Budget day

Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, May 18th, 2023 - 49 comments
Categories: budget 2023, grant robertson, labour - Tags:

Today is budget day.

Grant Robertson has been busy promising that there will be no major surprises.

Clearly he will not want to spook the Reserve Bank into raising interest rates further.  An increase before the election will not be politically helpful.

In a pre budget speech Robertson said that the themes of the budget would be:

  • supporting New Zealanders with the cost of living,
  • delivering the services New Zealanders rely on,
  • recovery and resilience, including economic resilience and
  • fiscal sustainability.

So I do not anticipate any major announcements except perhaps some form of return to citizens to alleviate hardship.

National will no doubt talk about excessive and wasteful Government spending.

Perhaps they should concentrate on the use of limos by their leader.

And it would help if their leader could get his figures right.

The fun kicks off at 2 pm.  This post will be updated as announcements are made.

Update:  The Herald has reported these headline policies:

  • Extension of 20 hours Early Childhood Education to 2 year olds – $1.2b
  • Abolition of $5 prescription co-payment – $619m
  • Cheaper public transport for children – $327m
  • $71m infrastructure spend
  • Inflation stays higher for longer
  • Net core Crown debt hits $181b

49 comments on “Budget day ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Ad 1
    18 May 2023 at 10:03 am

    They've dampened expectations down so much I'm irrationally excited.

    • Phillip ure 1.1
      19 May 2023 at 7:35 am

      How's the excitement levels today..?

      More a case of one nite stand regrets…?

  2. Herodotus 2
    18 May 2023 at 11:24 am

    I hope allocations from previous budgets will still be honoured. Those services that have not so far been delivered will be asap. As someone who has been to far too many funerals of friends and family that died too early there is a need out there TODAY, not some election promise to deliver next term. You have already had 2 terms and 5 budgets 🤬 that tactic has worn too thin for those that have experienced near loss or tragic loss.

  3. bwaghorn 3
    18 May 2023 at 1:09 pm

    They'll subsidize child care so we can keep destroying the family until while enriching the child care owners and the parents using it will be no better off.

    They'll continue to subsidize rents thereby underpinning everything that's wrong with housing.

    • arkie 3.1
      18 May 2023 at 2:11 pm

      Bang on the money:

      The Budget extends cheaper childcare to parents of two-year-olds, giving them access to 20 hours a week of free early childhood education (ECE). That support currently kicks in for children from the age of three.

      For eligible families, the extension could save them more than $130 a week in childcare costs for an extra year.

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/490162/cost-of-living-budget-centres-on-cheaper-childcare

      It has the bonus that it will help keep both parents in fulltime employment. /s

    • Peter 3.2
      18 May 2023 at 2:42 pm

      Those who put their children into childcare are destroying the family unit? Should we legislate then that parents must stay home with their kids until school age? (But looked after by grandparents is okay as that’s the family?

      Implies one parent must not work out of the home if there is a less than 5 year old there.

    • SPC 3.3
      18 May 2023 at 3:08 pm

      They are funding more places and better pay for staff and extending the 20 hour subsidy to 2-3 year olds.

      Most ECE's are non profit.

      It improves the after home pay of those with children in care now 2-3 without subsidy.

      Whether some parents (sole and partner) struggling with mortgage and or rent payments, choose to return to work with children at 2 rather than 3 because of this, is their call.

      PS I would have applied a rent freeze through to the end of 2024 (and started it last year).

      • Phillip ure 3.3.1
        18 May 2023 at 9:41 pm

        Having raised my now adult son on a dpb….so I could give him all that time…and being so glad I did…(not many men have had that experience/privilege..)

        It saddens me to think of parking a two year old in a daycare…as a work imperative..

        It's too young…

        And it puzzles me that labour people think this is a good thing..

  4. Tiger Mountain 4
    18 May 2023 at 1:16 pm

    Doom and Gloom…Robbo still hammering that ridiculous 30% net debt limit.

  5. Phillip ure 5
    18 May 2023 at 1:39 pm

    He has a hat..

