Congratulations Jane Kelsey

Written By: - Date published: 12:39 pm, October 13th, 2015 - 61 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, Deep stuff, democracy under attack, Politics, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, trade - Tags: , , ,

Jane Kelsey

In breaking news Jane Kelsey’a High Court application for a declaration that Tim Groser improperly treated her application for details of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement has essentially succeeded. The decision is here.

The synopsis of the decision is as follows:

[1] The applicants have sought judicial review of a decision of the Minister of Trade (the Minister) in which he refused to release to Professor Kelsey official information contained in eight categories of documents she requested under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act). The information requested by Professor Kelsey concerns material associated with negotiations that have led to a multi-lateral free trade agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP Agreement).

[2] When the Minister refused Professor Kelsey’s request, neither he nor his officials assessed each piece of information requested against the criteria in the Act for withholding official information. Instead, the Minister adopted a “blanket approach” to the request based upon his knowledge of the categories of documents requested by Professor Kelsey. I have concluded this approach did not comply with the Act.

[3] The applicants have applied for a series of declarations concerning the lawfulness of the Minister’s approach and the meaning of specific provisions of the Act.

[4] Rather than issue specific declarations I have quashed the Minister’s decision in relation to six of the categories of documents requested by Professor Kelsey. I explain in this judgment the aspects of Professor Kelsey’s request which have to be reconsidered. When the Minister reconsiders his decision he will be required to do so in a way that is consistent with his obligations under the Act, which I explain in this judgment.

I have not had time to read or analyse the decision.  No doubt better legal brains than mine will do so.  I suspect the Crown will appeal.

It has been noticeable how recently from various Government friendly quarters Jane Kelsey has been publicly attacked and maligned, in my view totally without justification.  But Jane Kelsey ought to be thanked for her sterling work and her perseverance.  Democracies need more citizens like her.

61 comments on “Congratulations Jane Kelsey ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. weka 1
    13 October 2015 at 12:54 pm

    what’s a declaration?

    • mickysavage 1.1
      13 October 2015 at 12:59 pm

      In this case a request for a Court to say that what happened here breached the OIA.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2
      13 October 2015 at 1:01 pm

      declaration
      A court order stating that a certain situation or fact exists, rather than requiring that something must be done or not done. For example, the Family Court or High Court can make a ‘declaration of paternity’, declaring that a particular man is or is not the father of a particular child.

      source

  2. Pat 2
    13 October 2015 at 1:01 pm

    yet another example of this government thumbing its nose at the law……as the heading says, Congratulations Jane Kelsey…..but is seriously disturbing that it has come to this

  3. Tracey 3
    13 October 2015 at 1:47 pm

    wet bus ticket time. the right have some fear of kelsey, highlighted as mickey pointsout, by the ad hominem attacks (led by mapp and hooton).

    oh and another minister breaches the highest ethic standard demanded by the cabinet manual. question for the PM? LOL

  4. Whispering Kate 4
    13 October 2015 at 1:59 pm

    The Judge quashed the Minister in 6 categories but there are 8 – I wonder what’s so important about the other 2 categories – beggars belief really, we probably wouldn’t sleep at night if we knew the contents of the other 2.

  5. ianmac 5
    13 October 2015 at 3:02 pm

    Maybe the judgement just means that the Minister was wrong to group 6 non-responses together. The next response will be that the Minister will decline each question one by one. As a layman is this possible?

  6. savenz 6
    13 October 2015 at 3:22 pm

    Thank you Jane Kelsey for having courage and guts and action to bring these constant illegal breaches by our government to account!

  7. Penny Bright 7
    13 October 2015 at 3:30 pm

    Got a ‘professional’ and considered opinion on this post Matthew Hooton?
    __________________________________________________________

    Jane Kelsey: Govt spin won’t stop TPP facts emerging

    Tuesday, 13 October 2015
    The New Zealand Herald

    If governments want to play by secret squirrel rules they can hardly accuse those who raise alarms based on best available information of scaremongering.

    The post-Atlanta response by the government and cheerleaders for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) shows they still don’t understand why people have opposed the deal and will continue to do so.

    First, the secrecy of negotiations and the handcuffs the Agreement will place on future elected governments is a direct assault on democracy and sovereignty.

    People don’t want ‘trust me’ democracy where the Executive makes the law in secret and presents a fait accompli.

    The High Court’s decision today that Trade Minister Groser acted unlawfully in refusing to release any information to me under the Official Information Act should act as a wake up call for him and the government.

