Conference roundup

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, October 18th, 2010 - 32 comments
Categories: labour, leadership, phil goff - Tags:

Labour’s conference in the weekend seems to have gone well, and been well received by the media. Phil Goff drew a line in the sand on foreign ownership of land, and picked himself up a new nick-name in the process:

The ‘Goff-father’ says ‘no’ to foreign ownership in NZ

The Labour Party wants to make it “virtually impossible” for foreigners to buy Kiwi farmland. The major new policy announced at its annual conference today would also clamp down on other big foreign investments in New Zealand.

Phil Goff opened up to the party faithful about closing the farm gate on foreign ownership. “No overseas person has the right to buy our land; it is a privilege – a privilege we have granted too easily,” he says.

I wrote yesterday about what I believe is the most significant policy announcement…

Labour focuses on children

Labour deputy leader Annette King says the party will put children at the centre of social policy. … “The next Labour Government will put children at the centre of policy in areas including health, education, social development and housing,” Mrs King said. Labour sees a focus on children as the most effective way to reduce harm and costs in later life.

… and on Saturday about Labour proposing a definite time for New Zealand to become a republic:

Editorial: Goff right to call for debate on a republic

Hats off to the Labour Party leader, Phil Goff. In suggesting that New Zealanders should start talking about our country becoming a republic, he has gone where influential sitting politicians have feared to tread.

3 News describes “fighting talk” from Andrew Little:

Fighting talk from Labour president Andrew Little

Last weekend’s local government elections showed the mood of the country is changing and National can be defeated, Labour’s president Andrew Little told the party’s annual conference today. “The people have said more of the same is not enough,” he said. “There is a sense of unease across the country.”

Mr Little said the economy had slowed to a crawl, and the Government did not have policies that would create a single extra job. In a strong and well-received speech, he said Labour could win next year’s election and take at least seven electorate seats from National. …

He urged the conference to “get ready for the battle of 2011”, and said party leader Phil Goff was the man to lead Labour to victory.

The full text of Phil Goff’s keynote speech is on line here. The fans love it! Even Audrey Young is sensing the mood:

The conference is going extremely well. Unlike last year’s where the party pretended to have moved on but was still grieving over being rejected by voters, and having to admit errors, it is now genuinely looking forward.

It has started running really interesting conferences, getting along specialists to talks to workshops and encouraging genuine debate as part of its ongoing policy review.

A good conference.

32 comments on “Conference roundup ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. green jobs for climate justice 1
    18 October 2010 at 9:16 am

    Was there any talk about climate policy?

    One good thing Labour did this year was opposing National’s plans for mining in National Parks, it was the first time John Key was forced to back down, national and bluegreens members quit the party over that piece of unpopular policy, and Gerry Brownlee was left out to dry.

    More of that please.

    • Bunji 1.1
      18 October 2010 at 10:32 am

      There was talk about climate policy – indeed in his speech Goff mentioned about National’s gutting of the ETS meaning that $110 billion was being paid for by taxpayers instead of polluters – but it wasn’t the main focus. There were some good sessions on water particularly actually.

  2. M 2
    18 October 2010 at 9:37 am

    ‘And that’s why one of the first things Labour will do in Government is scrap the 90-day fire at will law and restore fairness at work.’

    Phil, I salute you and so will any workers that have half a brain in their heads. National enacted the 90-day rule because most employers are completely useless at using the current legislation to deal with employee performance problems. Time after time most employers jump in with their size nines and any case they have against an employee ends up being procedurally flawed because they are woefully inept.

  3. The Chairman 3
    18 October 2010 at 10:02 am

    Labour’s new catch cry for the next election has become another Labour letdown.

    In a matter of months, Labour goes from owning our future to owning the majority share in our future.

  4. mickysavage 4
    18 October 2010 at 10:11 am

    The conference was really uplifting and it is clear now that there will be a real debate over the next 12 months about what New Zealand’s economic direction should be.

    IMHO the most important sessions were the economic ones hosted by David Cunliffe where Selwyn Pellett, John Whalley, Ganesh Nana (a real New Zealander!) and Bernard Hickey spoke. These guys are not left wing revolutionaries! The message from each of them was clear however, NZ needs to manage its currency, private debt is a huge problem and the “free” market is not working.

    The “free” market has transformed from a device to efficiently distribute resources into a device designed to enrich the already wealthy at the expense of the rest of us. When Bernard Hickey makes a comment about how he was surprised that there were no “bankers heads on pikes” you know there is a change of opinion happening.

    It was all summed up by the perfect counter to Thatchers TINA (there is no alternative). The left wing carrying cry is TARA, there is a real alternative.

    • Draco T Bastard 4.1
      18 October 2010 at 10:29 am

      /poke
      TARA = There Are Real Alternatives.

      Labour have moved a bit to the Left. It would be nice to see them move a little more.

