Daily review 25/03/2024

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 25th, 2024 - 58 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 …

58 comments on “Daily review 25/03/2024 ”

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  1. bwaghorn 1
    25 March 2024 at 6:27 pm

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/512590/that-was-then-and-this-is-now-chris-hipkins-talks-up-tax-reform-he-previously-ruled-out

    Jump in a time machine to November 2026, chippie narrowly loses with a full suite of progressive taxs , will labour commit to keeping those proposals for another 3 years.

  2. weka 2
    25 March 2024 at 10:11 pm

    Good lord, did Hipkins just do a reverse ferret on Let Women Speak?

    "we should, in a country like New Zealand, be able to disagree with each other, be able to have debates, including around radical feminism, without throwing things, spitting things, and all that kind of stuff"

    starts at 6m 36s

    https://twitter.com/theplatform_nz/status/1772028116715622682

    • Cricklewood 2.1
      25 March 2024 at 11:01 pm

      Yep, the entire recent speech was a reverse ferret at least as far as his pre election postions went.

      Feels to me like Hipkins is pivoting to secure his position with the base.

    • bwaghorn 2.2
      26 March 2024 at 6:31 am

      Has he worked out what a woman is yet?

      • David 2.2.1
        26 March 2024 at 7:39 am

        I’m sure he knows what a woman is, just like we all knew what a women was up until about 2018…

      • Robert Guyton 2.2.2
        26 March 2024 at 4:39 pm

        "worked out"?

        Like the constipated mathematician? With a pencil?

  3. gsays 3
    26 March 2024 at 8:03 am

    Perhaps it's time to lob that culture war grenade into this administration?

    Ask Luxon "What is a woman?".

    • weka 3.1
      26 March 2024 at 10:26 am

      maybe. It's been an effective tactic in the UK, asking the Tories eventually forced both Tory and UK Labour to shift positions.

      In NZ, it's not so clear. The divide between the liberal left and people fucked off by the liberal left is growing. That particular grenade has the potential to make things a lot worse.

      • David 3.1.1
        26 March 2024 at 2:50 pm

        Would it make things worse? We all knew what a woman was, just like we all knew what a man was. Most of us were also aware that some men felt that they were a woman, and vice versa. The real issue is around social acceptance, but this is true for anyone who doesn’t fit in.
        In my opinion it’s just plain crazy to redefine gender to suit the small percentage of people who are different, and an even smaller percentage of people who insist that everyone else must change.

        What I have written above would have made no ripples 10 years ago, but if I said that in my work place now I may well find myself in trouble. This is why many people are getting f@&ked off by what is called the “liberal left”.

        Maybe it’s the “liberal left” that needs to change. My belief is that the “liberal left” is neither liberal or left. They are authoritarian, violent, intolerant, and are incapable of accepting any views other than those views that are deemed acceptable by whatever ideology it is that they follow.

        • weka 3.1.1.1
          26 March 2024 at 6:52 pm

          from a left/progressive and feminist pov, right wing governments are very hard on the things we hold dear.

          In addition, creating unmendable divisions leads to violence, and women always do badly when that happens.

          So there is a contradiction in those who support women's sex based rights today but don't support women's rights generally. And those people are getting to drive the GC narrative atm, in NZ and some other countries.

          I agree the liberal left have an increasing problem with authoritarianism. It's a mistake imo to see this as negating the whole liberal position, and it's important to understand the difference between rw and lw authoritarianism. But yeah, it worries me a lot.

          • David 3.1.1.1.1
            27 March 2024 at 8:46 am

            I’m not and never have been active in politics, my experience beginning at high school during the 81 springbok and later on with student politics led me to want nothing to do with either side. The left certainly has a issue with intolerance, bullying, misogyny among other things. I get that the right do the same, however when you are trying to change society for the better, you should behave better.

            If I had to choose between a authoritarian left wing government, or a authoritarian right wing government, I would certainly choose the right wing government. To a limited extent we live in a left wing authoritarian society already. My thinking in my workplace is already policed by the pride network, I am told what my beliefs must be, and that I am not allowed to question, challenge or disagree with these beliefs. Sure I personally can challenge these people, but at what cost?

