Dutton engages in weaponised brutality

Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, August 1st, 2019 - 63 comments
Categories: Andrew Little, australian politics, human rights, immigration - Tags:

Australia’s policy of kicking out kiwis who have lived three for decades and set up businesses and families there has been a cause for difficulties in the Anzac relationship for quite a while.

Already there have been about 1,700 kiwis who have been excluded from Australia and their families and jobs and communities and forced to return to New Zealand.

I described the policy in an earlier post in this way:

The Australians are upset with Andrew Little and are throwing Donald Trump type tantrums to show their displeasure.

What has he done to attract their displeasure?  He accused the Australian Government of having a deportation policy with what appears to have a venal, political strain.

The policy relates to a 2014 law change which increased the Minister of Immigration’s powers to cancel the visas of Kiwis, including those who have lived in Australia for extended periods of time who who are deemed are not of “good character”.

The change of policy has meant that many kiwis have been thrown into custody, separated from family and removed to a country they may not have any links with.

The cases are numerous but include a 17 year old held in an adult detention centre for non violent offending against International Treaties protecting young people, as well as the case of Ko Hapua and Lee Tepuia, both who were deported because they belonged to motorcycle gangs that were not actually illegal.

Tepuia’s case in particular is jaw dropping.  He had lived in Australia since 2005 and his youngest daughter was an Australian.  His forcible removal from his wife and four children has had a devastating effect on him.

And he kept winning in Court yet despite this Dutton kept cancelling his visa and not telling him why.

Clearly the policy is a cause of intense frustration and it is affecting Transtasman relationships.  So what does the Liberal Government do?  Take steps so that tens of thousands and not thousands of Kiwis may be affected.

From Radio New Zealand:

Justice Minister Andrew Little says New Zealand is stuck with Australia’s contentious deportation laws – but the government will continue to raise its objections anyway. Mr Little tackled the thorny subject again during a meeting with the Australian Home Affairs Minister, Peter Dutton, in London overnight. Australia already cancels visas for New Zealand citizens who fail a good character test – even if they’ve lived most of their lives in Australia. They now want the power to cancel the visa of anyone who commits an offence that attracts a two-year jail sentence, even if that sentence is not imposed. Andrew Little says he has raised his concerns about the policies with Mr Dutton again, and with no sign of movement, tension remains high between the two countries.

63 comments on “Dutton engages in weaponised brutality ”

  1. dv 1

    Wasn't that how the brits settled Australia?

    • soddenleaf 1.1

      I think you are all missing the point. This is about debating the issue properly less you fall into the same trap you espouse you hate. Trump emotionalism. Titfortat.

      The issue is pretty clear. Australia is treating kiwis the same as it treats other migrants. That's the issue, since the first European colonists criminals, and others, have freely jumped over the ditch and back. It's the radicalists that have pushed media mogals need to sell copy and bungup the democratic processes with distractions. This is the character of our times. Conservative oxymoronic radicalism.

      The solution is the law. Does a historical right to free movement between our two countries, now under attack despite the costs to both our economies as communities, families, individuals are burdened with readjustment, a civic tax, is a worthy policy of a supposed party of the economy. When individuals on mass in oz realize they cannot expect economic security when a relative is thrown out, when their businesses are hurt by lost workers, when the real costs and risks on average kiwis are brought home to hurting the Australian economy.

      It's precisely, surely, because we are unwilling to debate the reality of rising risks to the rule of law, to economic benefits of free movement of services, of the attack on families that the Australia governing parties, thanks to the lack of media freedom in Aussie. partly due to their electoral system, that blasts you with millions of options and outcomes. but hey stupid economics is the sole preserve of the Tory.

  2. phantom snowflake 2

    Peter Dutton is one of a very few political figures who I find genuinely frightening; a classic slack-jawed dead-eyed psychopath.

    • Macro 2.1

      +1

      Even though Dutton is a really nasty piece of work, we should bestow permanent NZ Citizenship on him immediately.devil

      • greywarshark 2.1.1

        Oh what a piece of work is man etc. What a good idea Macro, Barnaby Fudge loved it like a cup of cold sick and I think it would be so appropriate to honour Peter Dutton in such a way. It would be a sort of reverse riposte, very cunning.