      • Bunji 4.1.1
        18 October 2010 at 10:36 am

        (otherwise it’d be TIARA)

        Agree that the economic/monetary policy was a main focus, but I’d add the child-centred social policy (cf Annette King’s speech) as also being at the heart of discussion. Less so the foreign ownership thing that seemed to be the main thing covered. But a lot of great stuff in many areas.

      • millsy 4.1.2
        18 October 2010 at 10:41 am

        I think they are mindful of the reaction in the media , especially in talkback.

        We make the Tea Partiers look like Bolsheviks sometimes

      • lprent 4.1.3
        18 October 2010 at 12:03 pm

        “You can’t always get what you want (but you get what you need)”

        Political parties movement limits are as far as they feel that their constituency will allow. In a broad based party that usually isn’t particularly far or fast.

    • Colonial Viper 4.2
      18 October 2010 at 10:35 am

      Yep the Fabian sessions, and Hickey’s presentation, were simply awesome. Goodbye TINA, hello gorgeous TARA!!!

      Now, Labour party members have to get their head around some of these ideas, how they can be congruently married up with our social and community priorities and turned into a simple winning election platform. Lots of work to be done there.

      However I still do not know why the Government does not exercise its sovereign right to generate its own debt free currency, instead of letting the banks do it out of thin air by creating mountains of interest bearing debt.

      A Government issued dollar owes nothing to no one, does not create ongoing interest charges with its existence, and is thus able to act as a free medium for the lubrication of commerce and trade primarily benefitting the people not primarily benefitting the banks.

      Draco – these are monumental changes Labour have announced. They represent a huge shift in mindset and an agility from caucus we haven’t seen since Labour lost in ’08. Its a frankly stunning answer to long standing charges that Labour and National ‘are basically the same’. Sure there is more work to be done but the journey has started.

      • Draco T Bastard 4.2.1
        18 October 2010 at 11:12 am

        I suppose “monumental” might describe it – they’ve moved from slightly right to slightly left. They aren’t quite as left as the Greens yet but it’s certainly better than them being slightly right.

        I think such a move will resonate well within the populace.

      • Lats 4.2.2
        18 October 2010 at 1:35 pm

        However I still do not know why the Government does not exercise its sovereign right to generate its own debt free currency, instead of letting the banks do it out of thin air by creating mountains of interest bearing debt.

        It sounds like you are suggesting the govt just print a whole bunch more money. Now I’m no economist, but wouldn’t doing that just devalue the $NZ? Thats a good thing for exporters I suppose, but not so good for importers. It would in theory lead to increased prices for any imported goods (petrol, electronics, etc) and I suspect the nett result would be a rise in CPI and inflation. The last thing the people need is for prices to rise even more.

        I’m not sure which is worse, burdening us with ever more debt and interest, or massively devaluing our currency and the flow on effects that will bring about. But I’d be more than happy if someone with a better grasp of economics would touch on this….

        A better option in my opinion would be a return to the more fiscally prudent policies exercised by the Clark government. We were never really in a position to afford tax cuts, and it was nothing more than a cynical vote grabber for the Nats. Sadly a lot of people were sucked in by it.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.2.2.1
          18 October 2010 at 2:45 pm

          It sounds like you are suggesting the govt just print a whole bunch more money.

          Kinda. It’s offset by the taxes that the government imposes. In reality, it’s exactly what happens now with the Fractional Reserve Banking system but it doesn’t have the interest component that turns the Fractional Reserve Banking system into a Ponzi Scheme.

          It would in theory lead to increased prices for any imported goods (petrol, electronics, etc)

          Which could lead to more of those things being made here which would develop the economy.

          The last thing the people need is for prices to rise even more.

          What the people need is a developing economy that’s not stuck in a 19th century farming mode. Absolute necessities shouldn’t raise either as we produce them here (although I’m sure that the farmers would probably put their prices up anyway – it’s what they always seem to do).

          A better option in my opinion would be a return to the more fiscally prudent policies exercised by the Clark government.

          The Clark government may have been prudent but they also stayed stuck to the failed neo-liberal economic paradigm that caused the GFC.

          • Lats 4.2.2.1.1
            18 October 2010 at 4:52 pm

            Kinda. It’s offset by the taxes that the government imposes.

            Ahh, so more tax, not print more money? That makes somewhat more sense, I was worried about impact of flooding the market with new $$$. I never thought we should have cut taxes in the first place, not if it meant increasing borrowing to cover it.

            Which could lead to more of those things being made here which would develop the economy.

            Well we don’t seem to have the oil reserves to make our own petrol, and even if we did I understand that it still has to be bought through the international market, which uses $US. So if our currency gets devalued we still end up paying a lot more for oil. I can see your argument for other consumer goods, but even with a devalued dollar I doubt we’d be able to match the economies of scale and efficiencies in SE asian countries. For a start we pay our workers a minimum wage, we can’t match the sweatshops for cheap labour, despite the Nats best efforts.

