Chauvel on the ETS

Written By: - Date published: 4:54 pm, September 24th, 2009 - 35 comments
Categories: climate change, labour - Tags: ,

In his speech as Labour climate change spokesperson, Charles Chauvel confirmed the new information on the ETS that Jeanette Fitzsimons revealed today. It was a pretty good speech, especially the conclusion:

 “Labour will have no option but to repeal these changes when next in power. We could have had a broad-based, bipartisan, sustainable ETS but National and Nick Smith chose not to have that.

This is a day of shame. Shame for National. Shame for the Maori Party. A shame for New Zealand”

35 comments on “Chauvel on the ETS ”

  1. cocamc 1

    you guys are incredible. Not a year ago Labour rammed through their own ETS. Where was the bi-partisan ship then. Oh thats right – Nat Bad, Labour Good.

    • burt 1.1

      Exactly cocamc, it’s always good when Labour do it and always bad when National do it.

      ‘Labour National will have no option but to repeal these changes when next in power. “

      Is probably exactly what DPF said about the ETS rammed through by Labour. Wasn’t it also passed under urgency when Labour did it ? Guess urgency is good when Labour do it because it saves time.

      • mickysavage 1.1.1

        At least Labour tried to get agreement on the scheme and did not tell a load of porkies like Smith has.

        National opposed every policy Labour put up. There was no good faith then, there is no trust now.

        It is not that difficult a debate.

        The policy objective is to reduce the amount of CO2 and other gasses being released into the air.

        This current amendment will not achieve that policy objective. We need to stabilise CO2 concentrations at no more than 450 mpl.

        National are not talking about achieving this, nor does it seem they even want to achieve this.

  2. So Bored 2

    Burt and cocamc, you sound like a pair of pillocks because you are missing the point entirely. There is a global crisis, who did what when no longer counts, its all hands to the pump and there is no time to waste. Chauvel is right.

    • burt 2.1

      So Bored

      There was a global crisis when Labour rammed their ETS through.

      WTF are you talking about?

      • So Bored 2.1.1

        I dont give a monkeys as I said about whatever Labour did, who cares? The partisan approach is no longer relevant.

      • wtl 2.1.2

        It is National not wanting to work with Labour now, just like it was when the initial ETS was passed.

      • burt 2.1.3

        So Bored,

        It was never relevant. But it was massively defended on this blog when Labour did it – is that making this blog not relevant ?

        • So Bored 2.1.3.1

          So Burt, if it never was relevant why are you taking a partisan position? This blog may have a left versus right slant, my point is on this issue thats of no longer of any relevance, its too late for partisan positions. So be my guest taking party positions, you may ponder on the relevance of it when you are sitting under a rock to keep out of the heat.

          • burt 2.1.3.1.1

            I don’t agree with either policy, Labour’s or National’s. Perhaps if I invest some money into Al Gore’s carbon trading company I’ll agree with Labour’s – perhaps if I owned a large dairy farm I’d agree with both.

            • Galeandra 2.1.3.1.1.1

              Perhaps if I invest some money into Al Gore’s carbon trading company…
              Pity about the conditional mood .. first useful thing you’ve ever offered, from what I’ve seen.

              Spam word-ought !!!

        • Maynard J 2.1.3.2

          Burt – what overtures were National making to Labour around a bipartisan ETS in 2007-2008? They were trying to skive out of it by changing their tune and calling for a Carbon Tax, after calling for an ETS, after calling for a Carbon Tax 9Basically calling for whatever Labour were not doing.

          There was no possibility of a Bipartisan ETS because National were not interested.

        • burt 2.1.3.3

          Listen to you both. National didn’t like the Labour policy so Labour had no choice but to go it alone. Labour don’t like the National policy so National are being partisan.

          Keep going guys.

          • mickysavage 2.1.3.3.1

            How about an actual analysis of the history before you announce the conclusion?

            • George.com 2.1.3.3.1.1

              Burt. Track this issue back for several years. The initial carbon tax idea put forward by Labour, the fart tax campaign by National, Don Brash & co being obstructive at every turn. Now hand on heart Burt, tell me that National has played the issue of climate change wih a straight bat. You can’t, can you. For all of Labours faults, and yes there have been some in regards to climate change solutions, they have been a damned more constructive and consistent than National. One party has tried to find a solution (and they might not always have done that in the best way) , the other just wanted to play politics.

            • burt 2.1.3.3.1.2

              George.com

              Both parties are playing politics. Labour’s ETS was just a joke surely – rammed through in the last few days of parliament before an election. I don’t care how well thought out you think it was – there were many amendments and a lack of process in the passing of that ‘legacy – we got ya’ piece of crap.

              Oh, I’m not saying National’s scheme is good – it’s also crap.

            • mickysavage 2.1.3.3.1.3

              Sorry Burt

              Labour wanted to do something. The Nats blocked and delayed and held off any sort of action as much as they could.

