Editorial casts doubt on value of Herald’s anonymous editorials
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2:47 pm, January 6th, 2011 - 30 comments
Categories: local government, making shit up, newspapers -
Tags: granny herald
The editorial on Granny Herald by an anonymous writer on the 29th1 entitled “Rail shutdown casts doubt on service’s value” really casts more doubt on the value of the use of editorials than anything else. It displays more of the writers divergence from practical realities than anything else because of its adherence to dog-whistling rather than facts.
If Aucklanders returning to work today have taken to commuting by train they are in for a surprise. No trains have been running in Auckland since Christmas Day. None. The entire service has been taken off the rails until at least January 10 so work can be done on the long-running electrification and upgrading of the network. This must be KiwiRail’s idea of a joke.
Not far from the railway, the Newmarket motorway viaduct is being replaced. The project has been engineered in a way that has enabled the bridge to be demolished and rebuilt in sections with minimal disruption to traffic on the busiest stretch of state highway in New Zealand.
Of course this could have rather more to do with the inherent nature of rail lines compared to roading networks than anything else. Auckland’s roads have multiple lanes and multiple routes, but Auckland’s rail lines either have only double tracks or in places single tracks. So while traffic on a road can be done lane by lane or by diverting traffic into alternate routes, it simply isn’t that easy to do on rail routes. Even a simple moment of thought would reveal the issues.
On our remaining single track you have to shutdown the track to work on extensive areas of the track.
In the case of a double track:-
- It is hard to shutdown a single track because the tracks are very close together and protecting the workers is quite difficult. On multi-lane roads this done by erecting barriers. But this isn’t a viable option on a rail track with minimal separation.
- Scheduling traffic on long single track is tricky to say the least. It relies on switching engines to move in and out of diversions. It is a potential recipe for disaster on double track where the diversions and signalling procedures are not normally used.
In effect the idiot that wrote this editorial is arguing for unsafe practices because it is more convienient. KiwiRail took the sensible course of diverting the low number of rail travellers over the summer break on to buses. Anyone who stays around Auckland over summer knows that the road traffic volumes are typically less than half that of the rest of the year. So adding buses to carry the few people who’d usually use the train doesn’t impact on road congestion the way that it would any other time of the year as IDT commenting on the editorial 2 points out:-
Of course buses can do the job over the Christmas/New Year period. They are half-empty, as are the roads and motorways. But there’s no way they could handle the extra volume outside the holidays. I’m no apologist for KiwiRail’s pathetic management but we don’t need “rail is bad” propaganda from our daily paper.
Andrew on the same page 2 concurs with this
This argument is weak and incredibly flawed. Firstly, the argument that the Newmarket Viaduct remained open throughout is invalid as it did close on September 4 with much publicity encouraging Aucklanders to not only change their travel plans, but not to travel at all. You may remember the extra trains put on that weekend were packed. Additionally, if we apply the same argument to the lack of gridlock resulting from that same Viaduct closure, we would arrive at the conclusion that we do not need the Newmarket Viaduct either. Nor the two currently closed lanes of the Harbour Bridge, which is also uncongested during the same holiday period that the trains aren’t running. In fact, all the motorways are free-flowing, for the same reason that rail can shut down for heavy works at this time of year. A lot of Auckland is on holiday.
Therefore the Christmas rail shutdown is not in any way a valid reason for arguing that Auckland does not need rail.
Isaac on the same page 2 points to the work that is actually being done and its extent
If more investigation had gone into this poorly informed editorial, it would be quite clear why the rail network has been shut down. Not only are bridges being rebuilt and overhead masts being installed, but the tracks themselves which the trains run on, are being realigned and rebuilt in a number of locations throughout the network. To do this work properly and to a high standard, having trains trying to run through the work areas every 15 minutes is going to make things very difficult and much slower and longer to complete.
So the people who commented on this editorial are clearly far more aware of the issues involved in doing the rail upgrades and why they’re done using a complete shutdown over summer than the anonymous writer writing about an Auckland that they clearly don’t understand in Auckland’s only daily paper. So what was the point of this rather daft and ill-informed editorial?
In that case, it may be wondered why the city is getting an upgraded rail service to run at untold operating losses, if buses can do the same job.
It isn’t ‘untold’. Even a Herald editor is probably capable of reading a set of accounts and the subsidies and costs are pretty clearly stated in the accounts of the Auckland public transport system.
The case for upgrading rail rests on assumptions that it will attract many more people to live near a station or become employers in the CBD. It is a gamble the Auckland Council is willing to take with the Government’s money. “Build it”, say our civic visionaries, “and commuters will come”.