        (Mod: I forgot ‘w.ke’ is out, will redo while I can edit.)

    • ianmac 2.2

      Dutton does not act alone. He can only do that which the Party instructs or approves.

      • tc 2.2.1

        Totally, Ruperts very happy with the election result also. His outlets were a huge factor and now he wants those pesky cross media ownership laws tinkered as payback.

      • SHG 2.2.2

        Dutton does not act alone. He can only do that which the Party instructs or approves.

        aka "that which the voters support"

  3. Tiger Mountain 3

    This is a problem alright, and it will likely extend into other areas of the two country’s relations–even “tit for tat” isn’t practicable–not that revenge is a good strategy in any event–far more NZers are resident in Australia than Australians resident here.

    • New view 3.1

      Why isn’t tit for tat practicable. I’ve never understood that. Are we so scared we will loose a few Aussie tourists or business opportunities. I’ve always thought we were gutless not treating them the same. The government over there have read the Trump handbook and like it. It doesn’t make them very likeable.

      • ianmac 3.1.1

        A good idea New Idea. And if all those other countries who have been getting their people returned did the same, what a fuss would be caused. Its not just NZers.

      • JanM 3.1.2

        Do we really want to behave badly because they do ?

      • Psycho Milt 3.1.3

        It's practicable, just not acceptable. The fact that Australia's immigration policy is run by a "slack-jawed, dead-eyed psychopath" (see comment 2 above) isn't a good reason for NZ's to be run the same way.

        • New view 3.1.3.1

          Not acceptable to you. Is that because you’re a nice guy and want to do the right thing. Set an example to the world. Very noble sentiments but not much use to those affected buy such draconian policies. We are treated like shit by the Aussies, look at the way their referees treat the warriors. Look what arseholes their cricketers have been at times. But we’ll just sit back and take it because we’re morally taking the high ground. We’re never going to change their policies by “bringing up the subject” when the politicians meet. A bit of tit for tat would at least get the media interested.

          • Wensleydale 3.1.3.1.1

            It'd be an excuse to portray Jacinda as a hypocrite for preaching the politics of kindness, taking the high road, being the better person, etc. and then responding in kind. National would have a field day and what would it really accomplish? I'm reasonably sure Dutton's not likely to change his mind. He seems to derive some perverse pleasure from being an arsehole.

            • New view 3.1.3.1.1.1

              I’m not sure National would be any different mostly because they would scared we might loose some business.

              • David Mac

                Nations attempting to right a wrong with a like wrong back the other way has a chronic failure rate.

                It is the simple, knee jerk anticipated reaction destined to end in tears for all.

                I think we'd be better off studying the great diplomatic wins over the centuries. To react in kind solves nothing, it doubles the woes.

          • Psycho Milt 3.1.3.1.2

            Not acceptable to you.

            Not acceptable to anyone who understands the concept of fairness, or even just understands that cruelty by others isn't an excuse for cruelty by us. I'd hope that that's the great majority of people, but right-wingers often do seem to have a highly-compromised set of ethical standards.

            • New view 3.1.3.1.2.1

              PM I think you may find some left wing supporters would happily duck the Aussie punch and return it with a left jab. You seem to be promoting the old lefties are nice and righties are immoral idea. Don’t mind me I’m a righty who happens to be fairly abrasive. I’m sure there are some nice ones, just as there will be rat bag lefties around as well. You stick to being fair. I’m sure it will show in your comments so I’ll remind you if you slip up. 🤭

              • David Mac

                I don't think it's a left/right thing New view. It's a reflection of how we go about living with others.

                Those that don't respond by lashing out in response to a lash out might also have their hearts set on revenge. A revenge that has the perpetrator deciding to alter their form all by themselves.

                That's the only kind of win that counts. Forcing someone to behave in a particular way is always a hollow short lived victory.

