Chinese Capital in the Pacific

Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, July 19th, 2022 - 26 comments
Categories: China, debt / deficit, Economy, International, Nanaia Mahuta, Pacific, uncategorized - Tags:

It would be tidy for New Zealand and Australian leaders to blame China’s debt within Sri Lanka for its collapse, so that they could scare Pacific Island nations back into the fold. It would be wrong.

A lot of good came out of the Pacific Island Forum and in particular the 2050 Blue Pacific strategy, and some big new diplomatic investments by the United States.

But in this interview with Jack Tame, the Minister of Foreign Affairs traverses a lot of ground, but from 9.20m discusses how mindful the government is about the collapse of Sri Lanka.

You’ll be aware that the way New Zealand funds is largely by grant funding. We would like to see the opportunity of development partners to look towards greater coordination of its efforts,” said Mahuta.

“I’d say there’s a level of indebtedness that sits across the whole of the Pacific to financial institutions, including the way in which China has funded into certain countries.”

The minister described it as a “key area of vulnerability that should be addressed, and we need to find different ways to work together on the challenges that sit within the Pacific.”

Sometimes, however, it’s better to see what’s on the ground causing civil unrest before reaching for blaming other countries. The Pacific Forum was Chaired by a person who had led coups in Fiji. Its own multiple coups were caused for the most part by native Fijian-origin military and paramilitary groups seeking to ensure Indo-Fijians didn’t achieve parliamentary rule.

In the Solomon Islands, troops and police from Fiji, Australia and New Zealand have been invited in several times over the past decade to restore order after inter-ethnic fighting broke out. It stems from a really poorly handled internal decision to switch recognition of Taiwan to that of China, which cut off critical Tainwanese aid to parts of the Solomon Islands. It’s complex but aid withdrawal was at its base. The US stepped in with massive replacement aid but the cack-handed damage was done.

Further back, in 2006 New Zealand and Australian troops were invited to secure Tonga’s main city and airport after massive riots. Tonga has a messy and multi-layered relationship between authoritarian monarchical rule, feudalistic restrictions of political rights, cultural patronage, massive inequality, and a very low wage economy. Their path to greater democracy was and is very, very hard.

In none of those examples did Chinese state loans cause civil unrest. Nor in any of them was New Zealand out of the picture.

And so to Sri Lanka. Certainly China financed a billion dollar port+airport at Hambantota, but then accepted a lease of the property in place  of much of the repayment. At 99 years it’s more like a equity-for-debt swap.

And of course it was in Rajpaksa’s constituency, ‘nuff said. But the lessons out of Sri Lanka that New Zealand can draw are simpler, and little to do with how China forms debt agreements within Pacific island states.

The first lesson is very very few small states will ever have the headroom to massively slash income taxes, as the Sri Lankan government did in 2020. VAT was halved from 15% to 8% and many other taxes minimised. Well, state got no money. Fiscal deficit soared to 11% of GDP. Those lenders that had hung in there for a long time like the IMF were just shown empty pockets. No party that promises massive tax giveaways can also promise that the state will stay stable.

The second lesson for New Zealand is that the fastest thing we can do to stop layabouts on the streets looking for trouble, is get them jobs here. Developed countries like us have that power. Talk a lot less about medium term hero projects for climate change and more about dollars and cents to get cash into small island villages. We will need the workers particularly in horticulture, until such time as we get much greater harvest mechanisation. We caused stress through shutting them out during COVID.

A big lesson for countries that are striving their way out of subsistence and poverty is that they will stop getting access to highly concessional loans from the IMF and World Bank – so that’s the point where very kind lenders or donors like New Zealand, Australia and China need a whole bunch less suspicion of each other and a lot more coordination of what they are actually funding. Surely the PIF can do an actual job of coordinating that rather than complaining.

Sri Lanka’s farmers also give New Zealand a much more direct lesson, namely: you can’t force organic farming on farmers and banning fertiliser imports. When Sri Lanka’s government tried that to decrease import costs, rice and tea harvests crashed 20%.  Dilmah Director Malik Fernando gives a sense of how Sri Lanka is continuing to rebalance tea production and tourism amongst the crisis:

Tourism continues without any untoward incident. Citizens have been protesting the government’s mishandling of the economy. Demonstrations have been peaceful, barring a few at the start where protesters were dispersed by the police. Sri Lankans from all walks of life came together peacefully and demanded that the government step down. The entire cabinet resigned. There is a strong sense of unity. Tourists have also joined the protests in some places. Although it may look worrying in the news, there’s no risk whatsoever to tourists.”