            When it comes to the current gender wars, I’m certainly not willing die in a ditch for transgender people. My recent experience with men involved in the pride network has exposed a disturbing pattern of misogyny directed at young women who are either exclusively straight, or lesbian.

            • Traveller 3.1.1.1.1.1
              27 March 2024 at 3:25 pm

              Great comment.

              "I get that the right do the same, however when you are trying to change society for the better, you should behave better."

              I have long ago abandoned any such expectation. Neither the right nor the left has a monopoly on good behaviour.

        • weka 3.1.1.2
          26 March 2024 at 7:22 pm

          case in point. Library cancels Drag Queen story hour because of safety concerns (I take that as physical safety). Brian Tamaki says "another kill"

          https://x.com/BrianTamakiNZ/status/1772485418505715829?s=20

          They shouldn't be doing DQST in libraries until the issues of sexism and child safeguarding are addressed. But Tamaki and the rest of the paying crowd from that side don't want gay and trans people to exist. The more division we have, the more dangerous that will get.

          • Robert Guyton 3.1.1.2.1
            26 March 2024 at 7:51 pm

            Tamaki's "kill" will be celebrated by some here, yes?

            • weka 3.1.1.2.1.1
              26 March 2024 at 8:10 pm

              why do you think that?

              • Robert Guyton …
                26 March 2024 at 8:33 pm

                I believe some here are anxious about this issue.

                • weka …
                  26 March 2024 at 8:51 pm

                  Don't think we've got too many Destiny Church supporters here.

                • gsays …
                  27 March 2024 at 6:51 am

                  Are you saddened by the loss of DQST in a public library Robert?

                  • Robert Guyton …
                    27 March 2024 at 7:19 am

                    I imagine they'd be really good at it. I read thousands of stories to children over the period of my teaching career and listened to other adults reading as well; not many people read with the verve I think stories are best read with – it looks as though those DQ's have that in spades, so, yes, disappointed on behalf of the children.

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      27 March 2024 at 12:19 pm

                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-gender_acting

                      Robert, I wonder if potential future examples of male-face:

                      Peter Pan
                      Monkey
                      Fanny and Alexander
                      The Year of Living Dangerously
                      Victor/Victoria
                      Albert Nobbs
                      Predestination
                      Suspiria

                      female-face:

                      Kind Hearts and Coronets
                      The Mouse that Roared
                      Monty Python's Life of Brian
                      Hairspray
                      Tootsie
                      Mrs Doubtfire
                      Dame Edna Everage

                      and both:

                      Orlando
                      Cloud Atlas
                      The Twentieth Century

                      may be stillborn in the face of a new wave of moral panic, not to mention Some Like it Hot, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and pantomime. The horror, the horror – won't someone please think of the confused children!

                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_panic

                      A brief history of the pantomime – and why it’s about so much more than ‘blokes in dresses’ [17 Dec 2016]
                      Ultimately, theatre has always been a space where gender roles and sexual identity are questioned, mocked or unsettled –the stage offers a safe space to view fluid gender identities.

                      What might 'sanitising' particular safe spaces lead to? Time will tell.

                      Oh yes it is! Oh no it isn’t! Is the panto dame still a suitable cause for mirth? [13 Dec 2022]

                    • weka []
                      27 March 2024 at 12:51 pm

                      You are conflating cross dressing with drag. Drag Queens perform sexual content. Mrs Doubtfire didn’t.

                      When liberals make moral panic arguments without listening to GC progressives, they obscure and thus ignore the really important child safeguarding issues.

                      Let’s try some images to illustrate. I will load them in a new comment.

                    • weka []
                      27 March 2024 at 12:59 pm

                      do you understand what you are looking at?

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      27 March 2024 at 2:16 pm

                      You are conflating cross dressing with drag.

                      ‘Conflating’ has a lot to answer for, when we want clean divisions.

