Bunnings strike

Written By: - Date published: 1:28 pm, September 26th, 2015 - 36 comments
Categories: Unions, workers' rights - Tags: , ,

Bunnings staff are striking today after rejecting unfair contracts:

Bunnings staff striking at New Zealand stores

About 70 Bunnings workers delivered a strike notice at the company’s head office on Thursday.

First Union Retail and finance secretary Maxine Gay said Bunnings was proposing a collective agreement that would hand bosses the power to chop and change start and finish times without the worker’s agreement.

Although workers would have guaranteed hours over a fortnight under the new contracts, Bunnings was proposing a clause that would allow management to change what days of the week workers were rostered on, she said.

“Workers need certainty so they can plan things like childcare. You can’t plan your life when your work situation keeps changing,” Gay said. “This sort of insecurity is going to cause tremendous stress.”

https://twitter.com/WilShrimpton/status/647552070124367874

36 comments on “Bunnings strike ”

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  1. billmurray 1
    26 September 2015 at 1:45 pm

    Well done to the employees and the union for fighting against these sort of contracts.

  2. Paul 2
    26 September 2015 at 1:57 pm

    As Bunnings ad goes ‘low prices are just the beginning.’
    They sure are.
    Low prices only occur with poor salaries, bad working conditions, offshoring of jobs, sweatshops in the third world, products that are designed for the dump,…..

    Big box stores like Bunnings are the problem.

    This video explains some of the issues.
    It’s about electronics, yet the principles are basically the same.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW_7i6T_H78

    • Draco T Bastard 2.1
      26 September 2015 at 2:32 pm

      One law I’d like to see is mandatory recycling of everything that’s on the market.

      • Pat 2.1.1
        26 September 2015 at 3:26 pm

        now thats an interesting idea…..would certainly get rid of a lot of unnecessary product purchases and at the very least reduce waste product…the first step in moving away from consumerism?

        • half crown 2.1.1.1
          27 September 2015 at 10:08 am

          “the first step in moving away from consumerism?”

          A great idea, But no one is going to agree with that as it will affect their 1000% profit, not after tax as they don’t pay tax if it is a company like Amazon. Also, how is that going to happen when the latest “must have if you are someone” product made by slave labour in Asia becomes a major news item on the television news, with footage showing, brain washed clowns queuing up outside stores to be the first to buy. A repeat of what they did nine months earlier when they bought the first of the one they are placing.

      • maui 2.1.2
        26 September 2015 at 9:12 pm

        I don’t think we’ll get there under our own steam as it’s the function of this global consumerist society that we have to consume and not think about the consequences, most people are still quite happy to do that. More likely it will only happen when no one has the money to buy expensive new things anymore and you’re only able to afford to repair your own shoes, washing machine etc rather than buy a new one. How long have people campaigned for plastic bags to be outlawed yet here we are still happy to use them and throw them away. A large economic downturn will all of a sudden make people into recyclers on mass otherwise they will go without.

        Another thing I thought of was how we pride ourselves in recycling our old computer waste. We dump it off at a special e-waste recycling day, then later a lot of that equipment gets shipped off straight to India or China to be buried in a massive hole in the ground somewhere.

    • Melb 2.2
      26 September 2015 at 5:42 pm

      What a moron. She wants a range of devices with different voltage/current needs to all fit the same, or a small number of power cords. Manufacturers try to stick to the same standard as much as possible – witness the rise of jug cords for a lot of household electronics and micro USB for Android and other wireless devices – but it’s not always so practical.

      She could have made the conscious decision to spend more to repair her DVD player rather than throw it away.

      And Moore’s Law is about doubling the number of transistors, not doubling processor speed. Stopping watching here.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.2.1
        26 September 2015 at 7:15 pm

        She wants a range of devices with different voltage/current needs to all fit the same, or a small number of power cords.

        That’s not actually moronic – that’s economising. Moronic is having a different charging unit for each device.

        Manufacturers try to stick to the same standard as much as possible

        No they don’t. If they did then my nephew’s Samsung pad would be able to charge from a standard USB port but it can’t.

        She could have made the conscious decision to spend more to repair her DVD player rather than throw it away.

