China and New Zealand

Written By: - Date published: 12:49 pm, October 17th, 2017 - 70 comments
Categories: China, Globalisation, International - Tags:

We are on the eve of the great Chinese leadership conference tomorrow, and days from a fresh New Zealand government that will have a more defensive position on foreign ownership. So it’s worth taking a moment on the relationship between the two.

I’m just going to pose a few questions.

Should our next government, as Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop requests, form a common strategy of the Five Eyes partners specifically against China?

With the examples of local investors regularly declining to gain controlling interests in Silver Fern Farms, Synlait and others in mind, should New Zealand limit foreign direct investment?

Should we be the first Western country to permanently re-orientate itself in its diplomatic and military views away from the United States and towards China? The shadows of such giant planets pass over us each day, and still we eat our breakfast and go to work. There is pretty much zero Chinese ethnic tension in New Zealand. In an August interview with The American Prospect, then White House Chief Strategic Steve Bannon said that the United States is “at economic war with China. It’s all in their literature. They’re not shy about saying what they’re doing. One of us is going to be a hegemon in 25 or 30 years and it’s gonna be them if we go down this path.” Do we need to have sympathy? Who is evaluating for us the risks either way?

Isn’t all this just an Auckland problem, so Auckland should deal with it?

What if anything should New Zealand do to become a part of China’s One Belt One Road initiative?

Is Chinese influence in New Zealand so great that it is past the inflection point of being able to do anything about it anyway, so why worry? Isn’t the operative word “welcome”?

Perhaps even more than the previous United States election, the Chinese leadership conference this week will have a strong bearing on the future of New Zealand.

70 comments on “China and New Zealand ”

  1. Stuart Munro 1

    NZ is a small country, we cannot afford to make big mistakes.

    We should not be part of an anti-China intelligence group. Nor should we go to great lengths to embrace China – they have very different cultures, economies, and interests. Our best course lies in something akin to the neutral states movement, and our logical trade allies are countries of comparable size with different export products.

    We should certainly limit foreign direct investment, property investment, and review the role of NZ funding of Asian investment banks.

    • Cinny 1.1

      I’m with you Stu

      “We should not be part of an anti-China intelligence group. Nor should we go to great lengths to embrace China”

      “We should certainly limit foreign direct investment, property investment, and review the role of NZ funding of Asian investment banks.”

    • JC 1.2

      “Is Chinese influence in New Zealand so great that it is past the inflection point of being able to do anything about it anyway, so why worry? Isn’t the operative word “welcome”?

      – Conference paper presented at the conference on “The corrosion of democracy under
      China’s global influence,” supported by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, and
      hosted in Arlington, Virginia, USA, September 16-17, 2017.
      Key points:
      • CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping is leading an accelerated expansion of
      political influence activities worldwide.
      • The expansion of these activities is connected to both the CCP government’s
      domestic pressures and foreign agenda.
      • The paper creates a template of the policies and modes of China’s expanded
      foreign influence activities in the Xi era.
      • The paper uses this template to examine the extent to which one
      representative small state, New Zealand, is being targeted by China’s new
      influence agenda.

      https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/for_website_magicweaponsanne-mariesbradyseptember2017.pdf

      • Stuart Munro 1.2.1

        Very interesting – but nothing that couldn’t be wound back by a responsible government. Their failure to do so pretty much wrecks the rational for current levels of state surveillance – I guess they’re just watching the Greens, just as the Feds watched Martin Luther King.

  2. Sanctuary 2

    The answer is no. In case it has escaped your attention, China is run by a murderous regime with scant regard for the rule of law and none for human rights. Sure, we can trade with them. But aligning ourselves with such a monster? Impossible.

    People don’t seem to grasp how benign an imperial master the United States is for N.Z. As long as we are a loyal ally, we are allowed to do more or less as we please, with a democracy and a free press and a free society. The US bankrolls our defense, so we can get away with pitifully small military forces. China would have no qualms in ordering newspapers closed, or in interfering in our internal affairs (hell, they’ve already got a spy list MP in National party and they are busy buying up every has-been National MP they can get their hands on as a potential Quisling government).

    Culturally and politically we are a nation of free people, wedded to ideals of democracy, the importance of the individual and liberty that are as old as the west itself. As long as we hold to those beliefs, and China remains a brutal, lawless and murderous dictatorship, we can never make common cause as a client of China.

    If worst comes to the worst and the alliance with USA fails, better to arm ourselves to the teeth and go down fighting than meekly submit to the butchers of Beijing.

    Better to die a proud Spartan than live as a cowed Boeotian.

    • Booker 2.1

      “China is run by a murderous regime with scant regard for the rule of law and none for human rights.”

      Yeah but you just described the U.S. I’m with the others here – we shouldn’t paint ourselves as anyone’s lapdog, and exiting the 5 eyes would be a good start.