              Labour decided to go with it. They were not playing politics. They wanted to save the planet.

              National wanted to maximise the political benefit.

              Prove me wrong!

            • burt 2.1.3.3.1.4

              Labour wanted to win the election – they knew if they lost their ETS would most likely be repealed and they knew if they won they would have lots of time to pass a well thought out scheme. They also knew the extended exclusion for dairy farmers was popular rather than environmentally sound.

              Tell how there was no politics in this? What part of saving the planet is served by the way Labour handled this and by the expedient exclusions included within it?

  3. Good on Chauvel, this is the kind of talk we need from Labour.

  4. Maynard J 4

    “Listen to you both”

    Talking to me Burt? Genuine question, not sure if you meant me there. As I said though – when one party is not interested in a bipartisan ETS, there will not be one. It can only happen when both parties are interested. I know that you think that everything that happens now is a direct equivalent of what Labour did, but this is a joke. Labour did not pass a bipartisan ETS, so no one is allowed to criticise National for not passing a bipartisan ETS…

    How simplistic can you get? Very.

    I do not think Labour’s ETS was passed under urgency, but even of so when pople have been criticising National’s use of urgency it has been for two reasons – passing legislation through all readings, and passing legislation purely because it is unpopular to keep it under the radar.

    But in your mind, if Labour ever used urgency, then no one is allowed to criticise Nationl for doing it – because it is exactly the same, right burt?

    • “But in your mind, if Labour ever used urgency, then no one is allowed to criticise Nationl for doing it because it is exactly the same, right burt?”

      Good comment.

      Bad bad Labour for doing x.

      National is justified in doing x because Labour did it.

      WTF?

    • burt 4.2

      Maynard J

      No I didn’t say that and I don’t think that at all. I’ve stated before there is a place for urgency – when something is urgent. The end of a term of govt is not grounds for invoking urgency – quite the opposite actually. Govt should move to caretaker mode the moment the election process begins which under the restrictions imposed by the EFA (which we had last year) was arguably the start of the year the election is in.

      Now if we were being invaded and we needed to pass a law allowing all people to use weapons without normal license requirements – that justifies urgency.

      National using urgency for all the stuff they have so far is appalling.

    • burt 4.3

      Maynard J

      When I said;

      National didn’t like the Labour policy so Labour had no choice but to go it alone. Labour don’t like the National policy so National are being partisan.

      I was responding to your justification for Labour ramming their ETS through without cross party consensus as being OK because There was no possibility of a Bipartisan ETS because National were not interested.. Which is basically what Labour did to National.

      Now unlike you, I’m not saying one is justified and the other is not – I’m saying both have their heads up their asses.

      • r0b 4.3.1

        Two men accuse each other of committing a murder.

        In Burt’s mind both are accused so both must be guilty, and Burt is a moral genius for being consistent enough to demand the death sentence for both.

        In Burt’s mind anyone who tries to evaluate the evidence, defend the innocent and prosecute the guilty is a mad partisan fool, a moral and mental pygmy compared to the greatness that is Burt.

        Welcome to the wonders of the mind of Burt.

      • burt 4.3.2

        rOb

        Not quite – but in my mind both would stand trial in court and if either are guilty (or both) then they would be charged.

        Based on your position – since others were doing it too and it’s all quite confusing – we should let both off and change the rules to avoid such nuisance in the future.

      • r0b 4.3.3

        This is a court burt, it’s a court of public opinion. And you are here arguing (on a range of different issues) that both are guilty and both must hang. No attempt to evaluate the evidence, no attempt to reach a reasoned conclusion, just continual lectures on how much smarter and more consistent you are because you just know that everyone is equally guilty.

        It’s a little tiresome.

      • burt 4.3.4

        So was there a murder or wasn’t there ? I guess it’s irrelevant because there was more than one suspect and when that happens it’s not fair to prosecute all parties who were involved.

        Tiresome is you having two standards – one for your team and one for others. But keep defending that position because it will give me years of fun pointing out your double standard. You better hope National never validate an alleged breach of the law – but I’m sure the situation will be different then won’t it.

        • r0b 4.3.4.1

          So was there a murder or wasn’t there ? I guess it’s irrelevant

          It may be irrelevant to you Burt, but I’ll keep on making my decisions based on the evidence thanks. Goodnight.

        • burt 4.3.4.2

          rOb

          You have demonstrated that you don’t think courts should be involved when politicians are involved in allegations of breaking the law. So yes I guess you will keeping making your decisions.

  5. Maynard J 5

    Burt: “When I said;

    National didn’t like the Labour policy so Labour had no choice but to go it alone. Labour don’t like the National policy so National are being partisan.

