Chloe Swarbrick should stand strong in Auckland Central

Written By: - Date published: 6:07 am, July 17th, 2020 - 63 comments
Categories: greens, labour - Tags: , , , , ,

The MMP-savvy Green Party know that campaigning in the electorates increases their party vote. While it’s likely that their vote will increase this year as a result of rebuilding trust with voters after 2017, their solid policy platform, and 2017 Labour voters wanting to pull Labour leftward/greenward, it’s not a year to be complacent. And why would the Greens want to lessen their party vote anyway?

The Greens also tend to have key electorates where they run strong candidates for their own sake as well as I think working on the long game of having electorate MPs in the future.

In the past day many of the issues with vote splitting between Labour and the Greens has been covered elsewhere, I want to raise another point: having two strong left wing women standing in an electorate where the incumbent National MP has stepped down due to the own goal dumpster fire that National are still warming their hands around is potentially gold.

Demonstrations of how to do clean politics that are based on humans being respectful to each other is something we desperately need right now, and I’m hoping will be in stark contrast to the kind of politics we are most likely to get from a Collins-led National. I hope both of the leftwing women can hold that balance between competition and allyship.

Having two left wing women campaigning also increases coverage of left wing policy and values, and is another tug on the Overton Window. We should be welcoming the opportunity.

We’ve seen both/and campaigning in the Greens’ female co-leadership contest in 2018 between Marama Davidson and Julie Anne Genter, where they were in competition but that competition brought out the best of policy and both women (witness also how adults do leadership changes).

Jacinda Ardern and Julie Anne Genter in the Mt Albert by-election in early 2017 was similar. Women in particular benefit from seeing strong female representation on the left, especially where that representation isn’t in the perpetual conflict of macho politics, but this is good for all of us.

Ardern in that post-election interview,

This idea of running against someone doesn’t have to be adversarial. We both had the absolute same view that there was nothing wrong with our parties contesting – we are separate parties. But the way in which we were going to do that was in a really collegial, constructive way.

You don’t have to resolve everything, you can just agree that you’ve got different ideas. That’s OK.

Genter,

One moment that was quite funny in the campaign was when I showed up at the Mt Albert train station with a bunch of volunteers, and Jacinda was there with a volunteer handing out leaflets. Initially it was a little bit awkward, but actually it worked really well. We had a great time, [Green Party co-leader] James Shaw joined me and the three of us did some selfies and handed out leaflets and engaged with the commuters.

Even though obviously both of us are campaigning for our respective parties, the reality is Jacinda and I have very similar values and vision as to what New Zealand can be like. We’re both driven by the idea that government has a key role to play in protecting and empowering people and making sure that things are fair.

That relationship and willingness to work together was further demonstrated in the 2017 campaign where Labour finally stood up with the Greens and worked to change the government. It was co-operation, not conflict-based adversarial politics, that gave us the right government at the right time for 2020.

I don’t know the Labour candidate Helen White, nor anything about whether White and Swarbrick get on or not. This doesn’t have to be a Kumbayah fest, there’s no contradiction between being strong and independent and working respectfully, it’s about offering up a different way of doing politics based in human relationships and a shared understanding of the wider good.

Swarbrick’s campaign is good for the Greens, good for women, and good for the left.  Not that  Swarbrick isn’t coming out fighting,

I’d vote for her. This is how I want politics to be done,

63 comments on “Chloe Swarbrick should stand strong in Auckland Central ”

  1. The greens should stand a candidate in all seats, as you say, to campaign for the party vote. I don't think there's a constituency they can win, even with a modicum of tactical voting from labour voters (with no close second places), but green voters can, like me, affect results in a few by selecting the labour candidate in some seats.

    • Andre 1.1

      The only electorate I can see where there's enough combined Labour and Greens party voters to possibly make an electorate lifeboat work for the Greens is Wellington Central. Only about 35% of Labour party voters would need to tactically vote for James Shaw to make it work, assuming the vast majority of Greens voters vote for Shaw rather than a significant portion tactically voting for Robertson like they did in the last few elections.

      https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2017/statistics/split-votes-electorate-60.html

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington_Central_(New_Zealand_electorate)

    • RosieLee 1.2

      And, surely, that is the whole point of MMP. It should not be used as a way of manipulating and gerrymandering (?!!) the vote. Let's have some honest numbers.