      I think there’s a few problems which are going to tarnish NZs ability to make a clear assessment of the risks and benefits of our future alignments:
      • the media, as always, dumbing down every debate and claiming to speak for NZers when they do anything but
      • monolingualism: our reliance on English limits our understanding of what goes on in non-English speaking parts of the world, and means our politicians are likely to side with other English speaking countries even if it isn’t in our best interest. I’m fluent in Spanish and have connections with Latin America, and I can tell you there’s deep distrust of the US over there (given their role in various coups across the continent); the 5 eyes revelations did enormous damage to our image over there, but you’d never read a word about it over here. Our reliance on English leaves us in a bubble
      • racism: NZ seems to act like racism is bad, but racism against Asians is all good
      • decreasing ‘backpacker’ culture: I think we’re seeing an unfortunate shift where the increasingly unaffordable life in NZ limits the ability, or interest in, travel for the younger and middle-aged. We seem to be becoming more American: being staunchly proud of our own country with fewer and fewer people really having ventured outside
      • government short-termism: no one seems to be able to plan for obvious changes like needing new hospitals or climate change, let alone long-term foreign policy
      • the Commonwealth: cutting the apron strings of the motherland seems like a struggle for little NZ

      I’d love to see a real insightful, strategic plan for New Zealand’s future, whatever that plan ends up as, but I’m not holding my breath. I suspect people will trudge along without any direction until we wake up one day to find the world has changed and we failed to plan ahead 🙁

      • Psycho Milt 2.1.1

        Yeah but you just described the U.S.

        It took a whole hour for that tedious false equivalence cliche to turn up? What’s wrong with kids these days?

        • In Vino 2.1.1.1

          PM – you surely don’t still believe in the pristine purity of US Demahcracy? You give that impression.
          Maybe kids these days are just too cynical? (Good thing if they are, to my mind.)

  3. Paul Campbell 3

    I’m in China right now, I visit 3-4 times a year, it’s where it’s happening right now, amazing energy, wonderful people – of course we should be connected with China, at least as much as we are with the US, maybe more, they’re a lot bigger.

    But we shouldn’t be anyone’s lap-dog, not China’s and not the US’s – being a part of 5-eyes is incredibly hurtful to our place in the world

    As to Sanctuary – China does have a rule of law, I suspect you just don’t like their laws (there are certainly some I totally dislike, probably the same ones as you) – to my eyes China is changing, incredibly fast, they’ve basically been thru the entire industrial revolution in a generation, and they’ve made a lot of the same mistakes that we (the west) did – coal and pollution are a great example, they’re also learning from our mistakes (I took an electric cab in Shenzhen last night, they’re cheaper, they tax the petrol ones more).

    We should be ourselves, not beholding to any one super-power, but we should engage with the hope that some of our ideas about how a society is run will brush off on China, …. and on the US which seems to be in such dire strife these days

    • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1

      Is this what the rule of law looks like? (NB: be careful who sees you reading this: you wouldn’t want to get your hosts into trouble).

      The People’s Court is controlled by the People’s Assembly. In order to define that as “the rule of law” you have to change the definition of “the rule of law”. Where’s the separation of powers?

      • Paul Campbell 3.1.1

        I’m not saying it’s good, just that it’s different and that we shouldn’t expect every other country to run themselves the way we do, we certainly should be calling people on human rights abuses – states killing people is wrong (whether it’s the americans or china)

        (BTW I crossed the border 2 hours ago, I’m in Hong Kong, but technically still China)

        • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.1.1

          Also on the list of countries that are “different”: Saudi Arabia, North Korea, etc etc.

          When human rights abuses are written into a country’s constitutional arrangements they don’t get to claim the rule of law exists within their borders.

          Ask the Mothers of June 4th.

          The Communist Party has banned references to the crackdown in state media, the Internet and books as part of a whitewash campaign, meaning most young Chinese are ignorant of the events.

        • Psycho Milt 3.1.1.2

          The USSR and Nazi Germany also had this “different” rule of law that China has (the justice system being subordinate to the ruling party). “I’m not saying it’s good” isn’t really a very useful assessment of that “different” rule of law.

          • mickysavage 3.1.1.2.1

            Yep your concerns are valid. But I am not sure that the US’s system is the pristine example of freedom that it used to be presented as being.

  4. simonm 4

    There were lots of articles like this written in the 1930’s. They went along the lines of:

    “Under Adolf Hitler, the German economy has experienced unprecedented growth, especially when one considers the deep recession of the 1920’s. However, naughty old Adolf has been showing signs of wanting to expand Germany’s borders to the East.

    The question we need to ask ourselves is: Should we jump on board with Germany’s dynamic and vibrant economy, or will we risk being left behind due our silly quibbles over Hitler’s alleged mistreatment of a few insignificant ethnic minorities?”

  5. Sparky 5

    I was in China last year. Many many Chinese no longer have the desire to come here (the West) that they used to and those that do, do not plan to stay long term. China’s economy is a juggernaut that creates jobs even in more remote villages (where I stayed). Even simple jobs like driving a bus pay well and teachers are positively spoilt.

    China has a new view of itself too as an emergent superpower. Its reflected in architectural achievements, property values and a general sense of prosperity. The government has started extending social welfare to the regions (although many still have to pay for medical care in a model not dissimilar to the USA).

    So should NZ align with China? The simple answer is if it wants an economic future yes . The USA can not offer the trade benefits China can with its massive population and extensive reach. Indeed the US is heavily in debt to China so taking an aggressive stance against China is in my opinion the height of stupidity. No one can really compete with them as yet so no point in pretending otherwise.