They point to the growth in rail passengers since the Britomart terminal was built. But it was apparent to early assessors of the business plan for rail project that it would probably draw passengers from certain bus routes rather than increase public transport patronage overall. That impression is reinforced by the ease with which buses have been substituted for trains during this rail shutdown.
The council-controlled agency Auckland Transport should be aggrieved at KiwiRail’s clumsy project management. A total shutdown is surely not necessary for bridges to be raised to make room for electricity lines, or for other work on the tracks. This is not the first summer shutdown of the project and there is no assurance it will be the last. It is merely the most extensive.
Clearly the idiot who wrote this article clearly hasn’t read the numerous economic costings of rail vs bus public services. The rail public transport upgrades were not put in place to increase property values close to rail stations. They were put in place to reduce the congestion on the roads by reducing the need to increase the number of buses or the cars as Aucklands population increases and housing becomes more dense. This means that we don’t have to massive resources to increase roads capacities in the built-up areas of Auckland.
Anyone who has used the trains and buses is aware of the difference in speed of travel. In the same time as it takes me to travel on the few kilometres of part of the Link bus route to work each day, the train to Onehunga travels from Britomart to the end of its line. There is none of the lurching from lights to lights that massively slows the buses around every road apart from the motorways. But everyone who uses the motorway buses is also aware that even when the motorway isn’t congested, most of the travel time is involved in going on an off the motorway through lights to bus stops.
Of course as the Northern busway shows, the same type of thing can be done for buses as trains, with dedicated lanes and dedicated bus stations. This makes it suitable for moving passengers long distances without delays. However it comes at a cost that is higher than putting train lines in. In the case of the northern bus way it was required to be a motorized route rather than a train track because the cost of putting a train bridge with a lower gradient over the harbor would have been excessive. It bottlenecks at the congested bridge which usually accounts for most of the routes time, but all of lanes are at capacity during rush-hour so creating a dedicated bus lane will have wait for a new crossing – which will probably have train track and the busway converted to track.
Obviously the idiot editorial writer just hasn’t bothered to use their brain or do even the most basic research before penning this editorial. This editorial is merely what bloggers would call a dog-whistle post full of inaccurate coded messages to the small self-selected audience that read the NZ Herald. In this case I suspect that it is written by someone who prefers to spend money on roads rather than public transport and is more interested generally in privatization than public participation, and that is the coded message they are wanting to publish. It makes no real attempt to make clear the arguments for and against the stance taken by the writer as would be the case of a editorial in a better respected publication such as The Economist – where it is policy to do so.
Furthermore it is not even pseudonymous as would be the case on a blog like this one3. However it has been published as being the view of the whole NZ Herald editorial team. The editorials in the Herald have become far more variable over the last few years. You get pieces like this that have been written without any understanding of the topic, and others that do understand what they are writing about and take care to present the issues. In other words it appears that the slow run-down of the traditional print media is letting at least one idiot (and probably more) pushing their own political and personal agendas ineptly thereby tainting the whole concept of an anonymous editorial amongst the others who also write more rational and interesting viewpoints – even when I disagree with their ideas.
Quite simply I’d like to have some idea of what idiot actually wrote this editorial and what their other editorials were so I don’t tar the whole editorial team at the NZ Herald as being idiots. What is probably required is a pseudonym or other type of byline to allow readers to separate the useless chaff from the useful wheat in the editorials. Alternatively a much stronger editorial policy on each editorial with more input from other viewpoints (as is done at The Economist and used to be done at the Herald) would achieve the same thing. However that is probably impossible bearing in mind the diminishing numbers of staff and their skills under the financial pressure of newspapers
But in the meantime, ‘editorials’ like this dog-whistle diminish the credibility of the whole anonymous editorial system as practiced at the NZ Herald.
- I noted this editorial down for writing a post on after Xmas, but was slightly too full to do anything about it.
- One of the real issues with the online version of the NZ Herald is that it doesn’t appear to have any way to link to individual comments as almost every other site does. You’d think that even a newspaper would have figured out how essential that is in a online publication with comment feedback.
