Ex MP travel expenses – it’s a fair question

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:22 am, October 26th, 2016 - 29 comments
Categories: accountability - Tags: mps, travel perks

Which would be the better use of the money? The Herald poses a fair question:

Some former Kiwi politicians are entitled to FREE taxpayer funded travel as a perk and in the past year they have racked up a $703,000 bill. pic.twitter.com/dtqgpjhkum

— nzherald (@nzherald) October 25, 2016

29 comments on “Ex MP travel expenses – it’s a fair question ”

Comments are now closed

One Anonymous Bloke 1

26 October 2016 at 11:27 am

They formed a union, negotiated a good employment contract, took some perks instead of pay-rises. What’s not to like? 😉
- Lanthanide 1.1
  
  26 October 2016 at 12:19 pm
  
  I wonder what it a net-present-value analysis would show for the value of these benefits, and what it would cost to simply give a lump-sum payout instead.
  
  I’d guess in the region of $20M or so.
  - Lanthanide 1.1.1
    
    26 October 2016 at 12:19 pm
    
    Seems I can’t edit. That’s $20M across all MPs, not each.
Lanthanide 2

26 October 2016 at 12:17 pm

Presumably that’s 140,000 lunches on one single day.

It would be better to calculate how many children could be fed for a whole year, as that compares to the cost of hiring cops and nurses, who are employed for entire years, not just one lunch time.
- Garibaldi 2.1
  
  26 October 2016 at 12:35 pm
  
  This should be Wayne’s area of expertise. Come on Wayne, spill the beans on your perks and what they mean for you.
Whispering Kate 3

26 October 2016 at 1:43 pm

I cannot imagine any other professional body of people being able to negotiate anything near what these troughers have organised for themselves. This is entitlement with attitude if you ask me. Most National voters as all other voters would feel uncomfortable with this utter waste of taxpayer’s money. As for the PM saying it couldn’t be done to retrospectively undo this cushy number – what a pathetic excuse is that for goodness sake. This Government does what it wants when it suits them and other parties are just as bad as each other. No wonder people give up voting and are cynical of the democratic process.

Meanwhile mentally unwell suicide every day for the lack of good professional care. kids go to school hungry – the list goes on and its sickening – we are just a passionless people as Gordon McLauchlan said some years back and we haven’t changed one iota since. How bad is it going to get before we blow the lid off all this corruption – there is no other word for it – its the corruption of hard earned tax dollars nothing less. And to just finish off – tax dollars to aid a heavy weight fight – if it isn’t on free to air then its just another rort of our hard earned dollars. I blame all parties for their selfish behaviour.
- Gangnam Style 3.1
  
  26 October 2016 at 2:12 pm
  
  Well put!
  - Crashcart 3.1.1
    
    26 October 2016 at 2:56 pm
    
    If I remember rightly didn’t they try to retrospectively try to introduce legislation to deny family members pay for caring for people with disabilities? JK didn’t seem to have a problem with slapping regular Kiwi’s doing one of the hardest and most under appreciated jobs in the country. When it comes to his old mates then it is just not the done thing.
- One Anonymous Bloke 3.2
  
  26 October 2016 at 3:02 pm
  
  In fact, low wages for MPs would drive corruption far more effectively, if it’s corruption you’re after. Make it a rich man’s game and encourage them to supplement their earnings: own goal.
  - Groundhog 3.2.1
    
    26 October 2016 at 5:51 pm
    
    Regrettably, you my have a point. Nevertheless, these perks are sickening.
    - One Anonymous Bloke 3.2.1.1
      
      26 October 2016 at 10:42 pm
      
      Then I suggest you lie on your back while you read about them.
AmaKiwi 4

26 October 2016 at 1:59 pm

When children are underfed in refugee camps, the world condemns it in the most damning terms. But not in NZ, because Crusher Collins says the parents are to blame.

Nice work main stream media and opposition parties.
- AmaKiwi 4.1
  
  26 October 2016 at 2:01 pm
  
  Apologies.
  