                      Maybe issue all drag entertainers and/or shows/performances with (evidence-based) ratings? Better than a blanket ban, imho. And who knows, maybe those performing for children would 'clean up' their acts so as to mitigate harm – rather depends on why they're doing it in the first place, which admittedly is difficult for me to understand.

                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Association_film_rating_system#History

                      do you understand what you are looking at?

                      Not really – is (some of) it child pornography?

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      27 March 2024 at 2:36 pm

                      Sorry weka, I wrote that before I read your reply (at 1:57 pm) to RBO – maybe the images you posted are not pornographic, but I hope you can understand why people might conflate (some of) them with pornography, at least at first glance.

                    • weka []
                      27 March 2024 at 2:44 pm

                      I don’t have a problem with anyone seeing those images as pornographic. I do have a problem with a gender identity ideologist like RBO giving me a hard time for making them visible instead of giving the people that are doing that a hard time. It’s frankly fucking weird. Let’s not talk about the child safeguarding issues because we don’t want to look at what is being done to children?

                      The liberal left refuses to engage with the actual safeguarding issues. They also practice No Debate which means we have no left wing critique and the narrative gets gifted to the right who then get to convince people that the only way to protect children is by adopting right wing values.

                    • weka []
                      27 March 2024 at 4:01 pm

                      Maybe issue all drag entertainers and/or shows/performances with (evidence-based) ratings? Better than a blanket ban, imho. And who knows, maybe those performing for children would ‘clean up’ their acts so as to mitigate harm – rather depends on why they’re doing it in the first place, which admittedly is difficult for me to understand.

                      The problem I see is the liberals and a chunk of DQ culture don’t understand safeguarding. The liberals block that conversation, but we need to go back to basics and establish what it is, instead of allowing a bunch of people to react as if doing that is the end of liberal values. It’s not, it’s upholding liberal values. It just says that boundaries are important.

                      I’ve been following this sub topic for a while (haven’t looked at it recently, my links are mostly older ones), and seen two things that are pertinent here.

                      One is that in the UK, because they have such a strong gender critical feminist movement, they’ve been able to push back against the people blocking child safeguarding and get it discusses in the mainstream. No Debate for a long time meant the MSM wouldn’t cover it, but that has changed and organisations are now looking seriously at what is going on. It’s not good yet, but it’s getting there.

                      Two is that I did see some attempt by a DQ to talk about child safeguarding, but it was very obvious they didn’t have the background or understanding to so that well and they cam across as self serving: child safe guarding was being addresses so that DQs could do story hour. That’s a big red flag. The purpose of child safeguarding is to protect children. If there is doubt, then don’t do DQSH. No-one needs DQSH, we all need child safeguarding. The latter is the priority.

                      I will see if I can find some links to the UK discussions. It’s not my background so I don’t have the easy conceptual language to explain child safeguarding, what it actually is and why it matters in this context. Some people will intuitively understand what I am talking about, others will parse it through a reaction against conservatism and miss the point.

                    • weka []
                      27 March 2024 at 4:06 pm

                      I think it’s probably worth pointing out that the reason DQ culture doesn’t really get child safeguarding is because it is men (yes, yes #notallDQs, and yes there are women who do drag, but that’s a different matter). Women have a much greater understanding of child safeguarding because children come out of their bodies. It’s built in (yes, yes, #notallwomen).

                      This is why the meme runs strong that GC women are just older prudes. Older women have lived long enough to see the damage done and the older they get the less fucks they have to give so they stand up and say what needs to be said. We all know this about older women and it transcends this culture war.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      27 March 2024 at 5:54 pm

                      Nicely presented, Drowsy.

                    • Tabletennis …
                      27 March 2024 at 6:40 pm

                      to Robert
                      Maybe: Robert have you actually looked at the reading material presented to these children in these library story times?

                      As a teacher to children, I have to assume you understand the richness of a child's imagination and that adults telling nice stories can be trusted and are nice, especially the ones in flamboyant colourful outfits?

