Boots and all

Written By: - Date published: 4:18 pm, February 16th, 2009 - 51 comments
Categories: law and "order", national/act government - Tags:

Tracey Watkins reports that National has announced details of its Boot Camps policy: “The military-style camp programme would target the 40 most serious young offenders and consist of up to three months’ residential training, using army type facilities or training methods.”

40?

I thought this was going to be some massive project turning the next generation of dreaded underclass into the kids off Full House. 40 is barely more than the number of kids on that reality TV show ‘The Outsiders’.

Well, at least if they’re going to waste money on these stupid boot camps, at least they’re not wasting too much. Although I do wonder how much of their beloved ‘bureaucrats’ time and money the Government has expended working up a policy for 40 people.

If we really want to do something about youth offending, and offending in general, we need to make serious, well-planned investment drawing on the screeds of sociology and criminology research to target the social and economic conditions that lead to offending. But that’s not going to happen with the ‘utu gang’ in charge.

Look forward to more dumb policies like this and the three strikes law. And look forward to the crime rate starting to climb again.

51 comments on “Boots and all ”

  1. @ work 1

    Was it 5 or 15% the increase in offending that the last program like this caused?

  2. Pascal's bookie 2

    If they turn it into a reality TV show, it’ll pay for itself. They could have that scottish bloke from the money show on.

    L

  3. Julie 3

    40? FORTY? Not four hundred? Or four thousand? (Or four!)

    I guess in one way it does make sense to pilot it first. Do they perhaps intend to do just a pilot with forty?

  4. @ work 4

    [sorry, that should have said reoffending]

  5. This is more window dressing. I cannot see it making much difference if any.

    Under current legislation supervision with activity (which can include living in a “boot camp”) is for three months and can be followed by a further three months supervision. Alternatively supervision with residence (essentially youth jail) is for 3 months with a further 6 months supervision. If the young person’s offending is bad enough then they can be transferred to the District Court for sentence and supervision can be for up to 2 years. Supervision could envisage a stay at a “Boot Camp”.

    Nothing stops the Judge from putting a young person on bail with conditions to stay at a certain place before sentence and there is no problem with the whole process taking a year. The problem tends to be money related rather than with the legislation.

    Most of the other things they propose happen already. Many young people have conditions that they not consume drink or drugs and Youth Aid officers often visit their homes to check on curfew and at the same time administer an alcohol test using a breath test machine.

    Counselling happens all the time, mentoring already happens and bail conditions habitually require the young person not to associate with fellow gang members, or to attend school. Family Group Conference plans also often cover this.

    As for the 12 and 13 year olds attending court if the offence is bad enough they already can be required to attend the Family Court under the declaration provisions of the Act.

    Overall most of the stuff happens already. Resourcing difficulties and not legal impediments stop it happening more often.

    Can we expect to see an increase in funding for CYF?

    One final comment, you are right about the need to do “serious, well-planned investment drawing on the screeds of sociology and criminology research to target the social and economic conditions that lead to offending”. The serious offenders can mostly be spotted by the age of 5. The proposed arrangement seems to be to let them fester for another 9 years and then deal to them.

  6. QoT 6

    Word to the wise: when the phrases “military-style” and “army-type” feature prominently, it’s probably a good sign that the actual military doesn’t want to touch this bollocks with a ten-foot pole.

    There’s a certain type of person who thinks “military = good venue for rehabilitation of young offenders”, and they’re the type who actually think “those farkin yoof need a short sharp shock” and are just trying to make it sound commonsense and practical.

  7. Pat 7

    Um – maybe I watch more telly than you guys, but from what I saw of “The Outsiders” it made a positive life change to many of the kids involved. They had started work-related courses and study, and generally changed their criminal and anti-social behaviour. These kids were on course to becoming career crims, so I am fully supportive of this particular programme targeting Maori boys who have been expelled from schools and are repeat juvenile offenders.

    As for Nationals boot camp idea, there was a similar progamme being carried out in the UK and featured on a recent TV series. A high number of the boys stayed on to make the army/navy their career. So don’t knock it till you try it.