    In his determination to keep everything secret, Minister Groser treated his legal obligations with contempt. He did not look at a single document before deeming every piece of information too sensitive, or too anodyne, to release.

    During the case the Minister’s standard line, parroted by many politicians and media commentators, that ‘negotiations are always done this way’ was abandoned in the face of evidence they are not.

    The judge’s statement that ‘the Act plays a significant role in New Zealand’s constitutional and democratic arrangements’ and its meaning and purpose must be fully honoured by those to whom it applies, is a clear rebuke to the Minister.

    It also sends a clear message to the government more generally that the growing unaccountability of Executive power is not acceptable in a democracy.

    The opposition to the TPPA is also about substance.

    It became a mass movement because people understand this is not about ‘free trade’, but that corporate interests are seeking to remake global rules in their interests.

    Suggestions by pro-TPPA politicians and commentators that doctors, parliamentarians, lawyers, and local communities, here and around the world, are dupes of myself and a couple of fellow-travellers beggars belief.

    As Minister Groser discovered, such insults backfire when the targets have more credibility than politicians.

    I take my role as a public intellectual seriously. Always have. For more than six years, at considerable personal expense, I closely monitored the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiations.

    With a handful of others, I continued to attend negotiating meetings when they went underground two years ago, as the already inadequate ‘stakeholder’ process stopped without any explanation.

    Two books, many academic articles and conference papers, keynote addresses, briefings to politicians and professional bodies, commentaries on leaked texts, opinion pieces, speeches and press releases, sought to give people some insights into what was happening behind closed doors.

    Most of the technical papers written to assist negotiators will never see the light of day.

    I stand by everything I have said about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) over the past six years (especially if it is quoted accurately).

    Once the text becomes public, it will become clear that some of the excesses were beaten back (and opposition to the deal can take considerable credit for that), but many of the dangers that I and others pointed to are still there.

    We always knew the government and its allies would have a two-pronged strategy if they finalised the deal – to spin like crazy before people could see the facts, and to launch a counter-offensive to discredit opponents.

    I guess it’s flattering that the government apparently pre-scripted counters to every point they thought I would raise.

    Personal attacks and character assassination, epitomised by Rodney Hide’s vitriol in the Herald on Sunday, are the resort of people who lack convincing arguments.

    It’s time for the post-Atlanta debate to focus on the substance, which requires release of the text and the background documents, and for the parties to revoke their secrecy pact to keep negotiating documents secret for four years after the agreement comes into force.

    Work has already begun, with support from the Law Foundation, on a series of expert analyses that will enable New Zealanders to judge for themselves what they think of the final deal.

    That is what democracy requires. New Zealanders deserve nothing less.

    Jane Kelsey is a law professor at Auckland University.
    _____________________________________________

    Penny Bright

    Confirmed 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate

  8. Matthew Hooton 8
    13 October 2015 at 3:44 pm

    Absolutely Greg. On this issue, congratulations Jane Kelsey. With it comes to OIA compliance, each government since Muldoon’s (which passed the Act) has been worse than the one before, and the slide risks continuing until the Act becomes a total irrelevance. This is a good shot across the government’s bow that it has to comply with the law, and hopefully it will be part of encouraging a behaviour change. Sadly, I doubt it though, and I think the OIA needs to be fully reviewed, reformed and modernised, including adding penalties for breaking it. This may also be a start for a push towards that.

    • Anne 8.1
      13 October 2015 at 4:00 pm

      I take offence at you using a person’s real name instead of their pseudonym. While mickysavage has been open about his identity, he chooses to write here under a pseudonym. Perhaps you are of the opinion that your self-designated place in society is on a higher plane than the rest of us and therefore you don’t have to abide by normal common courtesy and respect. I disagree.

      • Matthew Hooton 8.1.1
        13 October 2015 at 5:08 pm

        You can “take offence” if you want, whatever that means, and whatever you gain psychically from it.

        • McFlock 8.1.1.1
          13 October 2015 at 5:14 pm

          whatever you gain psychically from it.

          If people gained “psychically” from being subjected to the (sometimes passive-) aggressive dickishness of tories, most readers here would have some XMen-level powers by now…

    • Paul 8.2
      13 October 2015 at 4:01 pm

      Spin spin spin.
      You are a mercenary of big business, Mr Hooton.
      Many citizens find such actions contemptible.

      • North 8.2.1
        13 October 2015 at 9:57 pm

        Ha ! Too late…..I get it – the Ponce Key’s “Higher Standards, Higher Standards, Higher Standards !”

        All along he was talking about taller flag poles from which to fly his and Richie’s beloved Silver Fern. What a creep !

