issue.

    http://thestandard.org.nz/nrt-fundamental-incomprehension/#comment-884516

    That comment was on a repost of NRT’s response to Armstrong’s Herald article promo-ing the GP and National. Worth a reread for those people that want to understand the GP position better.

  7. Tautoko Viper 7
    12 September 2014 at 5:35 pm

    Just a thought.
    Wayne Eagleson refused an OIA request for briefings to bloggers saying that the OIA didn’t cover them.
    https://fyi.org.nz/request/1911/response/6746/attach/3/12092014110457%200001.pdf

    But, but, but if Cam Slater is now and was considered to be a journalist…….

    • karol 7.1
      12 September 2014 at 5:37 pm

      interesting.

    • mike s 7.2
      13 September 2014 at 4:31 am

      Yeah interesting. In my opinion the wording in the request needs to be more specific also.

      For example maybe change the wording to something along the lines of:

      “Any communications in the form of emails, faxes, sms text messages, documents, files or any other form of digital or paper based communications, sent, transferred, or in any other way forwarded from the Prime Minister’s office to journalist Cameron Slater, or to the following mobile phone numbers… (list numbers), or to any of the following email addresses..(list slaters known emails such as whaleoil, etc) during the period starting 1 April, 2014 and finishing 30 April, 2014”

      They like things specific

  8. just saying 8
    12 September 2014 at 5:38 pm

    Labour is way more likely to go into coalition with National.
    In a sense they made that particular faustian pact a long time ago.

    I think there will be a Labour, Green and (god forbid) NZF government with more than a knife-edge of a majority because of four or more Internet Mana MPs as their voiciferous outsiders, come Sunday week. What I’m hearing all over the place is at odds with what the media are depicting as the mood of the nation.

    Unfortunately, we’ll probably have Colin Craig take over from the Hairdo.

    Panic is counter to any NACT script. The bullshit is dependent on a cool delivery.

    • Colonial Viper 8.1
      12 September 2014 at 9:16 pm

      Labour is way more likely to go into coalition with National.
      In a sense they made that particular faustian pact a long time ago.

      Exactly.

      Unfortunately, we’ll probably have Colin Craig take over from the Hairdo.

      I still think that it is unlikely that CONS will get to 5.0%.

      • Lanthanide 8.1.1
        13 September 2014 at 9:52 am

        I agree. I think they’ll end up something like 3.8% – 4.5%

        Colin said they knew where they were getting their support from – half from National and the other half largely from NZFirst and Labour.

        As the polls generally over-sample National on the order of 4-5%, so too will this over-sampling affect the Conservatives.

        Still, National are going to be kicking themselves for not lowering the threshold to 4%.

    • word 8.2
      13 September 2014 at 3:49 am

      The labour of “long ago” is not the labour of “today”
      I disagree that labour would go into a C&S with national, just like the Greens wont.

  9. locus 9
    12 September 2014 at 5:45 pm

    I would trust people and parties to behave in line with their track record. The Greens and Labour are not parties that will let their supporters down.

    Theres an inherent goodness and intelligence in the social and environmental values of the left. These values are clearly not evident in the track record and dirty politics of key and his back scratching mates.

    You only have to look at the disaster of the Lib Dems in UK to realise you sign your party’s death warrant when you align with toxic politics and neolib dogma.

    • karol 9.1
      12 September 2014 at 5:58 pm

      It’s also good to see, as reported by Andrea Vance this arvo, that some Greens and Labour people were talking last night:

      Campaigning in Napier today, Labour leader David Cunliffe said he believed the Greens were targeting “economic National voters who have environmental sympathies”.

      Senior staff from both parties talked today, and he was given “reassurances” that the Greens had “every intention of working co-operatively in a Labour-led government”.

  10. nadis 10
    12 September 2014 at 6:07 pm

    “…Labour are not parties that will let their supporters down”

    Comedy gold.

  11. One Anonymous Bloke 11
    12 September 2014 at 6:44 pm

    How to bury a story, 101.

    Any public interest in protecting sources must be further diminished when there is evidence that a personal vendetta appears to be driving (Slater’s reports),” Justice Asher said.

    “Further, where the material provided by the sources appears to have been unlawfully obtained, that is a further factor lessening the public interest in the free flow of information.”

    The justice said the blog published by Slater “are extreme and vindictive and have the hallmarks of a private feud.”