    He has rabbits…

    Why wouldn't he..?

    • Phillip ure 5.1
      18 May 2023 at 6:11 pm

      He seems to have left both his hat and his rabbits in the ministerial limo…

      An epic disappointment..

      Nothing for those doing it the hardest..

      Some more middle-class welfare ( childcare)..

      No ending of the lower benefit rates for the young…

      Nothing to address the galloping cost of food/the gouging parasitical landlord class..

      And nothing much in the way of action on the environmental threats fast bearing down on us..(..ev car recharging roll out is at this stage just more for the middle-class..

      Like I said…nothing for those doing it the hardest..

      Just another fucken exercise in neoliberal-incrementalist/fuck-the-poor politics…

      The ghosts of douglas/richardson/shipley still stalk those halls… laughing..

  6. Ad 6
    18 May 2023 at 2:24 pm

    That's my boy

    • Red Blooded One 7.1
      18 May 2023 at 3:09 pm

      SPC just checking this isn't a personal comment. You are fine?

      • SPC 7.1.1
        18 May 2023 at 3:18 pm

        Just recovering from Luxon's repetition of the phrase – not fine.

        Apparently we are being directed to feel/believe/reckon that things are not fine until National is elected.

        Some sort of National blue skies gaslighting, it's a rip off of the GOP attack on the Capitol Hill as a swamp – when Democrats are in charge.

        • Red Blooded One 7.1.1.1
          18 May 2023 at 3:24 pm

          Oh phew, I hadn't picked up on todays Luxon Lies and Sky is Falling Theatrics. Haha. 👍

  8. Thinker 8
    18 May 2023 at 3:06 pm

    Shame on GR…

    Hipkins gave him Michael Cullen's old tie and it looks like he didn't wear it.

    If someone gave me Michael Cullen's old tie, I'd frame it. He put NZ back on a sound footing, then the opposition/incoming government used him/his fund for political put-downs, so he never got true credit for what he did, and then he had the misfortune to die relatively young. Yet, you rarely saw him complain.

    • Corey 8.1
      18 May 2023 at 6:13 pm

      Cullen was an ok finance minister who inherited a surplus from the previous government, a small surplus but a surplus and then Cullen rode a global economic boom that enabled 8 more consecutive surpluses.

      I hated how national claimed labour stuffed up the economy when there was a global economic downturn and I hated how labour refused to admit that they inherited surpluses in 99 and 2017.

      The reality is both are ok economic managers, if not extremely visionless.

      Though no new Zealander should ever forgive national for getting rid of the super in the 70s or Ruth Richardsons mother of all budgets decimating NZ quality of life and wealth.

    • Phillip ure 8.2
      18 May 2023 at 7:45 pm

      Cullen did s.f.a. for those most damaged by the neoliberal-revolution of douglas…

      He rolled back none of that shit…

      And was treasurer in clarks fuck-the-poor government..

      So dunno where from/why your deifying of him..

  9. observer 9
    18 May 2023 at 3:12 pm

    Body language of Nat MPs for Luxon's speech … oh dear.

    He's toast.

  10. Alan 10
    18 May 2023 at 3:43 pm

    OCR of at least 6.5% here we come.

    Renters will be wearing the cost of this.

  11. Ad 11
    18 May 2023 at 4:11 pm

    Loved the precision targeting.

    Blunts so many attack lines.

  12. roy cartland 12
    18 May 2023 at 4:26 pm

    Interesting the crossover areas in GP and TPM speeches. Similar destination, different paths to.

  13. aj 13
    18 May 2023 at 4:32 pm

    May only qualify as a downturn, not a recession.

  14. Tony Veitch 14
    18 May 2023 at 4:53 pm

    Marama Davidson's budget speech by far the best of all the party leaders! (IMHO)

  15. Mike the Lefty 15
    18 May 2023 at 5:24 pm

    ACT could honestly claim that they could save 46 billion dollars a year on projected government expenditure.

    That is social security/welfare spending.

    Because under an ACT government there will be no social security and no welfare.

