“Dark, dirty and heartless” – Nats & Nick Smith

Written By: - Date published: 10:56 pm, September 25th, 2013 - 52 comments
Categories: accountability, brand key, Conservation, david cunliffe, greens, labour, russel norman, same old national, water - Tags:

There were two very good speeches in the General Debate in the House today from opposition leaders.  Both of them showed just how dodgy Nick Smith’s record is, and why he should be, yet again, stood down as a Minister.

Russel Norman began his speech by comparing two agendas competing in New Zealand at the moment

1) “A smarter greener more compassionate New Zealand”. (clearly of Labour and The Greens.

2) Government’s agenda of “Dark, dirty and heartless”

Norman goes on to use the example of Nick Smith’s interference in the submissions for the proposed Ruataniwha Dam. (See Adam Bennett’s report a couple of days ago, on the pressure on Smith).

David Cunliffe also gave a very rousing speech, in which he makes a few jokes at the expense of Birther Hooton, and his clumsy and failed smear attempts.  Cunliffe is on fire here, and talks about the Key government having reached it’s tipping point, and “looking tired, ragged and desperate.

Cunliffe goes on to focus on the real issue the government is covering up, that of the Ruataniwha Dam and a Minister of Conservation who,

is such an endangered species that he couldn’t even claw his way into the chamber, Mr Speaker.

Cunliffe spells out three “capital crimes” of which the “endangered Minister” is guilty.

Self contradiction (with Smith’s changing story over the DOC submission)

Excess intervention

Repeat offending (Smith’s history of scandals, e.g his letter of support for Bronwyn Pullar, through the Exclusive Brethren, to being found guilty of contempt of court.)

How long before Key steps up and yet again removes this dodgy Minister from his portfolio?

And today Cunliffe raised further questions about interference to suppress the economic concerns about the Dam project as expressed by the Ministry of Primary industries.

“Dark, dirty and heartless” – indeed.

[Update] In continuing to support Smith, John Key (reportedly) makes a startling declaration about his own disregard for honesty. Adam Bennett reported yesterday: (h/t Tracey)

“I haven’t followed everything step by step, it hasn’t seemed necessary to be honest, but I have complete confidence in him.”

52 comments on ““Dark, dirty and heartless” – Nats & Nick Smith ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. vto 1
    26 September 2013 at 7:20 am

    Yep, with each passing dodgy deal for mates

    and each passing lie of John Key and his bunch of goons

    their stink increases

    it is palpable in the streets

  2. vto 2
    26 September 2013 at 7:50 am

    And “dark, dirty and heartless” indeed…

    New Zealanders have finally become serfs in our land. Proof of this passing is cheerily provided by the Federated Farmers.

    When Lees Valley was sold to foreign US investors a week or so ago, Fed Farmers came out saying that they supported foreign ownership of our land “because New Zealanders cannot afford to pay for it”. i.e. the farm is too expensive for kiwis to buy.

    The irony and hopelessness encapsulated in this view is quite horrifying. For a start fed farmers can’t seem to appreciate that the only reason for such a situation is because foreign landlords have been allowed carte blanche to become our landlords, hence bidding up the prices to this unattainable level.

    Secondly, where does that leave us? Slowly being able to afford less and less of our own land. Serfs and tenants is what we have become. It is not something in the future – it has happened already (as with most tipping points, they pass before the populace realises they are passing).

    And of course the short minds of fed farmers cannot see that of course New Zealanders can afford to buy these larger operations – provided we ban foreign landlords. The problem is not the buyer situation it is the seller situation – they need to get realistic on price to fit within NZ. The foreigners can still invest in the farm business, just not the land itself. Business investment is after all what they crow that they want. Land value speculation is not part of that business investement. Or is it? Actions speak louder than words and if land value speculation is important to these foreigners then we should be very very very careful about such a situation.

    Let them be the tenants of us, not vice versa.

    We have become tenants in our own land and this sale and Federated Farmers view on it is evidence that this situation is now a reality.

    It is fucked in the head. So fucked in the head that my vote is following this issue to the ballot box.

    • Draco T Bastard 2.1
      26 September 2013 at 9:55 am

      +1

      Need to ban foreign ownership now and we don’t need foreign investment either.

    • Tracey 2.2
      26 September 2013 at 10:38 am

      isnt meridian selling off land prior to the share buy up? Wonder who will buy it.

    • Roy 2.3
      26 September 2013 at 11:08 am

      If farm prices were based on what a farm can realistically earn (net) per year, rather than on anticipated capital gain, then farm prices would be a lot lower than they are.

      • vto 2.3.1
        26 September 2013 at 11:13 am

        And lower farm prices help everybody. Less of a farmer’s toil would need to go towards interest payments to a bank loan, or alternatively more of a farmers toil can be used for farming rather than just land ownership.

