Does a ‘news medium’ consist of spreading defamation, lies and rumours?

Written By: - Date published: 2:55 pm, June 22nd, 2014 - 45 comments
Categories: blogs, law - Tags: , , , ,

The Whaleoil blog is in court on Monday to determine if it is a news media under the Evidence Act. There is a full day session in the High Court in Auckland looking at the appeal by Cameron Slater against Judge Blackie’s decision in the District Court that the Whaleoil blog is not a news medium.

At issue is a question of Cameron Slater being able to protect the source that gave him stolen material to copy. This material appears to have been provided solely to allow Cameron Slater write a long series of posts around 2012 at Whaleoil about the owner of that material, Matthew Blomfield.

Those posts were in my opinion clearly defamatory about the individual Matthew Blomfield. Indeed even some of court documents from Cameron’s lawyers appear to in at least part acknowledge that. Matthew Blomfield rightly sued for defamation.

In his discovery motion to support his case, he wanted to know the source that provided his documents and hard disk to the blogsite and Cameron Slater. I suspect that he saw the defamation emanating not only from Cameron Slater’s keyboard, but also from the malevolence of the source of the material that Cameron Slater was using to concoct his personal attacks.

Cameron Slater denied to reveal his source and was subsequently subject to a judgement in the District Court that he had to supply the source because the Whaleoil blog was not a news medium. Cameron applied for and was given leave to appeal that decision in the high court.

Now I am of the view that it is usually dubious to treat blog sites including our own as news mediums and therefore worthy of the protection of journalistic sources provided under the Evidence Act. The reason is simple.

Blog sites, especially in New Zealand, don’t have the time or resources to check sources of information, provide some balance about news, have legal advice, or the editorial controls that prevent the attacks on people that having a widely read pulpit of a blog site. We seldom have the time or the money to do it. Moreover most blog sites also provide widely accessible comment sections that publish comments by individuals providing feedback that are loosely moderated at best.

I’m always acutely aware of these limitations when administering our blog site. I have to be. There is no way that I want to wind up in court as Cameron has done through something being published on our site.

But the law is pretty clear that irresponsibly defaming any person or any entity in our current law by claiming that a opinion, deeply held or not, is fact is not part of what makes up a civil society. As a personal matter, I really don’t want to do that at a personal level because to make that widespread and protected by law would be horrendous for our society.

However this restraint isn’t that constraining. The Lange vs Atkinson decision back in the 1990s showed the balance point between debates that are in the public interest and those that are not. Having opinions on and speculating about politicians and other people in the public sphere It means that myself and the tens of thousands of others who write on this site can express their opinions about politics,

Sure it is quite feasible to run what is effectively a news medium in a blog style format. The online sections of most acknowledged news mediums here do. However they are characterised by the same levels of control that their broadcast and print relatives do as well. Articles and posts are checked by editorial staff. Dubious sourcing is run by lawyers for risk assessment. In news articles and even opinion pieces, attempts are made to provide fairness and balance. In the event of legal action these are all put in front of the court to show that they were done.

To me, this responsible approach to disseminating the stories and opinions of the day is what characterised a news medium.

Back in 2012, the Whaleoil blog appears have done none of these things. Instead of being responsible about what he was writing, Cameron Slater in his freedom from those journalistic restraints and responsibilities. He stated his opinions as facts and seldom moderated the comments that did the same.

You can understand why. At the time he was under-employed and living off an assortment of insurance payments, sickness benefits, and the odd jobs. Moreover he was, as he has acknowledged, also “demanding” payment from companies and individuals when he wrote posts that were unfavourable to their opponents and favourable to them. In short he was selling his services as an public relations attack blogger. His comments on his blog and other online media like twitter and facebook were that he wasn’t a journalist, he was a “partisan blogger”.

I believe him. His claims to being a journalist only came after he was sued for defamation and asked to disclose his source for the material that made up the core of the defamation. They look more like an attempt to keep his funders identity private before they got joined into the suit than any kind of journalist protecting their sources in the public interest.

It will be interesting to see arguments that Blomfield and Slater present to the court tomorrow.

 

Here are a few backgrounders. They have links to many other posts.

45 comments on “Does a ‘news medium’ consist of spreading defamation, lies and rumours? ”

  1. Tom Jackson 1

    I agree with most of this. But..

    Blog sites, especially in New Zealand, don’t have the time or resources to check sources of information, provide some balance about news, have legal advice, or the editorial controls that prevent the attacks on people that having a widely read pulpit of a blog site.

