Du Plessis-Allan jumps the shark

Written By: - Date published: 9:59 am, March 18th, 2018 - 87 comments
Categories: David Farrar, jacinda ardern, labour, Media, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: , ,

My morning coffee was spoilt by doing something that I immediately regretted.  Reading Heather Du Plessis-Allan’s latest article, or as it is known colloquially, click bait, was something I should have prepared myself for.

It contains the sort of analysis that I would normally expect from Cameron Slater.  Even David Farrar has standards sufficient to not sink to these levels although he may prove me wrong.

For hot on the heels of her discovery that Chris Bishop’s social media difficulties were the result of a cunning attack by labour comes this earth shattering discovery, that there is a power struggle under way in the Labour Party and Jacinda is being targeted.

Her reasoning is this:

Labour HQ says its reason for keeping the incident secret from the Prime Minister was to protect the young alleged victims. They say they didn’t want the 16-year-olds further traumatised by fearing the story was spreading.

I don’t buy that.

Firstly, the 16-year-olds didn’t need to know Ardern was told.

Secondly, regardless of whether you believe Labour was trying to protect the kids — or protect itself by covering up the story — there is one obvious point at which the Prime Minister definitely needed to know. That point was when the Labour Party bosses knew the story was about to hit the media.

At that point, Ardern should have been told. The Labour suits should have realised how Ardern would look when confronted by media who knew more than she did. At best she looked like her own party won’t trust her with top secret information. At worst it looked like her own party is scheming against her.

They should have protected her. But they didn’t. Why?

In my view, there may be a power battle going on inside Labour most of us aren’t aware of. I wasn’t aware of it until I stumbled across it last year. It became so fascinating that I wrote an 11,000-word thesis about it at university.

The battle in my view is between party president Nigel Haworth and the Prime Minister.

In the Labour Party, the party president has as much power as the Prime Minister. This is one of the quirks of the party. The president has enough power to force Labour MPs to follow his instructions by passing party rules.

When MPs get badly out of line, the president’s part of the party deals with the discipline. Not the Prime Minister.

In my view, Haworth may have asserted himself as party president. He knows how much power he has, and he’s putting some of it to use.

Of course the party hierachy should have breached any understandings of confidentiality and told all and sundry.  And it is interesting that in Heather’s world breaching confidences is fine as long as no one finds out.  The fact that this issue is being politically weaponised because Jacinda did not know about it speaks volumes of those trying to keep the story running.

Anyone who knows Nigel Haworth would laugh at the assertion that he is engaged in some sort of power play with Ardern.  And the claim is clearly completely devoid of those things which should be a requirement before pontificating publicly, those things being facts.

And there has been this attempt to equate this with Ponygate and Todd Barclay’s Muller’s arguably illegal use of a recording device not to mention one or two other incidents involving MPs engaging in behaviour which probably did not meet the probity test.  The general secretary making an arguably incorrect call on how to treat the disclosure is not the same as engaging in behaviour that is at least morally offensive.

87 comments on “Du Plessis-Allan jumps the shark ”

  1. Anne 1

    I start the ball rolling by repeating an altered comment I made on today’s O.P.

    After a week of hissy fits and histrionics unparalleled in NZ political history over a sexual harassment case that occurred within the ranks of the Labour Party, I present two articles which have appeared in the NZ Herald.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12013364

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12013908

    The first is a well written editorial… reasoned and captures the true essence of the matter.

    The second reads like it was produced by a 10 year old… is full of made up bullshit and whacky theories fit for an 18th century science fiction drama.

    Edit: and the thing that gobsmacks me most of all… none of the media protagonists who have indulged in the hysteria have given even half a thought to the distress they must have caused the young victims of this case.

    • newsense 1.1

      Yep, hypocritical spleen of the rump of the Tory press machine. NZHerald needs to go through more of a revamp. Just hiring Simon Wilson doesn’t balance out all your other commentators.

      • patricia bremner 1.1.1

        Simon who has cancer? That Simon Wilson? Nice guy, horrible situation for him.

    • clare 1.2

      indeed,

      whatever they felt about it those young people have now been used as ammunition in a political attack that is nothing to do with them and has completely ignored their feelings and rights.

    • Michelle 1.3

      You are so right Anne the young people are being used for political fodder the party shit stirring don’t really care about these young people. We need to remember in our country a 16 year old can get contraceptive, have an abortion, have sex. work and pay taxes and get married all they can’t do is legally drink alcohol and vote. They are not children they are young adults. Now there is no excuse for this type of behavior but when we still have court judges in our country that still blame women for wearing skimpy clothing saying this encourages rape etc what do you expect ?