                      Are you happy to tell a child that doesn't feel happy in their body – or doesn't have no friends they are perhaps born in the wrong body and that they can all change that by becoming 'brave and wonderful' by instead of being Janet become James?

          • David 3.1.1.2.2
            27 March 2024 at 8:53 am

            Drag queens have always been adult entertainment performers, so definitely not suitable for children’s story time in a library.

            • Red Blooded One 3.1.1.2.2.1
              27 March 2024 at 10:22 am

              "Watch out they're behind you" "Oh no they're not" Millions of children scarred and ruined by years of Panto. Also am pretty sure in the Stuff report the Napier Library invitation was for 16+ but carry on with your fear-mongering

              • weka …
                27 March 2024 at 1:02 pm

                please show us the panto equivalent of the sexualised images I just posted above.

                • Red Blooded One …
                  27 March 2024 at 1:20 pm

                  As a Moderator you should not be posting pornographic photos on this site. You clearly trolled the internet after my comment to David. I can't be arsed commenting on the photos (which have nothing to do with NZ) or trolling the internet for Risque Panto to satisfy your urges. Carry on running your biased shotgun on this site. You have all the power. cheerio

                  • weka …
                    27 March 2024 at 1:57 pm

                    Interesting that you see them as pornographic RBO. The photos in order are,

                    1. a post by Rainbow ST with an image from a NZ Herald piece of NZ DQs.
                    2. a DQ in sexualised costume, stripping at a kids event
                    3. another DQ in a sexualised, parody of women costume, reading to children in a public space, with his crotch exposed.
                    4. a blog post about a DQ accused of being in possession of child porn (I'll agree I shouldn't have posted that one without fact checking)
                    5. a boy (probably when he was around age 8) in the US with the DQ name of Lactatia, who does sexualised drag performance, including sometimes with adults
                    6. Lactatia posing with a naked DQ. This image was posted on his Instagram

                    None of those images get condemned by the liberal left, and they shut down debate or avoid like you are doing, so we can't have an adult conversation about the issues.

                    I posted links to those images this morning in OM along with left wing critique of DQSH.

                    A bit later I posted the actual images in response to what I saw as Drowsy minimising the child safeguarding issues.

                    Didn't see your comment until after that.

                    • Descendant Of Smith …
                      28 March 2024 at 1:47 am

                      "None of those images get condemned by the liberal left"

                      This is why I generally stay out of these debates is in part because of these regular assertions as if they are fact. I'm wouldn't think any of those images are OK in a library but am conscious that they are not NZ pictures.

                      I know some of the people who have been involved with telling these stories over the last few years and none of them do or would behave like this. If you think I at least would support that behaviour then you don't really understand anything I've posted here the last 10 or so years.

                      I'm not sure why you need me as a left wing liberal to actually condemn them when it is fairly self-evident.

                      This whole area is difficult. I know for instance a person who has dressed as a women for decades and used women's toilets all that time with no problems (as opposed to getting beaten up in men's toilets) who now barely goes out now because they get abused in women's toilets now as well. They would not harm a fly and never have.

                      At the same time I can clearly see that there are men who seem to have some sort of fetish / desire to abuse who are strident and violent in there misuse of the LGBT and transgender population and acceptance. I am also aware of one instance where a religious arse has deliberately done this to give transgender people a bad name – he is definitely a deliberate bad actor. Bit like this idiot.

                      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12467071/Trans-teacher-Kayla-Lemieux-MAN-no-breasts-scruffy-beard.html

                      I have several family members who have been sexually abused through at least four generations – some from as young as 3 and 4 including my mother by the policeman who lived next door in a small town. I have an uncle who hung himself after he was caught raping my young cousin – his step daughter. I can give you quite a long list but a couple of examples suffice.

                      At the same time growing up we had my sisters friends freaking out when staying at their place when they got their first period, I've flatted with gay male flatmates and worked with highly homophobic and predatory men, I supported women through pregnancies and abortions and have both gay and straight family members. I'm loyal to my wife but liberal about what others get up to as long as they do not hurt others and all is consensual.