    I’m not sure this prevents them from being journalism in any meaningful sense. Blogs are, among other things, ideally suited to single issues or local issues (like the Christchurch rebuild). I don’t see any problem with them reporting on issues combined with linking to and echoing other sources. Newspapers source many stories from elsewhere.

    If you are a one person show with a phone and a notepad it’s perfectly possible to follow the norms of journalism IMHO. If you could show you were doing that, you ought to be considered a journalist.

    Slater isn’t a journalist because he doesn’t adhere to the common principles of journalistic ethics. He has an economical relationship with the truth, does not minimise harm, does not act independently and displays little in the way of accountability. The Len Brown story was a case of Slater violating all four of these basic principles at once. He is not a reporter, since all normal principles of journalism are for him subservient to the goal of promoting his favoured faction of the National Party.

    • lprent 1.1

      Yes that doesn’t stop you from making a story. We do that all of the time.

      But the question is if such a one man band should have special laws to protect themselves and their sources. It is easy enough to start up a blog – essentially free at startup on wordpress.com. Write some story with “sources” and then claim journalistic protections?

      Hardly.

      As far as I am concerned you have to act like a news medium should and as a journalist should to be considered for getting those protections. It isn’t issued carte blanche. It is also something that the courts should decide.

      If it is considered to be carte blanche, then those protections and privileges for news mediums and journalists need to be removed. They provide too much power to defame and get away with it as Cameron Slater is trying to do.

      Incidentally, on this subject. I’d put the “investigations” team from NZ Herald in the same category at present.

      • Tom Jackson 1.1.1

        But the question is if such a one man band should have special laws to protect themselves and their sources. It is easy enough to start up a blog – essentially free at startup on wordpress.com. Write some story with “sources” and then claim journalistic protections?

        Well, I wouldn’t want to exclude such people from journalistic protection. Newly employed journalists or newly published freelancers get protected because they piggyback on the reputation of their employer, but that won’t work for bloggers starting out. I also don’t see a problem in an established journalist resigning to start his or her own self-published site (Glenn Greenwald has sort of done this), and it would be very problematic to deny such a person the status of a journalist.

        The best answer for me is that if a blogger has for a reasonable length of time demonstrably functioned according to the norms of journalism, they should be treated as a journalist. As you say, a court should decide, but the bar should not be set too high.

        Slater obviously fails this one.

        Ditto the Herald at the moment.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1.1.1

          Can of worms, opened you have.

          Does the High Court need the extra work of keeping tabs on whose ethics have sunk to Slater/Armstrong depths?

        • lprent 1.1.1.2

          In this area the law is a bit of an ass at present with this “news medium” thing.

          For instance if you are a journalist writing a book as David Fisher did about DotCom, then you are not working for a news medium (regardless of how news worthy the book is). The crown can compel you to exercise your rights under a the Privacy Laws to gain material for the crown as part of a discovery motion. WTF?

          http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/the-big-chill/

          The way that the law is worded the first part is accurate. A book publisher isn’t a news medium despite the fact that they often act like one, which begs the question about why it was worded that way? The Press Council seems to have been the cause?

          The second part that the state can compel you to exercise your rights under the Privacy Act to gain information for them points to a complete balls up by the legislature.

          • Tom Jackson 1.1.1.2.1

            Yep, it needs a rethink and a rewrite.

          • veutoviper 1.1.1.2.2

            Not wanting to divert the discussion from the main Slater/Blomfield case being heard today by Judge Asher, but for anyone interested, here is Judge Winkelmann’s judgement on the David Fisher/Dotcom book situation via the NBR files.

            http://www.nbr.co.nz/sites/default/files/CIV2013-404-2168%2016-06-2014.pdf

            The judgement covers a range of other matters with the Fisher book decision and reasons covered in paras 56 to 77. This very recent (June 17?) judgement is obviously contraversial, and being discussed widely at present. But it will be interesting to see whether Judge Asher refers to or takes J Winkelmann’s judgement into account when dealing with the Slater case.

            • lprent 1.1.1.2.2.1

              That is fine. I have wanted to look at the Fisher case. But lack of time is always and issue…

              Feel free to discuss that case as well. It looks at a different aspect of the same legal problem.

  2. mickysavage 2

    Best of luck to Matt Blomfield!

  3. JonoN 3

    Wish I could be there. Unfortunately, I’ve got to appear at Wairoa District Court, a good six-odd hours drive from the Auckland High Court… Guess I’ll just have to read about it here or in the papers (I’d say I could read about it at Whaleoil, but I’m not entirely certain I can trust Mr Slater to present an accurate version of events…)

    • lprent 3.1

      Yeah, I’ve just been reorganising things a bit so I can be there for a chunk of it.