  8. Mello C 8

    All this will do is introduce these young people to a prison-like environment even earlier in life. If anything, leadership camps of some kind are what is needed.

    (Also, my parents work for the military and think boot camps are a shit idea)

  9. Ag 9

    This is just a pitch for the fascist vote.

  10. Felix 10

    So we take the 40 most serious, dangerous, committed young criminals we can find and give them military training?

    Can’t see anything going wrong with that…

  11. Felix

    Teach them how to shoot straight and fight effectively, and how to blow up things?

    What harm could be done?

  12. It will probably not surprise the many readers here that I am supportive of this idea.
    I especially like Mello C’s comment around leadership camps.
    Rather than peeling spuds and marching up and down being barked at by some short, loud small dicked idiot I would like to see EVERY SINGLE 18 YEAR OLD IN NZ undertake a 12 month period of national service.
    Now before any of you start wailing about armed forces fodder, I am not suggesting that it be military based but it does need to be grounded in strict rules.
    There are many different activities that could be undertaken to help our next generation grow together into proud citizens.
    No exceptions would be allowed, every single kid turning 18 would go in for 12 months.
    working with DoC
    Overseas aid programmes to the pacific
    Spending time with the elderly
    All those and more, plus basic life skills including learning how to grow a spud and cook it.
    Mix them all in together we will have a generation forged in common experiences.

  13. Final thought. Phil Goff has just been quoted on the telly with a nice talking point, off the cuff comment about boot camps turning out faster, fitter criminals.
    Taking that to its logical end can we expect him to demand that all prisons remove exercise gear and confine criminals to bed for the entirety of their sentence?
    Seriously, i realise there is a decompression period after an election but how much longer are you guys going to tolerate this old has been before you get Little in to the leaders role?

  14. Joseph 14

    Proud citizens? Where are you from? The US? Been woken up at 6:30 AM to start the day with a cold shower doesn’t make me a proud citizen, what makes me a proud citizen is when I see people making sense, instead of just providing kneejerk reactions that don’t help anybody.

  15. Mello C 15

    Yeah, um, barnsley…

    What an absurd, fascistic idea.

  16. All I hear on this site is spend, spend, spend, blah, blah, blah. But when somebody suggests something that will help remove barriers in class, race and perceived education they just have pooh poured on them by some dullard doper who is scared of getting out of bed early.
    i would have thought civil service, giving something to your country would be right up the socialist alley, or is just about eat the rich and stop people getting ahead after all?

  17. sweeetdisorder 17

    The left and labour is on the wrong side on this one. Public opinion is very much against you and wants more to be seen to be done on crims. Good way to knock off another 2% on preferred party polls. If you need a hint, now is the time for labour to shut up, you had 9 years to speak, you have been voted out.

    Is the plan to wait till labour approaches 30% before Phil gets the chop

    Joseph

    I think the only time these boot camp peeps have been up at 6.30am is when they have been coming back from a night out.

  18. mike 18

    You poor guys are tying yourselves up in knots at present. Another Nats policy = another post to discredit it.
    I think you need to spend some time discussing how inept the current opposition is and how to replace the hapless Goff with someone who at least gives the impression of moving things on.

  19. Redbaiter 19

    “we need to make serious, well-planned investment drawing on the screeds of sociology and criminology research to target the social and economic conditions that lead to offending.”

    Well, doesn’t take much research or psychological mumbo jumbo to arrive at the cause of crime. Check these stats, and leaving Dominica aside, what’s the link among so many of the top listed countries??

    http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-per-capita

    Hint- begins with S, ends in m, and has ocialis in the middle. (Yeah, I know its difficult but I also know you really smart leftists like a challenge)

  20. Rex Widerstrom 20

    I thought this was going to be some massive project turning the next generation of dreaded underclass into the kids off Full House.

    If John Key finds a way of producing more Olsen twins so there’s enough to go round, he’s got my vote 😀

    Generally my attitude to “boot camps” is that the only thing that will change is that, while we’re still probably going to get our heads kicked in by a thug, at least now his Docs will now be highly polished.