Now, granted he’s entitled to his advertorial spin, but he points to a very simple lesson for New Zealanders: the easiest thing you can do to build up a small island state is go there on holiday. Take your family and NZ$5-$10k and buy everyone some happiness. Stop scolding farmers about how to produce, and instead help them diversify their economy. After all it worked here.

None of the above examples of disruption had a Chinese debt trap as their cause. All of them have solutions that don’t necessarily require more loans or more grants for whatever reason. Our New Zealand government needs a whole bunch less political suspicion about sovereign loans, a whole bunch more focus on actual jobs that give Pacific Island families cash in hand, and actually an acceptance that – just as New Zealand did in the 1990s real estate market – Chinese money is a permanent part of our picture.

26 comments on “Chinese Capital in the Pacific ”

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  1. Stuart Munro 1
    19 July 2022 at 10:29 am

    Well your opening thesis is pretty sound, that China's involvement in Sri Lanka, if not benign (and lets face it, foreign investment is never entirely benign), does not appear to have been a major factor in the debacle that saw there government flee the country to avoid the natural and evitable consequences of their gross irresponsibility.

    China's expansion of interests into the Pacific thus far is more of a threat to competing predatory financiers than to the security of the region. And as long as they proceed carefully, and do not take advantage of the moral flexibility of of small state politicians too often, that's really none of our business. Incremental change, as opposed to the breakneck folly of Roger Douglas and his accomplices, is normal, and, because it allows the time for political responses and reviews, it is invariably more legitimate. Xi has appointed himself president for life, but thirty years on a less bellicose leader may control China, and the internal issues that have always been the major focus of that state are likely to keep him or her busy enough without strange dreams of conquest.

    The fastest thing we can do to settle things down in Sri Lanka is of course to impose a 10% annual property value tax and ship them the money as development aid. Ridiculous? Yes of course – as ridiculous as flooding NZ with even more migrants while we're still struggling to assimilate the extra million people MBIE asininely let in over the last two decades. These unskilled workers will take 30-40 years to work their way through the belly of the beast and allow wages to reach a natural equilibrium – until that time NZ workers have trouble enough keeping roofs over their heads without subsidizing the more egregious failures of foreign politicians.

    Nor should we derive excessive generalizations about the adaptability of farmers or the prospects of environmental reform from what seems to be an unremarkable instance of elite incompetence. The fastest growing (in value) sector in food are those products that are organic or sustainably produced, ideally both. Typically in the realm of 30%. NZ farmers are poised to swoop on that fat profit potential as soon as they get the sclerified old brown Fed crew's boot off their necks.

    • psych nurse 1.1
      19 July 2022 at 11:24 am

      I was in Sri Lanka in 2019 soon after the bombings, we must of been about the only tourists there, the tourist industry was in utter despair. But the astounding thing was the eight lane highway from Negombo to Colombo, built by the Chinese using Chinese prison labour according to the Taxi driver. He said the locals only realized when no locals were employed and all the cats, dogs and lizards disappeared from the streets as the labourers were not fed. There was also a massive port being constructed in Colombo all on a form of buy now pay later. Its obvious now the debt has been recalled and the Chinese will extract their pound of flesh.

      • RedLogix 1.1.1
        19 July 2022 at 11:36 am

        built by the Chinese using Chinese prison labour according to the Taxi driver.

        Yes – I have seen something similar myself working in Panama. We had a group of about 100 Chinese laborers doing light mechanical worlk (installing insulation and the like) who we treated like something out of concentration camp movie. One morning I thought to take a video of it from a distance – and was very quickly shut down by one of their white hat guards. They knew damn well what they were doing was fucked up. Or North Koreans.

        I was told the workers were likely forced labour taken from some very poor region in the interior.