      • Rozgonz 8.2.2
        15 October 2015 at 12:49 pm

        Where would we be without big business Paul? Who creates jobs and pays your bills Paul?

    • Grindlebottom 8.3
      13 October 2015 at 4:22 pm

      Hooton:…I think the OIA needs to be fully reviewed, reformed and modernised, including adding penalties for breaking it. This may also be a start for a push towards that.

      The behaviour of this National government suggests this Court decision might be the start of a move to amend the OIA to ensure they can get away with this sort of refusal to release information behaviour in the future. They are unlikely to add penalties for breaking it that would apply to Ministers.

      • Grindlebottom 8.3.1
        13 October 2015 at 8:19 pm

        From a quick read of the decision the guts of it seems to be that Court has ordered Grosser to reconsider the decision, ensuring officials this time properly assess each piece of information in 6 of the 8 categories requested by Professor Kelsey against the OIA criteria for withholding official information, and that any refusal to release the information next time correctly identifies the specific reason allowed in s 18(a)-(h) of the Act for withholding each piece of information, as well as the grounds on which those reasons are based.

        The Crown probably won’t need to appeal. The Chief Ombudsman reviewed the Minister’s decision after seeing 21 documents that fell within Kelsey’s request. She upheld the decision to withhold. The Judge said he was unable to review the merits of the decision to withhold (meaning he couldn’t legally substitute his judgement on whether public interest outweighed other considerations for withholding info).

        All Grosser may have to do is get his officials to do a bit more work and he gets to withhold basically the same information again. I think the way the judge explains how the Minister must identify the “grounds” for his reasons will cause MFAT some headaches: he makes that rather muddy, IMO. But the Minister could still conceivably get away with not providing grounds by virtue of s 19(a)(2).

    • Stuart Munro 8.4
      13 October 2015 at 5:18 pm

      Nice use of the ‘Labour did it too’ meme Matthew – can you substantiate it?

      • Matthew Hooton 8.4.1
        13 October 2015 at 5:21 pm

        Yes, I have been a big user of the OIA for many years and it would take months to get ministers in the last government to comply with the law. Now it is many more months, rolling in some cases into years. It seems each government tries to outdo the one before in terms of abusing this particular Act.

        • leftie 8.4.1.1
          13 October 2015 at 6:18 pm

          @Matthew Hooton.

          Where’s the proof? Your response doesn’t substantiate anything.

        • Draco T Bastard 8.4.1.2
          13 October 2015 at 6:26 pm

          There’s a maximum of 20 days turnaround. I assume that you’re taking all these that are taking months to the Ombudsman?

        • Stuart Munro 8.4.1.3
          14 October 2015 at 8:44 am

          Months to years – so it would not be out of place to describe this government as an order of magnitude worse in the matter of OIA requests. I always like to know effect sizes.

        • Tracey 8.4.1.4
          15 October 2015 at 12:58 pm

          And of course your own admission that when you were a paid employee of National and had to process OIA’s you happily abused the process by directive.

          But that’s changed now Matthew, right? You know since Key pissed you off personally and all.

          🙄

          • Matthew Hooton 8.4.1.4.1
            15 October 2015 at 1:06 pm

            My record was one year (to the day) and that was going back and forth to the Ombudsman many times, and negotiating what would be released. In the end we could withhold a great deal of information and gave the requestor (the student unions) a single sentence that answered their inquiry fully. To hold up an OIA for a whole year was so unusual in the mid 1990s that I kept the file as a memento. By the mid 2000s, a one year delay was common but not standard practice. Now it is standard practice. God knows where things will get to if the situation isn’t corrected.

            • Tracey 8.4.1.4.1.1
              15 October 2015 at 1:10 pm

              Everything always come back to intent Matthew. Laws are only effective in this kind of area when people enforce/apply them with the intent of the law in mind, instead of the mindset of circumventing obligations. I don’t know how that changes.

              For example the Cabinet Manual is pretty clear but has no genuine enforcement provision so is treated like a piece of toilet paper

              I had a complaint to the Ombudsmen (following a decline by DBH) still underway 2 years later. By then my client had been to Court and the information I requested was required for that. NEVER heard again from Ombudsmen.

            • DoublePlusGood 8.4.1.4.1.2
              15 October 2015 at 1:54 pm

              “kept the file as a memento”
              Says everything about your lack of character and integrity really, that you would want to keep a file to fondly remember a time when you abused the system for political gain.