            Absolute necessities shouldn’t raise either as we produce them here (although I’m sure that the farmers would probably put their prices up anyway – it’s what they always seem to do).

            Again, despite our agricultural prowess we still import certain staples. With the increase in dairy conversions the grain bowl that was Canterbury is no longer producing enough wheat to satisfy our demands, so flour producers are having to import grain from Australia. I also think it might be a tad unfair on farmers to say they are the ones putting their prices up, I suspect it is the middlemen that are taking the cream off the top on the way to the supermarket. My dad was a farmer, and while we never went hungry we were never rich either, his only input into the price of his stock was to sell to the best bidder. He couldn’t just decide to sell for more, the buyers would go to someone who was prepared to sell for less.

            • Draco T Bastard 4.2.2.1.1.1
              18 October 2010 at 5:42 pm

              Ahh, so more tax, not print more money?

              The idea would be to print about the same amount, or possibly less, of money as is presently printed by banks. This would keep the NZ$ about the same as far as quantity value is concerned. The difference is from the lack of interest rates which would mean that more value would be kept in the NZ economy benefiting our society rather than going offshore.

              …I doubt we’d be able to match the economies of scale and efficiencies in SE asian countries.

              Economies of scale don’t apply due to factories running close to the same efficiency no matter their size. They’re designed to run as efficiently as possible after all. Wages are something we can’t compete with though but, then, why would we want to?

              With the increase in dairy conversions the grain bowl that was Canterbury is no longer producing enough wheat to satisfy our demands, so flour producers are having to import grain from Australia.

              And that needs to be addressed as well – Canterbury can’t support the cows that it has already and the farmers and their pet government want to increase the herds.

              He couldn’t just decide to sell for more, the buyers would go to someone who was prepared to sell for less.

              I know how it’s supposed to work but why is it then that prices for NZ produce are more expensive in NZ than overseas? There is something wrong there.

    • Inventory2 4.3
      18 October 2010 at 10:37 am

      Don’t you mean TIARA Mickey?

      Perhaps not; a bejewelled head-dress worn by a Queen wouldn’t really fit with Andrew Little’s calls for a Republic now, would it 😉

      • mickysavage 4.3.1
        18 October 2010 at 10:56 am

        Ha I2.

        Actually on reflection it was There Are Real Alternatives, thanks Draco.

        No need for a Tiara!

        Roll on the revolution (or is that evolution?)

  5. TightyRighty 5
    18 October 2010 at 10:47 am

    So the repeaters are useful sometimes. Repeating the lies and the false promises of the left. It’s about the only time they aren’t met with derision by the commentors on this site.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.1
      18 October 2010 at 11:08 am

      The lies and false promises come from NACT who are only there to enrich themselves and their rich mates at everyone else’s expense.

    • bbfloyd 5.2
      18 October 2010 at 12:00 pm

      is it getting stuffy in the closet TR? that was smaller than usual… weight of reality starting to suffocate?

  6. roger nome 6
    18 October 2010 at 10:57 am

    TR – your cruising name is too obvious for a repressed/closet rightist.. Try something more subtle like – “Master-Slave, Fire at Will”. What do you think?

  7. Workingman 7
    18 October 2010 at 11:34 am

    Some good stuff from Labour during the conference, but a win next year still seems unlikely given the enduring popularity of smile and wave Key. But have faith, the puppet show will end one day. Hopefully Key’s second term will be hamstrung by ACT’s self destruction and he’ll have to rely on the Maori Party, which will annoy the heck out of the rednecks. I say give Andrew Little a shot at the leadership sometime after the election. Cunliffe is too smug and he won’t resonate well with working New Zealanders. Shane Jones has no show after porngate.

    • bbfloyd 7.1
      18 October 2010 at 12:07 pm

      very good exposition of apathy W. i could almost believe you are attempting to masquerade as left leaning… just a small point… assumption doesn’t actually have any weight when stacked up against reality. and the volume of assumption you put forward would float a zeppelin.

  8. Brokenback 8
    18 October 2010 at 12:30 pm

    “TARA = There Are Real Alternatives.

    Labour have moved a bit to the Left. It would be nice to see them move a little more.”

    Not possible with the Goff/king “backbone” cabal.

    Very little in the way of historical perspective is raised about the philosophy and history of the current leadership.
    Goff & King were rogernomes & have remained confirmed drys ever since.

    There are suggestions they played a significant role in forming the Dunne/NZF coalition in the aftermarth of the 2005 election that denied South Auckland of its just rewards and almost certainnly paved the way for the 2008 ‘defeat’.

    I’ll never vote labor whilst chameleons & sychophants of their ilk have any role except warming the bench at the nervous end of the Party List.