    So yes say welcome or become a forgotten backwater, its pretty much that simple.

    • So should NZ align with China? The simple answer is if it wants an economic future yes .

      We have an economy that’s quite capable of supporting itself. We don’t need China, or any other country, for that. Same as the Earth doesn’t require trade with Mars to function.

      So yes say welcome or become a forgotten backwater, its pretty much that simple.

      So, kiss arse or become a successful nation? And kissing arse has never produced the latter.

      • Sparky 5.1.1

        If NZ wants to be a basic agrarian economy….then yes we need no one. China did this for 1000’s of years with great success and in some places there is a contrast between modernity and simple farming often using timeless methods. If however you want nice shiny goodies like laptops and mobile phones, for example, to comment on blogs and twitter then trade with nations like China is essential.

        I would add too that ass kissing is not required. Trade deals work really well.

        • Draco T Bastard 5.1.1.1

          If NZ wants to be a basic agrarian economy….then yes we need no one.

          So, you’re saying that it was impossible for England to lead the Industrial Revolution?

          If however you want nice shiny goodies like laptops and mobile phones, for example, to comment on blogs and twitter then trade with nations like China is essential.

          We could make all of those things here from our own resources and skills.

          I would add too that ass kissing is not required. Trade deals work really well.

          So, when all that bad steel came in the was a comprehensive inquiry?

          Or was it that the government kowtowed and did nothing?

          It was, as a matter of fact, the latter. So, yeah, lots of kissing arse.

          • boggis the cat 5.1.1.1.1

            Well, no, we can’t manufacture something as complex as a laptop, cellphone, or even radio here without foreign trade. We can’t even provide enough fossil fuels of the right type to cover present demand (and renewables requires more technology than basically burning sequestered hydrocarbons).

            New Zealand does need to trade with other countries, unless you would be happy with greatly reduced quality of life. (But then you wouldn’t live as long, due to healthcare being intensively dependent on traded goods.)

            As to issues such as poor quality steel (and shoddy consumer goods): one of the functions of government is to create and enforce regulations. Such failures are not on China’s government, but ours.

            • Draco T Bastard 5.1.1.1.1.1

              Well, no, we can’t manufacture something as complex as a laptop, cellphone, or even radio here without foreign trade.

              Of course we can – we have all the necessary resources here.

              We can’t even provide enough fossil fuels of the right type to cover present demand (and renewables requires more technology than basically burning sequestered hydrocarbons).

              Yep, you have NFI WTF you’re talking about.

              We already have enough renewable generation to build up more renewable generation.

              New Zealand does need to trade with other countries, unless you would be happy with greatly reduced quality of life.

              Quality of life is a function of productivity and we have enough of that to maintain and even increase it if we stop focussing on farming.

              As to issues such as poor quality steel (and shoddy consumer goods): one of the functions of government is to create and enforce regulations. Such failures are not on China’s government, but ours.

              The poor quality steel came from China and so it was their government that failed to provide the necessary oversight to ensure that good quality goods are produced and delivered.

              Our government didn’t push for an inquiry because the Chinese government threatened our trade with them.

              Being in this position of having to kowtow isn’t enhancing either our quality of life or standing. In fact, it’s doing the opposite.

              • boggis the cat

                How many manufacturing companies have you worked for?

                Nearly everything that goes into a product such as a laptop or phone (or radio — Tait, f.e. — or medical and motor control devices — Dynamic, Swichtec / Eaton, ABB etc.) is sourced offshore: mostly from China today. New Zealand cannot make semiconductors at all, and isn’t capable of producing most everything else due to economies of scale.

                This also applies to renewable technologies: we cannot build solar panels, nor the controllers required for grid connection. We can’t even build bog-standard batteries without importing the raw materials.

                In order to trade effectively we should try to move into more value-added exporting, which is what occurred with the meat industry. This is never easy, however, and there are trade barriers that complicate exporting. (Support for TPP and the like comes from those trying to get around those barriers — there is another side to what foreign corporations are trying to foist on us through such agreements.)

                China’s government no more oversees their exports than ours does. It is regulation that applies to imports where you can effect safety and quality standards (which are quite different things, by the way). The craptastic products that you can buy in big retailers here will fail to meet our safety standards, and that is on us, not whichever sweatshop in China spat them out. (Electrical products such as power boards and extension leads are often dire. There appears to be no effort to enforce the regulations that we have.)

                • lprent

                  How many manufacturing companies have you worked for?

                  Nearly everything that goes into a product such as a laptop or phone (or radio — Tait, f.e. — or medical and motor control devices — Dynamic, Swichtec / Eaton, ABB etc.) is sourced offshore: mostly from China today.

                  I sort of agree, except that it is pretty clear that you have a very limited idea about what is manufactured these days or anything to do with high added value exporting.

                  Firstly, there is no high added value in exporting meat and really no market for it. Basically you sound like a belated echo of Mike Moore from the 1980s. Sure it is possible to go and do interesting things to meat at this end. However there is no real incentive for our customers, who are after all distributors or supermarkets with local meat processing companies available to them. The value add effectively translates to profit, and damn near every distributor will tend to want to do the final processing themselves to get that profit.