    I was responding to your justification for Labour ramming their ETS through without cross party consensus as being OK because There was no possibility of a Bipartisan ETS because National were not interested.. Which is basically what Labour did to National”

    What does this mean? I simply cannot interpret this into any form of a meaningful sentence. Labour putting through an ETS is what Labour did to National? What? Labour tried to work with National and they were rebuffed – how can you say that is the same when National never tried to work with Labour?

    “Now unlike you, I’m not saying one is justified and the other is not I’m saying both have their heads up their asses.”

    Please try again, and explain how Labour could have gotten a bipartisan ETS when National were not vaguely interested in working with them, and then explain how that is exactly the same as National putting through their ETS without Labour after two years of overtures from Labour on a bipartisan ETS, and it failing because National decided to not work with Labour, despite Labour’s efforts.

    How one-eyed can you get burt, and yet pretend that you are not being partisan? You must admit, this is very amusing, someone trying to pull off what you are here and trying to be taken seriously.

    • So Bored 5.1

      Maynard,rOb, George your forbearance and tolerance amaze me, your rewards in heaven will be great, When I saw Burt was on a path to logical oblivion and was attempting to prove black white I stayed with my original contention that he was sounding like a pillock and went to bed.

      Its now 18 hours later and the proof is in the audit trail of Burts commentary, I rest my case.

    • burt 5.2

      Maynard J

      I understand, without Helen telling you what is right and what is wrong you just can’t work anything out for yourself.

      Tell me again how it was OK for Labour to ram their ETS through under urgency in a partisan way and then tell me immediately after that how disgraceful it was that National rammed their ETS through under urgency in a partisan way.

      I’ll respond with appropriate – Yes Labour Good (while nodding head) then I’ll respond with Yes National Bad (while shaking head) then So Bored can keep up as well.

      • Maynard J 5.2.1

        Are you trying to set a record for ignoring the point Burt?

        Tell me again, why you think it is exactly the same, in light of:

        a – National were not interested in working on an ETS with Labour, so Labour could not have done it whether they wanted to or not.

        and

        b – Labour were interested in a bipartisan ETS, and actively worked on one with National, only to have the door slammed in their face, so National had the option of a bipartisan ETS where Labour did not.

        • burt 5.2.1.1

          Maynard J

          I think the Labour ETS was a joke and I’ll explain why. The same reasons for being a joke are also applicable to the National ETS.

          Let me explain;

          The term ETS under both the Labour and National policies are not Emission Trading Schemes at all – They are Emission Taxation Schemes. The reason I draw a line and say a taxation scheme is hopeless is that it makes no attempt to provide an environmental benefit and arguable will have negative impacts.

          Take coal for example (or gas, oil etc). A trading scheme would slap a tax on the coal at the point of extraction which would then be passed on in the same way as GST is. This therefore ensured that the ‘carbon costs’ to the planet have been accounted for and irrespective of who burns the coal. Under a lazy scheme we would put a tax on the coal when it is consumed.

          So, because of the lazy method we can mine as much as we like and sell it to China who burn it in plants with lower emission standards than we might burn it in here. Furthermore if China burn it – no emission taxes are ‘traded’ for the carbon released. But they would be if we taxed it at extraction.

          Further to this if we tax it at sale in NZ then we will use less and then we could say we have reduced consumption – but we have not have we. The mining goes ahead at the same rate and well sell it to countries who just burn it anyway so what would a local tax achieve?

          It would lower our export price because we reduce our local market and it would see it burned in places where there may or may not be any emission taxes paid and possible also see it burned in more polluting ways than it would be in NZ.

          If we taxed it at source we might not sell as much and I guess from an export revenue perspective this might be be bad – but aren’t Emission Trading Schemes about reducing consumption rather than ensuring expert revenue?

          Now if Labour or National want to get serious about environmental policies rather than pay lip service and pretend to be good global citizens then they would have addressed this issue.

  6. Zaphod Beeblebrox 6

    ACT and the MP were the two parties who were violently opposed to having an ETS for differing reasons according to their select committee reports.

    Yet the both voted for it!

    So much for your principles.

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    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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    5 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 ...
    5 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 ...
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    6 days ago
  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    6 days 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 ...
    6 days 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
    6 days 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
    7 days 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 ...
    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
  • While we wait patiently, our new Minister of Education is up and going with a 100-day action plan
    Sorry to say, the government’s official website is still out of action. When Point of Order paid its daily visit, the message was the same as it has been for the past week: Site under maintenance Beehive.govt.nz is currently under maintenance. We will be back shortly. Thank you for your ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago
  • DAVID FARRAR: Hysterical bullshit
    Radio NZ reports: Te Pāti Māori’s co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has accused the new government of “deliberate .. systemic genocide” over its policies to roll back the smokefree policy and the Māori Health Authority. The left love hysterical language. If you oppose racial quotas in laws, you are a racist. And now if you sack ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    6 days 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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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