        More of the nations wealth stays with the farmers and the wider community when land values are lower.

        This is a simple truth. Why do people think high property values are good? I suspect the answer would be very revealing …….

  3. Tracey 3
    26 September 2013 at 7:59 am

    Quote from Key on the Nick Smith issue

    “it hasn’t seemed necessary to be honest”

    Says it all donthcathink?

  4. Harriet 4
    26 September 2013 at 8:56 am

    “…..Excess intervention….”

    Cunliffe is over reaching here I believe: DOC works for the Government, not the Green Party.

    National will now just stare Cunliffe and Norman down over that point.

    And they definetly will – they want a good quick kill where Cunliffe is concerned – and this looks very much like an easy one to me.

    just sayin.

    • vto 4.1
      26 September 2013 at 9:11 am

      Harriet you seem to imply that DOC must do what the current government tell them, no matter what the law says which DOC operates under. If so then you are in la la land and best go get some understanding about how the system works. This will highlight how Nick Smith, John Key and all the other little boys along for the ride consistently break the law and our constitutional system. For their own gain.

    • Delia 4.2
      26 September 2013 at 9:19 am

      Trouble is Harriet, all that ‘staring down’ is not working anymore. The public are seeing through it more and more, hence the latest Polls.

    • Suitably Clueless 4.3
      26 September 2013 at 9:22 am

      You are reaching here Harriet, the Department doesn’t work for any political party. It would make sense that the Department of Conservation would align a bit more politically with the Green Party than with any other party, I think you may be a bit confused with how the arms of government actually work. Look it up on wikipedia, who knows, you may learn something.

    • Draco T Bastard 4.4
      26 September 2013 at 10:00 am

      Cunliffe is over reaching here I believe: DOC works for the Government, not the Green Party.

      Wrong, DOC works for us to protect our environment from deprivations from anyone – including the government.

      • Harriet 4.4.1
        26 September 2013 at 10:20 am

        Just listen to Norman:

        He wants to pour battery acid all over the NZ economy to dissolve the issue of nitrogen contaminating the water ways!

        They done the same thing with a carbon tax. No one is going to win from taking that approach – moreso the poor, the underpaid & the underworked. He’s an idiot.

        [lprent: If you want to quote facts, then link or source to it or face getting banned. Read the policy.

        I’d give you a warning. But basically in this case I suspect a simple minded lie by a stupid troll. So you have a 1 week ban unless you can show where Russell Norman said that he wanted to pour battery acid all over the NZ economy.

        I’m also concerned about your habit of diversion trolling. ]

        • vto 4.4.1.1
          26 September 2013 at 10:25 am

          yep harriet you’re onto it again. Just keep taking the environment and adding it to your dinner plate. I mean, it is what NZ has done the last 150 years, that is why we have shitted up waterways, might as well keep doing the same thing. Dunno what we will do when there are no river left to take though. Take something else perhaps? Maybe the national parks and conservation estate? There is a lot to eat there that’s for sure. And after that is taken? Any suggestions harriet?

        • vto 4.4.1.2
          26 September 2013 at 10:32 am

          oh mr prent, harriet was just becoming fun.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.4.1.3
          26 September 2013 at 11:19 am

          Nope, Norman and the Greens are doing what’s needed to protect the economy and making it so that we live within our means (otherwise known as sustainably). National are doing the exact opposite and making it so that the poor will be massively worse off in a few years time once our land is polluted beyond it’s capability to sustain us.

    • Roy 4.5
      26 September 2013 at 11:11 am

      DOC is supposed to work for the good of all New Zealand, not for any given government and certainly not for the National Party.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 4.6
      26 September 2013 at 2:16 pm

      Thats not how it works, Minsters are specifically barred from interfering in operational decisions like this one. DOC has a statuary duty to give their best advice in many instances like this. The minister cant pick and chose on the ones he wants to interfere in. And last time I checked Smith is no expert on water quality science. The levers he can pull are legislative, change the laws.

  5. Tracey 5
    26 September 2013 at 9:03 am

    Pretty sure DOC works for parliament and therefore NZers. You remember them Harriet?

    You OK with Key’s lies which have cost taxpayer money and other aspects of NZ society.

  6. Harriet 6
    26 September 2013 at 10:04 am

    Submissions that DOC makes with regards to resource consents etc etc must be within the scope of general Government policy, so it is quite appropriate that the Minister can intervene if he sees fit.

    All company boards with far less revenue than DOCS operate in this way with regards to scope and the general direction of operations – more so if they hold government contracts! It’s nothing unusual – let alone unlawful. Councils do it too.

