Death tax fake news

Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, May 21st, 2019 - 62 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, australian politics, Deep stuff, democracy under attack, facebook, interweb, journalism, making shit up, Media, Politics, tax, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, twitter, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

As everyone gets their head around what happened in Australia news is coming out about the role that social media played.  And it was not a positive role.

This tweet caught my interest:

https://twitter.com/vanbadham/status/1130381691384606720

The responses are concerning.

The spread of misinformation appears to have gone far and wide.

And this particular allegation has been circulated for a while.  In April Labor demanded that Facebook take these posts down but clearly this did not happen.  From the Sydney Morning Herald:

Labor has demanded Facebook investigate apparent “fake news” posts claiming the opposition is planning to introduce a “death tax” on inheritances, in the first major test of the social media giant’s promise to crack down on false election material.

The posts and messages shared via Facebook messenger incorrectly claimed Labor had signed a covert deal to bring in a 40 per cent inheritance tax and carried a link to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s website, though the Liberal Party said it was not behind the posts.

“Labor, the Greens and unions have signed an agreement to introduce a 40 percent inheritance tax,” the crudely written message states.

“Everything you own cannot go to your kids or next of kin at death 40 percent goes to the govt. Please share this with all your friends.”

One Nation has been running with this line for a while, but the Liberals more recently got in on the act.  A Canberra Liberal advertising truck had the slogan, “Labor will tax you to death” printed on it, clearly implying that a death tax was on the cards, and Josh Frydenberg, LNP Treasurer said that an inheritance tax under Labor was not out of the question because the idea has previously been favoured by opposition frontbencher and economist Andrew Leigh as well as the union movement.

There was also a scaremongering press release from a fictitious housing organisation and Scott Morrison also got in on the act.  From the Sydney Morning Herald:

Mr Morrison said “it sounds to me that he has struck a deal with the Greens” and questioned what the terms would be.

“What is that deal with the Greens? The Greens are up for death taxes. Even Andrew Leigh is up for death taxes, let alone the union movement,” he said.

“What is the deal that Bill Shorten has with the Greens to get all of his taxes through and to get all of his carbon abatement policies, emissions reduction policies, which he won’t even explain to the Australian people.”

There was also the perennial if Labor gets elected your rents would go up with a scaremongering letter sent to many tenants.

From Danielle Wood on ABC news:

The lowest blow of this election campaign may have come from a firm of real estate agents that abused its position of trust to scare renters about Labor’s proposed negative gearing changes.

If you are one of those renters, relax. You have nothing to fear from the changes. You might even benefit from them. The only interests the real estate firm is protecting are its own.

Late last week Raine & Horne principal Graham Cockerill wrote to tenants saying Labor’s changes would be “devastating” and included material from the Real Estate Institute of Australia warning of what might happen if “the planned changes to negative gearing do go ahead”.

“The fall in property prices will decrease the value of 18 million Australians’ retirement nest eggs,” and “rents will rise” the material warns.

“Further, government savings will be less than estimated, unemployment will rise and our whole economy will be in jeopardy.”

Other renters have received official-looking material apparently sent by the Liberal Party reading “Final Notice: Rent Increase”.

It’s a jumped-up scare campaign. But some renters may give it more credibility than it’s worth because some of it comes from the people who normally notify you when your rent is going up.

Of course the claim is absolute bollocks.  Reversing negative gearing should reduce house prices which should then have a negative effect on rentals.  It is appalling that the claim was even made.

What effect did these have?  In a very tight election you have to wonder.

And what should we do?  Singapore recently passed a law that requires online media platforms to carry corrections or remove content the government considers to be false.  Penalties can be as high as prison terms of up to 10 years or fines up to NZ$1.1 million.

I am not advocating that New Zealand should do the same.  But Facebook and Twitter and the other social media providers should have a legal as well as moral obligation to deal with these events when they are pointed out to them.

If you really want to get concerned this discussion by Tom Barraclough about deepflakes and synthetic media will do the job.