                  So since the time from Mike Moore and before, the value-add on most of the farming and forestry commodities has been a costly illusion.

                  Secondly, if you want high value add exports, then look at what I do for a living. I add software or firmware to electronic products and they get exported. The hardware and electronics engineers that I work with build electronics from standard components sourced from offshore or provide the designs for PCBs assembled in other countries that get my software loaded on them. These designs get tested here and cause a flourishing testing sub industry.

                  This isn’t exactly uncommon. You see the same thing across a wide range of tech based industries from electronics through service software running on offshore server farms to the pharma industries here. We export the highest value add there is – intelligence.

                  The exporting tech industry in NZ has grown from being less than a billion dollars in 1995 when I started to concentrate on exporting tech to being almost as large as the dairy industry or tourism now in terms of export dollars. And just as importantly they employ far more people and for a lot more money.

                  None of the local firms are trying to build large scale product lines for mass products. The tech industry here concentrates on micro-niche markets that are global in scope. Typically they export more than 90% of whatever they do. The local market to is just too piddly small and as parochial as a National party grandee.

                  Basically your scenario sounds as 20th century as well.. Mike Moore.

                  Having industrial powerhouses around like China and its competitors with fast search access (ie the net) and customers able to find us has made life a hell of a lot better for exporters here. I can remember the joys of even trying to find out sources and leads back when I was first employed in exporting – way back in the dim dark ages of the start of the 1980s. It was like trying to build a product or service with your head in a bag.

                  • boggis the cat

                    I sort of agree, except that it is pretty clear that you have a very limited idea about what is manufactured these days or anything to do with high added value exporting.

                    I started work with PDL, back when they still manufactured more than they were importing, and ended up in their testing lab. Since then I have worked in calibration, which is a support industry to manufacturing (and design work, to a limited extent).

                    So I have a lot of second-hand exposure to the manufacturing sector, and in particular electronics (which was the ‘next big thing’ for government types back in the late 1990s, when it was starting to die back — government are always looking to support dying industries).

                    Firstly, there is no high added value in exporting meat and really no market for it.

                    What works is getting a direct supply agreement with a retailer. Tesco (for example) would much rather have a container full of ready to price and display product than have a local supply chain processing a container of dead animals.

                    However there is no real incentive for our customers, who are after all distributors or supermarkets with local meat processing companies available to them. The value add effectively translates to profit, and damn near every distributor will tend to want to do the final processing themselves to get that profit.

                    Wage rates and the exchange rate favour New Zealand doing the manual labour involved in the processing. The Yanks (and Aussies) can’t undercut us due to those factors.

                    The path to doing better from trade is to export the final product, rather than commodities. One of our biggest customers was importing parts from Asia (mostly China), assembling them into a case (some of which were made locally), then exporting back to China where the final product was assembled then exported to US and European markets. No prize for figuring out why that operation ended up being moved to China. The problem here is that we don’t produce the components locally — and we can’t, despite what Draco may believe — and we can’t compete with Chinese labour rates. Once quality gets lifted enough in China, you’re out of business — so when I saw the production engineers getting rotated to China to address that I knew we’d be losing that chunk of our business.

                    Our resources are mostly agriculture and fisheries. We aren’t utilising these to anywhere near the level we could be. Most other sources of income are based purely on manual labour, ultimately — your job is, too, I would guess — and there will always be a poorer nation with people eager to take those jobs from us. It will come down to how we use the land, seas, and climate available to us.

                    • lprent

                      Wage rates and the exchange rate favour New Zealand doing the manual labour involved in the processing. The Yanks (and Aussies) can’t undercut us due to those factors.

                      The last two places I have worked at do their builds in China and Mexico respectively. But the design, production line testing, test jigs, code, etc were done here. Some of the small production runs are done here when they are the size of test runs.

                      Tesco (for example) would much rather have a container full of ready to price and display product

                      And yet, in almost 30 years I have never seen any such deal come to fruition for more than a test run.

                      In the same time period I have seen flowers flown to Japan for Valentines day, my software being used in universities worldwide to train management students, being able to do a remote upgrade for a navigation device in the harbour at Rio, seen a local company do remote management of accounting systems for vets around the world, and just about every other damn things.

                      If it’d been possible to make a maintained agreement with food chains that last, it would have been done now. Either the local companies simply incompetent across decades, or the customers don’t want it. Try Occam’s Razor.

                • David Mac

                  Exactly, the Chinese can make whatever we want. We get what we ask for. The Bunnings buyer looks at the Mitre 10 catalogue and is obliged to demand that the Chinese foundry he spends a lot of money with make a hammer for $1.18 instead of $1.31. The quality of the product is the point of least resistance, it slides.

                  We’ve done it to ourselves. A good spin-off benefit of the utter junk is that it has kept a handbrake on the pricing of mid range, perfectly fine equipment.

                  They’re guilty of beating the west at their own game, marketing 101. Give the people what they want. We continue to snaffle up $4.99 tarpaulins by the 1000, they’re handy if you’re only after 12 months of coverage. If we asked for them, the Chinese factories can create 1000’s of tarpaulins for us that will last 3 generations, but they’ll be $85 each, not 33 cents.