- The Standard byline is used on this site for a quite specific purpose that is not an editorial viewpoint. Its internal name is “notices and features” which was somewhat too long and got cut down to “The Standard”. It is used for site features like the OpenMike or some posts where several authors have collaborated. It is also used where we are directly republishing other peoples material that is not first published on this site. It’s internal name
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Billions of dollars in value uplift was identified around the Transmission Gully project, but that was captured 100% by landowners and not shared to pay for the project. Now National is saying value capture should be used for similar projects. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/ Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my ...1 week ago - Weekly Roundup 30-August-2024
Kia ora and welcome to the end of another week. Here’s our regular Friday roundup of things that caught our eye, in the realm of cities and transport. If you enjoy these roundups, feel free to join our growing ranks of supporters by making a recurring donation to keep the ...1 week ago
- Table Talk: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
“That’s the sort of constitutional reform he favours: conceived in secret; revolutionary in intent; implemented incrementally without fanfare; and under no circumstances to be placed before the electorate for democratic ratification.”TO SAY IT WAS RAINING would have understated seriously the meteorological conditions. Simply put, it was pissing down. One of ...1 week ago
- Big Norm and Chris Hipkins
It’s 50 years ago today that “Big Norm” Kirk died of a heart attack in Wellington’s Home of Compassion. Home of Compassion. Although he was Prime Minister for only 623 days, he has an iconic place in New Zealand history, particularly Labour history. When Labour leaders like Jacinda Ardern recite ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #35 2024
Open access notables Arctic glacier snowline altitudes rise 150 m over the last 4 decades, Larocca et al., The Cryosphere: We mapped the snowline (SL) on a subset of 269 land-terminating glaciers above 60° N latitude in the latest available summer, clear-sky Landsat satellite image between 1984 and 2022. The mean SLA was extracted ...1 week ago
- Sign the petition: Keep military-style firearms off our streets
Help us tell the Government that reintroducing military-style firearms should not be up for debate. ...1 day ago - Vast majority of councils support Māori wards
Councils across the country have now decided where they stand regarding Māori wards, with a resounding majority in favour of keeping them in what is a significant setback for the Government. ...2 days ago - Release: Government on the wrong side of Māori wards
The National-led government has been given a clear message from the local government sector, as almost all councils reject the Government’s bid to treat Māori wards different to other wards. ...2 days ago
- Release: Labour congratulates Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki
The Labour Party congratulates Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki on being crowned as the eighth Te Ariki Nui – head of Te Kiingitanga. ...3 days ago
- Green Party welcomes new Maaori Kuiini
The Green Party welcomes the coronation of the new Maaori Kuiini, Te Arikinui Nga Wai Hono i te Po, today in Turangawaewae. ...3 days ago
- ECE teachers deserve better than this Government
The Green Party is unsurprised but disappointed by today’s announcement from the Government that will see our Early Childhood Centre teachers undermined and pay parity pushed further out of reach. ...4 days ago
- Urgent intervention needed on supermarkets
The Green Party is calling on the Government to intervene in the supermarket duopoly dominating our supply of groceries following today’s report from the Commerce Commission. ...4 days ago
- Release: Rainbow youth neglected in mental health funding
Labour backs the call from The Rainbow Support Collective members for mental health funding specifically earmarked for grassroots and peer led community organisations to be set up in a way that they are able to access. ...5 days ago
- Release: Transport in NZ has to be more than just roads
As expected, the National Land Transport Programme lacks ambition for our cities and our country’s rail network and puts the majority of investment into roads. ...5 days ago
- Speech: Barbara Edmonds Building Nations 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa, Thank you for your warm welcome and for having my colleagues and I here today. Earlier you heard from the Labour Leader, Chris Hipkins, on our vision for the future of infrastructure. I want to build on his comments and provide further detail on some key elements ...5 days ago
- Govt transport plan deepens fossil fuel fix
The Green Party says the Government’s new National Land Transport Programme marks another missed opportunity to take meaningful action to fight the climate crisis. ...6 days ago
- Greens call for public to back Wrybill in BOTY and beyond
The Green Party is calling on the public to support the Ngutu Pare Wrybill not just in this year’s Bird of the Year competition but also in pushing back against policies that could lead to the destruction of its habitat and accelerate its extinction. ...6 days ago
- Building consents data bad news for construction
News that the annual number of building consents granted for new homes fell by more than 20 percent for the year ended July 2024, is bad news for the construction industry. ...1 week ago
- Te Pāti Māori Pay Tribute to Kiingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII
Papā te whatitiri, hikohiko te uira, i kanapu ki te rangi, i whētuki i raro rā, rū ana te whenua e. Uea te pou o tōku whare kia tū tangata he kapua whakairi nāku nā runga o Taupiri. Ko taku kiri ka tōkia ki te anu mātao. E te iwi ...1 week ago
- Release: Gaps still to be addressed in callouts response
The Government must guarantee New Zealanders will not be at risk after making changes to the way mental health callouts are handled. ...1 week ago
- Poroporoaki: Kiingi Tuheitia passing
Haere e te Kīngi o te kotahitangi Haere ki o nui, ki o rahi I te pō ...1 week ago
- Green Party pays respects to Kiingi Tuuheitia
The Green Party is paying tribute to the Māori King, Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero XVII, after he passed away earlier this morning. ...1 week ago
- Potaka Brings Whakaata Māori to its Knees