    Justice Asher also states that the sources used by Slater came “hard-drive and other documents (that) appear to have been obtained illegitimately.”

    Slater has therefore been ordered to comply with discovery requirements in the substantive defamation hearing ahead and must pay Blomfield’s costs.

  12. BM 12
    12 September 2014 at 7:22 pm

    Labour’s about as popular with the masses as weeping genital sores.

    The greens know this, hence this sounding out of National as a potential coalition partner.

    • weka 12.1
      12 September 2014 at 7:32 pm

      BM, just fuck off with the troling lies. You know what you have said is wrong and yet here you are saying it again and again and again.

    • Kat 12.2
      12 September 2014 at 7:35 pm

      yuk BM!

      Obviously you are either a National party/ Act/Slater troll.

      Oh how this lovely country has been smothered by the evil obnoxious politics of John key.

    • Tautoko Viper 12.3
      12 September 2014 at 7:55 pm

      You are all class, BM!!!

    • One Anonymous Bloke 12.4
      12 September 2014 at 9:23 pm

      Don’t be so hard on poor BM. It was only a brief moment of cognitive dissonance ago that Dear Leader was going to govern alone.

  13. Deb Kean 13
    12 September 2014 at 7:26 pm

    “The greens know this, hence this sounding out of National as a potential coalition partner.”

    What a creative (but ultimately nasty) excuse.

  14. lurgee 14
    12 September 2014 at 8:42 pm

    I think I’ve said before, that even if the numbers add up to some dubious grand coalition of the left, the Greens may prefer not to be part of it. Mitigating National’s nastiness through constructive opposition may be preferable to being part of a shambles of a government.

    • BM 14.1
      12 September 2014 at 9:02 pm

      Exactly, Labour is a dead man walking, doesn’t make sense to breath life back into that political corpse.
      Let labour die a natural death and then claim the mantle as the main opposition party.

      It’s what I’d do, if I was calling the shots for the greens.

    • weka 14.2
      12 September 2014 at 9:15 pm

      having said it before doesn’t make it any more true. It would be exceptional circumstances where the GP chose opposition against National over being in govt with Labour. So exceptional I can’t think what they circumstances would be.

  15. Local Kiwi 15
    13 September 2014 at 6:27 am

    BM the paid assasin telling lies again eh!
    Get a real job.

    Come Moday when your boss Key has the revalations of him being involved in a plot to secretly help his rich foriegn mates rape and destroy our economy to take it over without a shot fired.

    Kim.com revenge day yeah!!!!!

  16. dave 16
    13 September 2014 at 6:55 am

    these national party goons at it again every time i see those team key goons i just vomit
    russell winstone cunliffe for god sake work something out don’t let the criminals get rewarded any government but national

  17. crocodill 17
    13 September 2014 at 9:56 am

    Infiltrated by trolls and a dirty media, huh? I emailed The Greens earlier this week with concerns and they sent me a standard reply this morning (which did not answer my questions directly). I accept that a volunteer is not going to be authorised to address the public directly, but they are authorised to say what the Leadership/Membership tell them to say. So either my email was intercepted by the CIA and it is evidence of wide-scale random hacking, or there are no trolls, no bad media, just The Greens being reckless and deceitful. If that’s the case, well, I’m not going to tell the membership what they should do to their leaders. Here read it in full and then tell me that they have categorically eliminated working with a corrupt National party:

    Thank you for your email.

    There has been some confusion as a result of last night’s TV One news story.

    To be clear, our goal in this election is to change the Government in order to achieve a cleaner, fairer, smarter New Zealand. The best way to advance good green change is for the Greens to be in Government.

    Our intention is to form a new government with Labour. So a party vote for the Greens is a vote for a big Green presence in a new government with Labour.
    The Greens have momentum in this election. Last night’s TVNZ poll had us on 14%, the highest we have ever been in that poll. More New Zealanders than ever are saying they are planning to vote Green.

    We have always said it would be highly unlikely that we would give confidence and supply support to a National government. Three more years of National will be bad for our environment, our kids, and our economy.

    If, in the unfortunate event National does end up the Government, an even bigger Green Party will continue to be a strong and effective voice opposition that holds them to account and stops them from doing bad things and, wherever possible, achieving good green change, like we did by securing the $300 million home insulation scheme and national cycleway in 2008.