      I rather think that it it could be quite interesting.

      • Tom Jackson 3.1.1

        Aren’t there rules against gloaters?

        • lprent 3.1.1.1

          Nope. Just people doing things like tweeting

        • JonoN 3.1.1.2

          Personally, I’d love to be there as it’s a rather interesting legal issue that lprent and I have rather diverging opinions on. ‘twould be fascinating to be there to hear the arguments and the questions that the High Court may fling at the parties! It will be interesting to hear your take on how it went, lprent…

  4. Ha!

    When I first saw the heading;

    Does a ‘news medium’ consist of spreading defamation, lies and rumours?

    I thought it was going to be a blog about the Heralds recent behaviour. lol

  5. kenny 5

    Isn’t this what the NZ Herald and Armstrong are doing right now?

    If WailOil is found not to be a journalistic site then the same ruling should apply to the NZ Herald.

  6. Jackal 6

    There is no way that I want to wind up in court as Cameron has done through something being published on our site.

    Doubtful that will happen LPRENT. After reading the Standard for a number of years I think I can safely say that you’re not the type of person who would be dealing with stolen property in order to mount a smear campaign that has clearly defamed somebody.

    I expect Slaters defense to collapse miserably just like it did when he ignored an official suppression order and revealed the identities of sexual abuse victims. In fact the judge’s ruling in this case is likely to humiliate the deluded Slater, and rightly so. The sooner that old sewer is closed down the better.

    • miked999 6.1

      “I expect Slaters defense to collapse miserably just like it did when he ignored an official suppression order and revealed the identities of sexual abuse victims.”

      That’s incorrect. Slater was convicted of breaching name suppression by revealing the names of the abusers – not the victims. There’s a difference.

      • felix 6.1.1

        Not so, mike.

        At least one of the alleged* offenders was accused of abusing the child of his partner. Identifying the accused inherently identifies the partner and the child.

        That’s often the very reason for suppression, to protect victims. It’s not fucking rocket surgery mike, although Slater never seemed to get his fat head around it.

        *and let’s remember none of them had been found guilty of anything at the time Slater abused their rights

        • miked999 6.1.1.1

          I can’t agree Felix; the statement was made that Slater “revealed the identities of abuse victims” when he did no such thing. To assume that naming somebody will automatically identify their partner and the partner’s child – when all 3 are likely to have different surnames (and the child will definitely have a different surname to the alleged perpetrator) is drawing a very long bow indeed.

          • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1.1

            when all 3 are likely to have different surnames (and the child will definitely have a different surname to the alleged perpetrator) is drawing a very long bow indeed.

            That’s right, it’s probably only the teachers, school friends, parents of school friends, family friends, relatives, work mates, neighbours, etc. who will figure it out. Hardly anyone at all that might impact on the victims daily lives.

            What were you, born insensitive and inhumane? Or is Slater the one person in life you’ve somehow learnt to have empathy for?

            • miked999 6.1.1.1.1.1

              You think they don’t already know? Do you think they take all the people that were at the courthouse that day and heard and saw the accused appear, answering to his own name, and lock them up in a tower so they can’t breathe a word of it to anyone?

              What were you, born stupid?

              • Colonial Viper

                Excuse me miked999 but aren’t you interested in the rights of the victims? Or is there a special reason that you want them humiliated again, because you seem fine with it. Yes, their close friends and family MAY know, but how is that your call to make? Please explain.

                Also why is it Slater that you have special empathy for, and not these victims of crime.

                • miked999

                  Aren’t there more than enough things that Slater actually does that annoy you, without having to make shit up? If you start saying he did things that he didn’t do, isn’t that spreading defamation, lies and rumours?

                  Because I thought that was the whole point of this discussion – it’s even in the title.

                  Discuss.

                  • Colonial Viper

                    We’re discussing the likely secondary impacts of Slater’s actions on the victims. He doesn’t live and operate in a vacuum – he lives and operates in a broader society.

                    Why you want to defend his rights so voraciously yet let these victims and everyone who knows them be reminded or informed of what happened, is a mystery.

                    • miked999

                      Pretty poor attempt to deflect the argument and steer it in a completely different direction – not biting, you’ll have to do much better.

                      If making shit up makes you feel better, hey go hard my friend. Then defend it to the death, and whatever happens don’t let the facts interfere with your narrative.

                      Over and out.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      Slater appreciates your defence of his rights, too bad you’re not nearly as concerned about the rights of victims to remain unidentified in the “news media”.