                • Nearly everything that goes into a product such as a laptop or phone (or radio — Tait, f.e. — or medical and motor control devices — Dynamic, Swichtec / Eaton, ABB etc.) is sourced offshore: mostly from China today.

                  Correct but that doesn’t mean that we have to.

                  New Zealand cannot make semiconductors at all, and isn’t capable of producing most everything else due to economies of scale.

                  Which is a load of bollocks. Semi-conductors aren’t made by hand but by machine which means that economies of scale do not apply. And if we exported to the Rest of the World we’d be able to maintain the same scale (we’d run out of resources really quick though and end up poor – just ask Nauru. That’s why China also looked to stop exporting rare earths BTW.

                  This also applies to renewable technologies: we cannot build solar panels, nor the controllers required for grid connection. We can’t even build bog-standard batteries without importing the raw materials.

                  We have the raw materials here. It’s just a case of developing the extraction and processing capability. Interestingly enough, I’ve only heard the Greens suggest that we do so.

                  In order to trade effectively we should try to move into more value-added exporting, which is what occurred with the meat industry. This is never easy, however, and there are trade barriers that complicate exporting. (Support for TPP and the like comes from those trying to get around those barriers — there is another side to what foreign corporations are trying to foist on us through such agreements.)

                  Developing the economy is what we need to do. Focussing on a single industry won’t do that. The TPP is about setting up even more barriers in the way of IP.

                  China’s government no more oversees their exports than ours does. It is regulation that applies to imports where you can effect safety and quality standards (which are quite different things, by the way). The craptastic products that you can buy in big retailers here will fail to meet our safety standards, and that is on us, not whichever sweatshop in China spat them out.

                  It’s actually on both. China needs to ensure standards are met so that they can be trusted and we need to ensure that those standards are met on imports as well.

                  Please note: I’ve been saying for some time that we should drop all FTAs and put in place a set of standards that other countries need to meet to trade with us.

                  • boggis the cat

                    We don’t have the raw materials for any of this. How much copper, aluminium, and rare earth elements do we mine here? None, because — like Japan — New Zealand has no usable concentrations of any of this.

                    Stop posting speculative nonsense for a few minutes and go look this up. You have no idea, and clearly have no experience in manufacturing.

                    Not every nation has the ability to produce everything, thus international trade is required. Muldoon tried to use our resources maximally to offset the high costs of trying to produce manufactured goods locally, and we ended up with huge debt and unsustainable mini-industries. There are better approaches than insisting on either extreme.

    • Unicus 5.2

      When it comes to jumping into bed with duplicitous fascists I’ll take the back water any day .
      The Chinese Government is a colonialist imperialist dictatorship and its current daispora living in Auckland given the support of a flotilla of battleships would turn on us in a flash .

      China is not our friend it is our exploiter. The Americans for all their faults proved their commitment to our survival with their own blood and didn’t expect to turn up to live here in their thousands .

      It’s not to late to tell the Chinese to fuck- off but it may be soon .

      • David Mac 5.2.1

        Unlike many regimes, during the Dragon’s rise the Chinese have not bombed or invaded other countries. Their troops have taken on the form of the stuff we buy. Their spies aren’t sinking Greenpeace boats tied up in Downtown Auckland.

        Just as we should dig our toes in when Chinese interests endeavor to tell us how to run our country, it is not our place to direct the Chinese on how they should run theirs.

        I have business relationships with people that I would choose not to go fishing with. If I limited my customer base to people that I’d love to spend more time with I’d go broke. So it is with global trade.

        With regard human rights, we have a far greater chance of having influence over someone or some nation if we offer our thoughts from a foundation of mutually benefiting each other.

        • lloyd 5.2.1.1

          Tell Tibet that the Chinese haven’t invaded.

          • lloyd 5.2.1.1.1

            And the Vietnamese have a few Chinese bomb craters to add to their vast American collection.

            Those coral atolls they have raped in the South China Sea also look a bit invaded.

            • David Mac 5.2.1.1.1.1

              Yes, they’ve had their skirmishes around their borders, against Japan too. The question is, do we hop into bed with Uncle Sam, the Dragon or neither?

              If we stacked the armaments China have let fly over the last 50 years alongside a US stack, one pile would be many times bigger than the other and detonated nowhere near domestic borders.

      • Steve 5.2.2

        Well.Perhaps some folks might even be no longer holding their breath to expect America care about Kurdish people.Too bad for them.Or so it seems.Sadly.Seem like America doesn’t seem to worry about needing their support anymore.Been flicked off to the side,discarded for hope of bigger gains perhaps?. Who knows.How many even care? . Well Kurdish people sure do care for sure.Many now feeling ripped off.And next there will be plenty who’s hurt perhaps will surge toward feelings of anger. Then what next?

        America more or less ditched us already once before.Quickly kicked our country to the curb.Because we wouldn’t quickly agree to roll over like wee well trained little puppies,in regard to allowing their demand of nuclear warships into our ports

        We already need to send our peace keeping troops overseas.To help American’s clean up a mess that their mismanagement had helped to allow to be formed

        I’m not,as yet, convinced we should wish to directly align ourselves with anyone.Or convinced, the global school yard ongoing shit fight squabbling between bullies, should necessarily need to be in our best interest to also decide take any active roll in.