  I meant to post this under “Tax Cuts” but there doesn’t seem to be an edit function today.
Cinny 5

26 October 2016 at 2:00 pm

That’s a massive sum for just one year. No doubt many would be exploiting the perk. Would be interesting to see just whom is milking it the most.

Will any political party put the people first and scrap this perk?

Those for the perk are so very very selfish, thinking of no one but themselves.
Surely after having an MP’s salary they would have savings to pay for their own travel.

Whom will speak out against it?
Which MP’s will make a stand for the good of the citizens?
- Cinny 5.1
  
  26 October 2016 at 2:03 pm
  
  http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/infographics/1133/261016SPENDINGonline-01.jpg
- AmaKiwi 5.2
  
  26 October 2016 at 2:11 pm
  
  @ Cinny
  
  Did you think our parliament has a higher purpose than to represent the interests of the MPs and those who pay for their campaigns?
  
  When MPs say “parliament is sovereign” they include their God given right to spend OUR tax money however THEY think is best. People like you and me having any say would create too much confusion.
  
  Besides, you and I can’t be trust, but MPs can. (That would make a good “Tui Beer. . . Yeah Right” billboard.)
Siobhan 6

26 October 2016 at 2:02 pm

The fact that the spouses of ex MPs are also entitled to travel perks is very odd. What other employment contracts in NZ cover spouses??
Lady Jane Kidd (Former MP’s spouse) $13,859 on Travel, AND a security access card to Parliament, being one of the two spouses of former MPs who seem to need the privilege..
- Henry Filth 6.1
  
  26 October 2016 at 5:21 pm
  
  Mmmmmmmmm? Judges? But I may be wrong.
One Anonymous Bloke 7

26 October 2016 at 3:00 pm

False dichotomies aren’t the exclusive preserve of right wing nut jobs, I see.

We can either compensate our representatives well or have nurses and school meals? Really?

No, not really.
- weka 7.1
  
  26 October 2016 at 3:49 pm
  
  “Really?”
  
  No. No-one made that argument, but you and your straw man could probably hash it out ;-p
  - greywarshark 7.1.1
    
    26 October 2016 at 10:01 pm
    
    How do strawmen get on on November 5th? It would be a good time to get these guys starting flamewars etc.
- Draco T Bastard 7.2
  
  26 October 2016 at 4:00 pm
  
  Except that we do have limited resources and that puts a limit on what we can do so in reality it is a choice of doing some things or the other things.
  
  The question is our priorities and what we want to happen and what’s actually happening.
Paul 8

26 October 2016 at 3:46 pm

Still waiting for Wayne to comment…….
- Richard Rawshark 8.1
  
  26 October 2016 at 6:26 pm
  
  aww Jeez Wayyyne, where the fuck are YA!
  
  [We all have busy lives, Richard, so a delay in responding is not an issue . Not replying at all is also not an issue. Thrashing your point might be, though. TRP]
Richard Rawshark 9

26 October 2016 at 3:57 pm

700k is a drop in the bucket IMHO, mum told me one UK MP built a moat around his house on taxpayer money, they scammed like Pro’s.

as for MP’s perks of travel, if it’s work related sure, if it’s a perk foir the job they can lose it.

HOWEVER labour been as bad at it as Nats, pair of you lot taking the piss, 35 million electoral budget labour 55 million the nats? and your pleading poverty.

any chance of a look how you spend that money?
Henry Filth 10

26 October 2016 at 5:21 pm

If I recall, the travel benefit was granted in lieu of a pay rise. One of those things which seem easy at the time, which are never properly costed, and which make a good impression at the time.

But which turn out to be a really bad idea, getting worse as time passes.

Stop it for any new MP coming into the house at the next election. Keep it in place for the current crop of beneficiaries.

Last time I popped in to parliament, the few MPs in the chamber generally looked so grey and unwell that looking at them, you wouldn’t give them much time to enjoy it anyway.
- Lanthanide 10.1
  
  26 October 2016 at 10:19 pm
  
  There are quite a few travel perks open to MPs, but the subsidised international travel for sitting MPs has been rescinded for new MPs since 2008.
  