    • lprent 6.2

      I expect Slaters defense to collapse miserably just like it did when he ignored an official suppression order and revealed the identities of sexual abuse victims. In fact the judge’s ruling in this case is likely to humiliate the deluded Slater, and rightly so. The sooner that old sewer is closed down the better.

      I’m not going to try to guess Justice Asher’s decisions are going to be. This is a whole new area for the Evidence Act s68 with blogs being viewed as “news mediums”. I’ll wait for the decision which I presume was reserved (I had to head away before the replies to get my weekly back torture).

      But my impressions about performance/weight were…

      Cameron Slater did ok as a performer. With just enough obvious inflation of himself that I suspect will ultimately detract from his case. He really cannot seem to stop his chronic boasting. It doesn’t take much of that to be torn by later submissions for his evidence and legal points to get discounted.

      Matthew Karam (?) on behalf of Blomfield seemed a bit awkward with the material, but was making some pretty key legal points.

      However I suspect that Miles as the amicus was by far the most interesting to the Justice Asher in terms of weight.

      The “news medium” part really wasn’t at issue by either party because of the “observations of news” part of s68. Which is a pain because that to me really was the interesting bit. Conversely that also means that breaking news is also going to be irrelevant in future as a test. ie – my commentary on news stories will carry the same weight. So will … phil … .

      Whatever way this goes, I suspect we will wind up with a hell of an interesting legal decision out of it simply because this is the first case under the 2006 Act for blogs. One that will travel around the commonwealth because of the way that part of our act has been picked up by other jurisdictions.

  7. chris73 7

    🙂

  8. Ron 8

    Surely if a respected journalist is denied journalistic privilege when publishing a book then how the hell can a blog claim journalistic privilege

  9. Benoni 9

    I get 90% of my political news from the Whale. I love that Whale oil gives me an interesting preview of the news that is going to come out in the main stream media. The only reason I know of “the Standard” and the daily blog is by reading of them on whale oil. Such an interesting election…an evil self -styled political visionary working at buying immunity from extradition for billion dollar copyright theft, plummeting polls for the left who are bereft any popular appeal, leftist media forlornly trying to convince their tiny readership they are going to win in the election, an unprecedentedly popular likely 3rd term Prime minister. Better viewing than an All Blacks – England rugby test series .

    • McFlock 9.1

      the small words really help you out, too. And the pretty pictures mean you don’t have to manage the difficult task of turning to page three.

    • freedom 9.2

      Your parents must be so proud Benoni. Do they share the same paddock?

      and millsy, yes, the above could also be called judgemental 😉

    • weka 9.3

      “I get 90% of my political news from the Whale.”

      That’s the saddest thing I’ve read all week, and that’s saying something.

  10. dimebag russell 10

    gotta watch out for the courts in New Zealand. They all want their little place in history for making law and being the next lord cook or learned hand.

  11. marty 11

    I’d love nothing more that seeing that creep Slater take one in the face, but we can’t throw out the baby with the bath water here.

    I am puzzled at The Standards’ stance when it comes to Blomfield. In spite of the fact that he may be a useful stick to beat Slater with, he himself is far from an upstanding citizen.

    The Standard providing him with a non critical platform and public support to score one against Slater is going to backfire.

    A dispassionate look says Slater produces news. A dispassionate look says Blomfield’s affairs are of public interest. A dispassionate look say that by publishing Blomfield’s own correspondence any claims of defamation are ridiculous. They are the man’s own written word.

    Not everything that John Campbell does is news. Some of it is plain advocacy. Not all that the Herald does is news. Some of it is plain advocacy. Just because of cute cat videos and the other trash that Oil Slick puts out doesn’t negate the fact that sometimes he does news.

    That Whaleoil is media and Slate a journalist, at times, is really not an issue.

    What concerns me more is that the author and some of the other people here are so blinded by their hatred for Slater that they can’t see that Blomfield is not someone they would normally cuddle up to. He’s clearly committed perjury.

    And I recall Blomfield trying to bring a headhunter slur against slater, using this blog as a vehicle. It wasn’t published anywhere else. Surprise surprise, the head hunters paid him a visit a little while ago to interview him with the wrong end of a gun.

    Do you really think upstanding business people get “overdue letters” from gangs?

    Do you truly think this has been the right horse to back, in spite of the enemy of my enemy being my best friend rule?

    This will come to tears.

    • lprent 11.1

      I am puzzled at The Standards’ stance when it comes to Blomfield. In spite of the fact that he may be a useful stick to beat Slater with, he himself is far from an upstanding citizen.

      I have stance. If you look back you’ll find that Mickey had a different stance, and others have their own stances.

