Drug testing at music festivals

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, January 7th, 2019 - 18 comments
Categories: alcohol, drugs, education, labour, law, Politics, stuart nash - Tags:

Summer is the season for music festivals, and kids doing what they have done for ever, experimenting with stuff.

Occasionally the results are catastrophic as a young person gets their life traumatically shortened either through a drug overdose or because they have tried a dodgy batch of something.

This is why the topic of allowing participants to test what drug they have in their possession has been topical and is important.

In Europe the service is regularly available.  In Portugal for instance the decriminalisation of the personal use of drugs has meant that this can be treated purely as a health issue.

In Australia there has always been this hand wringing about the issue with critics saying that it will normalise and increase drug taking amongst the poor.  But sense has prevailed and the first festival testing service has been conducted.  And the test suggests that the service provides educational as well as safety benefits.  From Claudia Long at ABC news:

Dr David Caldicott, clinical senior lecturer at the ANU Medical School and member of Calvary hospital’s emergency unit, led the pill testing team at Groovin’ the Moo after pushing for pill testing at festivals for a number of years.
 
According to Dr Caldicott, there are two things that change young people’s minds about drug taking: “The idea that what they’re taking could kill them and the idea that they’ve been ripped off.”
 
“We’re able to provide both of those messages,” he said.
 
“What we can do is we can change — and it’s quite clear that we do change — how people consume the drugs to such a way that they are unlikely to get hurt.”
 
Research from overseas similarly suggests that pill testing can change people’s decisions around drugs resulting in reduced harm to users.
 
In the UK, two-thirds of users consulted by not-for-profit testing service The Loop said they would not take drugs found to contain harmful substances. More than half said test results had affected their consumption choices and many said they intended to dispose of their drugs or take less of them.
 
Fiona Measham, a professor of criminology with Durham University who led the trials, told the ABC: “About one in five service users give us further substances of concern to throw away after hearing their test result.”
 
A 2003 German study overseen by the Bonger Institute of Criminology at the University of Amsterdam found a bad test result was more likely to result in reduced drug taking.
 
And a survey by Check !t, a pill testing service in Austria, found that about half of those who had their pills tested said the results affected their consumption choices. Two-thirds said they wouldn’t consume the drug if it was found to contain harmful substances.

In New Zealand Police Minister Stuart Nash was asked what he thought about a similar service being offered here.  His response was unambiguous:

Police Minister Stuart Nash wants to see all New Zealand music festivals kitted out with drug testing kits by next summer.

Nash’s comments come after illicit drugs, which contained traces of pesticide, were obtained by police in Gisborne at the Rhythm and Vine music festival earlier this week.

Nash said when it comes to the issue of drugs at music festivals, he wants to see a “more compassionate and restorative approach” when it comes to the use of drugs.

He said drug testing – whereby the chemical makeup and properties of a drug could be assessed before consumption – would be a move towards this approach.

“There are young people that go to these festivals that are taking drugs – I think if we continue to say ‘yeah, this is a bad thing,’ we’re not going to do anything to help mitigate the risk and we’re going to see people continue to end up in trouble.”

He is seeking advice on how other countries deal with the issue of drugs at festivals.

But not everyone was pleased:

Family First National Director Bob McCoskrie said the Government’s approach was “flawed and dangerous”.

“Pill testing will be seen by many younger people especially as a clear endorsement of drug use.”

He said it would send a message that illicit drugs are acceptable and can be safe and will worsen harmful drug use.

And John Roughan in the Herald expressed caution:

The philosophy behind drug testing holds that the law cannot stop people taking harmful drugs if they want to. Therefore it is more compassionate to help them minimise the harm if that is possible, and it will not be possible if the criminal law makes them afraid to seek help.

That will be true for many drug addicts but nobody knows how many have not become drug addicts because their use is a crime. We might get some indication if it ceases to be a crime.

In the meantime, the Government needs to proceed with extreme care. If taxpayers are going to provide drug-testing services at gatherings of young people, it should be done in a way that does not suggest society condones the drugs that pass. The message should be given that, legal or not, messing with mind-altering substances is sheer folly.

Russell Brown was more optimistic and had this to say after the discovery of a drug sample at Rhythm and Vines with traces of paint and pesticides present:

[Drug testing at festivals] looks like it’s coming. We seem to have reached a point where politicians, police and health agencies are on board with realistic harm reduction strategies. A point where, however flawed, an alert has been issued to people who may consume something very harmful.