        I hazard to guess, perhaps one main remaining reason why we still don’t experience terrorist situations here in NZ, like what so many other countries already do.Might somehow be connected, to our roll, of being world renown as being a nation of people focused toward our hope for world peace.Actions pretty much always tend to speak far louder than any amount of words can ever do. Our action, this far, has helped keep us safe, throughout rocky times when some other countries actions perhaps haven’t been helping their own situations quite so well?

        I could easily agree,with other folk, we need to start using our head way far better than we would seem to have been doing,specially these last few years.That’s for sure.Let the situation at hand become a excellent warning to help remind us about that.A warning to not let want of wealth, go to our head to the stage of completely overruling our lives

        I feel ,this world needs at least some countries around that will decide to staunchly remain like the bastion’s for hope of world peace.Its something most important.It may seem like a near impossible hope.Of course, because its obviously a real long shot.Specially now that things have already been allowed to get so way far out of hand.And yet perhaps it still remain as the whole worlds best option for this hope to prevail ?

  6. David Mac 6

    The Chinese are extraordinary, subsistence farmers to global empire heavy hitter and barely a shot fired. In just a few generations, beating the west at their own game: Money.

    Like quite a few here, I feel we should be aiming to play an intrinsic contributing role in the world without being anybody’s international snitch.

    Who can blame the flourishing Chinese middle classes for sinking their savings into NZ or Canadian real estate. It’s not just foreigners that can’t own land in China. Nobody can own land, they lease it from the owner, The People.

    I’m not in favour of the guy that made 2.4 billion Tamagochis buying NZ sheep stations. I think it’s a trend we will grow to regret. I feel we can continue to offer terrific opportunities to Chinese people without selling the farm.

    • Sparky 6.1

      Agreed. We should focus on trade not selling the family jewels.

      • David Mac 6.1.1

        Yep, more fridge ready tubs rather than sacks of milk powder. More ready to assemble apartment planter boxes rather than logs.

        With our meagre population, it should be a doddle.

        Quitting gossiping behind China’s back would be a jolly good start. The Aussies have got the Sth Pacific covered. I see many benefits in pursuing a neutral status.

    • Steve Reeves 6.2

      Food is important, and I guess we see the China strategy in that field a lot in NZ.

      But electricity is another and there the strategy is also clear. The following are Chinese companies:

      Five of the world’s six largest solar-module manufacturing firms
      The largest wind-turbine manufacturer
      The world’s largest lithium ion manufacturer
      The world’s largest electricity utility

      A good read here

      https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/06/china-cementing-global-dominance-of-renewable-energy-and-technology

      • KJT 6.2.1

        We could have been the world leader in wind turbines. Given the same level of Government support we give to agriculture. Our skills in composite manufacturing are world class.

  7. OncewasTim 7

    So in posing your questions, what is it you are really asking?
    Is it that we should swap one empire’s imperialism and expansionism for another?
    Maybe we should not wimp out and give both the 2 finger salute.
    Let’s have trade and cultural interaction that is actually FREE.

  8. UncookedSelachimorpha 8

    Human rights abuses, torture, war-mongering and invading other nations should all be bottom lines that rule countries out as allies. Both the USA and China are guilty of recent offenses in most or all of these categories, and we should be allied to neither.

  9. savenz 9

    NZ should remain on friendly but cordial terms with both countries. None of the arse licking we have seen from the John Key government to both China and USA at the detriment to our own long term protection.

    NZ is nothing to either countries apart from a strategic asset. Being neutral is actually giving NZ more a position of strength than if we have become too entwined with both.

    Learn from the UK mistakes by Tony Blair who was happy to send many unprepared UK troops to their unnecessary deaths, waste billions of dollars and ultimately make terrorism much more common by his actions.

    Friends of super powers should and NEED to learn how to stay NO, actually you get more respect from that than being a needy enabler.

  10. Should our next government, as Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop requests, form a common strategy of the Five Eyes partners specifically against China?

    Not specifically against but certainly keeping an eye on them. We do need to protect ourselves from aggressive expansionism.

    With the examples of local investors regularly declining to gain controlling interests in Silver Fern Farms, Synlait and others in mind, should New Zealand limit foreign direct investment?

    Yes. And not just NZ but every country in the world should ban foreign ownership.

    Should we be the first Western country to permanently re-orientate itself in its diplomatic and military views away from the United States and towards China?

    No, we should become neutral.

    Isn’t all this just an Auckland problem, so Auckland should deal with it?

    No. Our farms and other strategic assets being sold off is a national problem.

    What if anything should New Zealand do to become a part of China’s One Belt One Road initiative?

    Nothing. If we want trade then we should probably be setting up a NZ centred trade system.

    Of course, international trade has a fast approaching use by date.

    Is Chinese influence in New Zealand so great that it is past the inflection point of being able to do anything about it anyway, so why worry? Isn’t the operative word “welcome”?

    No and no.

    1. We should make it so that only citizens can vote.
    2. We should get rid of permanent resident status.
    3. Those people who go through the full process to become citizens are, of course, welcome here. All the rest can fuck off.

