Debate of the Day: should farms be regulated to centre climate action and nature?

Written By: - Date published: 10:57 am, April 24th, 2023 - 44 comments
Categories: climate change, farming, national, nature - Tags:

We’re trying something new, an intermittent post called Debate of the Day, that presents an idea or current event as a starting point for discussion and debate. Same rules apply as elsewhere on The Standard. Bring your best game, share your thinking, with humour or gravitas. We’re looking for engagement with ideas, a sense of curiosity, and robust debate.

Feedback on the Debate of the Day concept and format is welcome in this thread too.

Today’s topic: should farms be regulated to centre climate action and nature?

Rod Oram at Newsroom,

Opinion: “National is committed to this country’s climate change goals,” declares the party that could form the next government.

Then in the very same statement on Wednesday, National announced a bonfire of farming regulations not seen since the 1990s.

But eliminating these regulations would intensify existing farming practices, which in turn would make farming’s climate impacts worse. Either National doesn’t understand such climate causes and effects. Or it cares only to win power, whatever the cost.

44 comments on “Debate of the Day: should farms be regulated to centre climate action and nature? ”

  1. Michael 1

    100% yes, farming should be regulated to centre climate change and nature. For too long, the farming sector has been able to do what it wants without consequences. While some individual farmers have done incredible work on their farms, they are sadly the minority. If the farming sector had been serious about mitigating climate change and caring for nature, they wouldn't have fought the misnamed "fart tax" when Helen Clark was our Prime Minister. Instead of working with the government and becoming world leaders in sustainability, they kicked and screamed like a bunch of toddlers having a tantrum. They drove tractors up the steps of parliament and pushed a narrative that they know best and that they care for the environment. Meanwhile, their sector bodies and main players pushed intensification and milk being "white gold". Now we have dairy farms in areas of the country that are not suited for dairying. They only exist and survive because mass irrigation has screwed our rivers. At the same time, the intensification has meant our rivers have become, by and large, unswimmable due to the nitrate run-off. Now, when we are in a climate emergency and urgent action is required, they are dragging the chain again and continuing to rape and pillage the earth. The farming sector has had its chance to be responsible and create sustainable farming practices but these are still only niche ideas and not widespread. More regulation, not less, is required.

    • Hunter Thompson II 1.1

      In 2019 a USA website called Circle of Blue carried an article "New Zealand Waterways Fouled by Farm Runoff, Tourist Waste" (https://www.circleofblue.org/2019/pacific/new-zealand-waterways-fouled-by-farm-runoff-tourist-waste/)

      True to form, a dairy industry chief tried to deflect criticism by saying most polluted rivers ran through urban centres and called for a "more nuanced exploration of New Zealand’s water contamination", ie the government should pussyfoot around the problem and let the industry carry on as before.

      Foreigners aren't fooled by the Tourism NZ advertising.

    • Eric Mischefski 1.2

      Absolutely the industry needs to be regulated. As you state farmers trivialised methane pollution by calling it a fart tax when all the while knowing the methane comes from the front of an animal. There are some farmers who are trying to mitigate their pollution but by far and away the majority are not.

  2. Mike the Lefty 2

    If National gets into government this year and embarks upon a ritual disembowlment of regulations, it could find markets outside Asia a bit more difficult to crack. The world has changed since National last ruled. Most of our trading partners expect us to have policies that limit emissions, and yes that includes agriculture too.

    National just saying they don't care anymore will not go down well with European or American countries, who DO care and expect their trading partners to care as well.

    Naturally most of the Asian markets won't give a toss and so National will end up making our economy even more dependent on Chinese Communist Party goodwill, for what that is worth.

    I wonder if National has thought any further about this beyond the populist posturing vote gathering element?

    Probably not.

  3. tsmithfield 3

    If regulation means more god-awful pine forests on productive land, then spare me.

    If we are going to require farmers to grow trees on their land, then they should be required to plant a certain number of indigenous plants per hectare. This would mean they would naturally plant the trees in the most unproductive areas of their farms, such as steep slopes etc. Or around rivers, to provide a natural barrier to stock.

    This would actually result in something being achieved not only to improve our carbon profile, but would also restore our natural beauty as well. And, also reduce erosion risk to those areas.

    So far as farming, and other activities are concerned, we need to realise that the emissions from these activities are a world problem, not isolated to NZ. Hence, it is counterproductive from a world perspective to regulate NZ farmers, if that means reduced production from NZ is picked up by less efficient producers in other countries. If that happens, the planet is worse off.