    And I’m not the only one.

    • Bored 8.1
      18 October 2010 at 12:54 pm

      Well said Brokenback, my take from the Conference as reported here is that there is some movement left but not nearly enough. Its a “lets not frighten the horses” approach, lacking in ambition probably for the reasons you stated, i.e the continued reverence given to the precepts of Rogernomics and attendant personnel. What will happen I predict is that National will pit their show pony (Key) in an image based contest with Goff. Key wins that every time.

      • Draco T Bastard 8.1.1
        18 October 2010 at 2:52 pm

        They’ve still got time to move further as the year progresses but, I agree, that they’re still hanging on to the neo-liberal paradigm. It’s obvious that we don’t actually need to import capital (money) to do anything in NZ when most FDI just doesn’t come with anything new anyway or even just to buy up what our entrepreneurs have developed. Either way is taking the wealth away and not giving any back.

        What will happen I predict is that National will pit their show pony (Key) in an image based contest with Goff. Key wins that every time.

        I don’t think image is going to it this time.

      • millsy 8.1.2
        18 October 2010 at 11:06 pm

        A ‘let’s not frighten the horses’ strategy is nessesary at this stage. There will be plenty of time for any further moves to the left, or actual policy in the coming months.

        Remember: Neo-liberalism holds all the aces at the moment, and Labour is going to be expecting wave after wave of attacks from the Establishment. The farmers, and businesses have opened their salvo, following a nasty bit of mind gaming from Gordo Gekko-lite this morning, and I firmly expect the right wing Dom-Post, The Press and The New Zealand Herald to launch their attacks with a cluster of editorials condeming the Labour Party’s stance on foreign ownership tomorrow morning. I can probably predict word for word what Granny’s editorial will be tomorrow.

        To be honest, I think we are going to have one hell of a scrap in the next 12 to 18 months. No quarter is going to be given or asked for.

  9. Colonial Viper 9
    18 October 2010 at 11:23 pm

    You guys and girls want Labour to go more Left? Well firstly recognise the huge step change the weekend has brought to Labour. Think about the shit fights which must still be in progess around the details internally. Then figure out who in the party and who in the caucus backed this step change and support them in pushing for more, much more. Help them and policy council come up with solutions to implementation issues and ideas to manage risks of going further Left, and of going more progressive. Support the Fabians and ask that they push push push. Talk to Labour party members and ask that they push push push.

    And recognise that if this is how far Labour has been able to come in the two short years since Clark and Cullen left, in just two short years being led by Goff, imagine where Labour could be in two more short years.

    But for gawdsakes don’t mill around saying “yeah, sorta mediocre OK, however they’re just being gutless as per usual”. Capital controls, binning the reserve bank act and putting the hammer down on foreign investment WHILE refocusing on the children of NZ, thats a pretty damn fine start. But yeah I agree, its just a start. A real Progressive Enterprise is going to be an enormously hard and demanding three, four term agenda.

    We’ve come a long way from no GST on fruits and vegetables, people.

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    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In his last post, Zeke discussed incredible warmth of 2023 and 2024 and its implications for future warming. A few readers looked at it and freaked out: This is terrifying and This update really put me in a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Government directs Te Puni Kōkiri to conduct Māori Language Week in English

    The coalition government has issued a directive to Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Māori Development, instructing them that – in the interests of clear communication – they are to conduct this year’s Māori Language Week primarily or exclusively in English. The directive is in line with the Government’s policy ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    3 days ago
  • Government celebrates fact that New Zealand’s healthcare is so good people are queuing up for it a...

    At yesterday’s post-cabinet press conference, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, flanked by his Health Minister Shane Reti and someone we can’t independently verify was a real sign language interpreter, announced that he had some positive news for the country. “Alright team, I’m just going to hand over to uh, Dr. Shane, ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    3 days ago
  • Heartwarming: Thoughtful driver uses indicator to tell you what they’ve just done

    It’s 4:10pm in the morning, and you’re in the middle lane heading north on the great southern motorway of our nation’s capital, Auckland. There are no cars directly in front of you, but quite a few in the lane to your left. Suddenly, without warning, a black ute enters your ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    3 days ago
  • NPC teams will now be allowed to actually use the Ranfurly Shield in play

    Following decades of controversy, the governing body of New Zealand rugby, New Zealand Rugby, has ruled that the team currently holding the Ranfurly Shield may once again use it in play during the National Provincial Championship (NPC). The ruling restores the utility of a prize that for many years was ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    4 days ago
  • Climbing out of the hamster wheel

    I arrived home with a head full of fresh ideas about mindfulness and curbing impulsive aspects in my character.On the second night home I grabbed a piece of ginger and began swiftly slicing it on our industrial strength mandolin, the one I have learned through painful experience to treat with ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • More Notes From Stinky Town

    Good morning, folks. Another wee note from a chilly Rotorua morning that looks much clearer than yesterday. As I write, the pink glow in the east is slowly growing, and soon, the palest of blue skies should become a bit more royal.A couple of people mentioned yesterday that I should ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Make it make sense: why axe valuable local projects?

