These evil f*cks want to rip the heart out of NZ. This is not some esoteric online discussion. These cruel arseholes have to be stopped. What can we actually do about it?
I'm not interested in pounding the keyboard. I mean actually.
In case if anyone's wondering tomorrow I'm off to SS4C and a GP branch meeting.
What this govt is doing goes against pretty much against a lot of what they have learnt(been taught..(thank you..teachers..!)
Especially around areas like trashing the environment.. imperiling their very future…
And the good news is that the millennials are a demographic bulge…much like the boomers…
And if these right-wing barbarians piss off enough of them..
Those right-wing barbarians/environmental-visigoths will have shown that demographic-bulge just what they are…and they will be out of office for the foreseeable future…
If we look across the ditch, we can see the difficulty in making this a like-for-like comparison. On the face of it we have far more public servants per person than Australia – with one public servant for every 83 people compared to one in 139 in Australia.
But Australia has a federal system, where many things that we would leave to the central government are done by states, which are not included in the national figure.
Did you read the bit about Ireland, with a comparable population?
Waiting for Philip to support his ludicrous claim. Thought you demanded links, even for mundane statements like parliament oral questions?
[I was in town, on my phone, you numpty. Now that I am home I’m giving you some time out.
don’t tell moderators what to do. You have a habit of poking at moderation, what you haven’t learned yet is we will slap you don’t hard because it’s just tedious as fuck (especially when you essentially lie about moderation as you did last time).
read the Policy
start figuring out how things work here because I have no more patience with your trolling
don’t expect people to read whole articles to try and parse what you are on about. Instead, explain in your own words and use short quotes and links to back that up.
Your comment below “Public sector v public service. Swat up on the difference.” is a classic example. You may have an interesting point there, but you fail to explain what you mean. This is why I am calling it trolling. This isn’t twitter or FB, you are expected to use your words.
what really pisses me off as a moderator is that we need a better class of RWNJ here. You could easily be bringing good RW political arguments to the table, but instead continually revert to these lazy throwaway comments.
3 day ban – weka]
[Based on your reply to your Mod note early this morning that went straight into the Trash folder that Mods however can read in the back end, and to back up my fellow Mod and show my solidarity, I’ve upgraded your ban to one month.
Despite the lenient rules of engagement of this free site, which you can read in the this site’s Policy (https://thestandard.org.nz/policy/), you behave like the typical RWNJ troll who obviously doesn’t give a shit about any limitations on your own behaviour here and you blatantly ignore the clear points of the Mod note, which took time to write.
Personally, I don’t see any reason why you should be allowed to waste anymore time of other commenters and Mods here, but let’s see if this educational ban will suffice for you to keep your commenting privileges here – Incognito]
From now on, please either link, or if you were listening to broadcast, give the time of day and some detail eg the Panel at around 4.30pm were discussing…
That way people can get the context for what you are talking about.
It was on morning report..and what was read out was a comparison between nz and a bunch of other countries..
And the comparisons made were on the amount each country spends..per head of population..
And was presented to provide context ..
Now ..I am not lying…I did hear it..and I think rnz has a reasonable degree of credibility..so we can dismiss any claims of dishonesty on their part.
btw..did anyone else hear it..?
[I’m not saying you are lying. I am telling you as a moderator:
From now on, please either link, or if you were listening to broadcast, give the time of day and some detail eg the Panel at around 4.30pm were discussing.
This is so people know more specifically what you are referring to.
Stop with this tedious BS and playing the victim and link to what you heard on RNZ Morning Report. Here’s the link to the archive (https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/library), find the episode, find the segment, and then post it (i.e. the link) here.
“And it was rose who accused me of 'spreading bullshit'…”
I was clarifying for weka that it was not her who said I was lying..
Weka doesn’t suffer from the same reading comprehension deficit as you do.
And I have no idea where to find what was a context adding aside on that subject.
It shows. You don’t have to use your imagination on speculation, just read the Mod and pre-Mod notes and follow the simplest of instructions.
And unsure why you made the 'five year old' question..
Your commenting pattern here.
What exactly triggered that..?
As above, and it was a logical & predictable continuation of the moderation in response to your continued stubborn refusal to cough up a link.
And I am puzzled that nobody else on this site..also heard what was a heads-up on that topic..
All the more reason to dig up that link and show the World that you’re not making up things in your head. So far, you’ve managed to waste a lot of our time and only produced unsubstantiated reckons, hot air, and whingy-whiny replies. The only reply I want to see from you here now is the link to that illustrious segment on RNZ Morning Report, i.e., put up or shut up.
I'm one who is of the view the public service has become too large, and I'll try to make my case.
1. This blog post The complex and bloated Executive | Kiwiblog contains a link to a NZ Initiative report that compares the size of NZ's Executive with that of a group of smaller and a group of larger nations. It is a detailed analysis, including comparisons based on the number of Ministers, the number of Ministries and the number of portfolios.