  16. observer 16
    18 May 2023 at 6:35 pm

    It's surprising that various commentators (e.g. TV3) are suggesting it's not much of an election-year budget.

    It's a politically savvy budget that must change National's plans. For example …

    Before today, National would not have gone into the election promising to abolish prescription charges. But now they have to promise to keep prescriptions free. Or, promise to reinstate them, which would be electoral suicide (so they won't do it).

    ACT love user-pays so they will probably propose to dump Labour's policy. Then Luxon (Willis?) gets asked "Will you rule out bringing back prescription charges?".

    Cue waffle ("no current plans, in terms of, at the end of the day, it depends …").

    It's not about the $5, so much as the trust issue. Luxon is so hopeless at definitive answers that National will issue a "clarification" after he's put his foot in it.

    Politically, it's a master stroke.

    • observer 16.1
      18 May 2023 at 6:50 pm

      Willis is now being reported (Stuff, Herald) as wanting to bring the prescription charges back. So, Grants gets his win. Silly Nicola, snookered already.

      It's a knee-jerk reaction from Willis and it's a fair bet that after they've done some polling or held a few focus groups, National won't go into the election promising prescription charges.

      • Graeme 16.1.1
        18 May 2023 at 7:40 pm

        Which is going to be real fun if Nicola ends up leader, she'll be asked about it all the time.

    • Herodotus 16.2
      18 May 2023 at 7:05 pm

      So to stress out most of NZ with the current cost of living crisis the reaction of the govt is a master stroke, time for many to get out into the real world and see (obviously not experience).

      How does someone living within what was Manukau City benefit from the bus subsidy? I note the PM mischievously uses the term "Eligible" and "could" Within my local community Botany, Orminston, Tangaroa do NOT use buses, so how will this assist those who do not use this ??? “.. with 774,000 additional children and young people now eligible for the Community Connect discount scheme. Free fares for kids under 13 could see savings of $30 a week for families with two children." How to look like you care and then give nothing 🤬. And loyal Labour communities pay the price and suffer.

      https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/budget-helps-ease-cost-living-pressures

      https://stats.govt.nz/news/annual-inflation-6-7-percent/#:~:text=The%20consumers%20price%20index%20increased,12%20months%20to%20December%202022.

      • weka 16.2.1
        18 May 2023 at 7:27 pm

        why don't people in those communities use buses?

        • Herodotus 16.2.1.1
          18 May 2023 at 8:05 pm

          Many live within the school zones, close enough physically that they do not need public transport (Many around the country would be in the same situation ) Think how many live within walking distance of their school- I am sure some cannot afford should they desire to use that option should they wish and others public transport is not workable. So for these families how does this announcement do anything to diminish the impacts of inflation and the cost of living situation ? And the vague language used displays to me that the Politicians know this-BUT it gives the impression that they care !!! Pity about the reality !!

          https://www.ormiston.school.nz/Downloads/Assets/3302/1

        • Belladonna 16.2.1.2
          18 May 2023 at 8:44 pm

          We all hope it's going to get better, but in Auckland, at least, buses (including school buses) are increasingly unreliable. Any bad weather (and ATM that seems to be every second week), sees a raft of buses delayed or cancelled.

          Kids have been late so often for school, that parents are finding other alternatives (driving them). I'm sure it contributes to the absentee rate as well (kid waits for school bus, bus doesn't arrive, kid slopes off to the mall or home)

          https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2023/03/auckland-s-unreliable-buses-causing-risky-journeys-for-students-staff-and-women-travelling-alone.html

          The only other times that kids are realistically going to be using buses is weekends. When services are infrequent, unreliable, and don't go where you want them to: e.g. bus from my suburb to Takapuna beach (about 10 mins drive), runs once an hour (if that) on weekends, and takes about 45 minutes (roundabout route stopping everywhere). Not much use in the height of summer. Most bus routes still go into the city on weekends. Not many kids or teens want to go to the CBD on the weekends. Bus routes to family attractions (zoo, museum, beaches, etc) are poor (infrequent, bad routes).