    However, the idea of forcibly intervening in someone’s life while they’re still young (and, much as we might wish it to be otherwise, a forcible intervention is about the only way you’ll get them out of their environment) isn’t necessarily a bad thing per se. As mickeysavage points out:

    Nothing stops the Judge from putting a young person on bail with conditions to stay at a certain place before sentence and there is no problem with the whole process taking a year. The problem tends to be money related rather than with the legislation.

    The provision in the legislation for “New powers for the Youth Court to issue a range of compulsory orders, including parenting, mentoring and drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes” promises to expand on this even further.

    What the article doesn’t say is what budget is allocated to all this. We could be looking at something that might turn around a significant number of lives (even the 40 sent off to “boot camp”) or we could be looking at yet another sop to Act and it’s SST wing. Only the dollars attached will tell us which.

  21. tsmithfield 21

    The success of the program will depend a lot on the quality of the support in the community after the training.

    One of my lecturers had run a borstal type facility in the states as the last stop before prison for serious offenders. His experience was that it was relatively easy to get change while the participant was away from their environment. However, once they returned to their previous environment any gains achieved quickly disappeared. My lecturer had a much better success rate when support systems were established in the community:- e.g., job placement, mentoring, family support etc.

    So, I think it is a bit premature to rubbish the concept yet. Lets see if the results justify the program being expanded.

  22. ak 22

    Been done, being done, and like all “common sense” ideas (including privately-run prisons, Rex), some success stories (currently one such in Taranaki much-lauded by Becroft) but highly dependent on the individuals involved – and (very expensive) follow-up.

    Trouble is, lots of disasters down the ages too. Like private prisons (and healthcare), a peek at the US gives us a fairly good idea of the long-term prognosis for such ideas. Not a pretty sight.

    A wise old bird in this very field once told me “all they need is love”. That last word’s the key: and as Lennon and Capitalism have taught us, money caint buy it. What’s essential is genuine Rexonian motivation: put an Ed Hillary or JC clone in charge and you won’t go wrong.

    Sadly, it’s the frustrated patrol leader with fascistic tendencies and a whiff of S/M paederasty that tends to inveigle himself into these positions over time – with catastrophic results. And such bacteria blossom in an atmosphere of rabid, right-wing populism.

    Watch the watchers like a hawk, Johnny boy – means more bureaucrats, sorry. (and while I’ve got you, keep stiffing those toxic toryboys as you trip the Lab-lite fantastic: a real pleasure to see some of them slowly bumbling towards the light in your wake… “A Labour govt I lead” – indeed!)

  23. Pat 23

    I have been looking this up tonight. The Boot Camp concept for juvenile offenders has been running in some states since the 90’s but in the main there has been a lack of studies done into the effectiveness. I have found this abstract from a recent study which looks interesting:

    “Leaving Boot Camp: The Impact of Mandatory Aftercare on Offender Re-Entry” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Royal York, Toronto, 2009-02-16

    Abstract: This study examined the impact of a mandatory 90-day aftercare program for the graduates of Pennsylvania’s six-month Boot Camp Program. The study included 383 offenders in the pre aftercare group and 337 offenders in the post aftercare group, and tracked recidvism for a two year period. One of the advantages to this study is that we were able to examine the impact of individual versus programmatic characteristics on criminal behavior. Data sources included an Offender Survey, an Aftercare Facility Survey, and official corrections and police records. Our statistical techniques included logistic regression and survival analysis. The major finding was that offenders who did participate in the mandatory aftercare program were significantly less likely to recidivate.

  24. Ag 24

    but it does need to be grounded in strict rules.

    Yes, there have to be RULES. And they have to be STRICT, and orders MUST BE OBEYED.

    There’s no evidence that any of this really works, and it’s not like evidence matters to its supporters anyway. It’s an authoritarian’s wet dream, and probably appeals to the same people who want to bring back flogging. If these camps are supposed to concentrate their inmates on a righteous life, perhaps we should call them “concentration camps”.

