Daily review 09/07/2019

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, July 9th, 2019 - 74 comments
Categories: Daily review - Tags:

 

Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

74 comments on “Daily review 09/07/2019 ”

  1. mickysavage 1

    Photo chosen because it will really upset some right wingers for some strange reason.

  2. Ad 2

    Kill the Titirangi chickens.

    And ducks.

  3. McFlock 4

    Someone else might have already posted it, but it's still good for a laugh: Tommy Robinson wants asylum in the USA. Yup, right-wing anti-immigrant thug says he's seeking asylum from another right-wing anti-immigrant thug.

  4. Ad 5

    Is someone going to do a list of all the campaign promises that Labour have found too hard?

    They seem to be racking up.

    • McFlock 5.1

      I reckon some folk are still in shock that so many are being followed through on, even in a 3-way coalition.

    • Sacha 5.2

      You mean promises in their negotiated agreements with NZ First and the Greens, I presume. Isn't compiling such a list what we have an Opposition for?

    • Andre 5.3

      Surely The Chairman already has one?

    • marty mars 5.4

      "They seem to be racking up"

      lol you seem to be racking off – why don't you do your wee list and we'll have a look at it – shouldn't take long lol

    • Gabby 5.5

      Now might be a good time to put in an order for 100 000 prefabricated houses from China adders, what with the timber price plummet.

    • Chris 5.6

      Quicker to do a list of the promises kept.

    • Pat 6.1

      Having heard Tamihere on RNZ this morning Im guessing that any case will be dismissed due to a lack of clarity

  5. WeTheBleeple 7

    Flowers for Vonnegut.

    All the stories were the same

    Who loved then fought then loved again

    But all the stories that I saw

    Were love beset by endless war

    Everybody wants to be

    The champion who makes act three

    Yet rarely but those born up high

    Will make it past act two in time

    For of the lowly sets the scene

    To aid the rich man's lofty dreams

    Who contrast brightly as the sun

    Till all the world is come undone.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 7.1

      Vonnegut quote which belongs on the ‘POTUS post’, but that's popular enough already.

      "The two real political parties in America are the Winners and the Losers. The people don't acknowledge this. They claim membership in two imaginary parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, instead."

  6. greywarshark 8

    Thoughts about murder and violent assaults and stalking and the right to not live in fear.

    A jealous man and a wife who wanted to break up the marriage. She asked him to shift out. He took a machete and killed the other man.

    He has pleaded guilty and been sentenced for 17 years without parole. He isn't going to be a better person just because he has been in jail for that long. The idea should be a term in jail and intensive work on self-management and self-understanding. The Court should be able to look at his past history and how he was at school and his employers. Friends and family may say anything. If this is a one-off the country isn't doing itself any favours, or the family of the murdered person, keeping him in jail longer. When he leaves he will leave with a skill he can use, and a job to go to – that should be arranged along with housing.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/114069682/machete-church-murder-you-have-broken-this-family–judge

    Men and women who have killed, assaulted, and mauled others more than once should not be released at all. Let's keep these violent reoffenders in, and habilitate the one-off people; how to hold themselves in check, know what their trigger points are, what are there secret fears that people can knowingly or unknowingly mock. Some will be able to manage for the rest of their lives out of trouble if they aren't in so long that their lives and ways are munted.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/112137375/thirty-prisoners-sexually-assaulted-at-auckland-jail-report-found

    https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2018/07/13/nz-judges-three-strike-straightjacket.html

    Unfair punishment and fallacious reasoning for excessive jail term punishment:

    Deterrence: Offenders who are punished are less likely to reoffend, and their punishment will deter others.

    Incapacitation: Punishment can make it difficult or impossible for offenders to reoffend.

    Rehabilitation: If crime occurs because of a defect (psychological, moral, social, etc.), it can be corrected to prevent future crime.

    Retribution: Criminals should be punished because they deserve it, regardless of prospective consequences.

    Should be kept inside:

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/03/man-who-tried-to-kill-his-three-kids-will-soon-be-released.html

    • Sacha 8.1

      "If this is a one-off the country isn't doing itself any favours, or the family of the murdered person, keeping him in jail longer."