    Hence, there needs to be an international regime to penalise inefficient agricultural producers world-wide.

    So far as animal waste is concerned, there needs to be a way for farmers to monetise that so that they are incentivised to collect the waste efficiently so they can turn it into income.

    • AB 3.1

      The god-awful pine forests you rightly complain about are what happens when we expect market mechanisms to solve climate change. When capital moves to take a profitable opportunity to solve a public-good problem, it will tend to sow the seeds of the next problem. It's an intrinsic characteristic.

      • weka 3.1.1

        also a function of putting centrists in charge instead of parties with ecological literacy.

    • weka 3.2

      In the 2017 election, the Greens had a plan to plant $1.2 billion trees on marginal land as part of their climate policy (alongside other measures).

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96690066/green-party-to-set-up-a-climate-commission-and-instate-universal-dividend-from-climate-fund

      They promoted both pine and natives, but with specific goals and placement in mind.

      1. limit deforestation and conversion of existing forest land
      2. offset current forest harvesting by planting on other kinds of land (eg marginal)
      3. incentivise planting natives
      4. incentivise pine and other exotics in appropriate places
      5. plant permanent forest sinks
      6. help farmers to find other income streams eg mānuka honey

      from the 2015 policy Yes we can! A plan for significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions

      https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/beachheroes/pages/10840/attachments/original/1582514397/Yes_We_Can.pdf?1582514397

      As we know, in 2017 NZF had the major power to influence policy and they were given the tree planting scheme as part of the coalition deal with Labour. Where the Greens would prioritise climate and ecology while protecting the economy, NZF would prioritise economics. This is why NZ is the way that it is.

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/130153430/one-billion-trees-programme-almost-at-halfway-mark

      We still need plantation pine eg for building houses. But how that gets done matters. The slash and silt issues on the East Coast from Gabrielle are a consequence of poor ecological literacy, poor regulation, and industrial culture mindset.

      • tsmithfield 3.2.1

        I have signed two Greenpeace petitions now btw:

        The one for requiring things to be repairable, and the one for a refund for returning bottles etc.

        Good ideas are good ideas regardless of the side of the fence they come from.

    • Michael 3.3

      Yes, carbon emissions are a global problem. However, we need to play our part. Our biggest emitters in terms of sectors are agriculture and transport and although we are a small country, our gross emissions per person are way too high. We are also far too heavily reliant on carbon credits to achieve our emissions targets. These things show that we are clearly not doing enough to meaningfully achieve what we promised to the global community. We need to do way better. Our farming sector has shown it is incapable of regulating itself to help us achieve our climate change goals so we must regulate.

      • bwaghorn 3.3.1

        I'm sure we could make our gross emmisions per capita look like the rest , import mor humans job done,

      • tsmithfield 3.3.2

        As bwaghorn pointed out below, the issue is that we don't have enough people. If the number of farms stayed constant, and we opened the gates to immigration into our cities, then the average global emissions per person would drop, and the farming emissions suddenly wouldn't look so bad.

        If we had 100 million living here, we would suddenly be one of the greenest countries on earth I suspect.

        • pat 3.3.2.1

          "If we had 100 million living here, we would suddenly be one of the greenest countries on earth I suspect."

          I suspect not…we are no different to any other national grouping, except that we use more FF per capita than most…although if we did increase our population to anything resembling the figure you quote i suspect we would collapse any semblence of order or environmental viability so perhaps our emissions would decrease…..but not as the result of anything good.

          • tsmithfield 3.3.2.1.1

            Of course I don't want to see 100 million people here. But, I am just pointing out the stupidity of including agriculture in the per capita carbon emissions.

            As I said earlier, if the amount of farming stayed constant and the more general population increased dramatically, then per capita carbon emissions would fall, without farmers doing anything. It is a mathematical fact.

            So, there needs to be a better way of apportioning carbon emissions for it to make sense.

            • pat 3.3.2.1.1.1

              The (biological) methane measure is a (poor but likely necessary) method of buying some time to reduce and (hopefully) mitigate the release of stored carbon aka energy production….that energy is what has enabled the growth in population.

              I agree that planting pine plantations on productive land is a fools errand and will do little to solve the problem of CO2 emissions in this country (or the world as a whole) ….there are however other very good reasons to adjust our land use, not least of which is water quality/use.

              Ultimately the best measure (as Kevin Anderson points out) it is total (stored) carbon released that is the metric that counts, and given the way we as a population in NZ use that stored carbon energy then any increase in population will result in an increase in carbon emissions….until we change how we live.