  For former MPs, they only get the subsidy if they were elected before 1999 and served 5 full terms.
  
  https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/david-farrar/david-farrar-a-guide-travel-perks-mps&ved=0ahUKEwjk-p-LkPjPAhUHzWMKHQg7BjEQFggaMAA&usg=AFQjCNHj2yhgFvWxFQ2SGwCFuDkk26P9PQ&sig2=CW9LloBFm6Q3IXzTWpxsMg
  - Henry Filth 10.1.1
    
    27 October 2016 at 6:18 am
    
    Ah, I’m pleasantly behind the times again.
greywarshark 11

26 October 2016 at 10:11 pm

Those ancient MPs will probably be lining up for triple heart by-passes and not going to their Maker (recalled as faulty) for a while yet. (Perhaps another name for the Beehive could be Fawlty Towers).

In the meantime people who do want to plan ahead and go out with a smile are having the ‘over-worked’ police raiding the homes of the sane elderly looking stealing their personal vials of Nembutal or their helium they have put by for when they decide it’s a rainy day. It does make logic though. Elderly people are the new profit centre and another way of feeding off government payments for private companies providing services.

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Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
4 days ago

Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
4 days ago

Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
4 days ago

2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Skeptical Science
4 days ago

Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
5 days ago

Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

Winston remembers Gettysburg.
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
5 days ago

25
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
5 days ago

Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Skeptical Science
5 days ago

Policing protests.
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
6 days ago

Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
6 days ago

Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

More tax for less
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

Real News vs Fake News.
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
6 days ago

Another way to roll
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
6 days ago

Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
Skeptical Science
6 days ago

Cutting the Public Service
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
PunditBy Brian Easton
7 days ago

Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
7 days ago

This is how I roll over
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
7 days ago

Release: National gaslights women fighting for equal pay
National has scrapped the pay equity taskforce that fights for equal pay for women and looks at ethnic pay gaps. ...
Labour Blog
14 hours ago

Release: More job cuts, fewer houses under National
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
Labour Blog
14 hours ago

Release: Children fall deeper through the cracks in Govt cuts
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
Labour Blog
16 hours ago

Release: Labour honours memory of Sir Robert Martin
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour Blog
22 hours ago

Release: 130,000 cattle saved from live export
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Central Bank makes clear Government is pouring fuel on housing crisis fire
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
Greens
2 days ago

New unemployment figures paint bleak picture
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Greens
2 days ago

Release: National’s job cuts already starting to bite as unemployment rises
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Release: National hiking transport costs for families and young New Zealanders
Weekly expenses will grow for more than 1.6 million New Zealanders as the Government ends free and half price public transport fares tomorrow. ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Release: Labour welcomes EU free trade agreement
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Surprise: Landlord tax cuts don’t trickle down
The Green Party is renewing its call for rent controls following reports of rental prices hitting an all-time high. ...
Greens
3 days ago

Release: $1.7b for no increase in access to medicine
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Release: National should heed Tribunal warning and scrap coalition commitment with ACT
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Release: More accountability for preventable workplace deaths this Workers’ Memorial Day
Labour is calling for more accountability for preventable workplace deaths because everybody who goes to work deserves to come home safely. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass Graves
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Māori Party
7 days ago

Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac Day
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summons
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
Māori Party
1 week ago

Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery funding
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Further environmental mismanagement on the cards
The Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environment
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management system
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise Palestine
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kind
The Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Three strikes has failed before and will fail again
Resurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Ferris – Three Strikes targets those ‘too brown to be white’
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Release: Govt cuts doctors and nurses in hiring freeze
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Fast-track submissions period must be extended
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Progress on climate will be undone by Govt
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect them
News that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunches
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Oranga Tamariki cuts commit tamariki to state abuse
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals bill
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Government throws coal on the climate crisis fire
The Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project instead
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priority
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Te Pāti Māori to visit Queensland to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
Māori Party
3 weeks ago

Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi households
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
13 hours ago