      Enough hand-wringing. Read the story you linked to:

      Vea also had 11 previous convictions, that included assaulting his wife and breaching a protection order.

      Fuck him.

      • greywarshark 8.1.1

        I said 'If this is a one-off',,, Also I said ' The Court should be able to look at his past history'.

        I don't have to read the story I am linked to. I put this up as a thinkpiece with this man's sentence as a starting point. As he had 11 previous convictions, obviously it wasn't going to apply to him.

        I am not hand-wringing – you are. I am trying to apply reason and thought to necessary changes in the justice system.

        • Sacha 8.1.1.1

          People can judge your argument for themselves. Bad example to cite, perhaps.

          • greywarshark 8.1.1.1.1

            It was to spark thinking Sacha. For thinking about using the present case as a starting point. And containing 'if' situations. It doesn't need judging, it needs thinking about – possible changes.

            The fact that the recent murder case is a serious case of recidivism is part of the variations that show that the idea suggested shouldn't apply to all, as I pointed out. I suggest that violent recidivists, should never be released into the community again, and some attacks and behaviour are so egregious they indicate that the perpetrator is mentally damaged to an extent that also indicates a lifetime of incarceration.

            We can no longer just administer failing legislation, and need to look at what it is achieving and whether it is serving us well in its present form, then amend it after much consideration to serve whatever is regarded as a worthy outcome. People's lives and happiness are presently at risk from the callous, formulaic attitude of the justice system to the likelihood of re-offending and the fear that victims, and wider society feel for their safety and ability to live freely in the community. (Fear being felt over gun deaths in Manukau is an example of violence being more prevalent in a community.)

  7. Dennis Frank 9

    A book review for Daily Review: "Greenland: a remote, mysterious island five times the size of California but with a population of just 56,000. The ice sheet that covers it is 700 miles wide and 1,500 miles long, and is composed of nearly three quadrillion tons of ice."

    "In The Ice at the End of the World, Jon Gertner explains how Greenland has evolved from one of earth’s last frontiers to its largest scientific laboratory." He describes its history of exploration then moves on to "scientists who built lonely encampments out on the ice and began drilling—one mile, two miles down. Their aim was to pull up ice cores that could reveal the deepest mysteries of earth’s past, going back hundreds of thousands of years. Today, scientists from all over the world are deploying every technological tool available to uncover the secrets of this frozen island before it’s too late."

    Initially sceptical, this reviewer explains why he gave it five stars: "I confess I wasn’t sure just how enthralling a book all about the Greenland ice sheet would be. Interesting, yes (well, to those of us who are the type to pick up a book about the Greenland ice sheet in the first place). But enough to carry an entire book rather than a long-form article? Interesting enough to move into “compelling” or, yes, “enthralling” territory? Hmmm. Turns out though, in the more than capable hands of Jon Gertner, the answer is assuredly yes and yes. The Ice at the End of the World: An Epic Journey into Greenland’s Buried Past and Our Perilous Future (2019) is indeed compelling and even, as the subtitle says, epic. Also informative, entertaining, thorough, well-organized, clearly … well, you get the idea."

    A woman on Amazon also gave it five stars: "This is a great, gripping, smart book not just about how we see Greenland, but about how people come to understand the world around us. The stories of the explorers are beautifully written and deeply engaging, the discussion of science is penetrating, lucid, and compelling. The characters come alive, and a strange world is made vivid. The Ice at the End of the World is a work about history and ecology and it will broaden any reader's understanding of the world–exactly what I want from a work of narrative nonfiction."

    The book has one obvious flaw. "408 pages, but not one word on why this sub-continent covered with miles-deep ice is called "Greenland", and what implications that fact may have for the current man-made global warming theory. Hint: Within the last 1000 years Greenland was NOT covered in ice and in fact was a place warm enough for wine grape vineyards onto grow plentifully. Ignorance of the true temperature record of the Earth in service of global warming hysteria is not science. It is religion."