Today’s Whakaata Māori announcement is yet another colossal failure from Minister Potaka, who has turned his back on te reo Māori, forcing a channel offline, putting whānau out of jobs, and cutting Māori content, says Te Pāti Māori. “A Senior Māori Minister has turned his back on Te Reo Māori. ...1 week ago
- Release: National restricts access to disability care homes
With disability communities still reeling from the diminishing of Whaikaha, a leaked document now reveals another blow with National restricting access to residential care homes. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt must help save 230 manufacturing jobs
Labour is calling on the Government and Mercury Energy to find a solution to the proposed Winstone Pulp mill closure and save 230 manufacturing jobs. ...1 week ago
- Govt shirks its responsibility to Whakaata Māori
The Green Party has called out the Government for allowing Whakaata Māori to effectively collapse to a shell of its former self as job cuts and programming cuts were announced at the broadcaster today. ...1 week ago
- NZ First Member’s Bill To Disestablish Auckland Transport
Today New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will restore democratic control over transport management in Auckland City by disestablishing Auckland Transport (AT) and returning control to Auckland Council. The ‘Local Government (Auckland Council) (Disestablishment of Auckland Transport) Amendment Bill’ intends to restore democratic oversight, control, and accountability ...1 week ago - Release: PM fails in constitutional role and leadership
The failure of the Prime Minister to condemn his Minister for personally attacking the judiciary is another example of this Government riding roughshod over important constitutional rules. ...1 week ago
- Waititi urges Rotorua Lakes Council to immediately stop works at Lake Rotokākahi
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and Member of Parliament for Waiariki, which includes Rotorua, has written to Rotorua Lakes Councillors requesting they immediately stop sewerage piping works at Lake Rotokākahi in Rotorua. “Mana whenua have been urging Rotorua Lakes Council to stop works and look at alternative plans to protect the ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Patient care at risk from redundancies
Patient care could suffer as a result of further cuts to the health system, which could lose thousands of staff who keep our hospitals and clinics running. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call on Govt to wake up on child poverty
The Green Party says the latest statistics on child poverty in this country highlight the callous approach that the Government is taking on this issue of national shame. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Police are off the beat under National
Foot patrols around the country have decreased 15 percent since National took office, despite National’s Mark Mitchell claiming otherwise. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Climate denial is an insult to Pacific leaders
Winston Peters’ climate denialism at the Pacific Islands’ Forum is an embarrassing new low. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt must end solitary confinement
The Green Party is urging the Government to end the use of solitary confinement within our prisons after new research revealed some prisoners have been held in confinement for more than 900 days. ...2 weeks ago
- Fossil fuels never the answer in climate crisis
The Government’s moves to enable the import of Liquefied Natural Gas is another step away from the sustainable and affordable energy network that this country needs. ...2 weeks ago
- Government must respect Court’s Uber employee decision
Today’s court ruling upholding the rights of Uber drivers is a message to the Government that it must not tamper with employment protections. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Uber court decision recognises workers’ rights
The Court of Appeal decision that Uber drivers are entitled to employee rights such as minimum wage, sick leave, holiday pay and collective bargaining is welcome news for the drivers involved and their unions. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls on Govt to divest from illegal settlements
The Labour Party is calling on the Government to tell the two major wealth funds, the NZ Super Fund and ACC, to withdraw investments from companies listed by the United Nations as complicit in Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt backtrack on fast-track still not enough
Labour welcomes news that the National Government is backing down on its reckless proposal to give Ministers final sign-off on significant projects, but it’s still not enough. ...2 weeks ago
- Fast track still on track to environmental destruction
Our environment remains at risk despite the Government's proposed changes to its controversial fast-track legislation. ...2 weeks ago
- Ohinemuri River pollution highlights mining risks
The harrowing images of the severely polluted Ohinemuri River caused by an old mining shaft could become a more common occurrence under the mining regime the Government is looking to roll out. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt Incarcerating our Mokopuna into a Failed System
Information released by the Minister for Children has revealed that almost 800 mokopuna Māori have been taken by the state this year, putting it on track for the largest displacement of tamariki Māori since the introduction of Section 7AA in 2019. “Oranga Tamariki is running a crusade against whakapapa Māori ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Chris Hipkins’ Speech to Local Government New Zealand
...2 weeks ago
- Release: Regional deals can’t leave ratepayers picking up the bill again
On the back of a patronising speech to local councils the Government has rushed out an announcement on regional and city deals that leaves out the crucial component – funding. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt in thrall to tobacco lobbyists
The National Government has put the interests of tobacco lobbyists ahead of New Zealanders and their health. ...2 weeks ago
- Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations
A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report. “It will have the mandate ...2 days ago - Passport wait times back on-track
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...2 days ago
- New appointments to the FMA board
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...2 days ago
- District Court judges appointed
Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...2 days ago
- Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand
Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...2 days ago
- New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender
New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...3 days ago
- Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...3 days ago
- Improving access to finance for Kiwis
5 September 2024 The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...3 days ago
- Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia
As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...3 days ago
- Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer
Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations. “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...3 days ago
- More choice and competition in building products
A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...3 days ago
- Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul
On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...4 days ago
- Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...4 days ago
- International tourism continuing to bounce back
Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...4 days ago
- Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency
The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. “That is ...4 days ago
- Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape
The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...4 days ago
- Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...4 days ago
- Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review
Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...4 days ago
- Government backs women in horticulture
“The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says. “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...4 days ago
- Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout
The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...5 days ago
- Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants. “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...5 days ago
- New priorities to protect future of conservation
Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...5 days ago
- Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti
A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...5 days ago
- IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand
The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...5 days ago
- Delivering priority connections for the West Coast
A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...6 days ago
- Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington
A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...6 days ago
- Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato
A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Waikato through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more efficient, safe, and resilient roading network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “With almost a third of the country’s freight travelling into, out ...6 days ago
- Building reliable and efficient roading for Taranaki
A record $808 million for transport investment in Taranaki through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Taranaki’s roads carry a high volume of freight from primary industries and it’s critical we maintain efficient connections across the region to ...6 days ago
- Supporting growth and resilience in Otago and Southland
A record $1.4 billion for transport investment in Otago and Southland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more resilient and efficient network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in Otago ...6 days ago
- Delivering connected and resilient roading for Northland
A record $991 million for transport investment in Northland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s connections and support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that every transport dollar is spent wisely on the projects and ...6 days ago
- Top of the South to benefit from reliable transport infrastructure
A record $479 million for transport investment across the top of the South Island through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will build a stronger road network that supports primary industries and grows the economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We’re committed to making sure that every dollar is ...6 days ago
- Government delivering reliable roads for Manawatū-Whanganui
A record $1.6 billion for transport investment in Manawatū-Whanganui through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s importance as a strategic freight hub that boosts economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. ...6 days ago
- Restoring connections in Hawke’s Bay
A record $657 million for transport investment in the Hawke’s Bay through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support recovery from cyclone damage and build greater resilience into the network to support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that ...6 days ago
- Transport resilience a priority for Gisborne
A record $255 million for transport investment in Gisborne through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and restore the cyclone-damaged network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “With $255 million of investment over the next three years, we are committed to making sure that every transport ...6 days ago
- Prioritising growth and reduced travel times in Canterbury
A record $1.8 billion for transport investment Canterbury through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Christchurch is the economic powerhouse of the South Island, and transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and ...6 days ago
- Supporting growth and freight in the Bay of Plenty
A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Bay of Plenty through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and unlock land for thousands of houses, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in the Bay of ...6 days ago
- Getting transport back on track in Auckland
A record $8.4 billion for transport investment in Auckland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will deliver the infrastructure our rapidly growing region needs to support economic growth and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Aucklanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, phantoms projects, ...6 days ago
- Record investment to get transport back on track