    The only people who should be sent to this and yelled at by some Windsor Davies clone are the politicians who proposed the policy.

    You know what lowers crime? The existence of well-paying and secure jobs, that’s what. The rest is just window dressing.

  25. Redbaiter 25

    “You know what lowers crime? The existence of well-paying and secure jobs, that’s what.”

    Utter crap. During the great depression, with massive unemployment, crime rates were still a fraction of what they are today. Denmark is one of Europe’s most affluent societies. Its fourth worst in global crime statistics. In Norway, where due to massive oil revenues, unemployment is minimal and affluence is the norm, crime rates are still the thirteenth highest in the world with many countries far less well off having far less crime.

    Your claim is abject fantasy and almost a deliberate lie.

    Shame your psychosis won’t allow you to admit the real reason crime and violence are at intolerable levels in NZ- the deliberate destruction of the moral fabric of society and the creation of an amoral underclass by politically motivated power obsessed progressives.

  26. Joseph 26

    Redbaiter, as a few people highlighted in the comments of the link to the crime study with New Zealand being 2nd on crime statistics, it’s because we do live in such an egaliatarian society. Crimes are reported here, without fear of retribution from either the criminals themselves, the people (as in rape crimes in many religiously conservative countries), and by police departments that simply don’t care and don’t want to do anything about it.

    But, then again you might be right Redbaiter, it’s because of how amoral the youth are, we need more religion to teach people the err of their ways. Women also ought t to get back in the kitchen, eh? And a flogging for anyone who swears in public! That’ll make a healthy society.

  27. Rex Widerstrom 27

    ak:

    …the frustrated patrol leader with fascistic tendencies and a whiff of S/M…

    Heh heh, I love a picturesque turn of phrase and that sounds just like a character study of…no, I won’t go there, much as some people richly deserve an ad hominem attack or two 😀

    I don’t dispute anything you’ve said (though private prisons can be well run and save $8 – $15 million pa as I’ve mentioned here).

    But just because it might be hard to create a well-funded program of intervention not fun by protofascists in camo pants can which divert young people from their otherwise inevitable progress towards their third strike, doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying.

  28. Pat 29

    cha is being deliberately misleading with that link. There are a large number of privately run boot camps in the US where parents PAY to send their kids for ANY reason e.g. to harden them up, or if you don’t like their friends etc. There have been plenty of horror stories from these camps and little evidence that they work.

    To compare apples with apples, you need to look at State run boot camps specifically targeting violent juvenile offenders, who have been sent to the camp by the Courts.

  29. cha 30

    Pat, like the two Pennsylvania judges who were charged with taking $2.6 million in kickbacks to send teenagers to youth detention centers run by PA Child Care and Western PA Child Care

  30. Pat 31

    Exactly cha. Those two detention centres are PRIVATELY owned and operated. Hence why a kickback scheme managed to operate in the first place. In addition they cater for specific offenders like sex offenders and fire setters. So there can be no comparison to what is being planned here.

    You burnt down your own strawman.

  31. the sprout 32

    At least National are being consistent with their philosophy of reactionary populist policies that don’t actually achieving anything, except being seen to be doing something.

  32. cha 33

    Pat, National want parts of the prison system to be run by the private sector so why do you think these camps will be any different?.

  33. @ work 34

    “barnsleybill:
    perceived education ”

    BAHAHAHA, wanker.

    Was it you yesterday saying that they need to bring back corpral punishment in schools?

    I cant be bothered finding the post and replying to it, but I know its right up your alley, so I just thought I’d tell you that if they brung back corpral punishment in schools, I’d teach my childen to hit thier teachers back, if they hit them.

    And redbaiters crime statistics above need checking, I dont think any one here would put it past him to lie to prove a point.

    You also still havent got back to me here: http://www.thestandard.org.nz/which-end-to-break-the-egg-and-other-pointless-debates/#comment-117511 so put up or shut up.

  34. Chess Player 35

    I think if it stops one serious crime such as a murder, being committed, then this effort is worthwhile.