The central findings are:
New Zealand has a massively outsized Executive. Taking the average of parliamentary democracies of similar size to New Zealand, we have 44% more ministers, nearly triple (282%) the number of portfolios, and one and a half times (156%) as many departments.
It is likely that this size causes a suite of serious issues in New Zealand’s policymaking institutions, particularly relating to coordination, efficiency, selection effects, and resource allocation.
The exact reasons for this increase in size are not clear, but it is likely due to a combination of factors, like the absence of legislative restrictions, political expedience, and government signaling. Given the political advantages it bestows on those in government, it will likely be difficult to rectify.
3. This data Workforce Data – Workforce size – Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission shows the growth in public sector employees since 2000. I have calculated the numbers excluding local government employees. In 2000, the number of central government employees was 254,971. In 2017 the number was 341,394. and by 2023 the count was 407,178. So, in 17 years between 2000 and 2017, the number of central government employees grew by 34%, but in just 6 years to 2023 it grew by 20%.
I don't believe for one moment we are receiving anywhere near good value for that increase, nor do I consider it remotely reasonable to assert our public service is "emaciated".
While you present an interesting thesis, there's really no empirical basis or consensus for there being a "right" size for public services, or percentage of GDP that we should be spending on it.
All we've got is a bunch of reckons and competing theories of public service organization and structure to go by.
The prevailing ideology around the public service in New Zealand for the last 40 odd years has been New Public Management (NPM), which is basically neoliberal economic theory applied to the public sector.
Its proponents are really good at making broad, dramatic statements about how it makes services more efficient and effective by introducing quasi-market systems and treating them like businesses. But there's precious little evidence it actually delivers on that.
Trust me, I spent the better part of 2 years looking really hard for some when I was doing my Master's thesis.
What the evidence does show is:
There's no single, universal prescription for the size or structure of the public sector. It depends on the economic and cultural context.
Public services and businesses are driven by fundamentally different factors. You can't just apply strategies from one to other. Because organizations don't exist in a vacuum.
Also no, you can't run your country like it's an airline.
Cutting budgets or reducing the size of the public sector doesn't introduce additional efficiencies, but instead erodes capacity and undermines the ability of organizations to deliver.
It's politically popular to focus cost savings on "back end" services such as IT, comms, or HR. But all that does is mean public sector organizations either come to reply on (expensive) consultants to deliver these or are reduced to throwing warm bodies at problems rather than leveraging technology to become more efficient or effective.
I've got plenty of issues with the NZI report you've referenced: in particular the countries they selected for comparison (e.g. Australia has massive bureaucracies at the state level that aren't counted), and the weird focus on the size of the executive – which has no relation to the number of ministries.
Where I do (sort of) agree is that the separation of services into policy and delivery arms was a huge mistake that causes enormous inefficiencies and hampers the effective co-ordination and delivery of policy.
So yeah, drink the NACT kool-aid all you want. But don't try and pretend this is anything more than a bunch of partisan reckons dressed up with some shitty research and badly formatted graphs.
"there's really no empirical basis or consensus for there being a "right" size for public services, or percentage of GDP that we should be spending on it."
"All we've got is a bunch of reckons and competing theories of public service organization and structure to go by."
Well, of course. The 'right' size of the public sector is to a fair degree ideological, and so naturally there are 'competing theories'. However there is a significant body of work that has looked at this issue over time, including papers such as 335309_OptimalSizeOfGovernment.pdf (ime.bg) (which takes a declared market based approach). The 'empirical' evidence is that NZ has a disproportionately large number of elements of our executive when compared to other countries. The 'empirical' evidence is that the number of public sector employees has risen significantly in recent years, disproportionately so when compared to an extended period of recent history covering both Labour and National led governments.
"and the weird focus on the size of the executive – which has no relation to the number of ministries."
It's not a 'weird' focus. The report covers the number of ministers, portfolios and departments. It is these elements that comprise the executive arm of government and feed into the size of the public service.
"Public services and businesses are driven by fundamentally different factors. "
They operate in the same financial and economic environment. The 20% of NZ'ers employed by the state are paid for by the 80% who are not. When the growth in public sector employees outstrips the growth in the sector that funds them, there is a problem.
They operate in the same financial and economic environment. The 20% of NZ'ers employed by the state are paid for by the 80% who are not. When the growth in public sector employees outstrips the growth in the sector that funds them, there is a problem.
The problem is when voters demand world class public services but aren't prepared to pay for them.
Or, even worse, when right wing politicians spruik bullshit theories (like the Laffer curve) about the size of the public sector to fulfil their wet dream of smashing the regulatory state. Despite the overwhelming evidence suggesting it doesn't deliver on it's promises.
It's not a 'weird' focus. The report covers the number of ministers, portfolios and departments. It is these elements that comprise the executive arm of government and feed into the size of the public service.
The size of any given cabinet is a political rather than a policy decision and s nothing to do with the size of the wider public service.
Maybe the growth in the public sector reflects a natural progression towards a size that's actually appropriate for the services it needs to provide, and demands placed on it by New Zealanders.