        • joe90 1.1.1.1
          19 July 2022 at 12:32 pm

          My brother said much the same about routine air frame rebuilds in China. Hundreds of workers in crammed into deafeningly loud, sweltering and poorly ventilated fuselages being pushed along by stick-wielding overseers. Little wonder they have the record turn-around times so beloved by airlines.

        • Adrian Thornton 1.1.1.2
          20 July 2022 at 9:51 am

          Interesting to note that the industrial and manufacturing component of the post war Western Capitalist ‘democratic’ ideology you defend so vigorously on this forum has been enabled to grow over the past few decades almost exclusively through the exploitation of those very same workers…and many other exploited nationalities of course…as we all know, capitalism sees no colour in its endless search for profit….

          So correct me if I am wrong, but I don't seem to remember any problems with China and Chinese workers being issued from the West when they being outrageously exploited by all western countries including New Zealand for huge profit…but now that they are a perceived challenge to Western (mainly US) economic hegemony, we are expected to suddenly forget all that history from literally yesterday, and regard them as the biggest threat to our way of life today…FFS.

          The thing I find endlessly intriguing about the Liberal class is how crazily and outrageously racist they often are, yet they seem to genuinely not even notice it…sort funny and annoying at the same time.

          • RedLogix 1.1.1.2.1
            20 July 2022 at 10:03 am

            Fuckwit.

            It was of course Chinese owned and operated contractors who were charging these poor sods out at Western rates – and paying them sfa.

            The exploiters here are Chinese. Shove your racism …

          • Tiger Mountain 1.1.1.2.2
            20 July 2022 at 10:18 am

            I know it is pathetic Adrian –$80 branded T-shirts for sale in Auckland, made for cents in Bangladesh by exploited workers with horrifically toxic dye methods, latest iPhone “designed in California” made in China.

            US companies “ran away” for cheap labour long ago. That is why I am an internationalist–“Neither Washington, Moscow or Beijing”.

            Obviously Russian and Chinese workers have to get organised in numbers, but so do US workers–and look what happens when they try to at Amazon and Starbucks!

            • RedLogix 1.1.1.2.2.1
              20 July 2022 at 10:27 am

              latest iPhone “designed in California” made in China.

              Well take heart – skilled labour in China is now quite expensive. Even Apple who have repeatedly doubled down on their commitment to Chinese manufacturing are re-considering.

              The bell-weather on this is automation. Investment in both SE Asia and the US is exploding for two complementary reasons – many US based companies are re-shoring their manufacturing as fast as they can in order to regain control and certainty over their supply chains. In order to do this both US based and Asia based entities are investing hard in automation in order to contain soaring labour costs.

              The calculus many companies are now making is that even if Asia remains cheaper on a per unit basis – China now presents an unacceptable sovereign risk to the whole Asian region and reshoring is the best bet in the long run.

            • Adrian Thornton 1.1.1.2.2.2
              20 July 2022 at 3:38 pm

              @Tiger Mountain +1
              "That is why I am an internationalist–“Neither Washington, Moscow or Beijing”

          • Adrian Thornton 1.1.1.2.3
            20 July 2022 at 3:35 pm

            I might well be a fuckwit RL, but at least I am not a racist fuckwit.

            • Jenny how to get there 1.1.1.2.3.1
              21 July 2022 at 8:32 am

              But you are a genocide denier, and an open supporter of fascist style Russian backed dictators.

              Which would sort of contradict your statement that you are neither Moscow, Washington or Beijing.

              [Your comment adds nothing to the debate and only attacks another commenter without any substance even when that other commenter’s comments are infuriating you because of their tone, style and/or contents. This flaming has got to stop. Take a week off and next one will be doubled – Incognito]

              • Incognito …
                21 July 2022 at 9:11 am

                Mod note

                • RedLogix …
                  21 July 2022 at 10:16 am

                  Nah. I'm fed up with AT's blatant lying as well.

                  • Incognito …
                    21 July 2022 at 10:54 am

                    Aren’t we all?

                    Still, anybody who just attacks the messenger without any (other) substance in their comment can expect to be moderated, at least, and possibly receive an educational ban. As a reader, commenter, and a moderator of this site I’m fed up with those personal slurs, pot shots, attacks, et cetera. No matter how tempting it is to lash out at an infuriatingly obnoxious commenter and no matter how much the other ‘asks for it’ and/or ‘deserves it’, and trust me, I’m also ‘tempted’ a lot …

                    Collectively, we can choose to lift the tone and quality of the comments here and I’d like to think we [can] do this without heavy-handed moderation. But patience is wearing thin with some, obviously, and the time of kind warnings, gentle nudges, and soft moderation is coming to an end.