    So the denier gave it one star. I read about the vikings establishing farms there decades ago. During the medieval warm period that lifestyle continued for three centuries. Let's not allow the omission to defeat the overview, here's a couple more 5-star reviewers explaining their take: "This is a beautifully written book by one of the best science writers out there today – if you have read his work in The New York Times as well as his previous book on Bell Lab (a classic) you already know the depths to which this reporter goes to unwinding complicated and important subjects to make them comprehensible for a general audience."

    "I heard about this book, and initially wondered if I really wanted to read an entire book on the ice in Greenland – I mean, how much can you say about a giant sheet of ice? Upon starting the book, however, I couldn't put it down. The history of the exploration and scientific measurement of Greenland was fascinating. I concur that you can't really understand the future until you have travelled in the footsteps of the scientists who have brought us to our current understanding. Jon Gertner crafts a story that is both personal and insightful. It is beautifully written, and I believe it will stand the test of time".

    • Pat 9.1

      "Hint: Within the last 1000 years Greenland was NOT covered in ice and in fact was a place warm enough for wine grape vineyards onto grow plentifully. Ignorance of the true temperature record of the Earth in service of global warming hysteria is not science. It is religion."

      Pardon?

      • Sacha 9.1.1

        A denial sandwich. Interesting tactic.

      • Dennis Frank 9.1.2

        Usual story. Deniers who do their homework usually cite the medieval warm period as anomaly. Because most scientists are brainwashed with reductionism by universities, holism only enters into the thought of the smartest. So deniers struggle with the notion that regional climate variations can run counter to global trends.

        If he hadn't made his valid point I would have ignored his rating. But his valid point is actually vital to the accuracy of the whole picture – so as a holist I had to include it. Don't misconstrue the warming: contrary to what his brief put-down suggests, the ice-cap receded northward during the three centuries of warming – it only melted partially.

        Note that his ideology prevented him from acknowledging the overall merit of the book. Bias & prejudice are ultra-powerful. They destroy rationality. They totally shred it. Yet those afflicted return to full rationality as soon as they shift focus from what triggered the irrational behaviour. I have several books by climate scientists who are deniers. They are very good in some respects, when the authors discuss findings from the sound basis of their expertise. They lose the plot when they extrapolate beyond…

        • Pat 9.1.2.1

          His 'valid point' has been discredited time and time again…as has the growing of corn there, a plant unknown in europe for at least a further 500 years consequently I fail to see what purpose there can be in implying the reviewers comments are in any way related to the content of the book which is the (erroneous) impression provided

          • Dennis Frank 9.1.2.1.1

            His valid point was that the author did not explain why Greenland got its name, or include the three centuries of populace and economy there during the medieval warm period. Are you attempting to deny that history?? I've read about it on & off in various books throughout my long life, and never encountered a single writer in denial of it.

            • Pat 9.1.2.1.1.1

              no one is denying european settlement of a small southern enclave of Greenland (even if the Inuit population is ignored)…it is the portrayal of that settlement as some form of evidence that Greenland was substantially different climatically than it is currently or has been for the proceeding thousands of years

                • Drowsy M. Kram

                  Thanks Pat, good science via improved data gathering and analysis, although Dennis' usual concerns may trump his better judgement.

                  "Because most scientists are brainwashed with reductionism by universities…"

                  Where are those holistic scientists when we need them? Well, some of them are here.

                  http://www.beyondwilber.ca/Quotes_from_holistic.scientists.html

                  For all the beauty, wonder and 'insight' of holistic approaches, reductionism remains a valid, and in some cases the only way forward (for now.)

                  Given the brainwashing Prof. Vinther and colleagues must have endured, not to mention dished out, their scientific achievements are nothing short of miraculous. Maybe, someday, they'll even conform to Dennis' ideals!

              • Wayne

                Indeed. I understand that the current Greenland temperatures are comparable to those of 1000 years ago. Yes, some hardy agriculture back then as is the case now. But not an ice free Greenland for may millions of years!