Have you ever entertained the notion that rather than being too large, the public sector in New Zealand may instead be too small?
"The problem is when voters demand world class public services but aren't prepared to pay for them."
It's a balance. However, it's also a problem when voters pay for world class public services and they aren't delivered.
"The size of any given cabinet is a political rather than a policy decision and s nothing to do with the size of the wider public service."
Policy decisions ARE political decisions. The size of the wider public service is a function of political decision making, and the size of the executive, the number of departments, of course they have an impact on the size of the wider public service.
Male circumcision is ritual scarification to identify in groups and out groups (viz, drop your trou in Nazi Germany). What I can never understand are the convoluted theories sprouted round the role of the female orgasm. It's obvious to me that the reproductive musculature involved in the heavy exercise of birthing obviously benefits from regular exercise of those same muscles before ((and after) their function during labour.
Yet another tribunal hearing in the UK over gender identity ideology and women's rights.
Rape crisis centre run by trans woman ‘hid sex of its counsellors’
A rape crisis centre run by a trans woman has been “illegitimately” hiding the biological sex of its counsellors from victims of sexual assault, an employment tribunal has heard.
Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, whose chief executive is Mridul Wadhwa, a trans woman and activist, was said to have used “disciplinary processes to enforce its extreme and uncompromising version of gender identity theory”.
The case of constructive dismissal centres on Roz Adams, a support worker at the charity, who is claiming she was wrongly accused of “transphobia” and endured a nine-month disciplinary process.
…
In her written evidence Adams cited the case of a 60-year-old woman who was abused as a child and only “just begun [to] talk about it”. The woman approached the crisis centre about group work and asked: “Can you reassure me it is just a woman-only group?”
The woman was repeatedly told that such meetings were “trans-inclusive”.
Cunningham said: “The tone of the conversation changed and a few days later she got an email saying: ‘You are not suitable for our services.’”
This is what happens when men are allowed in women's spaces. There is zero reason why RC services for trans women cannot be set up in parallel with women's services, other than trans identified males want validation or they want women's spaces.
The link to the Telegraph story doesn't seem to be working properly, but I was able to look it up via Duckduckgo.
I stand with Roz. How in hell did that "Whadareya" character get to be appointed to that sort of position? Cis- and trans-women have to have separate services.
My preference would be for women's refugees (and lesbian groups) to determine who they provide services/access to, with management by those born of the female sex.
Keeping out those drunk and aggressive and others deemed a risk to others – there are known cases of people having to be allowed in because of "no discrimination" and then assaulting staff – is part of a safe workplace.
Given the practice of some men who assault women to then seek to access women's prisons, this is a known risk for women's refuges.
That might mean that the LGBT+ community provide alternative safe spaces.
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Buzz from the BeehiveTolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...
or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...
David Farrar writes – Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...
Don Brash writes – There was a rather revealing headline in the Herald on Sunday today (12 May). It read “One in 8 Auckland homes on market were bought during boom, may now sell for loss”. The first line of text noted that “New data shows one in ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – At a time when universities are understandably nervous regarding the establishment of the University Advisory Group (UAG) and the Science System Advisory Group (SSAG) it may seem strange – or even fool-hardy – to state that there are long-standing issues in the tertiary sector ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – A lack of perspective can make something quite large or important seem small or irrelevant. Against a backdrop of high-profile, negative statistics it is easy to overlook the positive. For instance, the fact that 64 percent of Maori are employed is rarely reported. For ...
Earlier this year, the Herald ran a series of articles amounting to a sustained campaign against raised pedestrian crossings, by reporter Bernard Orsman. A key part of that campaign concerned the raised crossings being installed as part of the Pt Chevalier to Westmere project, with at least 10 articles over ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 19 include:PM Christopher Luxon is expected to hold his weekly post-cabinet news conference at 4:00pm on Monday.Parliament is not sitting this week. It resumes next week for a two-week sitting session up to and ...
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...
The Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...
Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
The star of Dark City: The Cleaner takes us through his life in TV, including the VHS revolution and the John Campbell impression that started it all. Best known for his comedic roles, Cohen Holloway says he struggled at times to maintain the stone cold facade of serial killer on ...
David Hill remembers an old friend, who you’ve probably never heard of. My friend Doug never travelled; he had little interest in the world beyond his own tiny rural town. I’ve rarely known anyone who radiated such contentment. Doug (I’ll call him that) died in March. You won’t know him. ...
Some of the earliest photos of life in Aotearoa are on display at Auckland Museum right now – but the identities of some of the people in them are a mystery.What was it like to be one of the first people in New Zealand to have their photo taken? ...
Since its founding almost a decade ago, Featherston Booktown has grown into one of the country’s most interesting and idiosyncratic literary events. Erin Banks reports from the audience. “Come in, have you had lunch? I’m about to make a cheese toastie.” Mary Biggs, operations manager of Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival, ...
After 33 years abroad, Loveni Enari recently returned to Aotearoa and Samoa in what a friend joked was an “existential crisis”. He learnt and re-learnt so much about his family, friends and both countries. Almost as an afterthought, he got a Samoan tatau. This is his story. (Accompanying it are ...