    • vto 6.1
      26 September 2013 at 10:06 am

      “Submissions that DOC makes with regards to resource consents etc etc must be within the scope of general Government policy, so it is quite appropriate that the Minister can intervene if he sees fit.”

      You are 180 degrees wrong harriet. Why have you simply repeated what you previously wrote?

      completely and totally and utterly hopelessly 0/100 wrong

    • Pascal's bookie 6.2
      26 September 2013 at 10:29 am

      Harriet, listen to vto.

      you are just wrong about this.

      Ask yourself why, (if what you are saying is true), Smith hasn’t replied to the questions by simply saying:

      “Sure I saw that draft report and told them it wasn’t what I wanted. So what?”

      He hasn’t said that, because that would be highly improper.

      • Colonial Viper 6.2.1
        26 September 2013 at 10:39 am

        I think that Harriet has very little idea other than that of corporate style rule. The concept of independent neutral advice seems to have escaped her.

    • Tracey 6.3
      26 September 2013 at 10:42 am

      You are wrong. If you were right there would be no discussion because DOC would never have contemplated a submission opposing Nick Smith’s preferred outcome. But they did contemplate it. Do you see your problem? It’s the contradiction.

      DOC is not a Government Board. Apart from anything else it is formed statutorily which a Company Board is not.

      I can understand why you don’t get this, 5 years of National’s brainwashing has got you believing NZ is a company.

  7. Harriet 7
    26 September 2013 at 10:55 am

    I was making a general opinion of the Greens.

    I also referenced it as a general opinion “..They done the same thing with a carbon tax…”

    C’mon, the general perception that the Greens themselves give out to the voters about the state of the enviroment is one of distortion, false claims, false scenarios, exageration ect. Everyone knows that.

    I was also of the understanding that this site is affilitaed to Labour. Not National. Not ACT. Not the Greens. And DaviD I believe has not ruled in or out a coalition with the Greens. They’re fair game.

    But yes, I will tone down my comments if you prefer.

    [lprent: It wasn’t expressed as an opinion, it was expressed as a fact. I really don’t care how you want to lie to yourself.

    What you were doing was putting words into the mouths of a politician and not making it clear that was what you were doing. It is a classic strawman technique. It is a technique to create a “general perception” because you can’t even state something is a general perception as being a fact unless you back it up with something like a poll.

    If you are going to make foolish statements, then make sure that it is clear that you are the dickhead saying it. Don’t put words into other peoples mouths unless you have a reasonable proof that they in fact made them.

    …this site is affilitaed to Labour

    No – read the about – we aren’t affiliated with the Labour party (and there are many inside the NZLP who’d be horrified if we were). We are part of the “labour movement”. The NZLP is just one part of that.

    It isn’t hard to argue that both the Green party and the Act party were partially formed out of that movement as well (less so for the Greens than for Act). In many ways it is easy to argue that the National party was formed to solely to provide opposition to the labour movement back when the Reform party and the Liberal party had to coalesce to try to stop the labour movement taking the government benches.

    And in any case it makes absolutely no difference to what the policy is on asserting facts without substantiation. That is just a tiresome diversion.

    Toning down your comments isn’t required. Just stop asserting facts that are not, get into the habit of linking those that are, and always remember that relying on the “common perception” is a good way me expressing my individual perception of how much crap that strawman is. All of those are irritating trolling techniques that I abhor. ]

  8. Roy 8
    26 September 2013 at 11:14 am

    It’s depressing to think that people like Harriet, who simply don’t understand how our system of government works, get to vote. I am increasingly of the opinion that we should have compulsory Civics lessons in school.

  9. Roy 9
    26 September 2013 at 11:15 am

    BTW Harriet I am a public servant and all the people who are telling you that you are wrong, are correct.

    • framu 9.1
      26 September 2013 at 12:42 pm

      its funny how people cant distinguish between parliament and government

      well – not that funny – just rather sad

      its right up there with the idea that the biggest winner of elections under FPP is somehow the heir apparant, and that list candidates arent voted in

      civics all the freakin way – i always like this (true) example of the need for this.

      bus passenger 1 “so who are you going to vote for?”
      bus passenger 2 “i dunno, im just going to see whos ahead in the polls and vote for them”

      yes, that actually happened. Heard it with my own ears

      • Molly 9.1.1
        26 September 2013 at 7:14 pm

        Our household has an (entirely unsubstantiated) theory that given our media and national obsession with sports, that NZers are indoctrinated into picking winning teams.

        When you rate yourself as successful for being supporters of the team that wins – without regard for sportsmanship or fair play – life becomes much easier. That one-eyed vision then translates to politics, which is why the constant polling and reporting thereof before election has more of an impact than it should on uninformed voters.