        The price of something is supposed to bring about the best action but the replacement being cheaper than the repair obviously brings about the worse action.

        Yep, pretty much everything you said there proved that you’re fucken ignorant moron.

        • RedLogix 2.2.1.1
          26 September 2015 at 8:12 pm

          Actually Melb is correct. The industry has made a lot of progress towards minimising the number of different charger types in recent years – but it isn’t practical, or even desirable, to have just one universal standard.

          • Draco T Bastard 2.2.1.1.1
            26 September 2015 at 9:14 pm

            We already have a universal standard – the household power point. The idea would be to add to that standard an intelligent 20v circuit that uses a standard USB plug. Plug any device into it and it uses the communications channel of the USB to negotiate the power to be delivered for charging.

            Generally speaking, it really does look like we’re on the way to such universality.

      • Lanthanide 2.2.2
        26 September 2015 at 10:13 pm

        Yeah, this video really annoys me too.

        It’s good for people who have never really thought about this or don’t know anything. But for anyone who knows a modicum about the industries she talks about, and why things are the way they are, she’s simplifying everything to a silly extent and saying “wouldn’t it be great if they just did this!”.

        Of course the underlying message is correct, but it’s just the way it’s presented I don’t think is as effective as it should be. Also some of the claims are a little dubious, like saying some electronic goods release toxic chemicals while they’re in use.

      • Paul Campbell 2.2.3
        27 September 2015 at 9:00 am

        (Puts on chip designer’s hat) for a large part of the time we’ve been using the Moore’s law rule of thumb speed has scaled with area – but in reality capacitance doesn’t and on chip wire resistance is no longer negligible, thermal issues have also slowed us down. Since then the rule has sort of stopped talking about Moore’s law as applying to performance and just chip area but people continue to quote that old Intel marketing hype, it’s entered the common culture.

        Moore’s law is going to die soon anyhow we have feature sizes measured in atoms quantum effects are going to slow things down we’ll need new technologies, making a wire thinner than a few atoms is obviously impossible things will grind to a halt.

        You can’t get your DVD fixed here because no one here knows how to do it,that’s not true in China for example where there are whole cottage industries recycling,repairing and reselling dead electronics, it’s probably where your dead cellphone goes when you recycle it,not in to some mythical pit.

        Choosing USB 5v as a standard probably has more to do with practicality as a designer I can ship a device without the huge expense in both money and time of getting UL certification for my power supply simply by choosing an existing already certified wall wart,it’s kind of a nobainer …. It also solves the whole different country voltage/plug mess by creating country wide economies of scale for power supplies

      • Molly 2.2.4
        27 September 2015 at 9:08 am

        Melb, despite your correcting of an inaccuracy regarding Moore’s Law, which is probably done because of the intended audience, – you missed the point, which is mainly about planned obsolescence and the negative effects on all of us.

        If you have difficulty continuing with the video above, then watch this one:
        Who Pays the Price – the human cost of electronics.

        https://youtu.be/ns-kJ5Podjw

        It will give you the issues that need to be discussed: planned obsolescence, worker exploitation, negative externalities and the lack of transparency in supply chains that make the idea of consumer choice a fallacy.

  3. Ad 3
    26 September 2015 at 3:15 pm

    The Warehouse shows that not all big-box retail need be the same for workers. Not perfect, but better.

    I have already emailed Bunnings saying I will not use them again (despite their superior range and service) until they reverse this stupid proposal. Great to see union muscle being flexed for the right reason.

    • Lanthanide 3.1
      26 September 2015 at 10:14 pm

      I’ve found Mitre 10 Mega to be superior to Bunnings in all the ways that matter (store, layout, prices, product range, checkout queues). Could just be the stores in my area, though.

  4. Rosie 4
    26 September 2015 at 3:28 pm

    Kia Kaha FIRST and Bunnings workers!

    Following on from the discussion about Michael Woodhouse’s proposal to write zero hours into law we have zero hours evil twin, insecure hours, rear its ugly head this week.

    Insecure hours are just as unacceptable, (or for arguments sake, only slightly more acceptable as you know you will get paid). Your boss cannot own your life. You need regular rostered hours week in week out to schedule your personal life.