      The Standard is a program and doesn’t have a opinion. We don’t exert editorial controls about views, just behaviour. We simply provide space for some people to author posts and for others to comment on them. To the extent that we provide editorial control it is about not getting sued or pulled in front of a court, and these days being a 3rd party promoter under the Electoral Act and the Broadcasting Act.

      The key depends on what is a news medium. Your view appears to be that it is someone who produces news. But what is “news”.

      The problem is that anyone can produce news by simply making crap up out of the ether or spinning a few facts into a delusional fantasy. Whaleoil has done that for 7 years. The actual amount of hard news that Whaleoil has produced is minimal. Most of the time the “news” that Whaleoil generates is in fact developed by other “news mediums” into news. That makes Whaleoil a source rather than a “news medium”.

      I view a “news medium” as being a body that responsibly checks the information before they publish, and makes some attempt to provide balance.

      Whaleoil as a blog usually doesn’t appear to try to do that any more than we could. Certainly back in 2012, there was nothing that could be regarded as responsibly produced news. His attempts to cover himself with the protections provided for journalists working for “news medium”s appear to have more to do with trying to prevent the disclosure of the murky details about how he received stolen materials than anything else. That probably has more to do with avoiding criminal charges than anything noble.

      Incidentally, if Whaleoil is regarded as being a news medium, then I’ll start campaigning for the protections for journalists to be removed. Clearly if they are given to editorially unrestrained irresponsible fools like Cameron Slater who defame people based on unknown and protected sources, then they are too dangerous to give to “journalists” like him. They need no more protection than Matthew Blomfield as a citizen does.

      • miked999 11.1.1

        If Slater’s blog has produced some news, then by definition isn’t it a news medium? The Herald and other newspapers, universally regarded as news media and afforded the protection of journalists with regard to revealing their sources, do NOT publish news and news only.

        Apart from all the other stuff – advertising, gossip, puzzles, competitions and various other distractions – the Herald and other newspapers publish opinion by the bucketload. Much of it is without balance, and I was told by a long-time political commentator that if both major parties are convinced their biased towards the other, then he’s done his job properly. That’s hardly news, in either respect.

  12. Ad 12

    Lyn I think it’s worth doing a follow up post on the comparison between Whaleoil and NZHerald.

    The blowback from the NZHerald Labour funding story is growing. If the NZHerald can continue to sink so low, and Whaleoil go a fair way into breaking stories, then they are in strong intersection already. Whaleoil is on its way to defeating the NZHerald in its societal impact.

    The Court will have to go straight into the privacy limits question, and uniqueness questions. With the NZHerald about to go totally paywall, blogs will be primary news sources for the public irrespective of their accuracy and ethics. So this era is coming to a close at least in the Auckland region.

    We are looking at the last vestiges of information accuracy being cleared away and replaced by merely free floating clumps of memes aggregating and reaggregating at will.

    The Standard will feel the weight of this most strongly as one of the only popular progressive information sources. This case is a big test for us all.

    • Colonial Viper 12.1

      The blowback from the NZHerald Labour funding story is growing. If the NZHerald can continue to sink so low, and Whaleoil go a fair way into breaking stories, then they are in strong intersection already. Whaleoil is on its way to defeating the NZHerald in its societal impact.

      Yep. The only thing missing from Liu’s signed statement is an assertion that he’s slept with Len Brown in Sky City.

      Wait – could that be why the Herald refuses to release the document!!!?

  13. Sable 13

    Been a while since I visited this site. Good to see its still up and running. Much as I personally reject everything Slater ‘s blog stands for I do believe his blog has a right to be treated as a news medium.

    Why? Because to do otherwise hands too much power to already oligopolistic mainstream media outlets. In effect its saying if you don’t have money and resources you don’t have a right to challenge the mainstream media and to do so with the same protections they enjoy. This offers them considerable advantage and may silence valid dissenting voices.

    Given too the often contentious presentation of facts and opinions posted in the MSM (indeed you yourselves challenge the MSM often) the argument about due diligence is not all that convincing. Just look at the low rating people give professional journalists, alongside politicians and real estate agents.

    You do and should shoulder the risk of defamation in maintaining an blog as any media outlet does but that should be a risk that is accepted if you take on this role irrespective of the size of your media outlet be it a one man band or something more.

    As I said I have no time for Whale Oil and I’m not an apologist but I feel it is appropriate for this decision to be appealed in court.

    • dimebag russell 13.1

      everything you say might be true but the MSM do not tell blatant lies, support rotten eggs, and persecute people who have done nothing but disagree with that big ugly slug.
      That does not give wailboil the right to escape judgement for his slimy rag.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T11:54:24+00:00