A record $32.9 billion investment in New Zealand’s transport network through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more reliable and efficient transport network that boosts economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “New Zealanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, ...6 days ago
- Consultation is open on gambling harm strategy
Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey has welcomed the start of Gambling Harm Awareness Week by encouraging New Zealanders to have their say on the next three-year strategy to prevent and minimise gambling harm. “While many New Zealanders enjoy gambling as a pastime without issue, the statistics are clear that ...6 days ago
- JOINT STATEMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL VISIT OF NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER CHRISTOPHER LUXON
1. Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim hosted Prime Minister Rt. Hon Christopher Luxon on an Official Visit to Malaysia from 1 to 3 September 2024. Both leaders expressed appreciation for enduring and warm bilateral ties over 67 years of diplomatic relations. The Malaysia – New Zealand Strategic Partnership 2. The ...6 days ago
- Census will now include questions on sexual orientation and gender identity
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government has shifted again on the 2026 census, now saying it will include questions on both sexual orientation and gender identity. In its latest iteration, the government announced on Sunday the census ...1 hour ago - New Zealand takes another step towards US space operations
Analysis - Space has rapidly become more hostile for geopolitical reasons, but what are the threats, and what is New Zealand doing to assess them? ...3 hours ago - Business case to replace NZDF’s Boeing 757s in the works, as repair costs skyrocket
The planes have been plagued by multiple breakdowns, in one case nearly derailing a prime ministerial trade mission. ...5 hours ago
- Mediawatch: Kiingi Tuheitia’s tangihanga – epic broadcast marks new epoch for te ao Māori
“Anticipation is growing. The warriors are ready. They’re preparing themselves. The paddlers are already on their waka,” Scotty Morrison, alongside veteran journalist Tini Molyneux, told viewers from the banks of the Waikato River. It was Thursday, and the body of Kiingi Tuheitia was being escorted to the barge to take ...7 hours ago
- Media focus on small stuff in government’s big-budget transport plan
Some media queried how the $33b national transport plan will be funded. Others highlighted aspects that barely dent the budget. ...10 hours ago
- In pictures: Commonwealth Youth Parliament takes over the House
A Queenslander, a Falkland Islander and a Gibraltarian walk into a debating chamber. It's no joke - just the reality at Parliament this week ...12 hours ago
- An Ode to .. King Luxon
Orient ExpressHot air balloon Number OneIs prepared by the Royal Hot Air Balloon ForceFor Prime Balloonist, King Luxon,And his trade delegation to the Orient.But lo! With a splutter and a puffHot air balloon Number One folds in on itselfAnd deflates onto the field.King Luxon sighs and books a ticketOn a ...13 hours ago - Mike Joy on his memoir and butting heads with Sir John Key
The scientist whose work prompted Sir John Key in 2011 to compare academics to lawyers says it was a "surreal" and "scary" time. ...24 hours ago
- Results of school property inquiry yet to go to Cabinet
The inquiry was completed months ago, but the minister of education is still weighing up its recommendations. ...1 day ago
- ACT pledges pushback on supermarket crackdown
Further regulation of the supermarket sector may hit a snag in the form of David Seymour, who is mounting strong opposition to any such move. ...2 days ago
- The Weekend: Paralympics appreciation vs everyday apathy
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. The Paralympic Games end tomorrow after nearly two weeks of incredible athletic feats. On a purely results basis, New Zealand hasn’t done that well. As of writing (Friday), we’re yet to win a gold medal and are placed 61st out of 74 ...2 days ago - ‘I wish I’d never thought of it’: The Blue Monkey on Suzanne Paul’s back
The infomercial queen looks back on an eventful life in TV, filled with Coronation Street, The Blue Monkey and a lot of reality television. Suzanne Paul is a New Zealand television icon. Born and raised in England, Paul worked around the world for 20 years before she arrived in Aotearoa ...2 days ago
- Auckland’s secondhand bookshops, ranked and reviewed
Shanti Mathias visits and ranks the crème de la crème of Auckland’s secondhand bookshops. From Ponsonby to Grafton to Devonport to Parnell, Auckland has some lovely secondhand bookshops, many of which are huge and deserve to be browsed for hours, embracing the way that all bookstores, but especially secondhand bookstores, ...2 days ago
- The Spinoff Essay: An ode to tea, the universal panacea
Skimmed Alive, Earl Gravy or Peanut Safari, there’s nothing like making someone a cup of tea exactly how they like it. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members. ‘Corrie climax sparks power surge.’ That was ...2 days ago
- ‘A bogan-fuelled track to remind us where we came from’: Blindspott’s perfect weekend playlist
Damian Alexander and Shelton Woolright of Blindspott share their perfect weekend playlist. Few embody the “west is best” mindset as well as Blindspott. So, it’s probably a good thing the bogan rockers will be able to let their West Auckland sensibilities loose as a part of a supergroup comprised of ...2 days ago
- Brokenwood – the international hit with a kiwi accent
It’s been a brutal year for New Zealand television, with the demise of Three’s Newshub news operation, costing 300-odd jobs; and the canning of TVNZ’s highly rated Fair Go, Sunday and Late News programmes.It’s also been announced the long-running soap Shortland Street will be cut to three nights a week, ...2 days ago
- The Secret Diary of .. Christopher Luxon
MONDAYGreat news for the nation! In a gesture that I know will resonate with ordinary Kiwis who look to the Prime Minister as an example of someone who can deliver a set of deliverables that will take root and come to pass, I have sold one of my nine or ...2 days ago
- Short story: I’m a Māori, by Airana Ngarewa
“See that car, ow?” A lime-green Beetle puttered into the distance, barely making the speed limit. “Lady in the front winked at me. Almost crossed the centre line she was so lost in my eyes.”“Bro, that’s the lifeguard. She’s seventy.”Māui shrugged his shoulders. “My swag crosses generational lines. What can ...2 days ago
- Podcast: Does the government have it wrong on gas?