            • Grant 8.4.1.4.1.3
              15 October 2015 at 2:04 pm

              So it’s not corruption of the intent of the OIA that bothers you it’s just the scale on which it’s practiced. Sounds about right for you.

      • Pat 8.5.1
        13 October 2015 at 7:02 pm

        tis just another variation of “they do it too” …Matthew is nothing if not predictable.

        • Matthew Hooton 8.5.1.1
          14 October 2015 at 8:41 am

          But they didn’t “do it too” – not to this extent. This is the worst government ever in terms of OIA compliance. That is my point. Courts need to be used to intervene more to stop it getting even worse, and hopefully encourage improvement.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 8.5.1.1.1
            14 October 2015 at 8:45 am

            Personal responsibility means personal consequences. Get Ministers a corporate box from SERCO. With bars. No, not that kind of bar.

            • Tracey 8.5.1.1.1.1
              15 October 2015 at 1:00 pm

              and employees who choose to take orders from people seeking to abuse the system ought to have protection to do the right thing.

          • Pat 8.5.1.1.2
            14 October 2015 at 9:30 am

            “But they didn’t “do it too” – not to this extent. This is the worst government ever in terms of OIA compliance.”

            and not only in terms of OIA compliance…but I must confess that statement was not predicted.

    • Tracey 8.6
      15 October 2015 at 12:55 pm

      progressively worse indeed. This government was elected on a self professed claim of better transparency than its predecessor. It lied and then failed by design. But then you know this cos you were part of that abuse at one stage and didn’t object.

      BUT now you are all reformed since Mr Key pissed you off personally.

  9. Tory 9
    13 October 2015 at 4:13 pm

    I have no issues with the Courts findings, that’s the process.

    With regards to the politics of Jane Kelsey, she doesn’t believe in globalisation whereas the current government (and myself) do, what’s wrong with challenging (you use the words ‘publicly attacked and maligned’) a critic on their views?

    It happens everyday in some form (from the left and right; after all it was the ex Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark who categorised John Campbell a “sanctimonious little creep”).

    • Draco T Bastard 9.1
      13 October 2015 at 6:28 pm

      With regards to the politics of Jane Kelsey, she doesn’t believe in globalisation whereas the current government (and myself) do, what’s wrong with challenging (you use the words ‘publicly attacked and maligned’) a critic on their views?

      It’s not peoples views that need challenging but the facts. Kelsey has facts, the RWNJs only have ad hominem attacks.

      • sandflypoint 9.1.1
        13 October 2015 at 9:22 pm

        No Kelsey doesn’t have the facts. There is a fairly long list of claims she has made on the TPP that are demonstrably false. Kelsey is a paid activist, nothing more. All power to her, but the TPP is away and the sun still rose this morning.

        • Draco T Bastard 9.1.1.1
          13 October 2015 at 9:36 pm

          There is a fairly long list of claims she has made on the TPP that are demonstrably false.

          You’ll be able to list them then right?

          Kelsey is a paid activist, nothing more.

          No she’s not, she’s an academic. You really shouldn’t go round defaming people like that – it could get you in trouble.

          but the TPP is away and the sun still rose this morning.

          And the sun will rise again tommorrow and the TPPA will still be a bad deal costing us billions.

          • Rozgonz 9.1.1.1.1
            15 October 2015 at 12:52 pm

            Kelsey is a communist who is fundamentally opposed to free trade and anything the National Government does. She can’t think straight so her argument carry’s no weight.

            [lprent: And obviously you are card carrying fascist from the late 1930s, who wanders around with your brain hanging out of your pants showing syphilitic sores and bad penile hygiene. In other words a sick dickhead.

            This is an ‘fact’ that carries equal credibility with your one. In other words none…. Have you read our policy? Oh thats right – you probably can’t understand words that someone hasn’t made into slogans for you.

            Banned permanently as being a troll who is simply too stupid to write on this site. ]

        • mickysavage 9.1.1.2
          13 October 2015 at 10:50 pm

          Straw man argument. One of her main complaints is that she has been improperly denied the relevant information and from the looks of today’s decision she is right.

        • savenz 9.1.1.3
          14 October 2015 at 8:05 am

          Oh where have I heard the phrase

          TPP is away and the sun still rose this morning

          Yes I bet it’s nice in Hawaii and the sun still rises there, oh to be a government funded troll.

    • North 9.2
      13 October 2015 at 10:01 pm

      Yeah well Bowel Motion reckons Kelsey’s just a Commie…..???