                      I get highly frustrated with the religious fanatics who see sexual abuse on every corner and in every interaction and wonder what the fuck goes on in their heads. We do not need there puritanical view of sex and sexuality and they need to stay out of other peoples lives. They certainly seem to think about sex and abuse an awful lot.

                      Part of this puritan approach does come from some parts of the feminist movement as well – particularly around areas like prostitution and the notion that men only see women as vessels for their body parts. I'm much more tolerant of this than the religious stridency because I'm well aware that some of those women have been abused by men. It is the men that abused them that are the problem. Prostitution won't ever go away so safety and regulation is much more important than tilting at windmills. Cash is sometimes a more honest transaction than a few drinks and a meal or a tinder swipe. Some people don't want a committed relationship.

                      Added into this mix is the dis-information and internet bullshit like kitty litter boxes in classrooms and students identifying as cats and the undoubted confusion of teenage sexuality.

                      There are also sheltered children and unsheltered children. We knew about sex and men's behaviours at a very young age – partly being rural and partly I suspect due to Mum's abuse. I had a staff member once at 18 and first job who did not know how you got pregnant. I do not think children should be protected from knowing about these things and generally we seem to underestimate what children read and know. Normal books such as Jaws and Wilbur Smith had quite explicit sex scenes, stuff like Edge westerns had plenty of sex and violence. We were reading those at 7 or 8 when I was at school.

                      In short I suspect I'm in a similar position to many other men in NZ who are under no illusions about what goes on in real life in many families. Most of us of my age would also know someone who went through borstals, children's homes etc who came out awful at the other end.

                      I find many of these conversations focus on the extremes. It is self evident that men behaving badly in women's toilets is wrong. Whether they are transgender, cross dressing, dressed in a boiler suit I don't really care. Get out of there. I also get why women don't want the abusive ones there but then I feel sorry for my mate who has peacefully done this for 40 odd years. I understand the historical bullshit when disabled toilets were wanted and almost always it was a women's stall made into the disabled toilet. To some extent this is a repeat – mens, womens, disabled and gender neutral would seem to me to be the ideal and normal practise these days and if space doesn't allow gender neutral with a disability design.

                      Then lying across all this I have no problem with people taking (what may seem) extreme positions because sometimes that is what is needed to get change. Women getting the vote was an extreme position at the time, overturning Roe vs Wade another.

                      I've tried not to rant but thought that maybe it was time to respond. I hopeful that you will find this supportive of treating all people well and why at times I don't join into these discussions. I simply can't take a black and white position on many of these things.

              • David …
                27 March 2024 at 2:47 pm

                Drag queens have always been adult entertainment performers, as in highly sexualised. This is quite okay in an adult setting, but not okay for children. My understanding is that the story telling is aimed towards children, not teenagers.

            • Robert Guyton 3.1.1.2.2.2
              27 March 2024 at 10:30 am

              No Shakespeare in Schools, then, David?

              All those adult performers, on school grounds!

              And Shakespeare! So bawdy!!

              Appalling!

              • weka …
                27 March 2024 at 1:04 pm

                Which Shakespeare play that is performed for primary school children that includes sexualised content?

                • Robert Guyton …
                  27 March 2024 at 1:25 pm

                  The actors, weka, having performed Shakespeare's bawdy works, visit schools to perform non-bawdy plays.

                  Same scenario as the Drag Queens reading children's books in libraries.

                  • weka …
                    27 March 2024 at 1:50 pm

                    are you assuming that DQs don't do sexualised content at DQSH?

                    If so, I suggest you look at the images above and read my commentary in today's OM.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      27 March 2024 at 5:51 pm

                      I'm assuming, weka, that actors who play bawdy Shakespearean characters are capable of anything!!!

                      How can you condone their presence in schools???

                      🙂

              • David …
                27 March 2024 at 3:00 pm

                From memory Robert, Shakespeare was introduced in high school, the bawdiness was fairly tame and age appropriate.