    We were at the Lyall Bay Bunnings store earlier this arvo. When we pulled up we saw the picket.

    We said hi and were given a flyer making a suggestion about what customers can do. You can contact Bunnings general manager Jacqui Coombes and “remind Bunnings their workers deserve the simple security of fixed hours”.

    Ms Coombes can be contacted on [email protected] or 021 497 496. This information is on the FIRST flyer being handed out to customers. (Not sure if the mods are ok with a phone number being given out).

    Remember, if Bunnings back down and don’t introduce clauses in support of insecure hours, it’s not just the union members that benefit, it’s all the workers. As customers we can do our bit to support the workers by contacting Mc Coombes.

    • savenz 4.1
      27 September 2015 at 8:30 am

      Yes by all accounts Ms Coombes is a pretty fair person. I really hope she uses her position to make sure her employees have in writing, fixed hours. There is a moral obligation to do this as most people have commitments outside of work and need hours to reflect this. If there are some people out there who are happy to be flexible – great, but keep it strictly voluntary.

      The other issue is when people’s hours and shifts are constantly changing then it creates work in other areas too like IT and payment and so forth – changing hours are not this amazing saving that the right wingers like to think it is. It is more a way to disempower employees who surprisingly reciprocate and have zero loyalty and if their employees doesn’t give a damn about them, why should they give a damn about their employer?

  5. Rosemary McDonald 5
    26 September 2015 at 4:22 pm

    Slightly sideways here….but I was chatting to the checkout person at Pak n Save, Clarence St in Hamilton the other day.

    Happy worker, good pay rate and working conditions, the Boss treats staff well.

    Also heard that Noel Leemings base hourly rate for floor staff is respectful compared to other appliance retailers.

    Good on Bunnings staff for making a stand.

    Note to retail employers…we, the customer, will be asking your staff about their pay and working conditions….and shop according to our consciences.

    • Lanthanide 5.1
      26 September 2015 at 10:16 pm

      Noel Leemings was bought out by The Warehouse, who truly do make an effort to put workers first. They’re still not as good as they perhaps ought to be, but the make a genuine effort and are leading the way in the industry.

    • Liam 5.2
      27 September 2015 at 4:56 pm

      Clarence Street Pak’n’Save rates weren’t given by the employer, they were negotiated for and won by First Union.

  6. Ad 6
    26 September 2015 at 6:28 pm

    Has anyone considered the potential consumer power of the entire Standard readership?

    If we decided to, we would be a very powerful activist lobby against bad companies.

    We would have to agree on our targets.

    • gsays 6.1
      26 September 2015 at 6:34 pm

      hi ad,

      howzabout divide up the oil companies that we by fuel from.
      eg jan,feb march bp
      april, may june caltex
      july august sept, z
      oct, nov dec challenge.

  7. Ad 7
    26 September 2015 at 6:42 pm

    Hey gsays you can’t pull a major campaign out of the air.

    Draft a post up setting out which company you would target, and why.

    Or a post building on this Bunnings one proposing a full boycott.

    With half a mil readership, this site has massive latent power.

    Set out clearly how, and why, you would use it.

  8. lprent 8
    26 September 2015 at 6:47 pm

    I was planning on heading to Bunnings tomorrow to pick up a bathroom shelf for my shaving gear (who knew that growing a stubble beard required more shaving gear?).

    The plumbers place shut at 1pm and isn’t open tomorrow.

    Any other suggestions for this bearded Newton DIY?

  9. Ad 9
    26 September 2015 at 6:58 pm

    LPrent there is a specialist men’s shaving shop at the top of Pitt Street near its intersection with KRoad.

    Failing that hang out with the proles at Briscoes.

    • lprent 9.1
      28 September 2015 at 9:12 am

      I have all that gear. Picked up some at a sale at Briscoes a year or two ago. It is nice only having to cut back the stubble every few weeks.

      Problem is that there is no shelf space in the bathroom for it.

  10. lurgee 10
    26 September 2015 at 7:44 pm

    I was going to buy some plant pots and mousetraps today, but held off in solidarity.