  10. BLiP 10
    13 October 2015 at 4:31 pm

    ‘

    Indeed, sincere thanks to Jane Kelsey along with Consumer NZ, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, Ngati Kahungunu, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, the Tertiary Education Union, Greenpeace and Oxfam for exposing yet more unlawfulness by the John Key led National Ltd™ government. Were it not for this extraordinary collaboration it seems Jane Kelsey’s fight would have been made all the more difficult.

    Any celebrations should be tempered by the fact that the Ombusman’s Office and Crown Law have colluded with National Ltd™ in denying New Zealanders their rights. While its pretty much the job of Crown Law to protect the government, Beverley Wakem needs to explain herself. Not only did she drag her heels over this matter but she appears also to have got it completely wrong.

    • Gangnam Style 10.1
      13 October 2015 at 6:21 pm

      “Beverley Wakem needs to explain herself. Not only did she drag her heels over this matter but she appears also to have got it completely wrong.” – YES!

    • Tracey 10.2
      16 October 2015 at 8:51 am

      It’s a hard left marxist conspiracy to make life hard for NZers. Clearly. Such bastards seeking to hold Ministers and their departments to account pursuant to legislation passed by Parliament as representatives of the people.

  11. Mike the Savage One 11
    13 October 2015 at 5:30 pm

    A triumph of some form at last, for Jane Kelsey and friends, I congratulate her! With some pleasure I also read this in an article by Hamish Rutherford on ‘stuff.co’ today (see link below):

    “The decision led to a fresh attack of the Ombudsman, which adjudicates on Official Information Act disputes, and upheld Groser’s decision not to release information.

    The Taxpayers’ Union congratulated Kelsey on her court challenge, as it dismissed the Ombudsman’s effectiveness.

    “This is a significant victory for freedom of information and an embarrassment for the Office of the Ombudsman which has been shown up as lacking. Every day, groups from the Taxpayers’ Union to Greenpeace along with public lawyers and political journalists are hampered by a freedom of information system which is being gamed by the government,” executive director Jordan Williams said.

    “For years the Ombudsman’s office has complained that the problems are due to a lack of funding. In reality, the number of appeals relating to the Official Information Act has snowballed because government agencies and politicians know that the Ombudsman is a toothless tiger.” ”

    Quoted extract from stuff.co, here is the link to the full story:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/72963910/judge-orders-trade-minister-to-review-his-refusal-to-release-tppa-documents

    The Chief Ombudsman is defending her Office, but I know full well, like many others, that they have been sitting on endless complaints for months if not years, and simply lamenting underfunding, and otherwise do nothing, that has been a weak performance by Dame Beverley Wakem.

    This government has been playing the OIA system for years, and they continue doing it, denying citizens transparency and accountability, and with that access to justice also in many other complaints. Having read some decisions by Ms Wakem, I am not impressed by her and her colleague Ron Paterson.

  12. NZJester 12
    14 October 2015 at 12:30 am

    When big corporations who are not governments are allowed to see the text in full but not the general public then there is a serious problem with it to begin with. Any money those big corporations make out of this deal before it all becomes public is just as bad as someone making money from the stock market by insider trading.

  13. mikesh 13
    14 October 2015 at 11:04 am

    It seems to me Ms Kelsey has not gained anything. The grounds of the court’s decision are that Groser & Co did not comply with with the provisions of the act. So now Groser will “return to the drawing board”, comply with the act’s provisions, and then refuse the application anyway, assuming he can make a reasonable case for doing so.

    • Tracey 13.1
      16 October 2015 at 8:57 am

      Except she has revealed that Mr Groser made a decision based on his ideology rather than the criteria for releasing information. Presumably he was worried that his desire to not release couldn’t be supported by the criteria laid out in the legislation, otherwise why ignore said criteria?

      Others may think that revealing that is nothing, but in fact it makes it harder for those who support this government to do so with the belief that they are supporting people with integrity, honesty, genuine belief in the positions they take on our behalf (cos IF he genuinely held such belief the process would have supported a decision to withhold the information) . People who twist a system, or in this case simply ignore it cannot be trusted and show very poor judgment. It follows that their decisions on our behalf cannot be trusted either. But hey, some folks think they can get a better life by supporting such behaviour…

      The criteria exist to prevent politicians abusing the right to know what is going on in our Parliament. Groser has done just that. Key wont invoke the “highest ethical standards” and the Speaker won’t punish him. National’s supporters might not too BUT that doesn’t change the type of character that is being revealed as Mr Groser.

      Now when people vote for he and his party they do it with full knowledge that he will do anything, including breaching laws, to control what information NZers get to see. They may not ask why, but they ought to.

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    2 days ago

  • Road photos
    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    3 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
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