What needs to happen next is to allow this to be done properly. As Dr Jez Weston of Know Your Stuff wrote in a series for SciBlogs last year, the psychology of drug-checking is just as important as the technology.

“Trust is critical for people in possession of illegal substances to bring them to us for testing. It helps that we’re not the authorities. We are a grass-roots organisation and many of our volunteers have attended, assisted, or organised festivals for more than a decade. Being members of the community we serve nurtures a higher level of trust, in what can be a very exposing situation for our clients,” Dr Weston said.

“We are going out of our way to provide a free service for our clients, so in a sense, it’s a gift from us to them. This sets up a mutual obligation. We’ve provided our clients with a service that they value; it’s now up to them to reciprocate by providing us with something that we value, namely making safer choices about their drug use.”

This kind of harm reduction, the kind that works, is about more than fancy machines. Dr Weston concludes: “The majority of drug users we see are not addicts or drug abusers. They are adults who want to have a good time, are willing to take on a small amount of risk to do this, and are keen to reduce that risk.

I hope the Government heeds the call for an urgent law change so that testing services can be the norm.  And that it is part of an overall process to decriminalise possession of drugs.  The overseas experience suggests that contrary to predictions of doom and gloom young people will not increase their use.

Who would have thought that a nanny state approach to the possession of drugs would have caused more harm than good and that trusting young people, giving them proper information, and making sure that they were not taking substances that contained poisons would have such a positive result?

Good on Nash for being unequivocal on this issue.  I trust that he will follow this through with the necessary law change to make testing regimes the norm.

18 comments on “Drug testing at music festivals ”

  1. Chris T 1

    I don’t particular have any strong feelings either way with this, except it again highlights the mixed messages this government is sending out on drugs.

    Can’t do any harm and if it saves some grief or a few lives then that is a good thing.

    But I think the on the spot testing is pretty limited on what it can actually test for, so I would hope they stress this to the people at the time.

    The one thing I would do is if the drugs are found to be dodgy, is destroy them on the spot rather than letting the people just wander off with them.

    It isn’t that I don’t believe people should have the right to take them anyway. It is that the cynic in me is worried a few might off-sell them or give them away without telling people.

    • JanM 1.1

      I don’t think they’re sending ‘mixed messages’ so much as feeling their way in a country that has a strong seam of deeply conservative and judgemental thinking. That ‘mixed messages’ stuff is just a way of attacking the government rather than being a useful opinion.
      No government can really afford to move too far ahead of public opinion – it is better to shift ideas until a reasonable consensus has been reached, otherwise the outrage and uproar all but defeats the purpose, and risks electoral defeat.

      • Chris T 1.1.1

        Ya think

        We’re going to keep putting ciggies up to stupid money that mainly affects poor people and make the country smoke free as it is so harmful.
        We want to make it easier to smoke weed.

        We encourage police to seek help for users of all drugs rather than enforce the law.
        We want to go mega hard on synth drugs.

        We think young people taking drugs can severely badly affect their developing brains.
        We think we should let kids rock up with drugs and we can test them for them

        etc etc etc

        • JanM 1.1.1.1

          “Ya think”
          Yes thanks, Chris T, I like to believe I think rather than just react negatively

    • SHG 1.2

      No, the current government’s policies are quite easily understandable. If you are a middle-class pakeha, the government wants to help. If you’re poor and brown, bend over.

  2. The Chairman 2

    Not only should drug testing be available at festivals, it should be extended out to towns nationwide and available all year round if we genuinely want to reduce drug harm.

    • JanM 2.1

      Good idea, actually – if testing was easily available it would probably help enormously to cut back the manufacture and sale of the ‘dodgy stuff’ because the ratbags selling it would be too easily found out by the purchasers

    • Chris T 2.2

      That is the other thing.

      While it is probably a good idea, it is only helping some well off kids who can actually afford to spend hundreds of bucks going to music festivals.

      All the rest of the poor kids just get what they are given.

      • The Chairman 2.2.1

        That’s another reason for extending it out to the wider society. The consumption of drugs doesn’t only happen at festivals.

  3. JohnSelway 3

    I went to ADE last year at the Gashouder and you can get testing done + they allow you to have up 6 tablets of ecstasy on you. Given the size of the event it has very issues

  4. Ad 4

    Mickey this needs broadening out a bit.