    Again, thanks for your email and I hope this clarifies our position.

    Party Administration Team

    Phone 04 801 5102 | Email green.party @greens.org.nz | Web http://www.greens.org.nz
    Level 2, 17 Garrett Street, Wellington

    Authorised by Jon Field, Level 2, 17 Garrett Street, Wellington
    This message contains information that is confidential and which may be subject to privilege. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, distribution or reproduction of this message is prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify me immediately by telephone or by return email. Thank you

    The bold was done by me. So tell me this, am I a troll for being concerned that The Greens find it “unlikely” that they will support a corrupt government? Unlikely? No, listen, there is only one answer to that question and that answer is no, NO we will not enable or support a National government just to win an extra cycle way or to put extra insulation into the homes of the almost poor while National go about creating poverty and generally behaving like psychopaths.

    So you direct me to the bit about being in opposition? I direct you to the bit about The Greens thinking they can influence psychopaths by enabling them. They know exactly what “unlikely” means. It means if Labour eat up most of the useful Left vote and The Greens become the possible-but-not-quite-senior party of the Left, they will go with National to form a government. How would that even work? Either you work with Labour in that situation or you don’t. Unlikely? What, they’re telling us Labour have said they won’t be a junior partner? Holy Christ. They know the only way they can do anything, is by being in power – see first bold.

    The Greens are correct in saying support for them has never been higher, but to prematurely grab at power now, and abandon the people and their principles, that’s just career politicians thinking of themselves. Surely it would be better for our leaders to increase the trust they have with the electorate by not compromising with people who want them effectively eliminated. Ask yourself, why if the Greens are on roughly 15%, in unfavourable polls, would they not come out and say NO, F-Off corrupt National. Why would they chose the normalisation of Dirty Politics over drawing a line in the sand and saying, no, NOT acceptable.

    Numbers aside, the kind of thinking the Greens are using betrays the Left. Pragmatism my ass. Love NZ? By enabling abusers? That would be like the Mother who enables an abusive Father to damage the kids because the alternative is having them living on the street? Yeah tough decision, except I would rather live on the street in community than hide in suburbia enabling hate and fear.

    Vote for enabling wholesale abuse of the powerless? You must be joking. Don’t tell me to shut up and start digging. I’ll smack you with the spade.

  18. reason 18
    13 September 2014 at 2:17 pm

    crocodill fears & tears.

    The greens will go into government with national if the nats change most if not all of their policy. Pass me the Tui’s when that happens.

    Anyway this false impression against the greens may pick them up soft national voters with morals who just cant bring themselves to vote for Team Sleaze 🙂

  19. Sable 19
    13 September 2014 at 2:35 pm

    Yet more “quality” reporting from the MSM in NZ. Best thing anyone could do is simply refuse to read their rags in either hard or softcopy. They only have a voice if we are all willing to listen.

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    2 days ago

  • Clued Up: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    “But, that’s the thing, mate, isn’t it? We showed ourselves to be nothing more useful than a bunch of angry old men, shaking our fists at the sky. Were we really that angry at Labour and the Greens? Or was it just the inescapable fact of our own growing irrelevancy ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • JERRY COYNE: A powerful University dean in New Zealand touts merging higher education with indigeno...
    Jerry Coyne writes –  This article from New Zealand’s Newsroom site was written by Julie Rowland,  the deputy dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland as well as a geologist and the Director of the Ngā Ara Whetū | Centre for Climate, Biodiversity & Society. In other ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away.
    Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away.For the last couple of weeks its felt as though all the good things in our beautiful land are under attack.These isles in the southern Pacific. The home of the Māori people. A land of easy going friendliness, openness, and she’ll be right. A ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Speaking for the future
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.MondayYou cannot be seriousOne might think, god, people who are seeing all this must be regretting their vote.But one might be mistaken.There are people whose chief priority is not wanting to be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • How Should We Organise a Modern Economy?
    Alan Bollard, formerly Treasury Secretary, Reserve Bank Governor and Chairman of APEC, has written an insightful book exploring command vs demand approaches to the economy. The Cold War included a conflict about ideas; many were economic. Alan Bollard’s latest book Economists in the Cold War focuses on the contribution of ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    3 days ago