  11. Should we be the first Western country to permanently re-orientate itself in its diplomatic and military views away from the United States and towards China?

    Well, we wouldn’t be the first Western country to turn its back on the West and embrace totalitarian dictatorship, and on the plus side we’d only be getting friendly with totalitarianism elsewhere rather than implementing it in our own country, but yeah, seriously, what the fuck? We should suck up to a communist dictatorship because there’s money in it? Count me out.

  12. TheBlackKitten 12

    No we should not be involved with countries that don’t have good labour laws for all people. It amuses me that some of the posts on here speak of China as a nice modern go ahead country. I bet my bottom dollar those people don’t visit or see those factory workers that are forced to produce the nice shinny widgets that the west have fallen in so much love with for a pittance. That they don’t see their appalling standard of living and the non existent health and safety laws. It’s Ironic that left wingers seem to forget the appalling labour laws China’s has and only see them as a communist nation so therefore they must be the good guys right. Bullock!
    And am not to sure if those that are signing the praises of the Chinese are aware that only those that are not in the peasents classes are entitled to their public health system. Again surprise that people don’t know that. Open your eyes people. There is a reason why China does so well economically in comparison to the West. It’s called producing goods for low cost at the expense of the worker and only supplying health care to contrubtors I can imagine the howels of protest if we did that in NZ.
    But I guess beating up on Uncle Sam will be more important to some of the readers on here rather than good fair labour laws for workers.

    • savenz 12.1

      Good points TheBlackKitten

    • KJT 12.2

      Don’t think we should cosy up to China, or the USA.
      Both have questionable records on human rights, Labour laws, and how they treat their own citizens.

      But then there is the Australian refugee gulag, and New Zealand’s imprisonment rate. Second only in the West to the USA……….?

    • David Mac 12.3

      Hi Black Kitten, China is fast-tracking away from that scene quicker than a huge nation ever has. Ending the dire labour situation in China won’t see the end of that type of thing, it’s always been with us. It wasn’t that long ago that children were dragging carts up and down mines in England.

      As labour conditions improve in China and India and their middle classes continue to blossom the child labour, dirt poor conditions and wages scene will move on too. In 20 years I think Nikes will be getting stitched up in the currently dirt poor, wild frontier, coastal African nations.

      • Steve 12.3.1

        +1

      • It wasn’t that long ago that children were dragging carts up and down mines in England.

        True and then we put some laws in place to stop it. We should now implement laws that prevent us from trading with nations that still have it.

        In 20 years I think Nikes will be getting stitched up in the currently dirt poor, wild frontier, coastal African nations.

        Why when shows are already manufactured by robot?

        There is evidence that the African countries were developing quite nicely after WWII and then they got free-trade ideology forced upon them by the IMF/WTO and their levels of poverty increased massively along with inequality. This forced them into being primarily commodity producers and exporting the wealth that, if they developed the capability of using it themselves, would have lifted them fully into industrialisation by now.

        • David Mac 12.3.2.1

          Manpower in diminishing numbers will be required in the production of goods for quite some time yet. We’re some distance from feeding raw materials into one end of a machine and cars dropping out the other.

          I think many African nations struggle in modern times because the money multi national companies like De Beers and BP stump up to be there extracting their wealth with few environment concerns lines the pockets of a privileged few wearing blinkers and is not building schools and hospitals.

    • Steve 12.4

      Well lets consider NZs past .Or even that of our Australian friends over the ditch. We all would need to admit,we have no real completely rosy histories ourselves.Even America likewise. Indeed China might not be any completely rosy supernatural race of people.

      Did you ever visit the first nation folk of America, while they were being herded off,almost like animals, into reservations?. Or visit many forced to adopt Christianity?.People now who struggle with some of the same problems and issues,like that what Maori also still now continue to struggle with too, within our own country. How about a fair amount of Chinese people, who got caught up in English enforced opium trade,did you visit them?.Had you asked many of them, how they then began to feel toward people who were non-Chinese?

      I feel,perhaps we can expect to always continue to achieve very little, in our collective existence on this earth together, if we would continue to try to demonize certain folk humans of another race

      Perhaps first of all we might need to ask ourselves?. What it might have felt like, for ourselves, to have needed to be forced to walk a mile or two in their shoes

      Just saying

      • savenz 12.4.1

        Yes but at least we have democracy, Steve. We still frown on torture. We don’t have 9 of the 10 most polluted rivers in the world. We can still breathe our own air which is not like a packet of cigarettes. We don’t put people to death and then harvest the organs of the deceased while sending a bill for the bullet to the families. Bribery is not part of everyday business. Girl babies are not aborted because they are considered less worthy. We don’t harvest sewer oil for cafes and nobody thinks it’s a business opportunity to sell counterfeit milk power and literally kill other people’s babies for profit. We have a welfare system. We have free health care, free education and superannuation.

        In short, we still have a decent standard of living in NZ which is why so many want to become NZ citizens. So for the average person NZ is utopia and China is somewhere to try to get out of.

        Yes China may be a great way to make money and profits and if that is the most important thing to you. But to live there, no. It’s not where people want to live.