  35. @ work 36

    The last time they had this kind of program in place it increased reoffending. So you’d probably have to say it’s not worthwhile.

  36. BLiP 37

    This whole “boot camp” thing is about taking revenge on offenders as opposed to seriously considering the cause of crime and how best to address it. Its also yet another way the government can fund private enterprise so that it may feed on the misery of others while scoffing at the public trough.

  37. Redbaiter 38

    “You also still havent got back to me here:”

    Sorry, but I’ll choose when and who I “get back to”, and I don’t have the time or inclination to deal with the irrational drivel of retards who should be in special care and weaving cane baskets rather than at large and writing stuff on blogs.

  38. Matthew Pilott 39

    Sorry, but I’ll choose when and who I “get back to’, and I don’t have the time or inclination to deal with the irrational drivel of retards who should be in special care and weaving cane baskets rather than at large and writing stuff on blogs.

    Translation: Redbaiter run and hide when there are questions Redbaiter can’t answer or Redbaiter has been shown to be wrong, because Redbaiter is thoroughly unable to show any degree of intellectual honesty.

    Redbaiter will then then hurl out some jaded insults to distract you because Redbaiter suspects anger is a substitute for knowledge.

  39. Redbaiter 40

    “Translation: Redbaiter run and hide when there are questions Redbaiter can’t answer or Redbaiter has been shown to be wrong, because Redbaiter is thoroughly unable to show any degree of intellectual honesty.”

    OK Mr. Pillock. Here’s your turn to show your moral superiority to Redbaiter. Show how that allegation applies in the case of @work’s infantile question- “how is less government different to less people?”A question I regard as so lame as to signify the writer is completely clueless and beyond any further effort. How about you putting some of the afore mentioned effort into showing me where I’m wrong (it should be so easy for a genius like you) instead of like so many other c*mm*es on here, writing screeds of off topic hate??

  40. @ work 41

    My question was how does less government, or less people, help you warn more people that bush fires are heading thier way, please do not misrepresent it.

  41. Felix 42

    Show how that allegation applies in the case of @work’s infantile question- “how is less government different to less people?’

    Why? @work didn’t write that. He wrote “You still can’t explain how less government could have warned more people.”

    And now, some cliche hatred from a silly boy…

    edit: snap

  42. Redbaiter 43

    Why? @work didn’t write that. He wrote “You still can’t explain how less government could have warned more people.’

    Are you really so devoid of imagination, so blocked in your thinking, so blinkered and narrow in your mind, that you cannot imagine that without government assuming the role of protector, people would set up their own warning systems, as they have done so effectively in the past, and that if left to those people, there would not have been $60 million spent on tidal wave warnings (when tidal waves are an almost non existent risk) when the pressing need was for a bush fire alert system. (when bushfires are high risk).

  43. Jasper 44

    So with the camps, would this be considered as strike one?
    Will we be looking eventually towards getting all 17/18 year olds who leave school without going to uni/work/OE, into the armed forces for 12 months?
    A 12 week boot camp, for 40 people at a time won’t be anywhere near enough time. This is less than Police College – and we know how stellar those recruits are.
    Will Chesters Bill to increase PC from 14 to 26 weeks become a reality?
    Will it include mandatory educational standards?
    What about the boot camp? Will they be taught that food isn’t made out the back of McDonalds/KFC/BK?

    I support the notion, but with all notions, unless there is decent followup and committment, with associated funding, boot camps are nothing more than lip service.

    Captcha: Hardest $1 (spent?)

  44. Matthew Pilott 45

    Red, your original example was crap. We have a certain style of government, something bad happened, ergo it was bug guvmint’s fault. When you get called out for writing crap and you resort to flinging more crap, don’t be surprised when people suggest that you’re full of crap.

    It’s not impossible that an equally sized government could have pooled people’s resources to provide that warning system. A bushfire warning system and a tsunami warning system aren’t mutually exclusive are they, Redbaiter? It’s probably worth noting that the Tsunami (tidal waves were discounted some decades, if not centuries ago) system was in response to a disaster that cost nearly half a million lives.