              And that is something that most are unwilling to accept, so we will continue to grasp for anything, including 'carbon credits' and methane reductions to buy some time to continue our lifestyles.

              • tsmithfield

                I really don't think we need more dairy farming. Despite the fact that my business does very well out of dairy factories across the South Island.

                Obviously, the run-off is a major issue. But, from an economic perspective, it is putting all our eggs in one basket too much, I think. Especially since a lot of that goes to China. So, there is a lot of production in one basket going to a large market basket (China). So, I think we are very economically exposed.

                One of the best ways to motivate people to do things is for there to be monetary gain for them.

                Hence, why farmers are planting awful pine plantations at the moment.

                So, I think the emissions side of the equation will be solved if people can make money from cutting back their emissions. For instance, if research finds ways to minimise methane emissions from cattle, that will mean less production lost to emissions, and more going into the product farmers want to sell.

                If ways can be found to economically and efficiently collect animal waste, then that could be sold for reusable products such as urea, or natural fertilizer.

                In the end, we have to find a way to harmonise farming with our environment. Seeing those polluted water ways such as "Fanta Lake" and lake Ellesmere here in Canterbury is absolutely disgusting, and something I definitely want to see solved.

                • pat

                  Yes financial incentives will drive the investment, unfortunately the investment is likely to require a significant input of energy….and that results in carbon emissions.

                  The only way to truely reduce our emissions is to recognise that FF consumption has to reduce in total and as I see it the only way is a sinking lid on the availability…and that will. demand a reprioritisation on what that reduced FF will be used for., preferably on a non monetary basis (i.e a ration )…and a substantial change to how we live our lives.

                  That change will be greatest for the currently well heeled.

                  All politcally problematic

                  • tsmithfield

                    unfortunately the investment is likely to require a significant input of energy….and that results in carbon emissions.

                    But isn't that the case with nearly anything that is done to innovate to solve the climate change problem? For instance, if we increase the production of solar panels, or solar batteries, that will increase carbon emissions as well.

                    But, it is a case of investing for the future. If the longterm benefit outweighs the initial carbon cost, then the initial investment is justified, even if there is an increase in carbon emissions from manufacturing the technology in the first place.

                    • pat

                      It will depend upon the saving long term but much of the 'investment' proposed has a negative return (carbon)…so yes nearly all investment will create emissions and we have a very limited carbon budget so where that investment is placed needs to be exceedingly discerning

              • gsays

                "….until we change how we live.

                And that is something that most are unwilling to accept, so we will continue to grasp for anything, including 'carbon credits' and methane reductions to buy some time to continue our lifestyles."

                That's it in a nutshell.

                This idea that CC mitigation is someone elses responsibility is fertiliser. Once 'the farmers', the Chinese, the supermarkets and the government are sorted then 'I' can look at making some changes.

                It all reeks of :Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye;

                and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

                • pat

                  And then overlay national interest on top….if we (nz) behave logically but in isolation, it becomes illogical.

                • weka

                  This idea that CC mitigation is someone elses responsibility is fertiliser. Once 'the farmers', the Chinese, the supermarkets and the government are sorted then 'I' can look at making some changes.

                  I tend to agree but I think part of that is because so many people still believe that green tech will save the day. Which is the responsibility of government and business and when they step up consumers will follow by buying the 'green thing. It's very neoliberal.

                  Green tech won't save the day, even if all governments and business got on board this week. We need green tech of course, but there is no substitute for FF to maintain BAU. We will powerdown, either intentionally as transition, or via eventual collapse.

                  This is the biggest challenge I see. People are so inured in the idea of BAU or nasty/brutish/short, that they can't see any other options, so have stuck their head in the sand.

        • bwaghorn 3.3.2.2

          I find the emmisions per capita argument ridiculous when used against farming ,

    • Graeme 3.4

      The pine forests may be going on productive land, but is that production profitable?

      The land use is simply transitioning to a more profitable usage. If the property was making a good profit the owners would be able to sell it to a buyer who would see the utility of the previous business and continue it.

      Reality is that sheep / beef on hill country isn't making as much profit as pines, simple economics, and been the case for a very long time on marginal hill country.

  4. Ad 4

    Volume and Price Driver. Annual milk production is declining and will continue to do so. Dairy farmers will still be driven by highest volume production until there are better pressures upon Fonterra who still commands over 80% of all dairy production here. A dairy solids price at $9-$10 is a pretty good attraction for sustained production.