      • Rae 1.2.1

        It has been for a long time in Epsom. If the darling of the moment, one J Collins, had not summarily binned the recommendations for change to MMP that came out of the 2012 review I believe it would be far more conducive to honest voting.

    • Rae 1.3

      And if all left voters voted for Goldsmith in Epsom, bye bye Seymour. Nelson is ripe for the picking if tactical voting were employed bye bye Nick Smith. Kelston will need left voters to rally around Deborah Russell as there are a reasonably hefty number of NZF voters from last election not likely to vote for them again and Russell's majority is quite slim.

      With the name recognition I believe Auckland Central is sewn up for Swarbrick

  2. observer 2

    " The MMP-savvy Green Party know that campaigning in the electorates increases their party vote."

    When I handed out bumf for the Greens near Auck Uni and AUT, the message to students was not just "party vote Green" but "have you enrolled yet"?

    A soggy leaflet in the junk mailbox won't reach those voters, but Chloe and her profile on campus will – and did. Thousands of party votes, right there. 4.9% on election day = 5.1% on specials.

  3. Darien Fenton 3

    I'm surprised you don't know Helen White. She has an impressive record as an union/ employment lawyer with some of the most difficult bosses, including Ports of Auckland. She used to work for the SFWU. She is rated by the blue collar unions. I agree Chloe should continue to stand, but what is irritating are the calls from some that Helen should stand aside for Chloe. I understand no one is seeking that from the parties, including the Greens. Also look at the numbers ; Helen came within 1500 votes of beating Nikki Kaye last time around. The Greens got around 2000. Helen has kept on organising in Auckland Central ; It would be heroic to assume that Chloe could make up the difference of 8,000 to 9,000 votes plus gain some from the Nats. Even with tactical voting not all voters just obey ; in this instance it would just hand the seat to National.

    • observer 3.1

      "what is irritating are the calls from some that Helen should stand aside for Chloe. I understand no one is seeking that from the parties"

      Agreed. The calls are mostly from media commentators who can't be bothered to do any maths homework.

    • Enough is Enough 3.2

      Don't underestimate name recognition. In 2020 Chloe is a high profile, and strong performing Green MP that is in the main stream media often. She is well respected on both sides of the house.

      Most Auckland central voters would struggle to name a blue collar union, let alone who their lawyer is.

      Helen will benefit from being the Labour candidate, but I think Chloe being the more recognisable person will suck away enough votes to again gift the seat to whoever National puts in there.

      • Andre 3.2.1

        again gift the seat to whoever National puts in there.

        Which would mean that someone fairly high up on the Nats list that doesn't win an electorate misses out on going into Parliament on the list. Is that a bad thing?

        • Enough is Enough 3.2.1.1

          I don't really care who misses out on National's list. There is no scenario in this universe which has National winning the election. So who is in or out on their list is irrelevant to me

          I do care about who wins Auckland Central though.

        • Rae 3.2.1.2

          Remember Auckland Central while going to a Nat did not register the highest party votes for National. Much of the reason it was the Nats seat was because of Kaye herself. Without her, I can easily see it changing

      • Bearded Git 3.2.2

        I find myself agreeing with you Enough….a painful experience this early in the day.

        Checkpoint did a walk down a street in Auckland Central last night….EVERYBODY recognised Swarbrick….few if any recognised White. Well worth a listen.

      • Darien Fenton 3.2.3

        I think Chloe has had a couple of goes at name recognition. In the end, it comes down to who lives in Auckland Central, and people make the mistake of thinking they are all progressive green types. They are not,

        • Enough is Enough 3.2.3.1

          Clearly they are not "progressive green types" if thy have voted Kaye in 4 times.

    • weka 3.3

      I agree Darien, neither party appears to want to do concessions and calls for either side to unilaterally give to the other just fosters unconstructive conflcit.