  45. @ work 46

    “Redbaiter
    February 17, 2009 at 10:34 am
    Why? @work didn’t write that. He wrote “You still can’t explain how less government could have warned more people.’

    Are you really so devoid of imagination, so blocked in your thinking, so blinkered and narrow in your mind, that you cannot imagine that without government assuming the role of protector, people would set up their own warning systems, as they have done so effectively in the past, and that if left to those people, there would not have been $60 million spent on tidal wave warnings (when tidal waves are an almost non existent risk) when the pressing need was for a bush fire alert system. (when bushfires are high risk).”

    So long as the government did nothing to impede the people from setting up thier own warning system, your point is not vaild. But thankyou for answering.

  46. ak 47

    Rex: …doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying.

    Oh abso-blooming-lutely Rex. Definitely worth a crack, and on top of the dole-expansion, min-wage raise and “stimulus” stuff, an old pinko can’t complain…..(yet).

    BUT, (and like Jerry’s, it’s a big butt), as Jasper notes, genuine oversight, motivation, commitment, and “aftercare” are crucial.

    If wee Johnny could convince me of the above (say by firmly and publicly flushing all this dogwhistling, vote-trawling “boot camp” rhetoric back down the lav where it belongs), I’d almost write out a cheque for the National Party tomorrow….. (almost)

    (@work: but thank you for answering. and thank you for being so civil, @. So lovely to see people treating their pets nicely)

  47. Ben R 48

    It depends what you mean by ‘boot camp’.

    There’s a new programme in Hamilton and this one in Counties Manukau which seem to have a better success rate.

    “Counties Manukau programme Male Youth New Directions (MYND) attempts to turn around the lives of South Auckland’s worst youth offenders.

    The boys are typically Maori or Pacific Islanders, with convictions for crimes from burglary and tagging to wounding with intent to injure and grievous bodily harm.

    Offenders aged 14 to 17 undergo a 20-week discipline and mentoring programme, which includes an intense 10-day army-like camp, or “away phase”, in which they are stripped of their belongings and gang identities and have their hair trimmed.

    As well as intense physical activity, the participants undergo counselling sessions and are reminded of their responsibility for the offences they have committed.

    The programme, run by former soldier Stephen Boxer, is completed in an 18-week reintegration phase, where the participants aim to return to their communities under supervision.

    Since the programme’s inception seven years ago, there has been a 58 per cent reduction in total offending from graduates and a 71 per cent drop in serious crimes. Mr Boxer says the military component is only a foundation for ongoing development of individuals.”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10557112

  48. Rex Widerstrom 49

    ak: Precisely. To which I’d add “and some effort round social programmes to stop them ending up there in the first place”. We can dream, can’t we?

  49. @ work 50

    Every one also seems to be forgetting than youth crime is dropping, about 15% over Labours term, some of that will be rolled back with the state of the economy, but all of the research I looked at showed by far the best intervention for youth offenders, was on thier first offence, a stern talking to by a youth aid officer, and some restoritive justice if appropriate.

    Just reminded of this when I saw someone on kiwiblog claim labours approch to youth justice was not working. Demonstratably false as the rate is dropping significantly faster than over all crime statistics. The usual story though, reporting of youth crime is rising, moral panic and all that.

  50. r0b 51

    Redbaiter Denmark is one of Europe’s most affluent societies. Its fourth worst in global crime statistics. In Norway, where due to massive oil revenues, unemployment is minimal and affluence is the norm, crime rates are still the thirteenth highest in the world with many countries far less well off having far less crime.

    @work And redbaiters crime statistics above need checking, I dont think any one here would put it past him to lie to prove a point.

    RB (who is tragically dull with the stale insults, and more interesting when engaging in discussion) is probably citing these stats from a UN survey conducted 1998 – 2000:

    http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-per-capita

    But this is a case of lies, damn lies and statistics, note the warning that comes with the data: Note: Crime statistics are often better indicators of prevalence of law enforcement and willingness to report crime, than actual prevalence – nothing much can be concluded from this data. Note also the useful first comment on that page.

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    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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