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/dairy-land-use-declining-1-a-year

    Lower dairy volume = lower dairy impact. Labour passed the DIRA Amendment Act late last year which removed the requirement for Fonterra to take all milk volume produced. But Fonterra itself need to determine whether they will ever shift meaningfully from volume to lower-volume+higher-value-density products. The water-to-wine value equation has been going through the roof; dairy value equations within Fonterra makes yearly promises and frankly just lies every single time.

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/is-the-volume-to-value-mantra-true-yes-and-heres-why

    3 Waters and Stormwater. If you want to change farmer practices, you have to support the key outcome of Labour's 3 Waters reforms in the stormwater outcomes. That is the biggest hit upon lazy+fearful regional councils who regulate stormwater and water take. That is the thing to fight hardest for and what Federated Farmers have fought hard against. The Greens want to keep stormwater management in Council hands which is utterly dumb.

    “The failure to separate stormwater management is another missed opportunity. Managing stormwater needs to stay as the responsibility of local councils because of the connection between land use and stormwater volumes and quality."

    https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2304/S00076/three-waters-rebrand-insufficient.htm

    If National wins the election there will indeed be a bonfire of water regulations on dairy farmers.

    SO: if Labour gets back in by some miracle it would take a fully implemented 3 Waters programme stormwater management revolution to turn it around as it is, and that would also require much stronger coalition partners.

  5. ianmac 5

    I asked a sheep farm manager what was the top farming regulation to be got rid of. She said she didn't really know. "Perhaps 3 Waters," she asked. I thought 3 waters affected mostly urban people. She thought maybe it was lack of labour.

    But I really think someone who knows about such things could tell us what regs to abolish.

  6. ianmac 6

    By the way I heard a whisper (just a little whisper) that the Nats have a leadership challenge on the go. I would rather Mr Luxon stayed on at least to the Election.

    • weka 6.1

      lol, so would I. Or at least wait another few months for the challenge 😈

    • Ad 6.2

      Don't even think it.

      Willis would suck female vote and that's all you need to get the win when it's this tight.

    • tsmithfield 6.3

      I haven't heard any such rumours. But who knows. Probably a seemless way to make a change would be for Willis and Luxon to swap roles. So, she becomes leader and he becomes deputy.

      That would require Luxon to be onside with the change. But, would be the least disruptive way to do it I would think.

      But, I doubt it will happen. National has already had enough instability. So, personally, I think they will stick with what they have.

  7. Hunter Thompson II 7

    Good idea to have "Debate of the Day" format.

    If the advertising by Fonterra and the others in farming sector were true there would be no need for regulation at all.

    Farmers definitely need to be regulated for the greater good (just as there are speed limits for motorists using the highway).

    But when it comes to climate change we all must respond, no matter where we live. Nature is now calling the tune, as anyone in Hawkes Bay will tell you.

  8. SPC 8

    The more enlightened farmers get it, but National seems to moving past FF towards Groundswell with its policy direction.

    Farmers need to have their environment, animal husbandry and GW positions respected in the wider world of foreign markets. As do we given their place in our economy.

    Which is why there should be interest free loans to farmers to help them meet any required farm standards (debt against the farm on sale).

    The methane from ruminant livestock is the big one and hopefully the work to realise a one dose (slow release) product which halves methane released is successful – this will change our and the global circumstance.

    https://cen.acs.org/environment/climate-change/scientists-want-cut-livestocks-methane/100/i36

    • georgecom 8.1

      yes generally it seems so, the groundswell national party. I recently heard Damien O'Connor challenged on radio recently about the pace of legislative change on the rural sector, his answer, if things had been done during the 9 years National was last in power the farming sector would be further down the road for change. because it was 9 years of a do nothing government (ie groundswell) the farming sector is having to play catch up. Luxon and mates will mark another era of doing nothing government (ie groundswell)

  9. bwaghorn 9

    Definitely for nature and that's happening, I went recently to a day to learn the new regs on winter crop feeding, nothing to be afraid of in my opinion, of course boss is resistant and will nodoubt hold out on coming above the radar for a year or 2, but I'm the day to day guy so will be implementing the best practice stuff anyhow.

    But get after those river destroying dairy practices.

    On cc 8 billion people need to eat, so emmisions need to be reduced but should be treated alot differently to pointless pollution like tourism, .

  10. tsmithfield 10

    One reason I want to see farmers incentivised/compelled to plant native plants on their unproductive land is that it is amazing how quickly native birdlife returns to those areas.

    I was taking my grand-children for a walk through the little nature area in the botanical gardens the other day. And there were beautiful fan tails flitting around, land on people's arms, and some native parrots as well. It was fantastic, just in that small area.