  2. Ad 2

    PM is defending, explaining, rotating.

    PM needs to attack, clean it, repair.

    • mickysavage 2.1

      According to conventional rules of political battle but do you really think this is hurting Ardern? Believe me I have no time for the general secretary but cries for his head seem to be somewhat excessive.

      • Ad 2.1.1

        Agree it’s excessive.

        Regrets.

        Now fire him.

        • ropata 2.1.1.1

          And cause another media stink over unfair dismissal. Are you a Nat mole?

        • Psycho Milt 2.1.1.2

          Now fire him.

          Firing him would effectively declare that all the bullshit spouted by right-wing pundits over the last two weeks was an accurate portrayal of events.

          • Ad 2.1.1.2.1

            It would.

            The Prime Minister would then have to eat it for a while.
            Another cost of doing business when you have to play the janitor when no other damn person in the Party is prepared to do it.
            Key fired people for less – particularly early on – and the caucus got stronger and stronger for 6 years.

            They learned.

            So then the alternative history is this:

            The media keep getting drip-fed stories and innuendo for months, which corrodes the confidence of the public in the Prime Minister … which is, dare we be reminded, the only reason we have this government in place.

            • tracey 2.1.1.2.1.1

              Ad

              Can you remind us who key fired early on?

              • Ad

                Remember that nitwit in housing?
                Heatley? Something to do with a hamburger?

              • Barfly

                Richard Worth?

                • That one’s probably worth a look as a comparison test. In that case, a National Party cabinet minister was sexually harrassing people and engaging in behaviour sufficiently bad for the victim to lay a complaint with the Police. The incident HdPA is frothing about pales in comparison.

                  Key did as Ad recommends and sacked Worth (well, gave him the choice between resigning and being sacked, which is effectively the same thing) and it did indeed protect National from having the details of the incidents made public. But is anyone here proud that Key’s political skills enabled him to put the lid on one of his cabinet ministers being a serial sexual harrasser (at the very least) and avoid any consequences from it?

                  • Akldnut

                    Yes Key acted as soon as he found out about Mike Sabin and sacked him thereby saving us millions by not having to have a by-election after the 2013 General Election.
                    I see clearly that HDA covered that one with the same critical gusto and impartiality as this case

                  • tracey

                    And with respectvto Worth. His behaviour was well known when Key made him a Junior Minister

              • Incognito

                Jason Ede? Where is Jason Ede?

          • stigie 2.1.1.2.2

            Helen would have fired him right away, why he isn’t being fired now is that the PM did possibly know about this early on in the piece and tried to shut it down.

            • tracey 2.1.1.2.2.1

              Please list the number of Presidents and MPs Clark fired.

              I mean Williams absolutely stuffed up the “we have something on Key” thing and stayed on

        • DoublePlusGood 2.1.1.3

          Sorry, why are we firing someone who did their job properly?

          • stigie 2.1.1.3.1

            Keeping it from the kids parents is not doing your job properly.

            “You’re fired”

            • Matthew Whitehead 2.1.1.3.1.1

              Incorrect, keeping confidentiality is best practice in this situation if your goal is to minimize any additional harm, and they should only have supported survivors in telling their parents with their consent. Talk to a survivor’s group to confirm, or listen to HELP’s interview on RNZ.

              What Kirton failed on was making sure the support they offered initially was available and that they maintained contact with the survivors in case they asked for additional support to what they initially requested.

            • tracey 2.1.1.3.1.2

              Do not take advice from Collins.

              She doesnt ( apparently)

              Understand conflict of interest despite being a tax lawyer
              Know that leaking private information to a blogger leading to an innocent man getting death threats is wrong
              Know that as a Cabinet Minister you shouldnt use your power to help your husband
              Know that bullying the police to fudge statistics is wrong

              Care about children? Collins would eat them if she thought it would advance her interests

            • Michelle 2.1.1.3.1.3

              They are not kids stigie they are young adults when they go to family planning they don’t ring us up and say by the way your daughter came today and got contraceptive its a no no ( privacy)

        • Stuart Munro 2.1.1.4

          REDUNDANT, adj. Superfluous; needless; _de trop_.

          The Sultan said: “There’s evidence abundant.
          To prove this unbelieving dog redundant.”
          To whom the Grand Vizier, with mien impressive,
          Replied: “His head, at least, appears excessive.”

          ~ Bierce

        • cleangreen 2.1.1.5

          Ad has some merit but here is what I think is going on now.

          https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/03/18/tv-review-qa-jacinda-under-omnishambles-pressure-the-madness-of-the-greens/

          Yes Jacinda was naive here.