Government recommits to equal pay
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
16 hours ago

Transforming how our children learn to read
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
17 hours ago

NZ not backing down in Canada dairy dispute
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
19 hours ago

Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
21 hours ago

Streamlining Building Consent Changes
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Accelerating airport security lines
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Community hui to talk about kina barrens
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Mining resurgence a welcome sign
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Government to boost public EV charging network
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Independent review into disability support services
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Speech – Eid al-Fitr
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Government saves access to medicines
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Pharmac Chair appointed
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Diplomacy needed more than ever
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
7 days ago

Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

PM announces changes to portfolios
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

New catch limits for unique fishery areas
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Overseas decommissioning models considered
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Pay equity taskforce disbanded, 'no longer required' – Minister
The government is being accused of "misdirected priorities" after it disestablished the pay equity taskforce. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

How bad at reading are New Zealand children?
There are more bad readers among our 10-year-olds, but the picture has improved for teenagers, international testing has found. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

Knocked Up, American Pie, the Bean movie: A brief history of NZ music in Hollywood
To celebrate the start of New Zealand music month, we look back at the best local tuneage that managed to weasel its way into Hollywood productions. There’s nothing quite like the thrilling zap of recognition when New Zealand weasels its way into a glamorous Hollywood production. Crack open a Tui ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Casey
2 hours ago

Why I told a cop about my lasagne and what it’s got to do with the media
People trust other people more than institutions. So how can the media gain that trust through journalists without losing what’s important about the institution? Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on two years of curating the news for The Bulletin. Amonth ago, armed cops descended on my neighbourhood as calls to “lock your ...
The SpinoffBy Anna Rawhiti-Connell
2 hours ago

Electoral donations under the microscope with full disclosure imminent
Government consenting and fisheries policy has seen large donations and those directly to MPs scrutinised – full donations will be released as soon as Friday The post Electoral donations under the microscope with full disclosure imminent appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Andrew Bevin
2 hours ago

Fire and Emergency payroll plan scrapped after spending $29m
After three years and millions of dollars, Fire and Emergency’s payroll replacement project is back to square one The post Fire and Emergency payroll plan scrapped after spending $29m appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Emma Hatton
2 hours ago

The Crown versus Māori Children
Essay: If the Crown harms children, how do you hold it accountable? Analysis by Aaron Smale in light of the Waitangi Tribunal court decision. The post The Crown versus Māori Children appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Aaron Smale
2 hours ago

Low levels of ‘forever chemicals’ doesn’t mean we can wash our hands of them
Opinion: PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used widely in everyday consumer items such as textiles, packaging, and cookware, popular for their water, grease and stain-repellent properties. However, the very properties that make PFAS so attractive to manufacturers are also what ...
NewsroomBy Lokesh Padhye and Shailja Data
2 hours ago

This week’s biggest selling books – May 3
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)’ This is the hottest book in New Zealand, number one with a bullet in its first week, selling more than any overseas title, and demand is so huge that it’s already been reprinted. A ...
NewsroomBy Steve Braunias
2 hours ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 3 May
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 3 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
2 hours ago

Daily crossword, Friday 3 May
The post Daily crossword, Friday 3 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
2 hours ago

A cry of help for the James Bond of the bird world
Secretive and shy, the nationally critical, native bitterns are on the edge in Canterbury, a researcher says The post A cry of help for the James Bond of the bird world appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy David Williams
2 hours ago

Drama as the knife hovers over Kiwi soap
A warning – suicide is discussed in this podcast New Zealand’s own long-running soap Shortland Street doesn’t hesitate to kill off its much-loved characters. But would TVNZ dare to kill off our favourite soap? That’s the fear as times get tough in television – even though it’s been pointed out ...
NewsroomBy Sharon Brettkelly
2 hours ago

Fast-track bill is a lolly scramble for deep-pocketed applicants
Opinion: There’s nothing transparent about the fast-track bill despite what ministers say The post Fast-track bill is a lolly scramble for deep-pocketed applicants appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Shay Schlaepfer
2 hours ago