    Last week, Matt looked at how the government wants to pour a huge chunk of civic infrastructure funding for a generation  into one mega-road up North, at huge cost and huge opportunity cost. A smaller but no less important feature of the National Land Transport Plan devised by Minister of Transport ...
    Greater AucklandBy Jolisa
    4 days ago
  • Driving blind at higher speeds

    An open letter by experts about plans to raise speed limits warns the “tragic consequence will be more New Zealanders losing their lives or suffering severe injury, along with a substantial burden on the nation's healthcare and rehabilitation services”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • 2024’s unusually persistent warmth

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink My inaugural post on The Climate Brink 18 months ago looked at the year 2024, and found that it was likely to be the warmest year on record on the back of a (than forecast) El Nino event. I suggested “there is a real chance ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • National plan for 2000 more Kiwis a year in prison

    Open for allYesterday, Luxon congratulated his government on a job well done with emergency housing numbers, but advocates have been saying it‘s likely many are on the streets and sleeping in cars.Q&A featured some of the folks this weekend - homeless and in cars. Yes.The government’s also confirmed they stopped ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • I Found a Note in a Tree

    Hi,On most days I try to go on a walk through nature to clear my head from the horrors of life. Because as much as I like people, I also think it’s incredibly important to get very far away from them. To be reminded that there are also birds, lizards, ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Politicians need to lift their game

    Declining trust in New Zealand politicians should be a warning to them to lift their game. Results from the New Zealand Election Study for the 2023 election show that the level of trust in politicians has once again declined. Perhaps it is not surprising that the results, shared as part ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Police say they won’t respond to bomb threats anymore as ‘it’s never anything’

    Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says that New Zealand’s police force will no longer respond to bomb threats, in an attempt to cut costs and redirect police resources to less boring activities. Coster said that threat response and bomb disposal was a “fairly obvious” area for downsizing, as bomb threats are ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    4 days ago
  • A dysfunctional watchdog

    The reality of any right depends on how well it is enforced. But as The Post points out this morning, our right to official information isn't being enforced very well at all: More than a quarter of complaints about access to official information languish for more than a year, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change: The threat of a good example

    Since taking office, the climate-denier National government has gutted agricultural emissions pricing, ended the clean car discount, repealed water quality standards which would have reduced agricultural emissions, gutted the clean car standard, killed the GIDI scheme, and reversed efforts to reduce pollution subsidies in the ETS - basically every significant ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vegas Baby

    Good morning, lovely people. Don’t worry. This isn’t really a newsletter, just a quick note. I’m sitting in our lounge, looking out over a gloomy sky. Although being Rotorua, the view is periodically interrupted by steam bursting from pipes and dispersing—like an Eastern European industrial hellscape during the Cold War.Drinking ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Why Entrust Needs New Leadership

    I am part of a new team running in the Entrust election in October. Entrust is a community electricity trust representing a significant part of Auckland, set up to serve the community. It is governed by five trustees are elected every three years in an election the trust itself oversees. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • London Bridge is falling down

    In the UK, London is the latest of council groups to signal potential bankruptcy.That’s after Birmingham, Britain’s second largest city, went bankrupt in June, resulting in reduced sanitation services, libraries cut, and dimmed streetlights.Some in the city described things as “Dickens” like.Please, Sir, Can I have some more?For families with ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Govt may kick elderly out of hospitals

    The Government is considering how to shunt elderly people out of hospitals, and also how to cut their access to other support. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Getting the nephs off the couch

    The so-called “Prince of the Provinces”, Shane Jones, went home last Friday. Perhaps not quite literally home, more like 20 kilometres down the road from his house on the outskirts of Kerikeri. With its airport, its rapidly growing (mostly retired) population, and a commercial centre with all the big retail ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • De moralibus orcorum: Sargon of Akkad, Rings of Power, Evil, and George R.R. Martin

    I have noted before that The Rings of Power has attracted its unfortunate share of culture war obsessives. Essentially, for a certain type of individual, railing on about the Wokery of Modern Media is a means of making themselves a online livelihood. Clicks and views and advertising revenue, and all ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #37

    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 8, 2024 thru Sat, September 14, 2024. Story of the week From time to time we like to make our Story of the Week all about us— and ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Salvation For Us All

    Yesterday, I ruminated about the effects of being a political follower.And, within politics, David Seymour was smart enough on Friday to divert attention from “race blind” policies [what about gender blind I thought - thinking of maternity wards] and cutting school lunches by throwing meat to the media. Teachers were ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A warm embrace

    Far, far away from here lives our King. Some of his subjects can be quite the forelock tuggers, but plenty of us are not like that, and why don't I wheel out my favourite old story once more about Kiwi soldiers in the North African desert?Field Marshal Montgomery takes offence ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Literal clowns are running the place, we must put a timeout on this stupidity… right Aotearoa?