We live in very interesting times …

62 comments on “Death tax fake news ”

  1. Labour and the greens will have to be all over this when it happens, and it will happen, in 2020.

    From the get go, the story will have to be not the fake news, but those behind it, and not months later like with the Exclusive bretheren bullshit.

    • mickysavage 1.1

      I remember that well. Back then it was a matter of the EBs doing a mass pamphlet drop. This time it will be more spread out, more diffuse and harder to pinpoint.

      • The Al1en 1.1.1

        I'm sure we'll all pick up the death tax type ads in real time. It would make sense that when it does happen there is a coordinated push back to immediately go on the offensive. No point leaving it until after the damage has been done.

        • mpledger 1.1.1.1

          The problem is

          “If you're explaining, you're losing.”

          ― Ronald Reagan, The Reagan Diaries

  2. higherstandard 2

    Hyperbole and outright lies being told at election time, I'm shocked…

  3. adam 3

    "remove content the government considers to be false."

    The censorship crowd, getting sillier with every day.

    Maybe if the ALP offered somthing apart from hard right economics, it might have won.

    • dv 3.1

      Yep really silly.

      Want to see lotsa lies

    • The Al1en 3.2

      So according to you, the hard right labor lost to the harder right coalition with, in the two party preferred vote, a combined 100% of the total.

      Not much room for anarchic no hope merchants to swing a dead cat.

      • adam 3.2.1

        You will note I said hard right economics, probably a bit hard for your tiny brain to spot the difference.

        But keeping praying to not be a dumb ass, it might work out for ya.

        • The Al1en 3.2.1.1

          That doesn't change the answer I gave, nor lessen it's impact on your badly made point. Either way, those hard right economics resonated with the voters, and makes your theory completely moot.

  4. Rapunzel 4

    It will happen to a degree it already does with "announcements" that by omission are not accurate, the fact that some MSM are paywalled means the general public who are resisting paying for rubbish may not see the "opinion" pieces that verge on this, often the headlines alone are already misleading, or the responses that refute the claims being made.

  5. Muttonbird 5

    Other renters have received official-looking material apparently sent by the Liberal Party reading “Final Notice: Rent Increase”.

    Far out, that is disgusting from the Liberal Party. Who the hell authorises that?

    It just confirms the evil within and without of right wing people the world over. What revolting people they are.

    • Wensleydale 5.1

      Lie, lie and lie some more… just so long as you win. Fake it until you make it, basically. And yes, they are scum.

      “The desire to be a politician should bar you for life from ever becoming one.” — Billy Connolly

      And Real Estate Agents, eh? Suit-clad cockroaches for the most part. I'm sure there are probably exceptions, but I haven't met any. It's probably one of the few occupations whose practitioners seem to actively encourage you to hate them.

    • alwyn 5.2

      Gosh, your complaint rings a bell. Now what does it remind me of?

      Oh yes. Do you remember the disgusting official-looking material that was sent out to State House tenants in 2005 at election time? It purported to be an ejection notice.

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10344943

      To correct your last two sentences

      "It just confirms the evil within and without of left wing people the world over. What revolting people they are."

      • Muttonbird 5.2.1

        Using David Benson-Pope in your defence? Mkay, then.

        And…National proceeded to evict tenants and sell state houses when they eventually did grab power.

        • alwyn 5.2.1.1

          You really do believe everything your beloved party tells you don't you?

          Well I guess it demonstrates that fake news works.

        • McFlock 5.2.1.2

          Yup. HNZ stock declined by about 800 dwellings a year under nact.

          • Muttonbird 5.2.1.2.1

            Tough love, eh? A bit of time on the streets never hurt anyone.

            Despite Benson-Pope being a right wanker he was spot on in this case. Have to thank alwyn for bring this to the forum’s attention.

            • alwyn 5.2.1.2.1.1

              "A bit of time on the streets never hurt anyone".

              I incline to believe that you have never actually had to exist while living in the street. Only a complete fool would make such a claim. What a miserable prick you are demonstrating yourself to be by telling us the truth about your disgusting beliefs.