OPM’s Bomanak accuses UN of failing to uphold decolonisation role over West Papua
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan resistance leader has condemned the United Nations role in allowing Indonesia to “integrate” the Melanesian Pacific region in what is claimed to be an “egregious act of inhumanity” on 1 May 1963. In an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Organisasi Papua Merdeka-OPM ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
7 hours ago

Grattan on Friday: O’Neil and Giles dodge the spotlight shining on blunders over ex-detainees
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A key part of the Albanese government’s political strategy is to fill the news cycle with its presence and messaging. Ministers are deployed to the maximum, even when they’ve little to say. This week ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
8 hours ago

Bob Carr confirms intention to launch legal action against Winston Peters
Carr has confirmed his lawyers have written to Peters, informing him they intend to launch legal action against him. ...
Radio NZ – political
9 hours ago

A lot to learn from kura kaupapa Māori – Education Minister
Despite low literacy rates in mainstream schools amongst Māori, the results are the complete opposite in kura kaupapa, Stanford says. ...
Radio NZ – political
9 hours ago

Julie Anne Genter: Greens had 'no prior knowledge' of fresh complaint against MP
A florist says she felt intimidated during a heated exchange with the MP. ...
Radio NZ – political
11 hours ago

Insurance law overhaul passes first reading
Recent extreme weather events showed the importance of a well-functioning insurance system, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister Andrew Bayly. ...
Radio NZ – political
11 hours ago

NZ Foreign Minister Peters accused of ‘entirely defamatory’ remarks about ex-Australian minister
By Jo Moir, RNZ News political editor, and Craig McCulloch, deputy political editor New Zealand’s Labour Party is demanding Winston Peters be stood down as Foreign Minister for opening up the government to legal action over his “totally unacceptable” attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. In an interview on RNZ’s ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
11 hours ago

How much time should you spend sitting versus standing? New research reveals the perfect mix for opt...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Brakenridge, Postdoctoral research fellow at Swinburne University, Centre for Urban Transitions, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute The Conversation, Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock People have a pretty intuitive sense of what is healthy – standing is better than sitting, exercise is great for overall ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
11 hours ago

Into The Deep End – Karori Lifeguard Up For Challenge As Reserve Force Soldier
The Wellington-based Reserve Force soldier is now almost three years into his New Zealand Army career with 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. ...
Scoop politics
12 hours ago

Brazilian couple's residency case taken up by minister after advisor forgets to apply for visa
After multiple pleas and petition, an Auckland couple's residency case is being looked at by the Associate Minister of Immigration. ...
Radio NZ – political
12 hours ago

Fast Track Approvals Bill: None from first day of hearings support bill in current form
None of the groups that spoke to Parliament's environment committee on Thursday supported the bill as it stands. ...
Radio NZ – political
12 hours ago

Australia will trial ‘age assurance’ tech to bar children from online porn. What is it and will ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Haskell-Dowland, Professor of Cyber Security Practice, Edith Cowan University Daniel Jedzura/Shutterstock Responding to a resurgence in gender-based violence and deaths in Australia, the National Cabinet has committed almost A$1 billion to a range of strategies. Tackling “online harms” was among the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
13 hours ago

Government Cuts Put 130 Jobs On The Line At Kāinga Ora, And 40 At HUD
"The Government needs to release the review immediately as this reckless approach to change risks disjointed decision making and creates more distress and uncertainty for staff," Fitzsimons said. ...
Scoop politics
13 hours ago

Jeremiah Manele is new Solomon Islands PM with ‘100 day plan’
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Jeremiah Manele has been elected Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, polling 31 votes to 18 over rival candidate and former opposition leader Mathew Wale with one abstention. The final result of the election by secret ballot was announced by the Governor-General, Sir David Vunagi, ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
13 hours ago

Will Solomon Islands’ new leader stay close to China?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Priestley Habru, PhD candidate, public diplomacy, University of Adelaide Former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected the next prime minister of Solomon Islands, defeating the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, in a vote in parliament. The result is a mixed bag for ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
14 hours ago