Nearly 30 years ago, two people told me they’d killed a woman they knew. I thought the truth would come out, that others would tell it. In the end, I had to. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Fact: in 1995, Angela Blackmoore ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at the week and shines a light on some increasingly rare longform journalism. Mōrena and welcome to The Weekend where there will sadly be no aurora to see. After a busy week last week of short, sharp pieces, this week we swung the other way, ...
ANALYSIS:By David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a revered Kanak visionary, was inspirational to indigenous Pacific political activists across Oceania, just like Tongan anthropologist and writer Epeli Hao’ofa was to cultural advocates. Tragically, he was assassinated in 1989 by an opponent within the independence movement during ...
Forget thin is in, apparently now bigger is better … or is it? After over a decade of body positivity, girls, teens and women are even more confused about what body positivity actually is. The movement began with women confronting unrealistic expectations of how their bodies should look. But sub-strands ...
Grace always sat at the bar at the back of The Cambridge, where she could watch who came in. A huge mirror ran the length of the pub, so you could sometimes watch people without them knowing. The mirror made the place seem a lot bigger than it really was. ...
MONDAY Sheriff Mark Mitchell rose at dawn. He had a long day’s ride ahead of him. He was headed for Waikeria. Waikeria! Even the name itself stirred his blood, and set root in his imagination. There was nothing and no one in Waikeria. But he would bend it to his ...
The first phase of the inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones finished this week, turning up plenty of revelations and few answers. But through all the confusion, heartbreak and antipathy on display, the simple fact at the heart of this case remains: if little Lachie’s body had ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Benjamin, Professor in Art History, University of Sydney “She’s no oil painting”. Those were the unkind words of a colleague commenting on the subject of Vincent Namatjira’s acrylic painting, Gina. Every one of the prominent Australians and cultural heroes in Namatjira’s ...
Government plans to require local councils hold a referendum on whether to have Māori wards breaches the Treaty of Waitangi, a Waitangi Tribunal report has found. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney This year the National Rugby League (NRL) opened its season in Las Vegas. It was an audacious move by the league’s ambitious head honcho Peter V’Landys to showcase the game in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate Professor, Music Industry, RMIT University Leading music organisations have praised the federal budget for its investment in the live music sector. The budget includes A$8.6 million for a program called Revive Live: to provide essential support to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marnee Shay, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, The University of Queensland The 2024 federal budget contains A$110 million for Indigenous education. This includes funding for various different organisations to represent and help Indigenous people as well as scholarships in a bid to ...
Air New Zealand has confirmed Nouméa’s Tontouta International airport in New Caledonia is closed until Tuesday. The airline earlier told RNZ it would update customers as soon as it could. Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report government officials had been working on an “hourly basis” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Linley, PhD Candidate in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Grant Linley Australia’s unprecedented Black Summer bushfires in 2019–20 created ideal conditions for misinformation to spread, from the insidious to the absurd. It was within this context that a bizarre story ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcel Scharth, Lecturer in Business Analytics, University of Sydney OpenAI executive Mira Murati launching GPT-4o.OpenAI Earlier this week OpenAI launched GPT-4o (“o” for “omni”), a new version of the artificial intelligence (AI) system powering the popular ChatGPT chatbot. GPT-4o is promoted ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treasure McGuire, Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Mater Health SEQ in conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Bond University and as Associate Professor (Clinical), The University of Queensland Speedkingz/Shutterstock Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a ...
A new poem by Hannah Patterson. Xiāng There’s a pear tree in our backyard And Xiāng tells me She can’t eat them anymore Not after some things that have happened in her life. She tells me, in Mandarin The word for pear sounds the same as the word for disassociation ...
‘Cycling Works’ aims to show business support for citywide cycle infrastructure. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, supermarket giant Foodstuffs lost its attempt to block the construction of a cycle lane outside Thorndon New World in Wellington. The Spinoff’s Wellington editor ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Slow Productivity by Cal Newport (Penguin, $40)Taking out the top spot in Auckland this ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University For decades, Australia has exported uranium – but not used it, other than in the Lucas Heights research reactor. But change is coming. We now face a rapidly deepening commitment to ...
"In future I should walk away," Green MP Julie Anne Genter says after complaints over an exchange in Parliament and from two members of the public. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Graffam, PhD Candidate in Theatre, Monash University Gianna Rizzo/Malthouse Music pumps; lights pulsate; two sweaty bodies sway together, touching, breathing in each other’s scent. A male body framed by downlight restlessly shifts between stances and gestures. He undresses. The intensity ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sandra van der Laan, Professor of Accounting, University of Sydney Mtaya/Shutterstock At some point, you or someone else will need to make a decision about your “send-off”. Most Australians die in an institution, such as a hospital or aged care facility. ...
Asia Pacific Report Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai — who is also Chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group — has reaffirmed MSG’s support of the pro-independence umbrella group Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) stance opposing the French government’s constitutional bill “unfreezing” the New Caledonia Electoral Roll. It is ...