  11. Mike the Savage One 11
    26 September 2015 at 9:15 pm

    With all respect to the workers taking a stand, a few hours strike will hardly impress the employer. Workers in this country are divided beyond recognition, as it has been turned into a country of ME first, and stuff the rest, so most are lone fighters, if they dare or bother fight at all.

    And Bunnings are just part of the oligopoly that dominate the local building and DIY supply market, same as the grocery business is cut up by the two big players. But with all the occasional debate about this, nothing seems to ever change in little New Zealand. Perhaps learn from the French and pile up some tyres on the motorway and set a signal?

  12. Atiawa 12
    26 September 2015 at 9:53 pm

    They will beat it. 15%

    Whose expense?

    Bring back compulsory unionism, Level it up. Get some enjoyment from life,for fuck sake.

    Workers of the World Unite.

  13. RedBaronCV 13
    27 September 2015 at 12:07 pm

    Can we advise the CEO that we will all be going into Bunnings in the near future and will require extensive rpoduct advice from their skilled staff before we purchase a $1 item so they will need to think about hiring more people for the same turnover?

  14. Dan1 14
    27 September 2015 at 5:50 pm

    I will not use Bunnings while this contract is in place.

  15. Citizen's Resistance 15
    29 September 2015 at 7:59 am

    What we are seeing here is a disturbing trend of Corporations following bad New Zealand Corporate Talley’s in walking away from bargaining. Bunnings are just one of many who are positioning themselves to do the same.. Others we know of are the Red Shed, AirNZ.

    The circumstances surrounding this employment law change appears to be the influence of Corporations in our Government rotting our democracy. Hit them in the pocket through a consumer boycott, like what concerned citizen’s are doing to Talley’s linked below;

    http://www.facebook.com/citizensresistancenz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 thru Dec 2, 2023. Story of the Week CO2 readings from Mauna Loa show failure to combat climate change Daily atmospheric carbon dioxide data from Hawaiian volcano more ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Affirmative Action.
    Affirmative Action was a key theme at this election, although I don’t recall anyone using those particular words during the campaign.They’re positive words, and the way the topic was talked about was anything but. It certainly wasn’t a campaign of saying that Affirmative Action was a good thing, but that, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • 100 days of something
    It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • Look who’s stepped up to champion Winston
    There’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today  – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • What's The Story?
    Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • The longest of weeks
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts to
    Like earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Under New Management
    1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
    New Zealand welcomes the further one-day extension of the pause in fighting, which will allow the delivery of more urgently-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of more hostages, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “The human cost of the conflict is horrific, and New Zealand wants to see the violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government his condolences to the family of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut. “While opinions on his legacy are varied, Secretary Kissinger was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Backing our kids to learn the basics
    Every child deserves a world-leading education, and the Coalition Government is making that a priority as part of its 100-day plan. Education Minister Erica Stanford says that will start with banning cellphone use at school and ensuring all primary students spend one hour on reading, writing, and maths each day. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • US Business Summit Speech – Regional stability through trade
    I would like to begin by echoing the Prime Minister’s thanks to the organisers of this Summit, Fran O’Sullivan and the Auckland Business Chamber.  I want to also acknowledge the many leading exporters, sector representatives, diplomats, and other leaders we have joining us in the room. In particular, I would like ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Keynote Address to the United States Business Summit, Auckland
    Good morning. Thank you, Rosemary, for your warm introduction, and to Fran and Simon for this opportunity to make some brief comments about New Zealand’s relationship with the United States.  This is also a chance to acknowledge my colleague, Minister for Trade Todd McClay, Ambassador Tom Udall, Secretary of Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • India New Zealand Business Council Speech, India as a Strategic Priority
    Good morning, tēnā koutou and namaskar. Many thanks, Michael, for your warm welcome. I would like to acknowledge the work of the India New Zealand Business Council in facilitating today’s event and for the Council’s broader work in supporting a coordinated approach for lifting New Zealand-India relations. I want to also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Coalition Government unveils 100-day plan
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has laid out the Coalition Government’s plan for its first 100 days from today. “The last few years have been incredibly tough for so many New Zealanders. People have put their trust in National, ACT and NZ First to steer them towards a better, more prosperous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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