    It would be wonderful to see that extended across more of our land. Those pine forests aren't really compatible with our native species as far as I know. Which is one of the reasons I really dislike them, and don't want to see them expanding across the country side.

    • bwaghorn 10.1

      If you want to make real difference to nz native forests, get the government to get the wild game recovery industry going again, I started my hunting years when you could sell wild deer to the chillers, deer numbers where low, and it was a tidy little income for some, goats could be treated the same,

      1000s of deer are being shot and left to rot on farms with bush blocks on or next to them

      • weka 10.1.1

        why can't shooters sell deer now?

        • arkie 10.1.1.1

          MPI forbids it, unless they’re registered as a listed hunter:

          You can't sell recreationally hunted meat under any circumstances. All commercially traded meat (including commercially hunted wild game meat) undergoes thorough procurement, hygiene and processing standards and controls before it reaches the consumer. Recreationally collected meat doesn't go through these processes.

          https://www.mpi.govt.nz/outdoor-activities/hunting-and-gathering-biosecurity-and-food-safety/risks-restrictions-and-rules-for-wild-food/

          • weka 10.1.1.1.1

            that doesn't seem unreasonable (depending on the process and cost).

            If shooters are leaving deer carcasses to rot, that's just stupid.

        • bwaghorn 10.1.1.2

          Looks like you can but when I did it there was a chiller in every town , most of us sold the odd one but there where a few that did large numbers, I'm picking bureaucracy is the big killer.

          It must be quit hard as I genuinely have heard of chopper shooters shooting 1000s to rot, from easily recoverable areas.

          If there was an extra $ in it they would recover them

          • weka 10.1.1.2.1

            sounds like two things to me

            1. no-one is doing the mahi to make it easier for hunters to register

            2. the infrastructure isn't there any more.

            Part of that will have been 1080 and the need to make sure deer weren't coming from poisoned areas.

            Also, if chopper shooters are leaving the carcasses, that's free food for stoats, rats etc, so DOC, regional councils etc should be paying for retrieval. Make them into pet food ffs.

            These are not hard things to solve, it's just systems, and intention to do things well.

            • bwaghorn 10.1.1.2.1.1

              1080 is what killed it if my rumors where correct late 90s I believe. .a deer got poached from a 1080 block and was sold into Europe and it was picked up there,

  11. Jimmy 11

    Does Farming need too be regulated?

    Well maybe.

    However it looks to me as if the market will regulate farming.

    As a farmer supplier to Fonterra, it seems as though Fonterra is ahead of Government and local council.

    If you want to supply Fonterra, you will need to prove that you use less than 135kg/N/per hectare or face a financial penalty, yet the Government limit is 190Kgns/N/per hectare.

    you also need to prove you are discharging effluent to land, and not water, regardless of regional council rules.

    you will need to prove you are not dumping or burning plastic waste on farm.

    You will need to prove you are not destroying bobby calves on farm.

    You will need to know what your GHG emissions are for your property, and comply with Fonterra limits.

    There are more rules comming from Fonterra, market driven, not Government.