Producer Susan Leonard remembers her father Ernie, a pioneer of Māori television, and how his legacy lives on in Pathfinders.My father was a fabulous man. His name was Ernie Leonard and he started in TV in the 1970s when it was still glamorous – when TVNZ made behind the ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk, and Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist The suspected ringleaders of the unrest in New Caledonia have been placed in home detention and the social network TikTok has been banned as French security forces struggle to restore law and order. The French ...
Multi-year appropriations - which give the government authority to spend money without reapplying annually - are loosening Parliament's control of the public purse, auditor-general says. ...
Dr. Eric Chuah who stood for a centrist NZ political party in the October 2023 NZ Elections for Maungakiekie Auckland will stand as a candidate for Tauranga City Council Ward of Matua-=Otumoetai and Mayor of Tauranga. ...
If you can’t get to the comedy fest, let us bring the comedy fest to you. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is in full swing at the moment, with a veritable smorgasboard of comedy treats ...
A new poll commissioned by Unions Wellington shows an overwhelming majority of Wellingtonians oppose the Council’s plan to sell the 34% public stake in Wellington Airport. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aruna Sathanapally, Chief Executive, Grattan Institute, Grattan Institute A central focus of this week’s budget is the treasury’s forecast for inflation. By this time next year, inflation is projected to be back within the Reserve Bank’s 2-3% target range. Inflation has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yolanda van Heezik, Professor of Ecology, University of Otago Getty Images Cities across Aotearoa New Zealand are trying to solve a housing crisis, with increasing residential density a key solution. But not everyone is happy about the resulting loss of natural ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, Energy and Climate Change, Grattan Institute WDG Photo/Shutterstock For years, the electricity sector has been the poster child for emissions cuts in Australia. The sector achieved a stunning 26% drop in emissions over the past 15 ...
It’s often the last thing people want to do, but asking someone if they’re having suicidal thoughts is a critical first step to helping them. Content warning: this story discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. For a list of resources that can help if you or someone you know is feeling ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy J. Ralph, Associate Professor, Macquarie University The pyramids at Giza, like dozens of others, are located several kilometres west of the current path of the Nile.Alex Cimbal / Shutterstock The largest field of pyramids in Egypt – consisting of 31 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute ABO PHOTOGRAPHY/Shutterstock Receiving a cancer diagnosis is life-changing and can cause a range of concerns about ongoing health. Fear of cancer returning is one ...
Winston Peters has been on tour around the Pacific while two unrelated crises unfolded, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Two separate ...
This is the Mount Everest of artificial meatcraft.Ah, bacon. Pig’s gold. Toast’s consolation. Dawn’s savoury embrace. If meat was a currency, bacon would be the Benjamin Franklin. Or if you’re feeling patriotic, the Lord Rutherford. When it comes to fake bacon, the obvious question is: why bother? In the ...
From illegal milk to sprinkler bans and airplane ticket scams, Tyrone Barugh is on a one-man mission through New Zealand’s most obscure legal loopholes. I’m deep undercover, investigating Wellington’s criminal underworld. Inside this store, I’ve been told there is a million-dollar trade in illicit substances. A man dressed in black ...
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99) A free copy of this amazing story of a woman who operated behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied France was up for grabs this past fortnight. Readers were asked to share a story of wartime bravery, ...
It’s been a recess week at Parliament, which might indicate slim pickings for conversation topics for the Raw Politics team. But things are never dull in politics, especially with a new Government keen to follow through on its law and order promises, and a NZ First minister who wants to ...
Dear Hon Judith Collins, Minister of Defence, and Hon Christopher Penk, Associate Minister of Defence I have written to you, to attempt to give you an insight into the incredible hardship of being an NZDF family. Whilst I cannot speak on behalf of serving personnel, I can speak from my ...
Analysis: What a difference a year makes. In mid 2023, Wayne Brown the Auckland Mayor was a politician diminished by a calamitous response to the region’s Anniversary Weekend storm emergency and later forced against his preference into a half sale only of the city’s airport shares. His demeanour among his ...
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New Zealand’s drug legislation hasn’t been overhauled in nearly 50 years, in spite of a recommendation from the Law Commission in 2011 to do so. Our Misuse of Drugs Act was passed in 1975 and is based on a United Nations framework set in 1961. Now a new organisation, Harm ...
Asia Pacific Report An open letter to The New Zealand Herald has challenged a full page Zionist advertisement this week for failing to acknowledge the “terrible injustices” suffered by the Palestinian people in Israel’s seven-month genocidal war on Gaza. In the latest of several international reports that have condemned genocide ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When he was opposition leader, Bill Shorten faced Coalition criticism for attacking “the top end of town”, a phrase he used in his 2019 budget reply. Now Peter Dutton is finding the line “billions of ...
By Adam Burns, RNZ News reporter Worried New Caledonian expats in Aotearoa admit they are “terrified” for friends and family amid ongoing violence and civil unrest in the French Pacific territory. The death toll remained at four tonight, and hundreds have been injured after electoral changes sparked widespread rioting by ...