      I'm out of the loop of a lot of mainstream things. I live in the rural South Island (Auckland is like another country) and am a long term beneficiary. I was raised by a mother who was a life long member of the PSA, so I grew up pro-union, but it's not been something I've been centred in. My focus is the deep green and regenerative subcultures. I didn't know Helen White, but I can tell you who Kay Baxter or Robina McCurdy or Kay Brereton are.

      Looking forward to learning more about Helen White though, and hope both women get a good run at this.

      • Darien Fenton 3.3.1

        Yes I agree totally. I am feeling a bit wearied by the blokes telling two women what they should do. They should both stand ; their parties should campaign and hopefully, both will be in parliament.

  4. Visubversa 4

    The Green voters put Nikki Kaye into Auckland Central the last couple of times. They could cut National out of the seat entirely and have 2 good women MPs if they were smart enough. However, there is good evidence that they are not that smart.

    • observer 4.1

      I think you just provided the evidence that they are smarter than you.

      I'm not going to spend another day explaining MMP for Beginners, so just read the other thread, there's all the solid evidence you need.

      • Sabine 4.1.1

        actually they did.

        you might not like it, but the Green voters did not vote for a Labour Candidate but rather voted from whom ever was nominated – if anyone can still remeber – and as a consequence in 2014 Jacinda Ardern lost by about a 1000 votes – pretty much the number the Green Party member got.

        Once can argue that they voted for purity and such, but then we have seen what purity brings, it got us another few years of John Key.

        numbers per 2014

        KAYE, Nikki (NAT)12,494 45.84

        ARDERN, Jacinda (LAB)11,894 43.63

        ROCHE, Denise (GP)2,080 7.63

        and sometimes MMP simply means to support the one that has the biggest chance of getting it, and the Green Party Member stood no chance at all. But purity feels good. 🙂

        • observer 4.1.1.1

          Yes, I know the numbers. I was responding to the claim that " there is good evidence that they are not that smart."

          If we accept that measure of smart (and I don't), then Labour voters must be at least twice as stupid as Green voters.

          In Auckland Central, some Green party voters ticked the Green candidate. If none of them had, and they had all ticked the Labour candidate instead, then Nikki Kaye would have been a National MP on the list, instead of a National MP in an electorate.

          In Epsom, more Labour party voters ticked the Labour candidate. If none of them had, and they had all ticked Goldsmith instead, then ACT would have been out of Parliament altogether.

          So: 1) no change to National party vote and number of MPs, or 2) total destruction of ACT.

          I'd say one is a lot worse than the other, but then I ain't "smart".

    • Darien Fenton 4.2

      Um no. Denise Roche was the last Greens candidate. Anyway there will be no deal. So if Chloe thinks she can win she should go all out. My prediction is that Auckland Central will be a strengthened National seat. Some people should read the demographics of this seat.

  5. Andre 5

    Chloe absolutely should go hard in Auckland Central, TRP's wind-up from yesterday notwithstanding.

    But here's the challenge to everyone that thinks Labour should try to gift the seat to Chloe to give the Greens a lifeboat: explain how it could possibly actually work out, using real life numbers of the numbers of voters for the different parties and actual real-life split-ticket voting patterns. Particular attention needs to be paid to the possibility of some Labour party voters being sufficiently opposed to the Greens that they would vote for the Nat specifically to deny the Greens the lifeboat.

    To start you off, here's some of the real-life data needed for this challenge:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_Central_(New_Zealand_electorate)

    https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2017/statistics/split-votes-electorate-1.html

    https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2017/statistics/split-votes-electorate-12.html

  6. gsays 6

    Thanks, Weka. Couldn't agree more. I figured yesty's post was an anomaly.

    I did finally get why Labour shouldn't stand aside to 'gift' a seat to The Greens. It would mean The Greens would be owned.

    I figure with the next intake of younger voters, The Greens will have a bigger voice in the next parliament.

    Legitimately.

    Looking at you Mr Brittas.