          She was ignorant as we see that the National Party has already got their own “operatives” inside her cabinet now as Shane jones (who jioned the National Government as a Pacific Island representative years ago,) has already showed us this.

          We now see when Jacinda is busy signing off TPP or giving money to other countries the national Party “black ops” will strike to damage her.

          My advice to her now is; she needs to take a firm control so all her ministers must step up while she is “absent here”.

          But Jacinda now needs to get real and re-organise her cabinet soon!!!!!

          Because her ministers like Shane jones ” are now failing her sadly as Shane Jones is an arrogant man that will not meet the community groups and pushes his often right wing policies now since his Gisborne “fuck-up speech “when he said “I have not seen any support for rail”!!!!!!!!!

          Is he an idiot??????

          Our community has for a very long time been calling for Winston Peters policy to re-open our rail to be adopted by this labour NZF coalition!!!!!!
          But Shane Jones is appearing to be deaf it seems, and so far is unresponsive to our repeated requests to his office to meet us but still wont meet with us on this.

          Then now National are attacking Ron Marks to now also for using a helicopter so yes right wing attacks are abundant now so jacinda watch your back now.

          Shane Jones needs to be ‘sorted’ by Jacinda now.

      • RedLogix 2.1.2

        It’s 2018 mickey …. women do whatever the fuck they want.

  3. Pat 3

    ‘The government is in disarray!’

    If nothing else the current (and previously employed) strategy of the National Party is exposing its fifth column and cast of useful idiots….sadly, it is effective for a portion a the electorate and has the added ‘bonus’ of repulsing many from political engagement.

    The only effective counter is to get on and improve things for enough of the public to enable re election.

    • Pat 3.1

      P.S.
      …and console ourselves with the knowledge that the Herald will likely disappear from our lives in the not too distant future.

      • Michelle 3.1.1

        agree 100% with Pat also we can see why it wouldn’t be in our best interest for the dom and the herald to join forces, that would be double jeopardy. We know full well who our media favour and during election time the gnats get free lobbying and advertising courtesy of the herald and mediaworks.

  4. red-blooded 4

    I thought the discussion on Media Watch this morning was reasonably balanced. They don’t seem to have a link up – maybe later?

  5. newsense 5

    You say it was the kind of analysis that you would expect from Cameron Slater. Remember that time when there was a bizarrely partisan or some odd column that ran briefly under Heather’s name and then was posted under a different name?

    Anyway this is the headline news on the NZherald site and proof that, as they keep publishing Mike Hosking that they are the official National party opinion site. Did David Cunliffe help a constituent? Don’t apologise after, just don’t be partisan hacks in the first place.

  6. Sparky 6

    Putting all of this aside a better question to address to Labour is do they still think they are a party of the left? After all like it or not its leftist voters who hold the real balance of power.

  7. ropata 7

    It was Todd *Barclay* (not Muller) rumoured to have been secretly recording his staff and then Bill English subsequently helping him out by text bombing her and then quietly sweeping things under the rug, and deleting evidence.

    Also why is the media hunting this story instead of
    a) NZDF lies about Afghanistan
    b) The division of NZ into property owners vs renters that is effectively apartheid
    c) a Chinese company stealing Christchurch’s water supply and bottling it for sale

    [Right you are. Corrected – MS]

    • Venezia 7.1

      Exactly my thinking Ropata.

    • dukeofurl 7.2

      Was more than a ‘rumour’. Bill Englishs statement to police had him saying Barclay told him about recordings and asked him if ‘he wanted to listen to it’

    • Michelle 7.3

      what about Indian brides being abused and no qualified builders on Auckland sites with illegal immigrants found a huge immigration scam. Partly due to the gnats education policies that opened the flood gates and them interfering with market polices to drive down our wages.

      • Philg 7.3.1

        And isn’t it the responsibility of the owner to ensure that their house builders are competent in building a non leaky house, lest it should leak down the track?

  8. Baba Yaga 8

    “Of course the party hierachy should have breached any understandings of confidentiality and told all and sundry.”

    The PM is not ‘all and sundry’. She should have been told. On the other hand, HDPA’s turning this into some internal power play within Labour is total nonsense.

    • dukeofurl 8.1

      She is generating a ‘lead’ that can be followed up with more news stories during the week.
      Wait for the inevitable question to Ardern about a power struggle. Its nonsense but thats how stupid ideas become mainstream- someone has to be a useful idiot

      • Babayaga 8.1.1

        It should only gain traction if there is more to the story than HDPA’s ramblings. Emphasis on SHOULD. Unfortunately baseless innuendo can create a backstory that gains traction.

        • dukeofurl 8.1.1.1

          Yes . Too strange . HPDA isnt even a member of the Press gallery, thats the people who do follow what people are saying around parliament.