                • New view

                  Fair enough David but to my mind retaliation isn’t lashing out. We’ve suffered this bullshit for years. Aussies happily come here and enjoy our social benefits and in return we have to become an Australian citizen to get the same. NZERS living in Aus get treated like shit in the same way. There’s nothing knee jerk about my thought process. They’ve treated us like crap for years.

          • doc 3.1.3.1.3

            100% new view

      • Gabby 3.1.4

        Cos they've got begger tats noovoo. We could have special property ownership laws for our special neighbours though.

    • Sanctuary 3.2

      Do you really think we wouldn't have had a revolution (in the hang the bosses from lamp posts, shoot the priests and turn the churches into palaces of culture kind) if the victims of our low wage, de-unionised economic experiment of the last thirty years had been forced to stay in NZ, rather than exported en-mass to Australia? The free flow of trans Tasman labour is NZ's safety valve for incompetent economic management because it allows us to export our unemployed during a recession, instead of them staying here and imposing crippling unemployment benefit costs and agitating against our boss class. The idea we might lose this safety valve scares the boss class and our political elites shitless.

      • JanM 3.2.1

        Interesting perspective! Trouble is we also export all our expensively trained professionals as well – not that Australia wants to send them back, of course!

  4. vto 4

    This is so not surprising

    It is as Australian as it comes

    They are not particularly pleasant people.

    You could obtain licences to hunt and kill aboriginal people up until the 1930's

    We have little to nothing in common with them and should begin distancing ourselves from this horrible nation

    • Mark 4.1

      Oh FFS, how can you draw any parallels between what happened to the aborigines and the deportation of thugs, rapists, and murderers.

      That sort of false equivalence is downright insulting to people who truly suffered from colonisation

      • greywarshark 4.1.1

        Oh FFS how can you believe the propaganda that all the people are criminals of the worst kind….Mark. Is that par for you, can't stir the fairness synapse – broken?

      • McFlock 4.1.2

        thugs, rapists, and murderers

        You forgot to add "some of them are good people". Otherwise it was a very good impersonation.

  5. Sanctuary 5

    Perhaps we ought to tell the airlines we won't accept these people, and any attempt to land them on our shores will incur an enormous fine.

    Then they'll have little choice but refuse to allow them board, much to the apoplexy of the Australians.

    Of course the airlines will be the meat in the sandwich, but hey – who cares.

  6. jeremyB 6

    Hit them where it hurts. Nationalise their Banks.

  7. David Mac 7

    Australians are like us. We're quick to associate Outlaw motorcycle gangs and powder narcotics. I'd like to know how many of the deportees are affiliated with bike gangs. It appears to be the common denominator. I think Dutton has been charged with window dressing the 'War on Meth' shop-front. Just like here, few families have not had an unfortunate experience with meth, ice, speed etc. Deporting outlaw Kiwi bikers and anyone that shares a beer with them is a soft target vote winner.

  8. SHG 8

    Heckuva job Jacinda, going over there and insulting them in front of cameras really worked.

    • David Mac 8.1

      The world like Jacinda because she wears her heart on her sleeve. If she expressed anything but discomfort with the current status quo she would be lying.

      Yep, it's a vote winner. Not because our Prime Minister shares how she really feels but because the media and their consumers love a bashed face on the front page and a "Another scumbag never to set foot in Aussie ever again." headline.

      • SHG 8.1.1

        That her performance was great for her own polling back in NZ will be reassuring for the Kiwis impacted by Australia's immigration policies. Not only the "bad character" Kiwis getting deported to a country they don't know but also those perfectly law-abiding Kiwis working in Australia who are denied government support.

        • Psycho Milt 8.1.1.1

          National's peddling a bizarre fantasy in which Gauleiter Dutton would be kinder to NZ-born Australians if only Jacinda Ardern were better at sucking up to him. Anyone who's heard Dutton talking about the people he's "othered" knows how ridiculously unreal that idea is. It would be comical if it weren't fucking up people's lives.

      • James 8.1.2

        a vote winner huh? She still can’t lead her party to lead National in the polling and we have bridges ffs.

        • Psycho Milt 8.1.2.1

          Well, not in Colmar Brunton's polling, at least. She's got her party leading National comfortably in the Reid Research and UMR polls.