    • RedLogix 1.2
      19 July 2022 at 8:28 pm

      A country run as a family business. In a word – nepotism.

      • Stuart Munro 1.2.1
        19 July 2022 at 8:43 pm

        Yes I saw some of that in Shanghai – construction worker camps with ash piles outside them.

        "Bonfires?" I asked my host.

        "Funerals".

  2. bwaghorn 2
    19 July 2022 at 11:28 am

    “”Sri Lanka’s farmers also give New Zealand a much more direct lesson, namely: you can’t force organic farming on farmers and banning fertiliser imports.””

    I hope the greens are paying attention, just on the off chance they have some real power next year.

    • barry 2.1
      19 July 2022 at 4:50 pm

      The narrative is about the government of Sri Lanka wanting to to go green. In reality it was the government refusing to use foreign reserves to pay for chemicals. Going green is not just about stopping using chemicals and the Green party is not advocating for a cold-turkey on them.

      • bwaghorn 2.1.1
        19 July 2022 at 8:49 pm

        Didn't suggest they where but ,I'm sure there's a couple of em that'd love to shut down modern farming forthwith, so just thought I'd preempt them 🤔

  3. Obtrectator 3
    19 July 2022 at 12:35 pm

    "The first lesson is very very few small states will ever have the headroom to massively slash income taxes, as the Sri Lankan government did in 2020."

    Careful how you construct your sentences. I took that to begin with as implying Sri Lanka did have the said headroom. (It didn't, of course, as further reading made abundantly clear.)

  4. barry 4
    19 July 2022 at 5:01 pm

    I am off to the Cooks next week to support their economy. I am not expecting that my tourist dollars will actually result in many jobs for the locals, and I expect that tourism will be having many negative effects on the environment and wealth distribution. I suspect that tourism is only a small part of the answer to the economic problems.

    There is a need for climate change resilience work. Tsunamis in Tonga and storms in the Cooks recently have demonstrated the vulnerability of the islands, and local labour can be used to maintain defences, build up water infrastructure etc.

    RSE labour and remittances from NZ-based family members allow people to buy imports.

    Spending a lot of NZ/AUS/US/Chinese money does have down sides as it causes inflation and imbalance. Imports drive out local enterprise. Prices rise and the people without foreign income suffer.

    I agree that Chinese loans are not the problem. The problem is the failure to establish sustainable industries (e.g. fishing) that can employ people and sustain a truly local economy which earns enough to support the whole population.

  5. Maurice 5
    19 July 2022 at 7:55 pm

    We must remember that "Chinese Money" is in effect recycled US Money that went from the US to China in exchange for Chinese Manufactured products. That is why China has a huge US Dollar surplus which can be utilised for the Belt and Road expansion

    Very much a US own goal?

    • pat 5.1
      19 July 2022 at 8:05 pm

      And most of that USD earned by China went straight back to the US.

      • Maurice 5.1.1
        19 July 2022 at 9:37 pm

        A lot of it used to buy US land, commercial enterprises and other 'hard' assets

        2nd own goal?

        … and quite major investments here too

        From MAFT website: https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-regions/asia/china/

        Investment from China including Hong Kong into New Zealand reached NZ$10.6 billion in 2018. After Australia, China is New Zealand’s second largest source country for foreign direct investment, representing almost 10% of our total FDI stock. Chinese investment extends across a range of sectors including primary industries and forestry (30%), infrastructure and commercial development (20%), and manufacturing (15%). Chinese investors are the largest foreign investors in primary products exports, waste management, electrical whiteware, and tourism infrastructure. New Zealand’s limited overseas direct investment in China is mainly concentrated in the dairy sector.

        • pat 5.1.1.1
          19 July 2022 at 9:44 pm

          China is the largest creditor to the US government with over 1 trillion of US Treasury Securities

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  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

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

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Streamlining Building Consent Changes
    The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.      “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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