          • Incognito 8.1.1.1.1

            Hubby is a Life Member of the Press Gallery. They are still married, aren’t they?

  9. patricia bremner 9

    This is a useful distraction National supporters have used and Duplicity Allen to spread it further.

    In few articles do they mention the well being of the youngsters concerned, as that seems of no concern to them.

    Each time the story is repeated with more details, real and imagined. Now a “Witness” who is talking to the Herald but not the Police?

    The idea of a “split” in the Labour ranks is because National and Duplicity Allen can’t imagine not telling everyone and sundry. So, that is why Jacinda Ardern wasn’t told?
    Really???

    IMO Labour should not talk of it anymore, except to say “the police are looking into it, and we will await the inquiry findings at this juncture, as we have done what the law allows and it is out of our hands now.”

  10. Incognito 10

    So, HDPA wrote a university thesis on ABBA (all-bu-but-Ardern)? Given that she has repeatedly demonstrated that she cannot distinguish fact from fiction and cannot separate personal bias from critical & logical thinking I doubt that she passed with a high thesis grade. Then again, one can always become a tabloid writer for NZH …

  11. JM 11

    “Of course the party hierachy should have breached any understandings of confidentiality and told all and sundry.”

    If the Young Labour adult organisers of the event who kicked out the alleged 20yr old he day after the incident, then agreed not to communicate with police or the victims’ parents – is the communication with Andrew Kirton four days after the incident not a breach of the same confidential understandings they claim for not telling the Prime Minister?

    • dukeofurl 11.1

      So you know personally exactly what level of confidentiality they were promised ?

      Or you ‘have heard’ what they were told ?
      ‘Police and parents’ seems a particular group that werent told.

      • JM 11.1.1

        “So you know personally exactly what level of confidentiality they were promised ?”

        Nope, do you?

        It’s a genuine attempt to understand where the so-called “understandings of confidentiality” lines were drawn and/or breached.

        Seems weird that in the cold-light-of-day after an ugly incident like this, four 16yo victims raised the sexual assault matter with whichever adult organiser(s) were on-site the next morning. If, as has been reported by Kirton, the same victims were NOT keen to disclose the incident to a “wider circle” i.e. parents and police, why was that same adult circle widened to include him FOUR DAYS after the fact. He was clearly NOT one of the adults they confided in on-site.

  12. Tracey 12

    How come John Key could not remember things for 9 years and it was pretty much okee dokee by the media etc, Ardern isn’t told something and the world is ending.

    Constantly forgetting important matters of government and public interest is much worse than not having been told about it at all.

    • dukeofurl 12.1

      Key was very matey with all the commentators, calling them all the time on the phone, offering tips, gossip, spinning stories.
      You name it, but they almost never gave the game away as ‘coming from JKs lips’

  13. JustPassingThrough 13

    Well one instance is not enough to prove a conspiracy as opposed to simple idiocy and incompetence. But if a pattern emerges of Labour party officials dropping the PM in the crap then you have to start to wonder. Correct?

  14. adam 14

    Definition of crass
    1 a : gross 2a; especially : having or indicating such grossness of mind as precludes delicacy and discrimination
    b : being beneath one’s dignity crass concerns of daily life
    c —used as a pejorative intensifier crass flatterycrass propaganda
    2 : guided by or indicative of base or materialistic values crass commercialism crass measures of success
    3: Du Plessis-Allan

  15. Kat 15

    This weekends MSM lead lines:
    “PM made to look like chump”
    “this already weak govt”
    “power struggle in Labour”
    “one of the quirks of the Labour party”
    “Winston Peters out of control”
    “greens do deal with national”
    “Labours honeymoon is over”

    And so the ramping up is ramping up…………..

  16. dev 16

    What a ridiculous thing to say. Why on earth would Haworth want to bring down Jacinda? What purpose would that possibly serve?

    Also, I’m fairly sure he doesn’t unilaterally set rules for the Party and the MPs. Nor does he discipline MPs.

    She has to know that none of this is plausible. I’m kinda curious to have a look at this 11,000 thesis on the Labour Party she wrote. Is it online anywhere?

    • rightly or wrongly 16.1

      Well, thinking hypothetically, say that proposition was correct you would have to ask who would benefit?

      Ardern holds the position as PM and leader of Labour so presumably the conspirators would be either wanting to assume these positions for themselves or for someone they support. (I can’t imagine anyone conspiring to be able to replace her as Minister of Children)

      Given that her public profile is likely the only reason why Labour is in Government it would seem somewhat foolhardy to turf her out.

      I think it is a bit far fetched. The old adage, ‘Never ascribe to malice what can be explained by incompetence’ rings true.