    • Gabby 8.2

      You think it made a difference shggy?

  9. SHG 9

    Doubling down on an already inhumane policy that is already causing intense disruption to your closest neighbour suggests an extreme amount of hubris.

    And every time the policy gets stricter, support for it goes up.

  10. Mark 10

    'Inhumane' my ass.

    New Zealanders are generally for deporting foreigners who commit crimes here.

    Bloody hypocritical for criticizing Australia for what they are doing —they have every right to kick out people who are criminals or on the path to criminality.

    • Gabby 10.1

      Retrospective legislation markymarky, very difficult to comply with laws that don't yet exist.

      • SHG 10.1.1

        Of course it is. Keep your nose clean and don't act like you have rights you don't have. If you're not a citizen, don't act like you can't get deported.

        • greywarshark 10.1.1.1

          Wipe your nose SHG you are getting snotty.

          • SHG 10.1.1.1.1

            IMHO the deportation of criminals is a big red herring. The real unfairness lies in the way that Kiwis on SCVs can't get federal social security, emergency disaster relief, student loans, etc etc etc. I really don't care that people failing the character test are getting deported. I wish NZ would do the same. It's the government support bit that stings.

    • Pat 10.2

      So you see Dutton as a precog?

    • Wensleydale 10.3

      "On the path to criminality." What, so if you have the potential to commit criminal acts sometime in the near or distant future, you should be chucked on a plane and told to sod off back to New Zealand? Seems totally fair. I hope Dutton's ESP is up to the task.

  11. Mark 11

    Dutton needs to be commended for putting the interests of the Australian people first.

    Any country in the entire world has the right to kick out foreign criminals and people of bad character.

    I totally support the same for New Zealand to do the same thing. You are not a New Zealander and you commit an offence here —then fuck off

    Likewise I support the right of the Hong Kong government to hand over corrupt officials and criminals who committed crimes in China back to China, death penalty or no death penalty.

  12. Craig H 12

    I don't care if this became law for all future convictions because at least people know what to expect for future actions and can generally avoid it, but making it retrospective is reprehensible.

    • Graeme 12.1

      You've got me wondering if Dutton's not using this little bit of "kiwi bashing", which is raw red meat to the dinkum aussie, to get a precedent for other retrospective law changes affecting other immigrant groups, or the wider Australian population.

      • Wensleydale 12.1.1

        Or he's just a xenophobic hobgoblin drunk on power. He routinely overrules tribunal decisions regarding visa cancellations, he's alienated doctors after overseeing massive cuts to the health system, South Africa hates him after he suggested white farmers should be allowed to enter Australia on humanitarian grounds, the courts have repeatedly told him to pull his head in, he boycotted Kevin Rudd's apology to indigenous Australians, he finds the notion of Pacific nations being swamped by climate change 'amusing', and he reacts to journalistic criticism about as well as someone with a peanut allergy reacts to a peanut brownie — going so far as to call one journalist "a mad fucking witch". He's an appalling human being and utterly unfit for office. If Andrew Little wants to give Dutton a verbal kicking every so often, more power to him.

        • Mark 12.1.1.1

          <i>He's an appalling human being and utterly unfit for office.</i>

          Typical liberal speak, dehumanizing those who disagree with them, always from the position of virtue signalling and smug moral superiority.

          The counterfactual is lives could well have been lost in Australia, had Mr Dutton not put in place his garbage removal policies.

          • Wensleydale 12.1.1.1.1

            Heh. Dehumanizing those who disagree with me? I did refer to Dutton as a human being, and I'm not the one referring to people as 'garbage'. I simply listed a catalogue of Dutton's 'greatest hits', but don't let his track record of being a shitty person discourage you from singing his praises. Don't you have an Alt-Right rally to attend or something?

      • Craig H 12.1.2

        Wouldn't surprise me. Unlike here, where we treat residents (i.e. people who who hold resident or permanent resident visas) as quasi-citizens, the Aussie legal framework is less favourable to residents, and more prone to retrospective changes. In theory this encourages people to take up citizenship, but in practice, can cause some awkward outcomes.

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

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