    These people are inept on every level. They’re inept to the detriment of our internal politics, cohesion and increasingly our international reputation. And they are reveling in the fact they are getting away with it. We cannot even have “respectful debate” with a government that clearly rejects the very ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    6 days ago
  • Fact brief – Does manmade CO2 have any detectable fingerprint?

    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 from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Does manmade CO2 have any ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • Judge Not.

    Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Matthew 7:1-2FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY men and women professing the Christian faith would appear to have imperilled their immortal souls. ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago
  • Managed Democracy: Letting The People Decide, But Only When They Can Be Relied Upon To Give the Righ...

    Uh-uh! Not So Fast, Citizens! The power to initiate systemic change remains where it has always been in New Zealand’s representative democracy – in Parliament. To order a binding referendum, the House of Representatives must first to be persuaded that, on the question proposed, sharing its decision-making power with the people ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago
  • Looking For Labour’s Vital Signs.

    Flatlining: With no evidence of a genuine policy disruptor at work in Labour’s ranks, New Zealand’s wealthiest citizens can sleep easy.PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN has walked a picket-line. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has threatened “price-gauging” grocery retailers with price control. The Democratic Party’s 2024 platform situates it well to the left of Sir ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago
  • Forty Years Of Remembering To Forget.

    The Beginning of the End: Rogernomics became the short-hand descriptor for all the radical changes that swept away New Zealand’s social-democratic economy and society between 1984 and 1990. In the bitterest of ironies, those changes were introduced by the very same party which had entrenched New Zealand social-democracy 50 years earlier. ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago
  • Kōrero Mai – Speak to Me.

    Good morning all you lovely people. 🙂I woke up this morning, and it felt a bit like the last day of school. You might recall from earlier in the week that I’m heading home to Rotorua to see an old friend who doesn’t have much time. A sad journey, but ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • Winning ways

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Street architecture adjustment, KolkataShare Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago
  • 48 seconds on a plan that would reverberate for a million years

    Despite fears that Trump presidency would be disastrous for progress on climate change, the topic barely rated a mention in the Presidential debate. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago
  • Using blunt instruments and magical thinking to ignore evidence of harm

    The abrupt cancellations and suspensions of Government spending also caused private sector hiring, spending, and investment to freeze up for the first six months of the year. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāThis week we learned:The new National/ACT/NZ First Coalition Government ignored advice from Treasury that it didn’t have to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago
  • Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power Episode 5 (Seaso...

    Another week of The Rings of Power, season two, and another confirmation that things are definitely coming together for the show. The fifth Episode of season one represented the nadir of the series. Now? Amid the firmer footing of 2024, Episode Five represents further a further step towards excellent Tolkien ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • In Open Seas; A Book

    The background to In Open Seas: How the New Zealand Labour Government Went Wrong:2017-2023Not in Narrow Seas: The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand, published in 2020, proved more successful than either I or the publisher (VUP, now Te Herenga Waka University Press) expected. I had expected that it would ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 13

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the climate implications of the US Presidential elections; and special guests Janet ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Do or do not. There is no try

    1. Upon receiving evidence that school lunches were doing a marvellous job of improving outcomes for students, David Seymour did what?a. Declared we need much more of this sort of good news and poured extra resources and funding into them b. Emailed Atlas network to ask what to do next c. Cut ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Dangerous ground

    The Waitangi Tribunal has reported back on National's proposed changes to gut the Marine and Coastal Area Act and steal the foreshore and seabed for its greedy fishing-industry donors, and declared it to be another huge violation of ti Tiriti: The Waitangi Tribunal has found government changes to the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris

    In 2016, the then-National government signed the Paris Agreement, committing Aotearoa to a 30 (later 50) percent reduction in emissions by 2030. When questioned about how they intended to meet that target with their complete absence of effective climate policy, they made a lot of noise about how it was ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Treasury warned Govt lower debt limits meant less ‘productivity-enhancing investment’

    Treasury’s advice to Cabinet was that the new Government could actually prudently carry net core Crown debt of up to 50% of GDP. But Luxon and Willis instead chose to portray the Government’s finances as in such a mess they had no choice but to carve 6.5% to 7.5% off ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Is the Media Complicit?