    • weka 6.1

      there's probably a psychological thing about being close to 5% and gaining a seat and then being dependent on it to stay in parliament. Better for the Greens to seriously go for electorate seats when they're on 20% and in the meantime play to their party list strengths.

    • Sabine 6.2

      The Greens are owned one way or another, as is any other Party for that matter.

      First – the voters who own them, as without them the dears in beige suits go nowhere.

      Secondly – the donors own them as without them the dears in beige suits go nowhere.

      Thirdly- in MMP any small party is owned by the biggest party that leads the coalition.

      Which is the eternal problem of the Greens. In all these decades they never grew any further then what they are now, and thus need a larger party to give them a seat at the table. And thus they are not 'free'.

      • Sacha 6.2.1

        in MMP any small party is owned by the biggest party that leads the coalition

        Because Winston First is so 'owned' by Labour, eh.

    • Incognito 6.3

      Nope, yesterday’s post was not an anomaly. It happens all the time here on The Standard that Authors disagree and sometimes strongly. They write in their own personal capacity and have their individual opinions. Some write deliberately provocatively to stimulate the commentariat. Today’s post is just a counter-view by another Author. No bad blood between the two, they’re almost like Ardern and Genter 😉

      • gsays 6.3.1

        Roger.

        You're right it wasn't an anomaly. TRP regularly has me spluttering the muesli with his reckons. Great stuff. Something that gives you pause for thought.

        I've navigated these waters long enough to not expect the view, from TS.

        Listening to the tranny this arvo, the idea of Labour and Green voters voting for Goldsmith in The Brittas Empire was explored. Sometimes you can be too tactical.

        • Incognito 6.3.1.1

          I've navigated these waters long enough to not expect the view, from TS.

          Good one; don’t even go near it because you’re almost guaranteed a harsh telling off comment from the one who shall not be named 😉

  7. mauī 7

    It is a bit of a worry that after more than 20 straight years being in Parliament the Greens are still fighting for their electoral survival. Part of the blame should go on Labour for not helping them win an electorate seat. All of those Green voters who vote for a Labour candidate and they get a big FU in return. Labour aside the Greens should have a formula to win an electorate by themselves already.

    • observer 7.1

      If a party depends on an electorate seat, they become defined by that one MP and that electorate (imagine trying to change the leader who holds the seat, for example). That is an unhelpful position for any party, but especially for the Greens with their kaupapa. The best formula is lowering the threshold. Anything else is a band-aid.

      • gsays 7.1.1

        Lowering the threshold, what is the most likely way for that to happen?

        A private members bill?

        • Ed1 7.1.1.1

          I believe the coat-tailing rule is inconsistent with the threshold. If the coat-tailing rule did not exist, there would still be some incentive to play games as in Epsom, but it would not manifest as fundamental unfairness for a party to gain MPs when a party with a higher level of party votes but not enough to meet the threshold gets none. The threshold should be reduced at least as was recommended in the most recent review of the system.

  8. Brigid 8

    "Labour’s Candidate, Helen White, and I were both invited on TVNZ Breakfast tomorrow morning to talk Auckland Central. She declined, and the segment was pulled.

    I remain very keen to debate the representation our city deserves, and the issues we face. Nobody is entitled to anything, and politicians must be accountable to the communities they seek to represent."

    Chloe Swarbricks facebook post yesterday

    • Breanna 8.1

      Ignoring that National and Labour have been knocking on doors and making phone calls for weeks while the greens have hardly been seen, or that there are already more than a handful scheduled debates for the community of Auckland Central (rather than fuelling Chloes need for a national ego boost).

      Perhaps Helen thought it was bad taste to start picking the carcass of a widely liked local MP the day after her resignation? But I guess Chloe as a career politician wouldn't care if it got her views…

      • solkta 8.1.1

        while the greens have hardly been seen

        Oh gosh that's terrible, how many observers do you have in the field?

        • Irene 8.1.1.1

          I'm in Ponsonby and I haven't seen a green doorknocker this election or the last – kinda unimpressed, tbh

      • Brigid 8.1.2

        "National and Labour have been knocking on doors and making phone calls for weeks"

        Have they? How do you know that. Are you a member of both parties?