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  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Hipkins fires up in leaders’ debate, but has the curtain already fallen on the Labour-led coalitio...
    Labour’s  Chris Hipkins came out firing, in the  leaders’ debate  on Newshub’s evening programme, and most of  the pundits  rated  him the winner against National’s  Christopher Luxon. But will this make any difference when New  Zealanders  start casting their ballots? The problem  for  Hipkins is  that  voters are  all too ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    2 days ago
  • Govt is energising housing projects with solar power – and fuelling the public’s concept of a di...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Not long after Point of Order published data which show the substantial number of New Zealanders (77%) who believe NZ is becoming more divided, government ministers were braying about a programme which distributes some money to “the public” and some to “Maori”. The ministers were dishing ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • MIKE GRIMSHAW: Election 2023 – a totemic & charisma failure?
    The D&W analysis Michael Grimshaw writes –  Given the apathy, disengagement, disillusionment, and all-round ennui of this year’s general election, it was considered time to bring in those noted political operatives and spin doctors D&W, the long-established consultancy firm run by Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Known for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • FROM BFD: Will Winston be the spectre we think?
    Kissy kissy. Cartoon credit BoomSlang. The BFD. JC writes-  Allow me to preface this contribution with the following statement: If I were asked to express a preference between a National/ACT coalition or a National/ACT/NZF coalition then it would be the former. This week Luxon declared his position, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • California’s climate disclosure bill could have a huge impact across the U.S.
    This re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Andy Furillo was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The California Legislature took a step last week that has the potential to accelerate the fight against climate ...
    2 days ago
  • Untangling South East Queensland’s Public Transport
    This is a cross post Adventures in Transitland by Darren Davis. I recently visited Brisbane and South East Queensland and came away both impressed while also pondering some key changes to make public transport even better in the region. Here goes with my take on things. A bit of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • Try A Little Kindness.
    My daughter arrived home from the supermarket yesterday and she seemed a bit worried about something. It turned out she wanted to know if someone could get her bank number from a receipt.We wound the story back.She was in the store and there was a man there who was distressed, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • What makes NZFirst tick
    New Zealand’s longest-running political roadshow rolled into Opotiki yesterday, with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters knowing another poll last night showed he would make it back to Parliament and National would need him and his party if they wanted to form a government. The Newshub Reid Research poll ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • September AMA
    Hi,As September draws to a close — I feel it’s probably time to do an Ask Me Anything. You know how it goes: If you have any burning questions, fire away in the comments and I will do my best to answer. You might have questions about Webworm, or podcast ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Bludgers lying in the scratcher making fools of us all
    The mediocrity who stands to be a Prime Minister has a litany.He uses it a bit like a Koru Lounge card. He will brandish it to say: these people are eligible. And more than that, too: These people are deserving. They have earned this policy.They have a right to this policy. What ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • More “partnerships” (by the look of it) and redress of over $30 million in Treaty settlement wit...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point of Order has waited until now – 3.45pm – for today’s officially posted government announcements.  There have been none. The only addition to the news on the Beehive’s website was posted later yesterday, after we had published our September 26 Buzz report. It came from ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • ALEX HOLLAND: Labour’s spending
    Alex Holland writes –  In 2017 when Labour came to power, crown spending was $76 billion per year. Now in 2023 it is $139 billion per year, which equates to a $63 billion annual increase (over $1 billion extra spend every week!) In 2017, New Zealand’s government debt ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • If not now, then when?
    Labour released its fiscal plan today, promising the same old, same old: "responsibility", balanced books, and of course no new taxes: "Labour will maintain income tax settings to provide consistency and certainty in these volatile times. Now is not the time for additional taxes or to promise billions of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • THE FACTS:  77% of Kiwis believe NZ is becoming more divided
    The Facts has posted –        KEY INSIGHTSOf New Zealander’s polled: Social unity/division 77%believe NZ is becoming more divided (42% ‘much more’ + 35% ‘a little more’) 3%believe NZ is becoming less divided (1% ‘much less’ + 2% ‘a little less’) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the cynical brutality of the centre-right’s welfare policies
    The centre-right’s enthusiasm for forcing people off the benefit and into paid work is matched only by the enthusiasm (shared by Treasury and the Reserve Bank) for throwing people out of paid work to curb inflation, and achieve the optimal balance of workers to job seekers deemed to be desirable ...
    3 days ago
  • Wednesday’s Chorus: Arthur Grimes on why building many, many more social houses is so critical
    New research shows that tenants in social housing - such as these Wellington apartments - are just as happy as home owners and much happier than private tenants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The election campaign took an ugly turn yesterday, and in completely the wrong direction. All three ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Old habits
    Media awareness about global warming and climate change has grown fairly steadily since 2004. My impression is that journalists today tend to possess a higher climate literacy than before. This increasing awareness and improved knowledge is encouraging, but there are also some common interpretations which could be more nuanced. ...
    Real ClimateBy rasmus
    3 days ago
  • Bennie Bashing.
    If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • The kindest cuts
    Labour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Green right turn in Britain? Well, a start
    While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    4 days ago
  • At a glance – How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    4 days ago
  • How could this happen?
    Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...
    4 days ago