French President Emmanuel Macron has declared a state of emergency in New Caledonia after several days of civil unrest in the capital. Four people are dead due to the unrest and violence in the capital, Nouméa. France TV reports that a 22-year-old gendarme who had been seriously wounded has become ...
These evil f*cks want to rip the heart out of NZ. This is not some esoteric online discussion. These cruel arseholes have to be stopped. What can we actually do about it?
I'm not interested in pounding the keyboard. I mean actually.
In case if anyone's wondering tomorrow I'm off to SS4C and a GP branch meeting.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350231627/nz-politics-live-government-will-require-referendums-every-recently-created-maori
We have to fight back but I don't know how or who with.
Suicide Prevention Office to close in Health Ministry cuts – union
I can't guess what the trigger(s) will be..but we are heading into a period of direct action…
I'm doing weights… getting ready..
Non-violent direct action looks to be our only option..
(It worked for Gandhi..)
I am also pinning some hopes on the millennials..
What this govt is doing goes against pretty much against a lot of what they have learnt(been taught..(thank you..teachers..!)
Especially around areas like trashing the environment.. imperiling their very future…
And the good news is that the millennials are a demographic bulge…much like the boomers…
And if these right-wing barbarians piss off enough of them..
Those right-wing barbarians/environmental-visigoths will have shown that demographic-bulge just what they are…and they will be out of office for the foreseeable future…
Racists gonna racism, I guess.
Memo to those buying into the bloated public service bullshit:
Radio nz reported today that we spend one third (per head of population) of the amount australia spends on their public service..
'bloated'..my arse…!
..more like emaciated..
So those who have drunk the kool-ade should just take a deep breath..and see this for what it is..
A right-wing attack …an attempt to further shrink the state..to further neoliberal/capitalist aims..
Radio nz reported today that we spend one third (per head of population) of the amount australia spends on their public service..
Without a link to support, even a basic sniff test would suggest that statistic is bullshit. A quick google search supports the sniff test.
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.GOVT.ZS?locations=NZ-AU
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350164796/heres-what-our-63000-public-servants-actually-do-and-why-we-have-so-many-them-now
Are you deliberately spreading mistruths…
Yr first link is about something different to what I reported from rnz..
And is a textbook example of the link being used as a tool to mislead..
And I can't link to yr second one..after my critique on their output..I was blocked from their site..somewhat petty on their part..you'd think..?
How inconvenient that you can’t read the second link. It says the complete opposite of your unlinked bullshit.
From your Stuff link,
Did you read the bit about Ireland, with a comparable population?
Waiting for Philip to support his ludicrous claim. Thought you demanded links, even for mundane statements like parliament oral questions?
[I was in town, on my phone, you numpty. Now that I am home I’m giving you some time out.
3 day ban – weka]
[Based on your reply to your Mod note early this morning that went straight into the Trash folder that Mods however can read in the back end, and to back up my fellow Mod and show my solidarity, I’ve upgraded your ban to one month.
Despite the lenient rules of engagement of this free site, which you can read in the this site’s Policy (https://thestandard.org.nz/policy/), you behave like the typical RWNJ troll who obviously doesn’t give a shit about any limitations on your own behaviour here and you blatantly ignore the clear points of the Mod note, which took time to write.
You also seem to have conveniently forgotten that you had already received a Mod note previously (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-03-2024/#comment-1993370).
Personally, I don’t see any reason why you should be allowed to waste anymore time of other commenters and Mods here, but let’s see if this educational ban will suffice for you to keep your commenting privileges here – Incognito]
Mod note
Still waiting for the link to support your frankly ludicrous claim.
From now on, please either link, or if you were listening to broadcast, give the time of day and some detail eg the Panel at around 4.30pm were discussing…
That way people can get the context for what you are talking about.
It was on morning report..and what was read out was a comparison between nz and a bunch of other countries..
And the comparisons made were on the amount each country spends..per head of population..
And was presented to provide context ..
Now ..I am not lying…I did hear it..and I think rnz has a reasonable degree of credibility..so we can dismiss any claims of dishonesty on their part.
btw..did anyone else hear it..?
[I’m not saying you are lying. I am telling you as a moderator:
From now on, please either link, or if you were listening to broadcast, give the time of day and some detail eg the Panel at around 4.30pm were discussing.
This is so people know more specifically what you are referring to.
mod note. Please reply letting me know you have read and agree to do this going forward.
Sure..
And it was rose who accused me of 'spreading bullshit'…
FFS, Phil, are you 5 years old?
Stop with this tedious BS and playing the victim and link to what you heard on RNZ Morning Report. Here’s the link to the archive (https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/library), find the episode, find the segment, and then post it (i.e. the link) here.
Where exactly am I 'playing the victim's..?
I was clarifying for weka that it was not her who said I was lying..
And I have no idea where to find what was a context adding aside on that subject.
And unsure why you made the 'five year old' question..