The government is making a poor economic move with its plan to import natural gas according to Saul Griffith, renewable energy advocate and former climate advisor to Joe Biden. Saul Griffith is an author, inventor, scientist and co-founder of Rewiring America. A few years back he managed to convince ...2 days ago
- New measurements reveal the enormous halos that shroud all galaxies in the universe
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanne Fisher, Associate Professor of Astronomy, Swinburne University of Technology The starry part of every galaxy is surrounded by a vast shroud of gas extending out for more than 100,000 light years. Cristy Roberts / ANU / ASTRO 3D Have you ever ...2 days ago
- Opera Eucalyptus is a lush adaptation of Murray Bail’s novel – with a modern twist
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Moya Costello, Adjunct Lecturer, Southern Cross University Opera Australia My first curiosities about the new opera Eucalyptus, an adaptation of Murray Bail’s multi-award-winning 1998 novel, were regarding how Ellen and the many stories told to her by her ultimately successful suitor ...2 days ago
- The Week in Politics: More roads and maybe fewer tourists
Analysis - The government's $32.9 billion transport spend-up, a big hike in the tourist levy, and the prime minister's ferry-free visit to South Korea. ...2 days ago
- Our cities are losing the small, colourful songbirds that give us the most joy
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Read the Herald’s About page.
a. I wasn’t aware that it had one.
b. You’re on the net not obsolete letters to the editor. A link to it like I’d link to ours is easier than bullshitting.
Poor alfa, an unwitting own goal there as the Herald’s About Us “page” merely reads:
APN News & Media is one of the region’s most broadly-based and successful media companies. In addition to publishing New Zealand’s leading metropolitan newspaper, The New Zealand Herald, APN is the largest operator of regional newspapers, radio broadcasting and outdoor advertising in Australasia.
Mm, accountability.
You don’t think Alfa actually expected anyone to follow up on his reference, did you?
The fact alfa manages to type out vaguely coherent sentences meant I assumed there was some minimal level of thought going on … but I am happy to admit I could’ve been mistaken.
…alfa manages to type out vaguely coherent sentences…
…with hilarious results:
http://thestandard.org.nz/englishs-days-numbered/#comment-285405
Cullen caused the world’s first ever recession.
Oh my.
I knew there was a reason I’d never seen it. It was hidden right at the bottom of “Help and Technical Support”. An interesting place to conceal it.
I feel certain it’s only there because some poor web developer told them it was a fairly standard thing to have on websites these days but they didn’t quite get the point … still, “we are a faceless un-accountable cog in a vast Australian machine” while more accurate might have involved too much self-reflection.
And “We’re selling your eyeballs to advertisers” might ruin the act.
Its the silly season – sure, some ill-informed guest gets to write a plonker editorial pushing lies and political agendas but then, the next day, you get something sensible like this:
That the New Zealand Fox News Herald is a voice for the mercantile cannot be denied, but there are swings and roundabouts.
I know. That is really what my point is. Some of the editorials, even the ones that I agree or disagree with, are well written and cover the main points of the argument. Others are stuff that I’d criticize if they were written here because they don’t argue a case. The continuous feedback from the comments section means that every author becomes acutely aware of the need to argue a case. It is clear that author of the editorial that I referred to didn’t bother to try – making it a dog-whistle.
Quite an easy way to look at it is to simply look at the comments that they attract. When they argue around the issue (like your example) rather than simply pouring factual scorn on the contents of the editorial, you’ve hit different people writing.
I’d like the Herald to separate the idiot opinionatedness from those that are actually worth reading. Putting a psuedo byline on would help with that immensely. Then at least we could see what the individual identities are that write the good stuff rather than the crap.
Of course they could simply police their editorial page more closely…
Sure, from a “customer service” point of view, I suppose, knowing who the writer is could save you five minutes of wading through the usual slop served up by the Herald editorial as you choose not to read some authors’ material. But, surely, its about the ideas and the message rather than the identity of the scribe?
Actually I’d usually do it in reverse. If I find a well-argued editorial, opinion, blog, etc somewhere then I’ll typically go back through that persons previous writing to see whatever else they’ve been writing. If they are consistently good then I’ll add their ‘link’ (sometimes just a google search for poorly designed sites) to my reading pad. But I don’t do it for people that aren’t consistently worth reading.