  9. Breanna 9

    I appreciate your hopes for a friendly campaign, but given that Chloes commentary has already turned nasty, calling Helen entitled, lazy and unwilling to say the same thing on the doorstep as she would in parliament, perhaps the greens need to take a look at whether or not they actually want to run a friendly campaign?

    [You are new here and in all of your comments so far you have been sniping at the Greens, which is tolerated here. However, we don’t tolerate people making up shit to suit their opinions and/or personal agendas. You can back your accusations with a link or withdraw your comment. What you do next will influence for how long you can keep your commenting privilege here but I should let you know that in Pre-Election time tempers are frail and Moderators have increasingly less patience for dealing with recidivist behaviour – Incognito]

    • Sacha 9.1

      Chloes commentary has already turned nasty, calling Helen entitled, lazy and unwilling to say the same thing on the doorstep as she would in parliament

      Can you please link to places she has said that. Does not sound like her.

    • Brigid 9.2

      "calling Helen entitled, lazy and unwilling"

      No.

      Chloe hasn't said that.

    • Peter 9.3

      Please give us evidence of that. If you cannot you should apologise.

      I know the parties are different but we need internecine bullshit like we need a hole in the head.

      If that's going to happen the Labour and Green candidates may as well pull out and leave Auckland Central to National.

    • Incognito 9.4

      See my Moderation note @ 1:42 PM.

    • Just did a quick search and it appears that Chloe Swarbrick did unintentionally slight Helen White in an interview in the Herald, but quickly corrected herself:

      "She pointed to her track record of the past three years and said that White's voice might be stifled by her own party.

      "It's really important for Auckland Central to have someone who says the same thing on the doorsteps as they say in Parliament. There's a massive distinction between fighting words on the ground and taking that fight into the halls of power."

      She clarified that she wasn't talking about White, in particular."

      Re: entitlement, from the same interview:

      "But Swarbrick is also door-knocking in what she describes as the party's biggest push in Auckland Central.

      She didn't think Kaye's retirement would necessarily benefit White.

      "It's difficult to say where those votes will sit. Like I said back in 2016 [when Swarbrick ran unsuccessfully for the Auckland mayoralty], nobody owns votes, nobody can think they are entitled to those votes."

      I can't find anything that suggests Chloe called Helen lazy and I doubt I will, because the immediate clarification she made in the first section quoted above suggests she's thoughtful and careful with her words. However, I suppose that if a person was two faced and entitled, it's not a big jump to suggest that equates to laziness.

      The takeaway here is that Chloe Swarbrick's words were not intended to be provocative or disparaging. Sadly, her recent tweet about Helen White's unavailability to do a radio interview was not really in the same generous spirit.

      • Incognito 9.5.1

        Ta

        I would have like Breanna posting an explanatory comment like yours but that now seems unlikely. Still, Breanna could comment on the alleged accusation by Chlöe of calling Helen White “lazy”.

        The floor is your, Breanna!

      • Pete George 9.5.2

        …her recent tweet about Helen White's unavailability to do a radio interview…

        "…a bit of a misinterpretation, but ok"

        https://twitter.com/Nof_Grant/status/1283724459342352384

        • Robert Guyton 9.5.2.1

          Says Nick, but Pete, what does that mean??

          • Peter 9.5.2.1.1

            What does it mean? Top me it suggests that trivial points can become headlines, can become issues can become the sort of mindless petty crap approaches we criticise the MSM for. In terms of the big picture it's nothing but fractious tetchy sweating the small stuff.

        • te reo putake 9.5.2.2

          Thanks, Pete. The tweet did leave an unfortunate impression, as does the article I quoted above which was headlined 'gloves off', which suggests a macho slugfest in AK central. As this post makes clear, that's not going to be the case.

          (Robert – the tweet seemed to be suggesting that a debate had been agreed and the Labour candidate pulled out. The producer is clarifying that the discussions never went that far.)