              • Dennis Frank

                Okay, I agree that deniers extrapolate in the manner you are complaining about. I already made that point in 9.1.2 – perhaps you didn't read it properly.

                The point he was making was re apparent falsification of history by the author. You seem to keep missing it. All sorts of red herrings introduced here by yourself & other commentators can't change the fact. Greenland did actually go green for three centuries (at least) to acquire its name. That greening was caused by regional climate variation.

                None of the books that discuss it prove any link to global warming – the authors do not attempt to do so. Dunno why anyone else seeks to go that far off topic! Regional climate trends often seem at variance with the global trend.

        • marty mars 9.1.2.2

          "I have several books by climate scientists who are deniers. They are very good in some respects, when the authors discuss findings from the sound basis of their expertise."

          That is just silly and dangerous. They aren't climate scientists if they are deniers – they are thick no matter what their qualifications are that have so enamoured you – that is NOT critical thinking dennis imo

          • Dennis Frank 9.1.2.2.1

            Think of it as analogous to a jury, deciding cases on the basis of circumstantial evidence. You often get minority bodies of opinion. That's because opinions differ on the balance of probabilities. Subjective factors come into play because some people give more weight to evidence on the pro side of the prosecution whereas others give more weight to evidence on the con side.

            Weighing the pros & cons to reach a balanced judgment is the praxis required by the justice system. Human nature rules, and scientists are equally human.

            So the disputes about evidence in the practice of science have always been endemic. They are a natural part of the culture of science due to human nature. To claim that climate scientists aren't real due to your personal dislike of their views is just silly. Anyone can look up their professional credentials. Most of the deniers who write books about climate science are tenured professors. I've written here before that my own view is around 80:20 in terms of the good points on both sides of the divide, so I remain an alarmist…

            • marty mars 9.1.2.2.1.1

              good for you – you aren't a jury or a scientist though so your personal differenciation tools are the only thing being used. They are coloured by your social and personal conditioning that puts scientists or men in white coats on some pedestal it seems, even if they talk rubbish. I suppose you're still debating the pros and cons of the moon landing or existence of bigfoot – your way leads to the mind maze – this is common with western thought but is really an example of thinking paralysis imo

              • Dennis Frank

                Hey, if you don't get it why not be honest and say so? Since I've often mentioned in prior comments here that I graduated with a BSc in physics, you ought to be able to figure out that I can read books by scientists and follow the reasoning, read the graphs, assess the evidence, etc.

                No I don't put them on that pedestal. The people do. In the court of public opinion they get used as authorities as a result. Minority bodies of public opinion form naturally on the pros & cons of any topic. Science is not excluded from that natural process. Get used to it.

                • marty mars

                  you're too up yourself mate – have a good day

                  • Dennis Frank

                    Why do you believe it's all about me? It's actually about the interface between science and the public, and the ethics of misrepresenting history, as I explained. Duh!!

  8. marty mars 11

    nice one billy

    Billy Bragg has condemned Morrissey for sharing a video from a YouTube channel that argued that the British establishment is using Stormzy to promote multiculturalism at the expense of white culture. The video, which has since been removed, contrasted the positive critical response to Stormzy’s headline set at Glastonbury with headlines detailing Morrissey’s support for far-right groups. Morrissey posted it on his de facto website, Morrissey Central, under the title: “Nothing But Blue Skies For Stormzy … the gallows for Morrissey”…

    … Morrissey has claimed that the media who report on his views are pursuing a vendetta against him. In an interview posted on Morrissey Central, he said that “as a so-called entertainer, I have no human rights”.

    Bragg described this as a “ridiculous position made all the more troubling by the fact that it is a common trope among rightwing reactionaries. The notion that certain individuals are not allowed to say certain things is spurious, not least because it is most often invoked after they’ve made their offensive comments. Look closely at their claims and you’ll find that what they are actually complaining about is the fact that they have been challenged.”

    Bragg drew attention to a new report by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a UK-based anti-extremist organisation, that said the nationalist “great replacement” theory that the white Christian European population is being replaced by non-European people is entering mainstream public discourse.