        Of the uninformed: A clear leader in the polls has a great weight if you are undecided, you will be on the winning team if you vote him in. However, if you see a leader in the polls to whom you are values unaligned, you will choose not to vote, and disengage (at least it means you have not chosen a loser!).

        As mentioned, entirely unsubstantiated – but in line with your anecdote and topic of good conversation for a while…

        • Rogue Trooper 9.1.1.1
          26 September 2013 at 7:34 pm

          some merit

        • karol 9.1.1.2
          26 September 2013 at 7:53 pm

          I am reminded of Bryan Gould’s latest article about the “hollowing out” of democracy.

          Very few seem to realise how thoroughly our civilisation has been transformed by the triumph of the “free market” ideology. They do not see that Western liberalism, which has informed, supported and extended human progress for perhaps 700 years, has now been supplanted by an aggressive self-interested doctrine of the individual which leaves no room for community and co-operation. Even the victims of this comprehensive and fundamental change seem hardly aware of what has happened.

          Fukuyama failed to recognise, in other words, that the threat to Western democracy came from within those democracies themselves. It came from the greed and self-interest of the rich and powerful and their ability to manipulate the “free” market to their own advantage, but also from the quiescence and apathy of that much greater number who fail to understand that democracy is necessarily sidelined if the market cannot be challenged. The substance of democracy has been hollowed out, so that only the shell, the forms, remain, because we have not cherished and made a reality of what was our most valuable protection and greatest achievement.

          So saddening.

  10. aerobubble 10
    26 September 2013 at 12:26 pm

    So a department spent hundreds of thousands of tax payers money, highlight a very real risk to long term tourism and health costs, and this minister’s dept in the last moments before the submission was to be made exchanged it for a positive two paragraphs. Why hasn’t the Minister resigned or sacked one of his staff? Or could it be, the Minister has a record of not facing up to his errors and has a huge incentive not to be caught acting inappropriately as it will be his last days in parliament.

  11. Pascal's bookie 11
    26 September 2013 at 12:48 pm

    lol

    http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/09/general_debate_26_september_2013.html#comment-1206484

    The difference betwwn this case and the ACC case is he intervened in an ‘operational’ matter in the ACC case. In the DOC case, any submissions DOC makes with respect to resource consents etc must align with general Government policy, so it is quite appropriate that the Minister can intervene if he so chooses. DOC works for the Government, not the Green Party.

    Therefore John Key and Nick Smith must just stare down Labour / Greens on this one and tell them where to stick it.

    So it wasn’t even original ignorance!

  12. The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 12
    26 September 2013 at 1:11 pm

    “I haven’t followed everything step by step, it hasn’t seemed necessary to be honest, but I have complete confidence in him”

    This is a baseless smear. He clearly means that, to be honest, it hasn’t seemed necessary to follow everything step by step.

    • Pascal's bookie 12.1
      26 September 2013 at 1:22 pm

      Yeah.

      He’s just going on the record that Nick Smith’s shit sticks to Nick Smith, but as long as he doesn’t get busted he’s still golden.

  13. Rogue Trooper 13
    26 September 2013 at 1:33 pm

    But wait, there’s more;
    MPI, who shared DoC concerns -” Dam makes no economic sense” , serious concerns about the economic merits of the RWSS and the likely phosphate toxicity occurring , also “watered down ” their submission to the Minister responsible.-RNZ Checkpoint.

    • vto 13.1
      26 September 2013 at 1:38 pm

      So its not just the blind leading the blind among the supporters like Harriet above but it is the blind leading the blind among the proponents of the dam scheme too as well as the blind leading the blind around nick smith’s table.

      We have dishonesty piled on top of blindness.

      • Rogue Trooper 13.1.1
        26 September 2013 at 1:58 pm

        blind to everything but their own economic survival and profit. Add up all the issues raised over this Dam, from the conflicting interests between local iwi who opposed and Ngai Tahu who want to invest, the seismic risks, through to economic realities and likely pollution and it appears to be blatant Crony Capitalism, amongst other criticisms. Just a shocking farce.And they wonder what drives people to civil disobedience. Urrrgh!

  14. tracey 14
    26 September 2013 at 2:00 pm

    Gormless fool lost his sense of humour and perspective

  15. Sable 15
    26 September 2013 at 7:51 pm

    Dirty politics from a so called government that knows nothing else.

  16. tracey 16
    27 September 2013 at 6:00 am

    just want to say that I know what key was saying. I know that the joufnalist didnt put the comma in. I was making a joke of how it was written and how the left coukd twist it if they had an idiot like hooten. for those who thought I was serious. wooooosh.

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  • 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

  • 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
    19 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
    21 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
    22 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
    24 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
    1 day 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

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

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