          • Sacha 9.5.2.2.1

            the article I quoted above which was headlined 'gloves off'

            Really need to pay less attention to what editors, journos and political opponents want us to believe and more to what people actually say.

    • weka 9.6

      another mod note for you here Breanna (comment moved to OM)

      https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-17-07-2020/#comment-1731433

  10. Richard D James 10

    Either labour and the Greens need to do a deal on Auckland Central—I reckon in a months time the polls will be neck and neck between Lab/Nats and if the seats falls over a split vote we will have a change of Govt.
    As labour have already started putting the billboards up with Helen White I’m guessing they don’t want to do a deal at this point in time?

  11. Cinny 11

    I'd vote for Chloe in a heartbeat. She's a stand out MP.

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  • All the Green Tech in China.
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    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Western Express Success
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    2 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links at 7:16am on Monday, April 22
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to April 29 and beyond
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #16
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    2 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: The Government’s new fast-track invitation to corruption
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    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago
  • Thank you
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    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Determining the Engine Type in Your Car
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    3 days ago
  • How to Become a Race Car Driver: A Comprehensive Guide
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    3 days ago
  • How Many Cars Are There in the World in 2023? An Exploration of Global Automotive Statistics
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    3 days ago
  • How Long Does It Take for Car Inspection?
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    3 days ago
  • Who Makes Mazda Cars?
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    3 days ago
  • How Often to Replace Your Car Battery A Comprehensive Guide
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    3 days ago
  • Can You Register a Car Without a License?
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    3 days ago
  • Mazda: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Reliability, Value, and Performance
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    3 days ago
  • What Are Struts on a Car?
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  • What Does Car Registration Look Like: A Comprehensive Guide
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    3 days ago
  • How to Share Computer Audio on Zoom
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    3 days ago
  • How Long Does It Take to Build a Computer?
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    3 days ago
  • How to Put Your Computer to Sleep
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    3 days ago
  • What is Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT)?
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    3 days ago
  • iPad vs. Tablet Computers A Comprehensive Guide to Differences
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    3 days ago
  • How Are Computers Made?
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    3 days ago
  • How to Add Voice Memos from iPhone to Computer
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    3 days ago
  • Why My Laptop Screen Has Lines on It: A Comprehensive Guide
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    3 days ago
  • How to Right-Click on a Laptop
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    3 days ago
  • Where is the Power Button on an ASUS Laptop?
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    3 days ago
  • How to Start a Dell Laptop: A Comprehensive Guide
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    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Serious populist discontent is bubbling up in New Zealand
    Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • How to Take a Screenshot on an Asus Laptop A Comprehensive Guide with Detailed Instructions and Illu...
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    3 days ago
  • How to Factory Reset Gateway Laptop A Comprehensive Guide
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    3 days ago
  • The Folly Of Impermanence.
    You talking about me?  The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
    4 days ago
  • A crisis of ambition
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Have 308 people in the Education Ministry’s Curriculum Development Team spent over $100m on a 60-p...
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • 'This bill is dangerous for the environment and our democracy'
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Bank of our Tamariki and Mokopuna.
    Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The worth of it all
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    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • What is the Hardest Sport in the World?
    Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
    4 days ago
  • What is the Most Expensive Sport?
    The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
    4 days ago
  • Pickleball On the Cusp of Olympic Glory
    Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
    4 days ago
  • The Origin and Evolution of Soccer Unveiling the Genius Behind the World’s Most Popular Sport
    Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
    4 days ago
  • How Much to Tint Car Windows A Comprehensive Guide
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    4 days ago
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    4 days ago
  • How to Remove Tree Sap from Car A Comprehensive Guide
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  • How Much Paint Do You Need to Paint a Car?
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  • Can You Jump a Car in the Rain? Safety Precautions and Essential Steps
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  • Can taxpayers be confident PIJF cash was spent wisely?
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    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    4 days ago
  • EGU2024 – An intense week of joining sessions virtually
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    4 days ago
  • Submission on “Fast Track Approvals Bill”
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    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
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  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
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    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
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    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
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    4 days ago
  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours 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
    18 hours 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 day 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 day ago
  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    3 days ago
  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
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