    Safe and random drug testing will need to be applied to every person of every workforce – much broader than forestry and construction. Politicians to Policemen to judges to pilots to security guards. And every driver of any moving vehicle.

    Recreational drugs are going to become much easier to access and there will be almost no cultural stigna to limit it.

    The consequences we are going to see won’t be limited to a few kids at a dance, and nor should our regulatory response.

  5. Cinny 5

    I’ve been waiting for a thread on this topic, as I’ve plenty to say on said topic.

    Dodgy pills…… man I wish the youth would wise up a bit, sheez just check ‘the pill report’ online and find out what is crap before you purchase. It’s been around well over a decade, you can also get your own kit and test your own pills. Link…..

    https://www.ecstasydata.org/

    For years and years I would go to The Gathering for NY’s. Three day festival, NO ALCOHOL… yes that’s right no booze. As a result, no violence no drama, thousands of people. Most would be on LSD or MDMA, festival goers were issued safe drug taking info, there was first aid where people were specifically trained re drug use. The vibe was second to none, amazing what the lack of alcohol does.

    Also at said festival they would employ people to look like festival goers just to keep an eye on people and make sure everyone was safe, no police needed at all. And say if someone was getting hassled they would step in, if someone was selling dodgy pills, they would be found and kicked out.

    Free drug testing should be available.

    Wake up NZ people would rather get high than drunk at a festival, and there will always be some dodgy buggers that will take advantage of that. Some will press crap rubbish pills just to make a $ and to hell with everyone. See, greed comes in all forms. Another example is the greed of organisers wanting to make $$$$$$ by serving booze, worries about all shit that comes from it (punch up’s etc etc).

    I was thrilled with what Nash had to say about it a few weeks back, good on him.

    Family first…. sheez people do take recreational drugs, they can bury their heads in the sand about it or work with it. Educate the people.

    I know plenty of people who would rather take LSD for a night out than drink booze, festival or no festival.

  6. Cinny 6

    Here’s a link for an excellent article on said topic….

    “On-Site Drug Checking: Reagents, Methods, Harm Reduction, and Politics”

    https://www.erowid.org/columns/crew/2017/02/on-site-drug-checking/

  7. JanM 7

    I can see the point, Cinny, and the sort of person, like me, who just likes a few wines, rather than ‘booze’ would probably not go to a festival like that any more.

  8. fender 8

    Great idea, get on with it!

    Better still, supply government guaranteed authentic drugs for users so there can be no dispute or danger over contents.

  9. Stephen Bradley 9

    Following on from the recent legalisation of non-medical cannabis by the federal government of Canada, I see that cannabis retailing in the province of British Columbia is going to be another line of business largely under the control of the BC government.

    BC Liquor Stores are a chain of crown corporation retail outlets operated by the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch to distribute alcoholic beverages in the province. They are accountable to the Attorney General of British Columbia. They have been in operation for almost 100 years.

    The BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) has also now become the sole, wholesale distributor of non-medical cannabis for the province. LDB will operate standalone, public retail stores and is the only entity to provide online sales, via its online BC Cannabis Store.

    How sensible and practical is that?

    Relative to the current discussion, one can envisage an outreach programme whereby the LDB could provide mobile supply caravans to musical events. A bit like Mr Whippy!
    Only under public ownership and oversight.

    • Ad 9.1

      That Canadian and Scandinavian model would be so bold. Heads would explode of course at the state monopoly since state regulation of alcohol was defeated years ago by supermerket owners and beer barons.

      Still, I like the regulated dispensary conept myself for marijuana.

      Even better if it were only sold as a full Pharmac-regulated and subsidised medicine, rather than as merely an abity to legally possess.

      Bring on proper testing and state regulation!

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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
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  • Two offenders, different treatments.
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    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
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    4 days ago
  • That Word.
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    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
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    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
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    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
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    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
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    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
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  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
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  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
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  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
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    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
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    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
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  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
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    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
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    23 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
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    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
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    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
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    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
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    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
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    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
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    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
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  • Government delivering on tax commitments
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    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
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    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
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  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
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    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
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  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
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    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
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    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
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  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
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    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
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    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
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  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
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    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
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    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
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    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
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    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
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    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
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    1 week ago

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