              Perhaps you should come down to Wellington and try it yourself. Over the last year or so the number of people living rough on the streets has risen a lot. Come on down and tell them how good it is for them and how privileged they are to be able to live that way while the Government we are stuck with throws all our money at important things like all weather horse-racing tracks for their mates in the racing industry.

              • Muttonbird

                Missed the irony, alwyn? Not the only thing you miss.

                • alwyn

                  You said it sonny. No good now trying to pretend you don't mean it. When you reveal what you really think, even if you didn't mean to admit what a ratbag you are, you are just going to have to wear it. It's no good pretending that you didn't mean what you said. You are a schmuck and you might as well admit it.

                  • Muttonbird

                    This is pretty low level stuff, alwyn.

                    Thing I've noticed about all you RWNJs is you get a bit testy when your lack of compassion gets shoved in your mean, smug faces.

          • alwyn 5.2.1.2.2

            That is a pretty poor defense of the Labout Party b*s from you McFlock. I thought you could do better than that in defense of their outright lies.

            That letter went to about 70,000 people whose address on the Electoral Roll corresponded to a State House. Given the number of State Houses they were clearly trying to send a personally addressed letter to every State House tenant they could identify.

            They told every single one of them that they would be evicted if National became the Government. Every Single One. In other words it was a claim that National were going to get rid of every State House. Even the most gullible git of a Labour supporter must find that very hard to believe to have been the truth.

            Surely you aren't really so foolish? Or, as you and MB seem to be demonstrating, perhaps you really are so stupid.

            • McFlock 5.2.1.2.2.1

              "They told every single one of them that they would be evicted if National became the Government. Every Single One. In other words it was a claim that National were going to get rid of every State House. "

              Really? What was the full text of the "letter"?

              Speaking of lies, from your link:

              However, National housing spokesman David Carter reiterated last night that houses would only be sold to tenants who wanted to buy, and that existing tenants would be protected from market rents.

      • Stuart Munro. 5.2.2

        Reaching.

        The Exclusive Brethren leaflet of lies in the Coromandel was a standout. One of the claims that got my goat was a claim that the Greens would introduce a CGT. Having just spent several months trying to persuade them to adopt one, and failing, it was pretty off-pissing to see the liars impugning them for something they wouldn't do, a couple of days before the election.

        Gnat paws were all over this pack of lies, as usual.

  6. Reality 6

    As the Prime Minister is a devout "Christian" (on Sundays) one wonders what his thinking is on the telling of falsehoods?

    • Wensleydale 6.1

      He probably feels much the same way as Catholic cardinals do about child sex abuse. "It's all completely fine just so long as no one finds out about it. Then it gets all awkward and embarrassing and stuff, and we have to pay people money."

  7. Ad 7

    We have probably only one more election in which we will win simply on Jacinda-power.

    After that we will need our own extreme headlines.

    Far better to fight fire with fire than complain about things being "unfair".

    We lose when we're polite.

    • indiana 7.1

      I thought star dust and prancing unicorns lasted forever!

      • Ad 7.1.1

        Baby+Massacre+Engagement extends the vibe pretty well

      • Gabby 7.1.2

        Ponyboy pulling the pin must've been a right ol kickinthguts for you indinana.

      • alwyn 7.1.3

        "lasted forever".

        That was only Puff the magic dragon. Since she got dumped by the UN Puff seems to have re-appeared on our shores trying to set herself up as the arbiter of what anyone is allowed to say, and what is allowed to go on at a stadium that has been there longer than she has. Is she back living in Mt Eden or does she just claim the right to speak on the local residents behalf?

        • Drowsy M. Kram 7.1.3.1

          Alwyn, which NZ female MPs do you rate? Who’d make your 1st 15, or 30, or 45?