  • Willis fails a taxing app-titude test but govt supporters will cheer moves on Te Pukenga and the Hum...
    Buzz from the Beehive The Minister of Defence has returned from Noumea to announce New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting and (wearing another ministerial hat) to condemn malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government. A bigger cheer from people who voted for the Luxon ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • ELIZABETH RATA: In defence of the liberal university and against indigenisation
    The suppression of individual thought in our universities spills over into society, threatening free speech everywhere. Elizabeth Rata writes –  Indigenising New Zealand’s universities is well underway, presumably with the agreement of University Councils and despite the absence of public discussion. Indigenising, under the broader umbrella of decolonisation, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the skewed media coverage of Gaza
    Now that he’s back as Foreign Minister, maybe Winston Peters should start reading the MFAT website. If he did, Peters would find MFAT celebrating the 25th anniversary of how New Zealand alerted the rest of the world to the genocide developing in Rwanda. Quote: New Zealand played an important role ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • “Your Circus, Your Clowns.”
    It must have been a hard first couple of weeks for National voters, since the coalition was announced. Seeing their party make so many concessions to New Zealand First and ACT that there seems little remains of their own policies, other than the dwindling dream of tax cuts and the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 8-December-2023
    It’s Friday again and Christmas is fast approaching. Here’s some of the stories that caught our attention. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered some of the recent talk around the costs, benefits and challenges with the City Rail Link. On Thursday Matt looked at how ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    3 days ago