      The only possible credence is whether factions within Labour are crystal ball gazing and are jostling for position in the event that for some reason (medical/life choice) Ardern decides not to return to politics after giving birth.

      In this unlikely eventuality then there would be indeed be ructions around who would replace her and how would this affect the coalition government.

    • Incognito 16.2

      I’m afraid not as only Masters and PhD theses must be deposited in the Auckland University Library. So, unless HDPA makes her Honours thesis publically available it will be lost to mankind.

      At first, I was also interested in her thesis but I’ve now changed my mind; I can do better things with my time than reading 11,000 words written by HDPA – I even refuse to read her tabloids in the NZ Herald.

  17. Pete 17

    I too have a thesis. It doesn’t run to 11,000 words, only 51.

    “Opinions are neither right nor wrong but merely personal views and the act of them being published is no measure of their value, sense or reasonableness.

    Many of the nearly five million people in New Zealand are old enough to have opinions. Heather Du Plessis-Allan is just one of those.”

    • AB 17.1

      Pete
      Could I please add another 19 words?
      “And there is no reason why her opinions should be published in preference to yours, mine or anyone else’s”

    • Carolyn_Nth 17.2

      ex- Auckland University students statements:

      Heather du Plessis-Allan, Journalist

      “I loved studying Political Science so much so that other subjects were dull by comparison. I loaded my degree with as many Political Studies papers as I could find that would give me not only a major, but also a minor and a third subject. That turned out to be a good choice because it was while studying politics that I finally decided on a career in the media. I believe my study of media politics has given me the skills to analyse and question not only my stories but also my industry. When I’m writing a story I find that one of my yard sticks is whether my former lecturers would approve.”

      Oh dear.

    • tracey 17.3

      I heard another version of this

      Opinions are like arseholes. We all have one.

  18. mikeyapples 18

    Totally sick of opinion pieces by her and Hoskings being given literally top of the page placement over news. Surely this transparent click bait/bias is grounds for a press standards complaint. Any advice out there? I am sick of this shit in the Herald and would love to stick them up one over this crap.

    • tc 18.1

      Exactly and wtf is Curran through all of this dirty politics 2.0.

      Thought she was tasked with toughening this space up, its not too hard if you mandate such words as OPINION and ADVERTISING as bold headings for non factual pieces.

      These shills need bells around their necks for the sheeples benefit to assist in digesting an owned media.

      • tracey 18.1.1

        Are you advocating censorship? Surely all Curran coukd do is speed up funding into public broadcasting? Mind you they could reintroducing the Charter?

        • tc 18.1.1.1

          I’m advocating that factual pieces are identifiable so any errors in them can be pursued.

          If it’s a rant opinion piece, advertorial, postulation then it should state as much so it can be treated as such i.e. non factual.

          Public broadcasting is a part of the clean up however you ignore this type of deliberate positioning , casually passed an item off as if it’s factual, at your peril if truth’s a valued commodity.

          • Wensleydale 18.1.1.1.1

            So anything authored by Hosking, Hawkesby, Soper or du-Plessis Allan would be tagged ‘hyperbolic nonsense’, ‘delusional conspiracy theory’ or ‘further evidence of profound mental illness and/or the abuse of psychotropic drugs’?

      • Carolyn_Nth 18.1.2

        Curran appointed a digital advisory group this week. Some on the left that don’t rate Curran that much, were pleasantly surprised by the line up.

        Clare Curran announced the first eight members of the Digital Economy and Digital Inclusion Advisory Group today.

        “This Government wants to see every New Zealander able to participate fully in our society and it’s clear that our future will be a digital-rich world. The economy and everyday interactions will be increasingly driven or supported by digital technology,” says Ms Curran.

        The government can’t stop and bark at every passing car. Labour did well in managing the Labour Youth camp failings.

        Someone from the government needed to step up about the Operation Burnham lies and cover ups.

  19. Lloyd 19

    Surely this story is the perfect example of a Cambridge Analytica meme. If you haven,t followed this story in The Guardian on-line, I urge you to check it out.

    You might also want to delete your Facebook account while you are cancelling your Herald subscription.

  20. Venezia 20

    Has The Herald exposed the long standing sexual misconduct of Russell McVeagh and other big law firms to this degree? It is interesting that a journalist trained to Honours level can produce such unsubstantiated click bait, ignore the advice given after consultation with sexual abuse support groups, and make opinionated statements about relationships of Labour hierarchy. Would her lecturers approve??

  21. Peter 21

    What I want to know is who finances Du-Plessis-Allen to write her typical nonsense in MSM. Clearly she is someones puppet.