          IMHO, NZ female MPs with admirable principles &/or notable firsts/achievements include (in chronological order, excluding MPs elected for the first time in 2017):

          Elizabeth McCombs
          Mabel Howard
          Hilda Ross
          Ethel McMillan
          Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
          Dorothy Jelicich
          Marilyn Waring
          Ann Hercus
          Helen Clark
          Ruth Richardson
          Margaret Shields
          Fran Wilde
          Margaret Austin
          Annette King
          Sonja Davies
          Jenny Shipley
          Lianne Dalziel
          Christine Fletcher
          Judith Tizard
          Ruth Dyson
          Sandra Lee
          Phillida Bunkle
          Pam Corkery
          Jeanette Fitzsimons
          Laila Harre
          Marian Hobbs
          Nanaia Mahuta
          Georgina Te Heuheu
          Tariana Turia
          Georgina Beyer
          Sue Bradford
          Sue Kedgley
          Winnie Laban
          Margaret Wilson
          Metiria Turei
          Maryan Street
          Jacinda Ardern
          Tracey Martin
          Mojo Mathers
          Eugenie Sage
          Megan Woods

          • alwyn 7.1.3.1.1

            H'm, a real challenge. I don't really know very much about the very early ones so they are probably going to miss out, perhaps unfairly. For example the only thing I know about McCombs is that she was the first, at some time in the 1930s. The only thing about Mabel Howard was her waving her XXXOS bloomers about in the House. She would be my first reserve.

            However my top 10 would be as follows. They are not in order and they have been chosen only from the short list you have prepared. Why you left out so many of the National woman is hard to understand. You certainly haven't chosen the best available have you? For example how could you possibly include a crook like Metiria Turei but leave out people like Collins and Bennett is beyond my understanding. Why you would include Jelicich or Mathers but not Tombleson is also impossible to understand.

            However, choosing from you rather odd selection of candidates I would pick

            Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
            Marilyn Waring
            Helen Clark
            Ruth Richardson
            Fran Wilde
            Jenny Shipley
            Phillida Bunkle
            Jeanette Fitzsimons
            Tariana Turia
            Sue Bradford

            If I worked from a complete list of woman MPs I suppose half of my ten might survive into a final list. Why did you pick your list the way you did? Surely you don't really think they were the pick of the crop?

            • Drowsy M. Kram 7.1.3.1.1.1

              Thanks Alwyn – my (stated) criteria were "principles and/or notable firsts/achievements". Should have included Bennett (first female deputy PM). Are you really puzzled that our lists might differ so?

              Metiria is a crook in your eyes (naturally), and has yet to be charged with anything – maybe you should get on to that.

  8. Dennis Frank 8

    "In a video posted to her Facebook page, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson can be seen telling people at the festival that Bill Shorten and Labor would reintroduce a 40 per cent death tax if they stormed to power." https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-09/money-pumped-into-federal-election-death-tax-scare-campaign/11092802

    On what basis is she making this assertion? History, apparently: "In an interview on Sydney radio station 2GB in April, Labor's assistant shadow treasurer Andrew Leigh, who once wrote in favour of the tax, was at pains to stress the party would not be implementing one. "Inheritance taxes died at the federal level 40 years ago in 1979. Labor has no plans to bring them back," Dr Leigh said. "Thirteen years ago I was an academic floating ideas. Now, as a policymaker, I've been asked repeatedly my views on inheritance taxes, death taxes over the years. I've always said I don't support them. Labor doesn't support them."

    So her attempt to scare voters has an historical basis, but no valid basis in current reality. Such fake news ought to be illegal, and heavily penalised. I'd like to see her prosecuted for it. However, I can see the other side too. She actually predicted the future. There's no law against that. Caveat emptor!

    • Wensleydale 8.1

      Even a swivel-eyed loon like Hanson is correct occasionally. Very occasionally.

      • alwyn 8.1.1

        Such people seem to have had their brains scrambled by working in Fish and Chip shops. I suppose it must be the effect of leaning over large pans of hot fat and inhaling the grease that does their minds in.

  9. SHG 9

    Holy crap, you mean to say there's stuff on the Internet that's not true?

    Why was I not made aware of this sooner

  10. Sanctuary 10

    The solution is straightforward. Block the major social media sites for three weeks before polling day.