          The other major barrier to bus usage is the cost of the HOP card (which I'm assuming that the kids will still need to use to tag on and off – certainly the seniors do, for their free travel). It costs $15 to buy. Each time. Anyone who's had kids knows that school bus tickets/passes are one of the most lost items – not to mention bent, spindled and mutilated. When my kid was in primary, it was rare for a term to go by, without needing to buy a new HOP card – when you have 2 or more kids – the cost becomes significant.

          • Muttonbird 16.2.1.2.1
            18 May 2023 at 9:43 pm

            The alternative is parents literally driving their kids everywhere, all the time.

            Not a concept actual parents want to consider.

            • alwyn 16.2.1.2.1.1
              19 May 2023 at 9:00 am

              You haven't seen the parents in Wellington.

            • Belladonna 16.2.1.2.1.2
              19 May 2023 at 6:45 pm

              The point raised was what are the barriers to bus use (in Auckland)

              I don't believe that cost is a significant one (at least for school kids).

              Actual parents spend a heck of a lot of time driving kids around in Auckland – simply because the bus service is inadequate (unreliable, doesn't go where people need it to, when they need to get there) and (increasingly) considered to be unsafe (kids having to wait at dodgy hubs, or for buses that don't turn up, let alone the bullying and intimidation both on the buses and waiting for them). School buses are (more or less) trusted – to be safe; and parents are inclined to trust major bus routes during peak hours to be safe. But out of hours? Or multi-stop trips? Not many would think it's a great idea for younger kids to do solo.

              Do you find that cost is the reason that your family does or does not use buses?

  17. Mike the Lefty 17
    18 May 2023 at 6:59 pm

    I would have liked to see some, even limited, provision of free dental treatment but I really only dared to hope.

  18. Jack 18
    18 May 2023 at 7:21 pm

    Never has the expectation in every aspect of New Zealand life (health, education, law and order, economy etc) been set so excessively low. Depressingly unambitious budget.

  19. Corey 19
    18 May 2023 at 8:51 pm

    So I finally got to read the budget.

    It's fine… I guess.

    The targeting half priced public transport to under 25s is weird, whenever I catch a bus it's like 30s-60s and I don't think labours gonna be thanked by many of it's voters for doubling their transport costs in the middle of winter, in an election year in a cost of living crisis.

    .Theyll rue the day they reverse that fuel subsidy, again in winter, in a cost of living crisis in an election year, they should have scrapped it in January rather than getting rid of it in WINTER.

    Crikey.

    Grant hasnt stuck to a budget in 5 years though, I guarantee you, when the subsidies end and labour drops 5% in the polls (which they absolutely will over this) labour will freak out and find some magic money and extend it to the end of the election.

    Half priced buses should have been made permeant for everyone.

    Other than that it's. .. a meh… Tory lite budget

    I am increasingly thinking, labour wants to lose 2023 so it doesn't have to work with the Maori party … Cos Jesus Christ if this is the best labour has in an election year with a full majority….

    God save us.

  20. Stuart Munro 20
    18 May 2023 at 9:37 pm

    Well it seems that the now defunct Jenny Craig is not the only scam that persuades people they must wait.

    'You must forego a social life until you're thinner' was the implicit message of the company to its victims, whereas Labour's is, 'You must not expect a modest prosperity until we achieve some unstated growth number, which none of our policies are directed to achieving'.

    Austerity always comes down to hunger.

  21. adam 21
    18 May 2023 at 11:54 pm

    Nothing to see here, move along…

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    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Auckland faces 25% water inflation shock
    Three Waters became a focus of anti-Government protests under Labour, but its dumping by the new Government hasn’t solved councils’ funding problems and will eventually hit the back pockets of everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 8:06 am today are:The Government ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Small accomplishments and large ironies
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VII
    In order to catch up to the actual progress of the D&D campaign, I present you with another couple of sessions. These were actually held back to back, on a Monday and Tuesday evening. Session XV Alas, Goatslayer had another lycanthropic transformation… though this time, he ran off into the ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
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  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
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  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
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