        But one thing we can learn from Chinese, is that they have long term strategic planning. That is why they have become so powerful. NZ has gone down the opposite path, zero long term planning and is in the process of turning the NZ haven into a hellhole for those at the bottom.

        The other thing we can learn from Chinese is that they really value family and education. Again something that the NZ government under National seems to think has little value because they can not see or even care, beyond 3 years of power and profits for themselves.

  13. CoroDale 13

    ASEAN-Plus-Six offers NZ much strategic diversity, worth developing. We should be emulating China’s financial hedging, both USD-fiat and BRICS-commodity. China is, like the West, exploiting our open investment policy. NZ needs transformation from logs-n-milk-powder, toward regional-development and self-reliance.

  14. Keepcalmcarryon 14

    A good start is not having MPs who were part of the Chinese spy apparatus.
    Plenty of cozy dealing done under national, water giveaways, land ownership and swamp kauri sailing overseas. Blue dragons seemed to be half the crowd at the national party do on election night.
    We are tiny and easily bought.

    • David Mac 14.1

      Yep, the swamp kauri thing pongs.

      “Yes, it is a $40,000 breadboard Mr Customs Officer.”

      It doesn’t matter how little we are, if neutral, we don’t need to be the least bit dodgy. If it’s straight shooting every-time every nation we do business with know exactly where we, and they stand. It’s a position that nurtures trust and fosters relationships…Sheep stations in Middle Eastern deserts, what were we thinking?

  15. Incognito 15

    Between the devil and the deep blue sea?

    • The deep blue sea that surrounds us is our friend. Now we just need to look after it better and allow it to recover form the deprivations of the last few decades.

      • Incognito 15.1.1

        You could say that too about the tiny blue planet we call Earth – she’s pretty small really. If anything all those space explorations have shown us is that there’s no cosmological Exit somewhere; this is it, the Garden of Eden and Fire & Brimstone all in one place, depending on …

      • greywarshark 15.1.2

        DTB +1

        And in that tradition of blessing the sea barrier – the Irish have also done it as between them and Brit.

        Dubliners
        (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAiYLTiBiDk

  16. greywarshark 16

    Should our next government, as Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop requests, form a common strategy of the Five Eyes partners specifically against China?

    We need to think for ourselves as to our best strategy for protecting ourselves and relating to the world. Julie Bishop is the type of Australian who shows us how friendly they really are in Oz and how capable of producing a co-operating world with respect for others, though wary. And that’s not at all, the Australians aren’t our friends and if the USA wanted them to they would and have financially, subverted us and would attack us on command I believe. The Chinese might provide a better balance of strategic relationships than being allied to the main west bloc exclusively.

  17. David Mac 17

    If NZ were to withdraw from Five Eyes would the organisation then be named as per the lightweight slur aimed at a person wearing glasses?

  18. Exkiwiforces 18

    A thought provoking post and some excellent comments for and against cosying up to China.

    I’m against cosying up to China, as I see China as a modern day land/ resources grabbing tyrant that has learnt from the former colonial powers. But in saying that they are playing a wonderful long game and we in the west are playing a twenty- twenty version aka after quick buck.

    What concerns me about China is:
    Is their lack of transparency and oversight in the South Pacific and in the Antarctic atm.
    Their use soft of soft power in undeveloped countries ie cheap loans at very low interest with hidden strings attached, bribing local official’s etc so their fishing fleet under records their catch size within the South Pacific (I’ve seen this from first hand experience in East Timor in 2006, they also had their fingers in pie in the Solly’s and Tonga in 2006 riots which required the Australian and NZ Governments to its Military/ police Forces and other inter- government department’s to those countries.)
    Their use of their economic power when there products are brought into question or when they are criticise at government level or in our open universities
    Thumbing their nose at the International Court at the Hague in regards to the South China Sea or UN resolution’s for that matter.
    Propping up one party nation states for favours.
    State sponsoring of the illegal diamond, Ivory trade and human rights though their use of soft power.

    To understand China’s strategic intentions one must read an update version of Sun Tzu and you would then understand that China is playing us for a bunch of mungs.

    I’ll leave you with this wee quote from the book called:

    On the Psychology of Military Incompetence, By Dr Norman F. Dixon
    Chap 14, The Intellectual Ability of Senior Military Commanders page171,

    By Sir Hugh Elles, Director of Military Training:

    ‘The Japanese are no danger to us and eager for our friendship’. He said this just before the WW2 started.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • At a glance – Does CO2 always correlate with temperature?
    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 ...
    3 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 hours ago
  • Relentlessly negative
    Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 hours ago
  • Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    Bryce Edwards writes –  It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 hours ago
  • Promiscuous Empathy: Chris Trotter Replies To His Critics.
    Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played. “Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
    6 hours ago
  • Don’t run your business like a criminal enterprise
    The Detail this morning highlights the police's asset forfeiture case against convicted business criminal Ron Salter, who stands to have his business confiscated for systemic violations of health and safety law. Business are crying foul - but not for the reason you'd think. Instead of opposing the post-conviction punishment and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 hours ago
  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    7 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    8 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    9 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    12 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    12 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    12 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    12 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    14 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    15 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    17 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    2 days ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T09:34:15+00:00