  11. q and a last night said Trump would win the republician primaries… to face off against 20plus possible democrats. which doesn't make sense since the democratic run against each other in their own primary.

  12. Gabby 12

    So the writers and publishers will be sued no doubt, and the damages used to fund the next election campaign.

  13. Cinny 13

    Fantastic post, fascinating topic.

    IMHO, more people need educating, they swallow it up hook line and sinker and act accordingly, it's super messed up, but it's reality for too many.

    Manufacturing Consent should be compulsory viewing for all secondary students, two terms dedicated to the subject would be ace, they could align subject matter with the social media of today. Heck screen it on the TV as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LVsiP0s33A

    It's going to be interesting watching how it all goes down, if something comes of it. To me it reeks of Murdoch style brainwashing via social media, purely for political manipulation.

  14. vto 14

    What to do about it?

    Charge them under the Fair Trading (in Politics) Act, sections 9 and 10, no misleading or deceptive conduct in politics.

    The Fair Trading Act works pretty well in commerce, so should be easily moved to cover politics. Actions are easy to take and simple to establish.

    Bring it on.

  15. bewildered 15

    Baaaaaaaaawhaaaaa

    some one was nasty to us

    what I am reading is every one here is real super smart and can see the truth, everyone else is stupid if they don’t agree with their world view and vote left

    Ironically this is one of the reasons the left are not as popular as they think. They live in a bubble thinking every one agrees with them because the majority of sane people can’t be bothered been ; lectured or hectored by zealots so simply smile, stay mum or agree.In the quite of a ballot box people are far more truthful

    • vto 15.1

      Who said truthful is the right way to vote?

      Truthful humanity is often very ugly.

      No wonder you're bewildered

      • bewildered 15.1.1

        So high brow VTO are you a philosopher or just a tosser, silly question we all know the answer 👍

    • Cinny 15.2

      Are you saying it's fine to lie in order to win?

      • bewildered 15.2.1

        Shock news Cinny but Politicians and their mates. lie or tell half truths and the average Joe ( left or right) is well aware of such when they vote Cindy and labour had a ball at last election pretending they had a plan, big promises and bollock claims about national ( but hey that’s politics)

      • Drowsy M. Kram 15.2.2

        Apologies for butting in, Cinny – I know your the question was to bewildered, but IMO it's not OK for politicians to lie to voters.

        Don't believe "they're all as bad as each other" bullshit. Some politicians are more honest than others, at least some of the time, and it's not difficult to identify the most dishonest, dirty, corrupt and self-serving of our elected public 'servants' – they tend to 'out' themselves sooner or later.

      • indiana 15.2.3

        Its like standing in a protest against the TPP, then implementing it once you are in power. That's the kind of lying politicians do…not so much the explicit use of words when they speak to the public.

    • Gabby 15.3

      You can't be a lying sack of shit without legal consequences beewee, certainly not in a country that upholds Good Christian Family Values.

  16. greywarshark 16

    I'll put this in here. It is a sort of cautionary tale about Toronto which I think the article says has been riven by neo liberal austerity and had lost belief in rational government making things better. It sounds uncomfortably similar to us in some aspects. All sorts of dicy dealings and fake news was going on as a change at the top was up for grabs.
    https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/03/rob-ford-toronto-canada-mayor-austerity

  17. Peter 17

    Guess we'll have to wait for 5.9 billion responses about pre-election bullshit before we have a mention of Steven Joyce.

  18. Tuppence Shrewsbury 18

    remember the good old days when the left loved Facebook and Twitter for their “grassroots” potential? When likes and hashtags could predict elections? And labour’s scaremongering about selling assets would be the doom of the economy. Now that was fake news.

    • mpledger 18.1

      Provide citations.

      Selling the electricity providers was stupidity. The govt have already lost more in profits than they gained by selling. It was a cheap handout to corporate interests and rich NZers at the expense of all NZers.

      • Tuppence Shrewsbury 18.1.1

        errrr, it's earning more in profits now than they were owning 100% of the company. strange how the scrutiny of the market lifts performance.

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

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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