    Bragg claimed that Morrissey was helping to spread right-wing ideas. He continued: “Those who claim that this has no relevance to his stature as an artist should ask themselves if, by demanding that we separate the singer from the song, they too are helping to propagate this racist creed.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jul/08/billy-bragg-morrissey-rightwing-youtube-video-stormzy-brandon-flowers

      • marty mars 11.1.1

        worth 1000 of you though

        • Morrissey 11.1.1.1

          Ha! Priceless. You've (unwittingly of course) echoed the Grauniad hack who, in a 2012 attempt at a hit on the Media Lens site, produced this comedy classic:

          If Channel 4's Jon Snow can't be recognised for the national treasure he is – an unabashed leftie who has beaten the system (but also has to compromise, as we all do) – what hope is there? I'd say he does more good for progressive attitudes than half a dozen Pilgers, wouldn't you?

          https://www.theguardian.com/global/2012/jan/27/media-lens-picture-michael-white

          From now on, fellas, that hapless and clearly insincere singer of “worthy” dirges, Billy Dragg, is to be known as "Billy One Thousand Breens Bragg".

          • marty mars 11.1.1.1.1

            he's still fighting for justice, equality and fairness even today – you're still wanking on about rugby – he is a hero, you are a fart. People care what he says and noone gives a fuck what you say. breen = who?

            • Morrissey 11.1.1.1.1.1

              he's still fighting for justice, equality and fairness even today

              That's good. He's obviously pulled himself together. Because the last time I checked, he was peddling vicious extreme right fantasies against the most popular democratic politician in all of Europe.

              you're still wanking on about rugby –

              Steady on Marty! What the HELL?

              he is a hero

              ???? In the late nineties, this "hero" hung out with the war criminal "Tony" and his cronies, and was one of the more naïve spouters of the "Cool Britannia" nonsense; as we've seen in his moronic and bloodyminded Twitter rant the other day, he's gotten much darker since then.

              I recommend you read the letter to the Grauniad written by Jewish supporters of the man that Dragg and other zombies are telling lies about. It's right below this message.

              … and noone gives a fuck what you say. breen = who?

              Ooooh, I think you need to have a look at some of the reactions to my writing—-mostly positive, but some of it angry and hilariously splenetic— by a very large number of people in the media and in politics. I’ll post up a few of the more unhinged reactions to remind you if you like. (Think Kerre Woodham, Michael Laws, Leighton Smith, Wayne Mapp, Stephen Franks….)

              • marty mars

                Legend

                The milkman of human kindness is angry. Not just generally, but specifically now, as he arrives at a BBC building in central London. On the train up from Dorset, where he lives, Billy Bragg has read about British soldiers in Kabul firing shots at a poster of Jeremy Corbyn.

                He is angry because it is, he says, symptomatic of the demonisation of politicians, particularly on the left, particularly Corbyn, and because of what it says about the rising threat and reach of the far right. He is also angry because of the timing of it: the news comes the day Corbyn is going to sit down with the prime minister, the day after headlines about a plot by a neo-Nazi to murder a Labour MP.

                … We are supposed to be talking about Bragg’s new skiffle documentary, which we will get to, but it is hard to think about anything except the state of the country at the moment. Clearly the Labour leader shouldn’t be used as target practice, but isn’t Bragg disappointed in him?

                No, he says. He broadly supports what Corbyn and the Labour party are currently doing. “There are things I don’t agree with, but he represents something really important, which is the rejection of the neoliberal agenda,” he says.

                https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/apr/08/billy-bragg-brexit-corbyn-skiffle-documentary-interview

                and you, breen, disrespect him? lol you are no tigerworm.

                • Morrissey

                  He is angry because it is, he says, symptomatic of the demonisation of politicians, particularly on the left, particularly Corbyn…

                  He said that in April this year. Yet less than three months later, he's demonizing Corbyn in a far more ruthless way than those ignorant squaddies did in Afghanistan. Bragg has chosen to tag along with this ridiculous campaign led by the opportunistic and cynical Tom Watson, along with dreadful old Yenta Hodge and the most rabidly right wing Israeli apologists in the country.