  22. Delia 22

    This column was one of the most childishly written, I think I have read in 48 years of reading newspaper social commentary and that is really saying something.

  23. UpandComer 23

    Why wasn’t Ardern told? If we believe she didn’t know, why wasn’t she told Labour had resided over the sexual assault and intoxication of underage girls, then did nothing except for utter banalities about covering it up ‘for the victims sake?’. Looks like the feminist air has gone out of that particular bilge.

  24. Michelle 24

    she ( Jacinda) could have done a jhonkey and said ‘I cant recall’ many dumb dumb kiwis had no problem with that line

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    It’s Friday again and Christmas is fast approaching. Here’s some of the stories that caught our attention. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered some of the recent talk around the costs, benefits and challenges with the City Rail Link. On Thursday Matt looked at how ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • End-of-week escapism
    Amsterdam to Hong Kong William McCartney16,000 kilometres41 days18 trains13 countries11 currencies6 long-distance taxis4 taxi apps4 buses3 sim cards2 ferries1 tram0 medical events (surprisingly)Episode 4Whether the Sofia-Istanbul Express really qualifies to be called an express is debatable, but it’s another one of those likeably old and slow trains tha… ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 8
    Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro arrives for the State Opening of Parliament (Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)TL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:New Finance Minister Nicola Willis set herself a ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand’s Witchcraft Laws: 1840/1858-1961/1962
    Sometimes one gets morbidly curious about the oddities of one’s own legal system. Sometimes one writes entire essays on New Zealand’s experience with Blasphemous Libel: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/blasphemous-libel-new-zealand-politics/ And sometimes one follows up the exact historical status of witchcraft law in New Zealand. As one does, of course. ...
    3 days ago
  • No surprises
    Don’t expect any fiscal shocks or surprises when the books are opened on December 20 with the unveiling of the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU). That was the message yesterday from Westpac in an economic commentary. But the bank’s analysis did not include any changes to capital ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49 2023
    113 articles in 48 journals by 674 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects Diversity of Lagged Relationships in Global Means of Surface Temperatures and Radiative Budgets for CMIP6 piControl Simulations, Tsuchida et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0045.1 Do abrupt cryosphere events in High Mountain Asia indicate earlier tipping ...
    3 days ago
  • Phone calls at Kia Kaha primary
    It is quiet reading time in Room 13! It is so quiet you can hear the Tui outside. It is so quiet you can hear the Fulton Hogan crew.It is so quiet you can hear old Mr Grant and old Mr Bradbury standing by the roadworks and counting the conesand going on ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • A question of confidence is raised by the Minister of Police, but he had to be questioned by RNZ to ...
    It looks like the new ministerial press secretaries have quickly learned the art of camouflaging exactly what their ministers are saying – or, at least, of keeping the hard news  out of the headlines and/or the opening sentences of the statements they post on the home page of the governments ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Xmas  good  cheer  for the dairy industry  as Fonterra lifts its forecast
    The big dairy co-op Fonterra  had  some Christmas  cheer to offer  its farmers this week, increasing its forecast farmgate milk price and earnings guidance for  the year after what it calls a strong start to the year. The forecast  midpoint for the 2023/24 season is up 25cs to $7.50 per ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • MICHAEL BASSETT: Modern Maori myths
    Michael Bassett writes – Many of the comments about the Coalition’s determination to wind back the dramatic Maorification of New Zealand of the last three years would have you believe the new government is engaged in a full-scale attack on Maori. In reality, all that is happening ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Dreams of eternal sunshine at a spotless COP28
    Mary Robinson asked Al Jaber a series of very simple, direct and highly pertinent questions and he responded with a high-octane public meltdown. Photos: Getty Images / montage: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR The hygiene effects of direct sunshine are making some inroads, perhaps for the very first time, on the normalised ‘deficit ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Oh, the irony
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Appointed by new Labour PM Jacinda Ardern in 2018, Cindy Kiro headed the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) tasked with reviewing and recommending reforms to the welfare system. Kiro had been Children’s Commissioner during Helen Clark’s Labour government but returned to academia subsequently. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Transport Agencies don’t want Harbour Tunnels
    It seems even our transport agencies don’t want Labour’s harbour crossing plans. In August the previous government and Waka Kotahi announced their absurd preferred option the new harbour crossing that at the time was estimated to cost $35-45 billion. It included both road tunnels and a wiggly light rail tunnel ...
    3 days ago
  • Webworm Presents: Jurassic Park on 35mm
    Hi,Paying Webworm members such as yourself keep this thing running, so as 2023 draws to close, I wanted to do two things to say a giant, loud “THANKS”. Firstly — I’m giving away 10 Mister Organ blu-rays in New Zealand, and another 10 in America. More details down below.Secondly — ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • The Prime Minister's Dream.
    Yesterday saw the State Opening of Parliament, the Speech from the Throne, and then Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s dream for Aotearoa in his first address. But first the pomp and ceremony, the arrival of the Governor General.Dame Cindy Kiro arrived on the forecourt outside of parliament to a Māori welcome. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • National’s new MP; the proud part-Maori boy raised in a state house
    Probably not since 1975 have we seen a government take office up against such a wall of protest and complaint. That was highlighted yesterday, the day that the new Parliament was sworn in, with news that King Tuheitia has called a national hui for late January to develop a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Climate Adam: Battlefield Earth – How War Fuels Climate Catastrophe