  • End-of-week escapism
    Amsterdam to Hong Kong William McCartney16,000 kilometres41 days18 trains13 countries11 currencies6 long-distance taxis4 taxi apps4 buses3 sim cards2 ferries1 tram0 medical events (surprisingly)Episode 4Whether the Sofia-Istanbul Express really qualifies to be called an express is debatable, but it’s another one of those likeably old and slow trains tha… ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 8
    Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro arrives for the State Opening of Parliament (Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)TL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:New Finance Minister Nicola Willis set herself a ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand’s Witchcraft Laws: 1840/1858-1961/1962
    Sometimes one gets morbidly curious about the oddities of one’s own legal system. Sometimes one writes entire essays on New Zealand’s experience with Blasphemous Libel: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/blasphemous-libel-new-zealand-politics/ And sometimes one follows up the exact historical status of witchcraft law in New Zealand. As one does, of course. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • No surprises
    Don’t expect any fiscal shocks or surprises when the books are opened on December 20 with the unveiling of the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU). That was the message yesterday from Westpac in an economic commentary. But the bank’s analysis did not include any changes to capital ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49 2023
    113 articles in 48 journals by 674 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects Diversity of Lagged Relationships in Global Means of Surface Temperatures and Radiative Budgets for CMIP6 piControl Simulations, Tsuchida et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0045.1 Do abrupt cryosphere events in High Mountain Asia indicate earlier tipping ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Phone calls at Kia Kaha primary
    It is quiet reading time in Room 13! It is so quiet you can hear the Tui outside. It is so quiet you can hear the Fulton Hogan crew.It is so quiet you can hear old Mr Grant and old Mr Bradbury standing by the roadworks and counting the conesand going on ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • A question of confidence is raised by the Minister of Police, but he had to be questioned by RNZ to ...
    It looks like the new ministerial press secretaries have quickly learned the art of camouflaging exactly what their ministers are saying – or, at least, of keeping the hard news  out of the headlines and/or the opening sentences of the statements they post on the home page of the governments ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Xmas  good  cheer  for the dairy industry  as Fonterra lifts its forecast
    The big dairy co-op Fonterra  had  some Christmas  cheer to offer  its farmers this week, increasing its forecast farmgate milk price and earnings guidance for  the year after what it calls a strong start to the year. The forecast  midpoint for the 2023/24 season is up 25cs to $7.50 per ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • MICHAEL BASSETT: Modern Maori myths
    Michael Bassett writes – Many of the comments about the Coalition’s determination to wind back the dramatic Maorification of New Zealand of the last three years would have you believe the new government is engaged in a full-scale attack on Maori. In reality, all that is happening ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Dreams of eternal sunshine at a spotless COP28
    Mary Robinson asked Al Jaber a series of very simple, direct and highly pertinent questions and he responded with a high-octane public meltdown. Photos: Getty Images / montage: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR The hygiene effects of direct sunshine are making some inroads, perhaps for the very first time, on the normalised ‘deficit ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Oh, the irony
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Appointed by new Labour PM Jacinda Ardern in 2018, Cindy Kiro headed the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) tasked with reviewing and recommending reforms to the welfare system. Kiro had been Children’s Commissioner during Helen Clark’s Labour government but returned to academia subsequently. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Transport Agencies don’t want Harbour Tunnels
    It seems even our transport agencies don’t want Labour’s harbour crossing plans. In August the previous government and Waka Kotahi announced their absurd preferred option the new harbour crossing that at the time was estimated to cost $35-45 billion. It included both road tunnels and a wiggly light rail tunnel ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Webworm Presents: Jurassic Park on 35mm
    Hi,Paying Webworm members such as yourself keep this thing running, so as 2023 draws to close, I wanted to do two things to say a giant, loud “THANKS”. Firstly — I’m giving away 10 Mister Organ blu-rays in New Zealand, and another 10 in America. More details down below.Secondly — ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • The Prime Minister's Dream.
    Yesterday saw the State Opening of Parliament, the Speech from the Throne, and then Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s dream for Aotearoa in his first address. But first the pomp and ceremony, the arrival of the Governor General.Dame Cindy Kiro arrived on the forecourt outside of parliament to a Māori welcome. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • National’s new MP; the proud part-Maori boy raised in a state house
    Probably not since 1975 have we seen a government take office up against such a wall of protest and complaint. That was highlighted yesterday, the day that the new Parliament was sworn in, with news that King Tuheitia has called a national hui for late January to develop a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • Climate Adam: Battlefield Earth – How War Fuels Climate Catastrophe
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). War, conflict and climate change are tearing apart lives across the world. But these aren't separate harms - they're intricately connected. ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • They do not speak for us, and they do not speak for the future
    These dire woeful and intolerant people have been so determinedly going about their small and petulant business, it’s hard to keep up. At the end of the new government’s first woeful week, Audrey Young took the time to count off its various acts of denigration of Te Ao Māori:Review the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Another attack on te reo
    The new white supremacist government made attacking te reo a key part of its platform, promising to rename government agencies and force them to "communicate primarily in English" (which they already do). But today they've gone further, by trying to cut the pay of public servants who speak te reo: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • For the record, the Beehive buzz can now be regarded as “official”
    Buzz from the Beehive The biggest buzz we bring you from the Beehive today is that the government’s official website is up and going after being out of action for more than a week. The latest press statement came  from  Education Minister  Eric Stanford, who seized on the 2022 PISA ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • Climate Change: Failed again
    There was another ETS auction this morning. and like all the other ones this year, it failed to clear - meaning that 23 million tons of carbon (15 million ordinary units plus 8 million in the cost containment reserve) went up in smoke. Or rather, they didn't. Being unsold at ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Assault On Maori
    This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Even so, Christopher Luxon has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. In the NZ Herald, Audrey Young has compiled a useful list of the many, many ways that ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • Rising costs hit farmers hard, but  there’s more  positive news  for  them this  week 
    New Zealand’s dairy industry, the mainstay of the country’s export trade, has  been under  pressure  from rising  costs. Down on the  farm, this  has  been  hitting  hard. But there  was more positive news this week,  first   from the latest Fonterra GDT auction where  prices  rose,  and  then from  a  report ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    5 days ago

  • ROB MacCULLOCH:  Newshub and NZ Herald report misleading garbage about ACT’s van Veldon not follo...
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  In their rush to discredit the new government (which our MainStream Media regard as illegitimate and having no right to enact the democratic will of voters) the NZ Herald and Newshub are arguing ACT’s Deputy Leader Brooke van Veldon is not following Treasury advice ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Top 10 for Wednesday, December 6
    Even many young people who smoke support smokefree policies, fitting in with previous research showing the large majority of people who smoke regret starting and most want to quit. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Wednesday, December ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • Eleven years of work.
    Well it didn’t take six months, but the leaks have begun. Yes the good ship Coalition has inadvertently released a confidential cabinet paper into the public domain, discussing their axing of Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs).Oops.Just when you were admiring how smoothly things were going for the new government, they’ve had ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Why we're missing out on sharply lower inflation
    A wave of new and higher fees, rates and charges will ripple out over the economy in the next 18 months as mayors, councillors, heads of department and price-setters for utilities such as gas, electricity, water and parking ramp up charges. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Just when most ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • How Did We Get Here?
    Hi,Kiwis — keep the evening of December 22nd free. I have a meetup planned, and will send out an invite over the next day or so. This sounds sort of crazy to write, but today will be Tony Stamp’s final Totally Normal column of 2023. Somehow we’ve made it to ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago

  • At a glance – Has the greenhouse effect been falsified?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • New Zealaders  have  high expectations of  new  government:  now let’s see if it can deliver?
    The electorate has high expectations of the  new  government.  The question is: can  it  deliver?    Some  might  say  the  signs are not  promising. Protestors   are  already marching in the streets. The  new  Prime Minister has had  little experience of managing  very diverse politicians  in coalition. The economy he  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    6 days ago

  • You won't believe some of the numbers you have to pull when you're a Finance Minister
    Nicola of Marsden:Yo, normies! We will fix your cost of living worries by giving you a tax cut of 150 dollars. 150! Cash money! Vote National.Various people who can read and count:Actually that's 150 over a fortnight. Not a week, which is how you usually express these things.And actually, it looks ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • Pushback
    When this government came to power, it did so on an explicitly white supremacist platform. Undermining the Waitangi Tribunal, removing Māori representation in local government, over-riding the courts which had tried to make their foreshore and seabed legislation work, eradicating te reo from public life, and ultimately trying to repudiate ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Defence ministerial meeting meant Collins missed the Maori Party’s mischief-making capers in Parli...
    Buzz from the Beehive Maybe this is not the best time for our Minister of Defence to have gone overseas. Not when the Maori Party is inviting (or should that be inciting?) its followers to join a revolution in a post which promoted its protest plans with a picture of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Threats of war have been followed by an invitation to join the revolution – now let’s see how th...
     A Maori Party post on Instagram invited party followers to ….  Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Join the REVOLUTION! & make a stand!  Nationwide Action Day, All details in tiles swipe to see locations.  • This is our 1st hit out and tomorrow Tuesday the 5th is the opening ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Top 10 for Tuesday, December 4
    The RBNZ governor is citing high net migration and profit-led inflation as factors in the bank’s hawkish stance. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, including:Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says high net migration and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Nicola Willis' 'show me the money' moment
    Willis has accused labour of “economic vandalism’, while Robertson described her comments as a “desperate diversion from somebody who can't make their tax package add up”. There will now be an intense focus on December 20 to see whether her hyperbole is backed up by true surprises. Photo montage: Lynn ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
    The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago

  • And I don't want the world to see us.
    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago

  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes – The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 week ago

  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 week ago

  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume III
    Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago

  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    1 week ago

  • Ministers visit Hawke’s Bay to grasp recovery needs
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Cyclone Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, to meet leaders of cyclone and flood-affected regions in the Hawke’s Bay. The visit reinforced the coalition Government’s commitment to support the region and better understand its ongoing requirements, Mr Mitchell says.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity
    New Zealand has joined the UK and other partners in condemning malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government, Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau Judith Collins says. The statement follows the UK’s attribution today of malicious cyber activity impacting its domestic democratic institutions and processes, as well ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Disestablishment of Te Pūkenga begins
    The Government has begun the process of disestablishing Te Pūkenga as part of its 100-day plan, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds says.  “I have started putting that plan into action and have met with the chair and chief Executive of Te Pūkenga to advise them of my ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change Minister to attend COP28 in Dubai
    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will be leaving for Dubai today to attend COP28, the 28th annual UN climate summit, this week. Simon Watts says he will push for accelerated action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, deliver New Zealand’s national statement and connect with partner countries, private sector leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand to host 2024 Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM). “Having just returned from this year’s meeting in Nouméa, I witnessed first-hand the value of meeting with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security and defence matters. I welcome the opportunity to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Study shows need to remove distractions in class
    The Government is committed to lifting school achievement in the basics and that starts with removing distractions so young people can focus on their learning, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.   The 2022 PISA results released this week found that Kiwi kids ranked 5th in the world for being distracted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Post-Cabinet press conference
    Most weeks, following Cabinet, the Prime Minister holds a press conference for members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. This page contains the transcripts from those press conferences, which are supplied by Hansard to the Office of the Prime Minister. It is important to note that the transcripts have not been edited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme scrapped
    The Government has axed the $16 billion Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme championed by the previous government, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “This hugely wasteful project was pouring money down the drain at a time when we need to be reining in spending and focussing on rebuilding the economy and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
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