                Drag queens are grown men dressed up as highly sexualised caricatures of women, reinforcing the idea that women are basically just a receptacle for a man’s penis. Definitely not the kind of person that should be allowed around children.

                • Robert Guyton …
                  27 March 2024 at 5:52 pm

                  Your memory, David, is Fawlty.

                  • David …
                    27 March 2024 at 7:34 pm

                    I maybe getting older Robert, but my memory is fine.

                    Shakespeare is generally introduced to high school students in the 4th to 5th form (year 10 or 11). For me that was 1980ish, by that age most of us boys were passing around copies of our dads playboy or the even more highly sophisticated penthouse magazines. Of course our fathers and ourselves were just reading the articles… But Shakespeare was certainly tame in comparison with what we saw on the telly back then.

                    However what is appropriate for teenagers in high school, is certainly not appropriate for children in primary school. We now know that teenagers and young adults should not be viewing pornography (especially the more graphic type) drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

                    Drag queens are men who dress up as highly sexualised fake women, it’s almost as though women are reduced to their most basic function for the sexual gratification of men. They are certainly not suitable for young children.

                    From here I could get into how children from a young age can be gradually groomed to become sexual playthings by selfish adults who are only interested in their own sexual pleasures, while dismissing and minimising the devastating effects on their victims. However I’m sure that Weka has a much greater understanding and would be far more skilled in discussing this than I am.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      27 March 2024 at 9:36 pm

                      "… most of us boys were passing around copies of our dads playboy or the even more highly sophisticated penthouse magazines."

                      "We now know that teenagers and young adults should not be viewing pornography…"

                      So… should we regard you as a reliable commenter on the issue, or a corrupted one?

                    • David []
                      27 March 2024 at 10:26 pm

                      Robert, I’m have no idea what you mean…

                      I have known people who have been groomed from a young age by what could only be described as predators. It’s certainly no joke, although I get the impression that some people don’t really care, unless they can take political advantage from it.

                    • weka …
                      27 March 2024 at 10:09 pm

                      it's a difficult conversation to have and tbh, while I think TS is doing reasonably well at talking about the conflict between women's rights and trans rights, I'm not sure if we have the ability to talk about sexual abuse of children in this context.

                    • David []
                      27 March 2024 at 10:35 pm

                      Maybe child abuse is too close to the bone. Just like most of us were bullied by the older kids, we in turn bullied others but we justified what we did. I don’t think I understood the effect and seriousness of abuse or violence until I experienced it firsthand.

                    • Descendant Of Smith …
                      28 March 2024 at 9:23 am

                      "Just like most of us were bullied by the older kids, we in turn bullied others but we justified what we did."

                      Nah we didn't. Lots of of us decided not to go down that road.

                      Others do go down that road – particularly when damaged young.

                      What made some more resistant I don't know. For me I think it was learning to read at a very young age. This opened me up to enormous range of alternatives that my parents had no control over. My mother encouraged me to read.

                      Reading changes the mind – I'm a big fan of books and libraries.

                      As I've said here previously an early poem that stuck was:

                      “I and the public know
                      What all schoolchildren learn,
                      Those to whom evil is done
                      Do evil in return.”

                      W. H. Auden

                      Another that told me, and still does today, that the bullies in my life will to be lying in the sand one day. This to me has always been a poem of hope and perseverance.

                      I met a traveller from an antique land,
                      Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
                      Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
                      Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
                      And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
                      Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
                      Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
                      The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
                      And on the pedestal, these words appear:
                      My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
                      Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
                      Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
                      Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
                      The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

                      Percy Bysshe Shelley

  4. joe90 4
    26 March 2024 at 8:36 pm

    Mary Trump is optimistic.

    .

    While the media was focused on trying to convince us that the bond reduction was an unmitigated win for Donald, the results of a hearing in a courtroom a few blocks away was an unmitigated disaster for him…

    https://marytrump.substack.com/p/now-judge-shuts-down-donalds-lawyers

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    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

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