                  There are many smart, intelligent, serious, thoughtful musicians in Britain—Richard Thompson, P.J. Harvey, Roger Waters and Captain SKA to name just a few—but there are also the likes of Tony Hadley, Phil Collins, Geri Halliwell, Eric Clapton, and Billy "One Thousand Breens" Bragg,

                  and you, breen, disrespect him?
                  I despise him, as I despise other foolish and shallow musicians, like this twit…..

                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JygWoIeW224

                  • marty mars

                    he is a star and you are a twinkler

                    he is the sea and you are a thimble of urine

                    he is staunch and left and you are fickle and clickbait driven

                    no wonder you despise him – he shows you up for the flake you are – lol slink off dimwit.

                    • Incognito

                      broken heart

                    • Morrissey

                      He's "staunch and left", but he sings at a concert for a war criminal and hounder of journalists. What are you smoking, marty? And, no, I do NOT want any of it.

                      But at least Springsteen has not joined in on any anti-Bernie lynch mob, to my knowledge.

  9. Morrissey 12

    The wrong sort of jews…

    https://www.dumptheguardian.com/news/2019/jul/08/jewish-support-for-chris-williamson

    "We the undersigned, all Jews, are writing in support of Chris Williamson and to register our dismay at the recent letter organised by Tom Watson, and signed by parliamentary Labour party and House of Lords members, calling for his suspension (Anger over return of MP who said Labour was ‘too apologetic’ over antisemitism, 28 June).

    Chris Williamson did not say that the party had been “too apologetic about antisemitism”, as has been widely misreported. He correctly stated that the Labour party has done more than any other party to combat the scourge of antisemitism and that, therefore, its stance should be less apologetic. Such attacks on Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters aim to undermine not only the Labour party’s leadership but also all pro-Palestinian members.

    The mass media have ignored the huge support for Chris both within and beyond the Labour party. Support that includes many Jews. The party needs people like him, with the energy and determination to fight for social justice. As anti-racist Jews, we regard Chris as our ally: he stands as we do with the oppressed rather than the oppressor. It should also be noted that he has a longer record of campaigning against racism and fascism than most of his detractors.

    The Chakrabarti report recommended that the party’s disciplinary procedures respect due process, favour education over expulsion and promote a culture of free speech, yet this has been abandoned in practice. We ask the Labour party to reinstate Chris Williamson and cease persecuting such members on false allegations of antisemitism.

    Noam Chomsky MIT,
    Norman Finkelstein Lecturer and writer,
    Ed Asner Actor,
    Prof Richard Falk Princeton University,
    Leah Lavene
    and Jenny Manson Jewish Voice for Labour
    and more than 100 others. "
    Full list at tinyurl.com/y4mr4lwb

  10. greywarshark 13

    Edit:
    We are up against government v privatised entities every day so will stick this informative report about the path to privatisation here. It has lots of what seem to be facts, good stuff.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=14695

    Brian Gaynor on How asset sales went wrong 30 Jun, 2000 3:24pm

    He does a bit of calculating, thinking of the opprobrium thrown at the Think Big Projects which were figured at a loss to NZ of $7.4 billion.

    In recent years Sir William Birch has spearheaded the privatisation programme. He was also the driving force behind the Government-funded Think Big energy projects in the early 1980s. The total loss from these projects was $7.4 billion.

    He shows the figures for the various ways we lost out on our selling of government assets, which is a mind-boggling list. (Telecom reflects the overall sales programme – most of the profits have gone offshore.) Then he looks at the figures concerning the way the government sold Telecom as a comparison to the Think Big project losses, and finds they were less than the losses taken on Telecom through poor government decision-making.

    A partial sale of Telecom, similar to the Telstra sale, would have reduced the wealth transferred to overseas shareholders by more than $8 billion and increased the wealth of New Zealand taxpayers and investors by the same amount.

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    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    13 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    13 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    13 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    14 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    15 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    16 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    18 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    2 days ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
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