What exactly triggered that..?
And I am puzzled that nobody else on this site..also heard what was a heads-up on that topic..
Hmmm, let me see:
“I was blocked from their site”
“Now ..I am not lying”
“And it was rose who accused me of 'spreading bullshit'…”
Weka doesn’t suffer from the same reading comprehension deficit as you do.
It shows. You don’t have to use your imagination on speculation, just read the Mod and pre-Mod notes and follow the simplest of instructions.
Your commenting pattern here.
As above, and it was a logical & predictable continuation of the moderation in response to your continued stubborn refusal to cough up a link.
All the more reason to dig up that link and show the World that you’re not making up things in your head. So far, you’ve managed to waste a lot of our time and only produced unsubstantiated reckons, hot air, and whingy-whiny replies. The only reply I want to see from you here now is the link to that illustrious segment on RNZ Morning Report, i.e., put up or shut up.
Hi Phillip.
I'm one who is of the view the public service has become too large, and I'll try to make my case.
1. This blog post The complex and bloated Executive | Kiwiblog contains a link to a NZ Initiative report that compares the size of NZ's Executive with that of a group of smaller and a group of larger nations. It is a detailed analysis, including comparisons based on the number of Ministers, the number of Ministries and the number of portfolios.
The central findings are:
2. There have been other recent reports showing the extent to which government spending has risen in recent years, including this Core Crown tax revenue hits 30% of GDP. Expenses 1/3 of GDP. – theFacts. Note – the graph toggles between $'s and % of GDP.
3. This data Workforce Data – Workforce size – Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission shows the growth in public sector employees since 2000. I have calculated the numbers excluding local government employees. In 2000, the number of central government employees was 254,971. In 2017 the number was 341,394. and by 2023 the count was 407,178. So, in 17 years between 2000 and 2017, the number of central government employees grew by 34%, but in just 6 years to 2023 it grew by 20%.
Public sector employees now number close to 20% of the total workforce (up from 14% in 2017 Public-Service-Workforce-Data-2017.pdf (publicservice.govt.nz))
I would also note this:
"Over the last 5 years, the overall public sector workforce increased by 15% (with central government up 15.3% and local government up 13%). This compares with an 9% growth in the private sector over the same period. " Workforce Data – Workforce size – Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission
I don't believe for one moment we are receiving anywhere near good value for that increase, nor do I consider it remotely reasonable to assert our public service is "emaciated".
Hi Traveller
While you present an interesting thesis, there's really no empirical basis or consensus for there being a "right" size for public services, or percentage of GDP that we should be spending on it.
All we've got is a bunch of reckons and competing theories of public service organization and structure to go by.
The prevailing ideology around the public service in New Zealand for the last 40 odd years has been New Public Management (NPM), which is basically neoliberal economic theory applied to the public sector.
Its proponents are really good at making broad, dramatic statements about how it makes services more efficient and effective by introducing quasi-market systems and treating them like businesses. But there's precious little evidence it actually delivers on that.
Trust me, I spent the better part of 2 years looking really hard for some when I was doing my Master's thesis.
What the evidence does show is:
Also no, you can't run your country like it's an airline.
I've got plenty of issues with the NZI report you've referenced: in particular the countries they selected for comparison (e.g. Australia has massive bureaucracies at the state level that aren't counted), and the weird focus on the size of the executive – which has no relation to the number of ministries.
Where I do (sort of) agree is that the separation of services into policy and delivery arms was a huge mistake that causes enormous inefficiencies and hampers the effective co-ordination and delivery of policy.
So yeah, drink the NACT kool-aid all you want. But don't try and pretend this is anything more than a bunch of partisan reckons dressed up with some shitty research and badly formatted graphs.
"there's really no empirical basis or consensus for there being a "right" size for public services, or percentage of GDP that we should be spending on it."
"All we've got is a bunch of reckons and competing theories of public service organization and structure to go by."
Well, of course. The 'right' size of the public sector is to a fair degree ideological, and so naturally there are 'competing theories'. However there is a significant body of work that has looked at this issue over time, including papers such as 335309_OptimalSizeOfGovernment.pdf (ime.bg) (which takes a declared market based approach). The 'empirical' evidence is that NZ has a disproportionately large number of elements of our executive when compared to other countries. The 'empirical' evidence is that the number of public sector employees has risen significantly in recent years, disproportionately so when compared to an extended period of recent history covering both Labour and National led governments.
"and the weird focus on the size of the executive – which has no relation to the number of ministries."
It's not a 'weird' focus. The report covers the number of ministers, portfolios and departments. It is these elements that comprise the executive arm of government and feed into the size of the public service.
"Public services and businesses are driven by fundamentally different factors. "
They operate in the same financial and economic environment. The 20% of NZ'ers employed by the state are paid for by the 80% who are not. When the growth in public sector employees outstrips the growth in the sector that funds them, there is a problem.
The problem is when voters demand world class public services but aren't prepared to pay for them.