So on our site I’d add me as http://thestandard.org.nz/author/lprent because we have a good lookup by author/category/tag. On other sites I’d use their search features like http://thestandard.org.nz/?s=%40author+lprent&isopen=block&search_posts=true&search_sortby=date Or I could use google like http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=%22By+LPRENT%22+site:thestandard.org.nz&hl=en&num=10&lr=&ft=i&cr=&safe=images&tbs=,qdr:w taking advantage of the pattern of the By: author that we use and the date restrictions on posts to get around the lack of date/time ordering.
At present the ‘NZ Herald editorials’ fall into that inconsistent pattern that makes them worthless as a link to read each day because there is nothing to seperate the idiot from the interesting authors.
Oh, stop showing off. Who in their right mind is going to know what function the expression %22 means in a Google search, let alone “&num=10&ft=i&” ? But yeah, point taken; as a searchable database, the Herald Editorial is seriously deficient. I suspect that’s deliberate.
Most likely I’m just odd but, for me, reading the editorial is important in that it provides a glimpse into the thinking of the board room and/or an inkling of the PR being applied to particular issues. Also, its generally the authors I agree with which I skim and those with whom I disagree that I pore over. So, sure, it would be good to have some sort of identifier, even if it were just a number.
😈
The google link is just
site:thestandard.org.nz “By: LPRENT”
Then in advanced set the date to in the last week.
On our search it would be
@author lprent
In Advanced set to Post and Freshness
Easy… Of course afterwards you get the gobbledygook that is a URL…
The Dom’s editoral today basically boils down to: ‘we’re campaigning against Labour this year, sorry’
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/opinion/4514818/Editorial-Labour-far-from-Treasury-benches
It wheels out the Goff apartment story while mindlessly praising Key. No mention that Key has mismanaged us back into recession.
Well i just wrote a letter to the editor but i dont think they will publish it, i was a little criticle of the Nats. I used some of the stuff i wrote this morning after due editing of the bad language.
When the person/s who wrote this are paying $3 litre for fuel a retraction full of contrition will be the only way to salvage some respect.
This Herald editorial writer = John Roughton. The guy is anti-public transport dunderhead.
It’d be a good bet.
Whoever it is clearly doesn’t use public transport and that is a characteristic of Roughton’s writing. He frequently talks about things that he clearly doesn’t understand the issues in any depth. He also lacks the external discipline that some of the authors who participate in comments sections receive.
Of course that isn’t uncommon, however most of the others who write that way clearly frame their writing as either humor or satire. Roughton appears to regard his writing as serious, which it is – seriously factually deficient.
I actually wrote a comment to this editorial where I pointed out a lot of the same issues that others have with the factuality of the piece and I also compared and contrasted this road-biased attitude to various cities that I have had first experience with. I then suggested that the writer should get in their car and drive back to the provinces in order to let people who had a clue comment on and sort out Auckland’s transport woes.
This comment wasn’t added so I subsequently wrote a more formal letter to the editor regarding the editorial but it wasn’t published either.
Frankly its no loss if the New Zealand Herald heads down the toilet if they can’t even be bothered writing informed and balanced editorials any more….they should’ve checked out Josh Arbury’s fantastic blog over at Auckland Transport to get some decent analysis!
Wow Prent – whatever the hell your point is, you lost me at about line 15.
Yeah yeah your blog and all, but perhaps you need a new years resolution in trying to make a point in under 12 paragraphs? You may find more people get to the end of it.
Baron,
tl;dr
Make point in five words.
Might find people read it.
Actually at line 15 you’d just finished reading the quote and had read 6 lines of my text, and 9 lines of the quote. I can quite understand you finding that editorial rather pointless (I sure did)
Good reading thanks all(commentary & comments) – yeah about the most out-of-line editorial I’ve read
a cursory glance at any of our major metropolitan dailies reveals more and more items of poor scholarship, slipshod analysis and just poor thinking.
a generation of writers are coming through now who have an answer for everything but dont know anything unless its about cars or hip-hop.
the thing is all infrastucture needs maintenance and repair and it is not the end of the world just because something stops for a while.
in any event the alternative is private enterprise.
hohohohohoho.
I don’t waste my money on the local rag and when I pick up a copy at an eating house I never read the editorial simply because the idiots at the paper, to make it look different from the rest of the text on the page, have excessive line lengths … completely ignoring the ‘Golden Mean’ of printing which makes for easier reading which I learnt about when I worked for a publication decades ago. This site suffers from the same problem. It is a balance between type size and line length. But sorry I have forgotten the answer and these days can only appreciate the problem. I’d guess that these lines should be reduced by a third to get close to the GM.
I’m glad I don’t live in Auckland an get riled over dam fool editorials 🙂
It is after all the ‘silly season’ for journalism when all sorts of slack rubbish gets put in for want of proper news.