    This is a long read. Open to all.SYNOPSIS: Traditional media is at a cross roads. There is a need for those in the media landscape, as it stands, to earn enough to stay afloat, but also come across as balanced and neutral to keep its audiences.In America, NYT’s liberal leaning ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Black Friday

    It's Black Friday, the end of the weekYou take my hand and hold it gently up against your cheekIt's all in my head, it's all in my mindI see the darkness where you see the lightSong by Tom OdellFriday the 13th, don’t be afraid.No, really, don’t. Everything has felt a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 13-September-2024

    Ooh, Friday the thirteenth. Spooky! Is that why certain zombie ideas have been stalking the landscape this week, like the Mayor’s brainwave for a motorway bridge from Kauri Point to Point Chev? Read on and find out. This roundup, like all our coverage, is brought to you by the Greater ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago

  • Tourism on the table for Pacific Ministers’ meet-up

    Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey will meet with Trade and Tourism Minister of Australia Don Farrell and Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica in Rotorua this weekend for a trilateral tourism discussion. “Like in New Zealand, tourism plays a significant role in Australia and Fiji’s economy, contributing massively to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Young people report on family and sexual violence

    The Te Puna Aonui Expert Advisory Group for Children and Young People has presented its report today on improving family and sexual violence outcomes for young people, to the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour.  The presentation at the Auckland event was an opportunity for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • $18 million being invested in the victims of crime

    The Government is putting more than $18 million towards improving the experience of the criminal justice system for victims, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Minister for Children Karen Chhour say. “No one should experience crime, but for those who through no fault of their own become victims, they need to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Landmark phonics check in te reo Māori

    For the first time, schools can use a purpose-built tool to check how a child is progressing in reading through te reo Māori. “Around 45 schools are trialling a New Zealand first te reo Māori phonics check, known as Hihira Weteoro. It will help kaiako (teachers) focus on what ākonga ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • New sea walls safeguard Ōpōtiki’s transformation

    Two new breakwater walls at Pākihikura (Ōpōtiki) Harbour will provide boats with safe harbour access to support the continued growth of aquaculture in Bay of Plenty, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones say. The Ministers and leaders from Tē Tāwharau o Te Whakatōhea and other ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Kitmap to improve access to science infrastructure

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced an online platform to optimise the use of New Zealand’s science and technology research infrastructure and to link the public and private sector. “This country is home to world-class science, technology, and engineering expertise. Kitmap is set to empower Kiwi innovators, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Driving the uptake of low emission heavy vehicles

    The Government has launched the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund (LEHVF) to promote innovation and offset the cost of hundreds of heavy vehicles powered by clean technologies, Energy Minister Simeon Brown and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts say. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Speech on replacing the Resource Management Act

    Replacing the RMA Hon Chris Bishop: Good morning, it is great to be with you. Can I first acknowledge the Resource Management Law Association for hosting us here today. Can I also acknowledge my Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Simon Court, who is on stage with me. He has assisted me in establishing the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Replacement for the Resource Management Act takes shape

    Two new laws will be developed to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA), with the enjoyment of property rights as their guiding principle, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court say. “The RMA was passed with good intentions in 1991 but has proved a failure in practice. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Tough laws pass to make gang life uncomfortable

    Legislation passed through Parliament today will provide police and the courts with additional tools to crack down on gangs that peddle misery and intimidation throughout New Zealand, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “From November 21, gang insignia will be banned in all public places, courts will be able to issue non-consorting orders, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New levy rates set to ensure continued funding of FENZ

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the rates for the redesigned levy that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) from July 2026.  “Earlier this year FENZ consulted publicly on a 5.2 percent increase to the levy. I was not convinced that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Police allocate Officers to Beat and Gang Units

    The Coalition Government welcomes Police’s announcement today to deploy more police on the beat and staff to Gang Disruption Units.  An additional 70 officers will be allocated to Community Beat Teams across towns and regional centres.  This builds on the deployment of beat officers in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch CBDs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Consultation begins on significant updates to the biosecurity system

    Proposals to strengthen the country’s vital biosecurity system, including higher fines for passengers bringing in undeclared high-risk goods, greater flexibility around importing requirements, and fairer cost sharing for biosecurity responses have been released today for public consultation. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says “The future is about resilience and the 30-year-old ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Wānaka community to benefit from new overnight health service

    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says an Overnight Acute Care Service opening in October will provide people in Wānaka and the surrounding area with the assurance of quality overnight care closer to home.  “When I was in Wānaka earlier this year, I announced funding for an overnight health service – ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Preventing potholes with data-driven technology

    The Government is rolling out data collection vans across the country to better understand the condition of our road network to prevent potholes from forming in the first place, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is a key priority for the Government and increasing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • GDP data shows effect of high interest rates

    Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data for the quarter to June 2024 reinforces how an extended period of high interest rates has meant tough times for families, businesses, and communities, but recent indications show the economy is starting to bounce back, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ data released today ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • NZ to host first Fiji, Australia trilateral trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua

    Trade Minister Todd McClay will host Fijian Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica and Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell for trilateral trade talks in Rotorua this weekend. “Fiji is one of the largest economies in the Pacific and is a respected partner for Australia and New Zealand,” Mr McClay says. Australia and New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • NZ hosts Annual CER Trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua

    Trade Minister Todd McClay will meet with Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua this weekend.  “CER is our most comprehensive agreement covering trade, labour mobility, harmonisation of standards and political cooperation. It underpins an important trading relationship worth $32 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government proposing changes to jury trials

    The Government is seeking the public’s feedback on two major changes to jury trials in order to improve court timeliness, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “The first proposal would increase the offence threshold at which a defendant can decide to have their case heard by a jury. “The second is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Business key to regional economic dialogue

    Local businesses and industries need to be front and centre in conversations about how regions plan to grow their economies, Regional Development Shane Jones says. The nationwide series of summits aims to facilitate conversations about regional economic growth and opportunities to drive productivity, prosperity and resilience through the Coalition Government’s Regional ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • More funding for Growing Up in New Zealand study

    The Government is investing $16.8 million over the next four years to extend the Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) Longitudinal Study. GUiNZ is New Zealand’s largest longitudinal study of child health and wellbeing and has followed the lives of more than 6000 children born in 2009 and 2010, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Tough targets for charter schools will raise achievement

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that Charter Schools will face a combination of minimum performance thresholds and stretch targets for achievement, attendance and financial sustainability. “Charter schools will be given greater freedom to respond to diverse student needs in innovative ways, but they will be held to a much ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • NZ votes for Middle East resolution at UN

    New Zealand has voted for a United Nations resolution on Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian Territory with some caveats, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand’s yes vote is fundamentally a signal of our strong support for international law and the need for a two-state solution,” Mr Peters says.    “The Israel-Palestine ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Honouring the legacy of New Zealand’s suffragists

    Suffrage Day is an opportunity to reaffirm New Zealand’s commitment to ensuring we continue to be a world leader in gender equality, Minister for Women Nicola Grigg says. “On 19 September, 131 years ago, New Zealand became the first nation in the world where women gained the right to vote. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Foreign Minister to travel to New York, French Polynesia

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is travelling to New York next week to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, followed by a visit to French Polynesia. “In the context of the myriad regional and global crises, our engagements in New York will demonstrate New Zealand’s strong support for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Thanking social workers on their national day

    “Today, on Aotearoa New Zealand Social Workers’ Day, I would like to recognise the tremendous effort social workers make not just today, but every day,” Children’s Minister and Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour says. “I thank all those working on the front line for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Minister of State for Trade heads to Laos for ASEAN meetings

    Minister of State for Trade Nicola Grigg will travel to Laos this week to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministers’ Meetings in Vientiane.   “The Government is committed to strengthening our relationship with ASEAN,” Ms Grigg says. “With next year marking 50 years since New Zealand became ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Members appointed to retail crime MAG

    The Government has appointed four members to the Ministerial Advisory Group for victims of retail crime, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say. “I am delighted to appoint Michael Hill’s national retail manager Michael Bell to the group, as well as Waikato community advocate and business ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Nurses Organisation AGM and Conference 2024

    It’s my pleasure to be here to join the opening of the NZNO AGM and Conference for 2024.  First, I’d like to thank NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku, NZNO President, Anne Daniels, and Chief Execuitve Paul Gaulter for inviting me to speak today.  Thank you also to all the NZNO members ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Improvements for New Zealand authors

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says changes to the Public Lending Right [PLR] scheme will help benefit both the National Library and authors who have books available in New Zealand libraries. “I am amending the regulations so that eligible authors will no longer have to reapply every year ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister commends Police for gang operation

    Police Minister Mark Mitchell congratulates Police for the outstanding result of their most recent operation, targeting the Comancheros. “That Police have been able to round up the majority of the Comancheros leadership, and many of their patched members and prospects, shows not only the capability of Police, but also shows ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New appointments to the EPA board

    Environment Minister Penny Simmonds has announced a major refresh of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) board with four new appointments and one reappointment.   The new board members are Barry O’Neil, Jennifer Scoular, Alison Stewart and Nancy Tuaine, who have been appointed for a three-year term ending in August 2027.  “I would ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Enabling rural recovery works in Hawke’s Bay

    Cabinet has approved an Order in Council to enable severe weather recovery works to continue in the Hawke’s Bay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery Mark Mitchell say. “Cyclone Gabrielle and the other severe weather events in early 2023 caused significant loss and damage to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • FamilyBoost childcare payment registrations open

    From today, low-to-middle-income families with young children can register for the new FamilyBoost payment, to help them meet early childhood education (ECE) costs. The scheme was introduced as part of the Government’s tax relief plan to help Kiwis who are doing it tough. “FamilyBoost is one of the ways we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Prioritising victims with tougher sentences

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