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). War, conflict and climate change are tearing apart lives across the world. But these aren't separate harms - they're intricately connected. ...
    4 days ago
  • They do not speak for us, and they do not speak for the future
    These dire woeful and intolerant people have been so determinedly going about their small and petulant business, it’s hard to keep up. At the end of the new government’s first woeful week, Audrey Young took the time to count off its various acts of denigration of Te Ao Māori:Review the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Another attack on te reo
    The new white supremacist government made attacking te reo a key part of its platform, promising to rename government agencies and force them to "communicate primarily in English" (which they already do). But today they've gone further, by trying to cut the pay of public servants who speak te reo: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • For the record, the Beehive buzz can now be regarded as “official”
    Buzz from the Beehive The biggest buzz we bring you from the Beehive today is that the government’s official website is up and going after being out of action for more than a week. The latest press statement came  from  Education Minister  Eric Stanford, who seized on the 2022 PISA ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again
    There was another ETS auction this morning. and like all the other ones this year, it failed to clear - meaning that 23 million tons of carbon (15 million ordinary units plus 8 million in the cost containment reserve) went up in smoke. Or rather, they didn't. Being unsold at ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Assault On Maori
    This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Even so, Christopher Luxon has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. In the NZ Herald, Audrey Young has compiled a useful list of the many, many ways that ...
    4 days ago
  • Rising costs hit farmers hard, but  there’s more  positive news  for  them this  week 
    New Zealand’s dairy industry, the mainstay of the country’s export trade, has  been under  pressure  from rising  costs. Down on the  farm, this  has  been  hitting  hard. But there  was more positive news this week,  first   from the latest Fonterra GDT auction where  prices  rose,  and  then from  a  report ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago
  • ROB MacCULLOCH:  Newshub and NZ Herald report misleading garbage about ACT’s van Veldon not follo...
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  In their rush to discredit the new government (which our MainStream Media regard as illegitimate and having no right to enact the democratic will of voters) the NZ Herald and Newshub are arguing ACT’s Deputy Leader Brooke van Veldon is not following Treasury advice ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Top 10 for Wednesday, December 6
    Even many young people who smoke support smokefree policies, fitting in with previous research showing the large majority of people who smoke regret starting and most want to quit. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Wednesday, December ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Eleven years of work.
    Well it didn’t take six months, but the leaks have begun. Yes the good ship Coalition has inadvertently released a confidential cabinet paper into the public domain, discussing their axing of Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs).Oops.Just when you were admiring how smoothly things were going for the new government, they’ve had ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Why we're missing out on sharply lower inflation
    A wave of new and higher fees, rates and charges will ripple out over the economy in the next 18 months as mayors, councillors, heads of department and price-setters for utilities such as gas, electricity, water and parking ramp up charges. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Just when most ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did We Get Here?
    Hi,Kiwis — keep the evening of December 22nd free. I have a meetup planned, and will send out an invite over the next day or so. This sounds sort of crazy to write, but today will be Tony Stamp’s final Totally Normal column of 2023. Somehow we’ve made it to ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • At a glance – Has the greenhouse effect been falsified?
    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 ...
    5 days ago
  • New Zealaders  have  high expectations of  new  government:  now let’s see if it can deliver?
    The electorate has high expectations of the  new  government.  The question is: can  it  deliver?    Some  might  say  the  signs are not  promising. Protestors   are  already marching in the streets. The  new  Prime Minister has had  little experience of managing  very diverse politicians  in coalition. The economy he  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    5 days ago
  • You won't believe some of the numbers you have to pull when you're a Finance Minister
    Nicola of Marsden:Yo, normies! We will fix your cost of living worries by giving you a tax cut of 150 dollars. 150! Cash money! Vote National.Various people who can read and count:Actually that's 150 over a fortnight. Not a week, which is how you usually express these things.And actually, it looks ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Pushback
    When this government came to power, it did so on an explicitly white supremacist platform. Undermining the Waitangi Tribunal, removing Māori representation in local government, over-riding the courts which had tried to make their foreshore and seabed legislation work, eradicating te reo from public life, and ultimately trying to repudiate ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Defence ministerial meeting meant Collins missed the Maori Party’s mischief-making capers in Parli...
    Buzz from the Beehive Maybe this is not the best time for our Minister of Defence to have gone overseas. Not when the Maori Party is inviting (or should that be inciting?) its followers to join a revolution in a post which promoted its protest plans with a picture of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • Threats of war have been followed by an invitation to join the revolution – now let’s see how th...
     A Maori Party post on Instagram invited party followers to ….  Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Join the REVOLUTION! & make a stand!  Nationwide Action Day, All details in tiles swipe to see locations.  • This is our 1st hit out and tomorrow Tuesday the 5th is the opening ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Top 10 for Tuesday, December 4