  • Always Be Campaigning
    The big screen is a great place to lay out the ways of the salesman. He comes ready-made for Panto, ripe for lampooning.This is not to disparage that life. I have known many good people of that kind. But there is a type, brazen as all get out. The camera ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • STEPHEN FRANKS: Press seek to publicly shame doctor – we must push back
    The following is a message sent yesterday from lawyer Stephen Franks on behalf of the Free Speech Union. I don’t like to interrupt first thing Monday morning, but we’ve just become aware of a case where we think immediate and overwhelming attention could help turn the tide. It involves someone ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Competing on cruelty
    The right-wing message calendar is clearly reading "cruelty" today, because both National and NZ First have released beneficiary-bashing policies. National is promising a "traffic light" system to police and kick beneficiaries, which will no doubt be accompanied by arbitrary internal targets to classify people as "orange" or "red" to keep ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Further funding for Pharmac (forgotten in the Budget?) looks like a $1bn appeal from a PM in need of...
    Buzz from the Beehive One Labour plan  – for 3000 more public homes by 2025 – is the most recent to be posted on the government’s official website. Another – a prime ministerial promise of more funding for Pharmac – has been released as a Labour Party press statement. Who ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: The Vested interests shaping National Party policies
    As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that might arise. One of the key individuals of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Labour may be on way out of power and NZ First back in – but will Peters go into coalition with Na...
    Voters  are deserting Labour in droves, despite Chris  Hipkins’  valiant  rearguard  action.  So  where  are they  heading?  Clearly  not all of them are going to vote National, which concedes that  the  outcome  will be “close”. To the Right of National, the ACT party just a  few weeks  ago  was ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago
  • GRAHAM ADAMS: Will the racists please stand up?
    Accusations of racism by journalists and MPs are being called out. Graham Adams writes –    With the election less than three weeks away, what co-governance means in practice — including in water management, education, planning law and local government — remains largely obscure. Which is hardly ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on whether Winston Peters can be a moderating influence
    As the centre-right has (finally!) been subjected to media interrogation, the polls are indicating that some voters may be starting to have second thoughts about the wisdom of giving National and ACT the power to govern alone. That’s why yesterday’s Newshub/Reid Research poll had the National/ACT combo dropping to 60 ...
    4 days ago
  • Tuesday’s Chorus: RBNZ set to rain on National's victory parade
    ANZ has increased its forecast for house inflation later this year on signs of growing momentum in the market ahead of the election. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: National has campaigned against the Labour Government’s record on inflation and mortgage rates, but there’s now a growing chance the Reserve ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Katie Myers. This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Pittsburgh, in its founding, was blessed and cursed with two abundant natural resources: free-flowing rivers and a nearby coal seam. ...
    4 days ago
  • September-23 AT Board Meeting
    Today the AT board meet again and once again I’ve taken a look at what’s on the agenda to find the most interesting items. Closed Agenda Interestingly when I first looked at the agendas this paper was there but at the time of writing this post it had been ...
    4 days ago
  • Electorate Watch: West Coast-Tasman
    Continuing my series on interesting electorates, today it’s West Coast-Tasman.A long thin electorate running down the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. Think sand flies, beautiful landscapes, lots of rain, Pike River, alternative lifestylers, whitebaiting, and the spiritual home of the Labour Party. A brief word ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Big money brings Winston back
    National leader Christopher Luxon yesterday morning conceded it and last night’s Newshub poll confirmed it; Winston Peters and NZ First are not only back but highly likely to be part of the next government. It is a remarkable comeback for a party that was tossed out of Parliament in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 20 days until Election Day, 7 until early voting begins… but what changes will we really see here?
    As this blogger, alongside many others, has already posited in another forum: we all know the National Party’s “budget” (meaning this concept of even adding up numbers properly is doing a lot of heavy, heavy lifting right now) is utter and complete bunk (read hung, drawn and quartered and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    5 days ago
  • A night out
    Everyone was asking, Are you nervous? and my response was various forms of God, yes.I've written more speeches than I can count; not much surprises me when the speaker gets to their feet and the room goes quiet.But a play? Never.YOU CAME! THANK YOU! Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • A pallid shade of Green III
    Clearly Labour's focus groups are telling it that it needs to pay more attention to climate change - because hot on the heels of their weaksauce energy efficiency pilot programme and not-great-but-better-than-nothing solar grants, they've released a full climate manifesto. Unfortunately, the core policies in it - a second Emissions ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • A coalition of racism, cruelty, and chaos
    Today's big political news is that after months of wibbling, National's Chris Luxon has finally confirmed that he is willing to work with Winston Peters to become Prime Minister. Which is expected, but I guess it tells us something about which way the polls are going. Which raises the question: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • More migrant workers should help generate the tax income needed to provide benefits for job seekers
    Buzz from the Beehive Under something described as a “rebalance” of its immigration rules, the Government has adopted four of five recommendations made in an independent review released in July, The fifth, which called on the government to specify criteria for out-of-hours compliance visits similar to those used during ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • Letter To Luxon.
    Some of you might know Gerard Otto (G), and his G News platform. This morning he wrote a letter to Christopher Luxon which I particularly enjoyed, and with his agreement I’m sharing it with you in this guest newsletter.If you’d like to make a contribution to support Gerard’s work you ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Alarming trend in benefit numbers