Or, even worse, when right wing politicians spruik bullshit theories (like the Laffer curve) about the size of the public sector to fulfil their wet dream of smashing the regulatory state. Despite the overwhelming evidence suggesting it doesn't deliver on it's promises.
The size of any given cabinet is a political rather than a policy decision and s nothing to do with the size of the wider public service.
Maybe the growth in the public sector reflects a natural progression towards a size that's actually appropriate for the services it needs to provide, and demands placed on it by New Zealanders.
Have you ever entertained the notion that rather than being too large, the public sector in New Zealand may instead be too small?
"The problem is when voters demand world class public services but aren't prepared to pay for them."
It's a balance. However, it's also a problem when voters pay for world class public services and they aren't delivered.
"The size of any given cabinet is a political rather than a policy decision and s nothing to do with the size of the wider public service."
Policy decisions ARE political decisions. The size of the wider public service is a function of political decision making, and the size of the executive, the number of departments, of course they have an impact on the size of the wider public service.
Ok, let's unpack that.
Let's say instead of delivering a public service I'm a builder and tell you that it will cost you a million dollars to build the house you want.
You agree on the price, but 3 months down the line decide you don't want to pay a million dollars and reduce the budget by 6.5%.
If that happens, and your house isn't finished, whose fault is it?
Let's restate the scenario.
Let's say that the builder has only completed a fraction of the work for the 93.5% already spent, and still "the ongoing carnage of non-achievement and non-delivery just continues on,” . Newshub Nation: National polytechnic merger Te Pūkenga buckling as it asks for more money and fails students, staff | Newshub
Let's say the builder has spent some of the budget on items that have no value to the home owner, and with "no evidence of an agreed budget" and "limited monitoring or oversight of expenditure". (Ministry of Pacific Peoples blasted for $40,000 farewell by public service watchdog | Newshub
I'd be asking the builder to stick to his or her knitting.
Wot res publica said..
This article is going to prove days, weeks, nay months of heated discussion here on TS!
Not.
https://www.queermajority.com/essays-all/was-foreskin-evolutions-great-mistake
Male circumcision is ritual scarification to identify in groups and out groups (viz, drop your trou in Nazi Germany). What I can never understand are the convoluted theories sprouted round the role of the female orgasm. It's obvious to me that the reproductive musculature involved in the heavy exercise of birthing obviously benefits from regular exercise of those same muscles before ((and after) their function during labour.
The number of girls undergoing female genital circumcision is increasing. Loss of a foreskin is mutilation, but function is maintained. Not the case with more extreme. female GM, alas.
Climate-marches across the motu tomorrow…
I plan to carry a placard that says,
“Genuinely concerned”
I couldn't find Philips link from RNZ
However I did find this :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_public_sector_size
He is absolutely correct. We have one of the LOWEST public sectors relative to most of the coutries we compare ourselves to !
NZ 11.5 %
Germany 12.9 %
USA 13.4 %
UK 22.5 %
Australia 28.9 % FFS !!
Public sector v public service. Swat up on the difference.
Sector/service?…. Last time the right did this cutting… it was called "The Sinking Lid"
Many of us had a visual of headless chickens running in tight pointless circles. MPs trying to convince reporters there was meaning to the madness.
Round after round of redundancies, encouraging "Dog eat Dog"
Those who "Lost" had to sell their assets to survive… Garage sales abounded.
Mortgagee sales were a regular feature as well as "Business Opportunities"
Predictable soulless lot not caring about the ruined lives. Just "Picking up the bargains" while spreading a narrative of "Self Help"
Voters have gone for the glitter of shiny things, paltry trinkets of tax cuts, soon gone.
Unfortunately that data is well out of date (for NZ it's from 2011). As I wrote above:
"Public sector employees now number close to 20% of the total workforce (up from 14% in 2017 Public-Service-Workforce-Data-2017.pdf (publicservice.govt.nz))"
The latest numbers I can find for Australia (Public sector growing with Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics (afr.com)) is there it's around 16%.
In the UK it's about 17% (UK public sector employment share by region 2023 | Statista).
I stand corrected.
Yet another tribunal hearing in the UK over gender identity ideology and women's rights.
The Telegraph https://archive.is/CBPNy#selection-2733.38-2751.142
This is what happens when men are allowed in women's spaces. There is zero reason why RC services for trans women cannot be set up in parallel with women's services, other than trans identified males want validation or they want women's spaces.
The link to the Telegraph story doesn't seem to be working properly, but I was able to look it up via Duckduckgo.
I stand with Roz. How in hell did that "Whadareya" character get to be appointed to that sort of position? Cis- and trans-women have to have separate services.
My preference would be for women's refugees (and lesbian groups) to determine who they provide services/access to, with management by those born of the female sex.
Keeping out those drunk and aggressive and others deemed a risk to others – there are known cases of people having to be allowed in because of "no discrimination" and then assaulting staff – is part of a safe workplace.
Given the practice of some men who assault women to then seek to access women's prisons, this is a known risk for women's refuges.
That might mean that the LGBT+ community provide alternative safe spaces.