    The RBNZ governor is citing high net migration and profit-led inflation as factors in the bank’s hawkish stance. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, including:Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says high net migration and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Nicola Willis' 'show me the money' moment
    Willis has accused labour of “economic vandalism’, while Robertson described her comments as a “desperate diversion from somebody who can't make their tax package add up”. There will now be an intense focus on December 20 to see whether her hyperbole is backed up by true surprises. Photo montage: Lynn ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
    The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...
    5 days ago
  • And I don't want the world to see us.
    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    6 days ago
  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    6 days ago
  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    6 days ago
  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    6 days ago
  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    6 days ago
  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • The Song of Saqua: Volume III
    Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...
    6 days ago
  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    1 week ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 thru Dec 2, 2023. Story of the Week CO2 readings from Mauna Loa show failure to combat climate change Daily atmospheric carbon dioxide data from Hawaiian volcano more ...
    1 week ago
  • Affirmative Action.
    Affirmative Action was a key theme at this election, although I don’t recall anyone using those particular words during the campaign.They’re positive words, and the way the topic was talked about was anything but. It certainly wasn’t a campaign of saying that Affirmative Action was a good thing, but that, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • 100 days of something
    It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Look who’s stepped up to champion Winston
    There’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today  – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago
  • What's The Story?
    Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The longest of weeks
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts to
    Like earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...
    1 week ago
  • Under New Management
    1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • Ministers visit Hawke’s Bay to grasp recovery needs
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Cyclone Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, to meet leaders of cyclone and flood-affected regions in the Hawke’s Bay. The visit reinforced the coalition Government’s commitment to support the region and better understand its ongoing requirements, Mr Mitchell says.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity
    New Zealand has joined the UK and other partners in condemning malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government, Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau Judith Collins says. The statement follows the UK’s attribution today of malicious cyber activity impacting its domestic democratic institutions and processes, as well ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Disestablishment of Te Pūkenga begins
    The Government has begun the process of disestablishing Te Pūkenga as part of its 100-day plan, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds says.  “I have started putting that plan into action and have met with the chair and chief Executive of Te Pūkenga to advise them of my ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend COP28 in Dubai
    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will be leaving for Dubai today to attend COP28, the 28th annual UN climate summit, this week. Simon Watts says he will push for accelerated action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, deliver New Zealand’s national statement and connect with partner countries, private sector leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • New Zealand to host 2024 Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM). “Having just returned from this year’s meeting in Nouméa, I witnessed first-hand the value of meeting with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security and defence matters. I welcome the opportunity to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Study shows need to remove distractions in class
    The Government is committed to lifting school achievement in the basics and that starts with removing distractions so young people can focus on their learning, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.   The 2022 PISA results released this week found that Kiwi kids ranked 5th in the world for being distracted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Post-Cabinet press conference
    Most weeks, following Cabinet, the Prime Minister holds a press conference for members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. This page contains the transcripts from those press conferences, which are supplied by Hansard to the Office of the Prime Minister. It is important to note that the transcripts have not been edited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme scrapped
    The Government has axed the $16 billion Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme championed by the previous government, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “This hugely wasteful project was pouring money down the drain at a time when we need to be reining in spending and focussing on rebuilding the economy and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
    New Zealand welcomes the further one-day extension of the pause in fighting, which will allow the delivery of more urgently-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of more hostages, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “The human cost of the conflict is horrific, and New Zealand wants to see the violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government his condolences to the family of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut. “While opinions on his legacy are varied, Secretary Kissinger was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Backing our kids to learn the basics
    Every child deserves a world-leading education, and the Coalition Government is making that a priority as part of its 100-day plan. Education Minister Erica Stanford says that will start with banning cellphone use at school and ensuring all primary students spend one hour on reading, writing, and maths each day. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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