    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  While there will not be another quarterly release of benefit numbers prior to the election, limited weekly reporting continues and is showing an alarming trend. Because there is a seasonal component to benefit number fluctuations it is crucial to compare like with like. In ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON: Has there been external structural change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase.   Brian Easton writes –  Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • CRL Progress – Sep-23
    It’s been a while since we looked at the latest with the City Rail Link and there’s been some fantastic milestones recently. To start with, and most recently, CRL have released an awesome video showing a full fly-through of one of the tunnels. Come fly with us! You asked for ...
    5 days ago
  • Monday’s Chorus: Not building nearly enough
    We are heading into another period of fast population growth without matching increased home building or infrastructure investment.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Labour and National detailed their house building and migration approaches over the weekend, with both pledging fast population growth policies without enough house building or infrastructure investment ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Game on; Hipkins comes out punching
    Labour leader Chris Hipkins yesterday took the gloves off and laid into National and its leader Christopher Luxon. For many in Labour – and particularly for some at the top of the caucus and the party — it would not have been a moment too soon. POLITIK is aware ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Tax Cut Austerity Blues.
    The leaders have had their go, they’ve told us the “what?” and the “why?” of their promises. Now it’s the turn of the would be Finance Ministers to tell us the “how?”, the “how much?”, and the “when?”A chance for those competing for the second most powerful job in the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • MIKE GRIMSHAW:  It’s the economy – and the spirit – Stupid…
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Over the past 30-odd years it’s become almost an orthodoxy to blame or invoke neoliberalism for the failures of New Zealand society. On the left the usual response goes something like, neoliberalism is the cause of everything that’s gone wrong and the answer ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #38
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 17, 2023 thru Sat, Sep 23, 2023. Story of the Week  Opinion: Let’s free ourselves from the story of economic growth A relentless focus on economic growth has ushered in ...
    6 days ago
  • The End Of The World.
    Have you been looking out of your window for signs of the apocalypse? Don’t worry, you haven’t been door knocked by a representative of the Brian Tamaki party. They’re probably a bit busy this morning spruiking salvation, or getting ready to march on our parliament, which is closed. No, I’ve ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Climate Town: The Brainwashing Of America's Children
    Climate Town is the YouTube channel of Rollie Williams and a ragtag team of climate communicators, creatives and comedians. They examine climate change in a way that doesn’t make you want to eat a cyanide pill. Get informed about the climate crisis before the weather does it for you. The latest ...
    1 week ago
  • Has There Been External Structural Change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase. Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was similar to the May Budget BEFU, ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • Another Labour bully
    Back in June, we learned that Kiri Allan was a Parliamentary bully. And now there's another one: Labour MP Shanan Halbert: The Labour Party was alerted to concerns about [Halbert's] alleged behaviour a year ago but because staffers wanted to remain anonymous, no formal process was undertaken [...] The ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: Ignoring our biggest problem
    Its that time in the election season where the status quo parties are busy accusing each other of having fiscal holes in a desperate effort to appear more "responsible" (but not, you understand, by promising to tax wealth or land to give the government the revenue it needs to do ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • JERRY COYNE: A good summary of the mess that is science education in New Zealand
    JERRY COYNE writes –  If you want to see what the government of New Zealand is up to with respect to science education, you can’t do better than listening to this video/slideshow by two exponents of the “we-need-two-knowledge-systems” view. I’ve gotten a lot of scary stuff from Kiwi ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • New community-level energy projects to support more than 800 Māori households
    Seven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Huge boost to Te Tai Tokerau flood resilience
    The Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Napier’s largest public housing development comes with solar
    The largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Te Whānau a Apanui and the Crown initial Deed of Settlement I Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me...
    Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefit
    Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Immigration settings updates
    Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Poroporoaki: Tā Patrick (Patu) Wahanga Hohepa
    Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Renewable energy fund to support community resilience
    40 solar energy systems on community buildings in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events Virtual capability-building hub to support community organisations get projects off the ground Boost for community-level renewable energy projects across the country At least 40 community buildings used to support the emergency response ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • COVID-19 funding returned to Government
    The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Appointment of District Court Judge
    Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today.  Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
    The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-up
    Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Taupō Supercars revs up with Government support
    The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarter
    The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs
    The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today.   “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • More support for victims of migrant exploitation
    Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Strong export boost as NZ economy turns corner
    An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te Karaka
    The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Further business support for cyclone-affected regions
    The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underway
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General Assembly
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Midwives’ pay equity offer reached
    Around 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • New Zealand provides support to Morocco
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilience
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