A clock in the rocks: what cosmic rays tell us about Earth’s changing surface and climate
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shaun Eaves, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Jamey Stutz, CC BY-SA How often do mountains collapse, volcanoes erupt or ice sheets melt? For Earth scientists, these are important questions as we try ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
16 hours ago

Watch: PM's pre-Budget education announcement for teaching reading
From next year, the government expects all public schools to take a "proven structured literacy approach". ...
Radio NZ – political
16 hours ago

Multiple parties complain over Green MP Julie Anne Genter's conduct
Speaker Gerry Brownlee won't say which parties have taken issue with Julie Anne Genter's outburst. ...
Radio NZ – political
16 hours ago

Aggressive? Homophobic? Stoic? Here’s what thousands of Australian men told us about modern mascul...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Flood, Professor of Sociology, Queensland University of Technology Shutterstock Most young adult men in Australia reject traditional ideas of masculinity that endorse aggression, stoicism and homophobia. Nonetheless, the ongoing influence of those ideas continues to harm men and the people ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
16 hours ago

Watch live as the PM makes pre-Budget education announcement
From next year, the government expects all public schools to take a "proven structured literacy approach". ...
Radio NZ – political
17 hours ago

NZQA Jobs To Go As Government Education Cuts Roll On
The NZQA proposal released to staff today would involve a net loss of 35 roles. There are 66 roles being disestablished with 13 of those currently vacant, and 31 new roles proposed, said Fleur Fitzsimons Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga ...
Scoop politics
17 hours ago

The star-studded New Zealand movie you need to see as soon as possible
Alex Casey talks to Loren Taylor, the writer, director and star of new film The Moon is Upside Down, about assembling her dream ensemble cast, toilet paper pads and turning literal dreams into reality. There’s a moment in The Moon is Upside Down where frazzled anaesthetist Briar (Loren Taylor) gets ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Casey
17 hours ago

Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to cut 40 jobs, NZQA to cut 35
The total number of job losses in the public services has now gone over 3500. ...
Radio NZ – political
17 hours ago

You’ve been ‘volun-told’ to coach junior sport – here’s how to best handle the parents inv...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassy Dittman, Senior Lecturer/Head of Course (Undergraduate Psychology), Research Fellow, Manna Institute, CQUniversity Australia With winter sports swinging into action, adults around the country have volunteered or been volunteered by others (humorously known as being “volun-told”) to coach junior sports teams. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

Do we really need to burp babies? Here’s what the research says
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karleen Gribble, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University richardernestyap/Shutterstock Parents are often advised to burp their babies after feeding them. Some people think burping after feeding is important to reduce or prevent discomfort crying, or to ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

ASB Workers To Strike As Bank Proposes An Effective Pay Cut
Workers at a major ASB contact centre in Auckland have voted to take strike action and withdraw their labour following disappointing pay negotiations with the employer and an "offer" to workers that would leave them worse off than the previous year. ...
Scoop politics
19 hours ago

Where else should phones be banned? The most unruly classroom of all – parliament
As the government tries to get the country back on track with a school phone ban, Tara Ward has an idea for where they should turn their attention to next. New Zealand students returned to school on Monday morning, but their cellphones did not. The government’s new phone ban began ...
The SpinoffBy Tara Ward
19 hours ago

Winston Peters accused of 'entirely defamatory' remarks about ex-Australian minister
The Labour Party is demanding Peters be stood down, saying "he's embarrassed the country" with a "totally unacceptable" attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. ...
Radio NZ – political
19 hours ago

Watch: Labour leader Chris Hipkins speaks to media
The opposition leader speaks to media during a visit with community advocate Dave Letele . ...
Radio NZ – political
20 hours ago

Watch live: Labour leader Chris Hipkins speaks to media
The opposition leader speaks to media during a visit with community advocate Dave Letele . ...
Radio NZ – political
20 hours ago

Public sector job cuts: All Stats NZ staff offered voluntary redundancies
The PSA is concerned the cuts will hit the department's ability to deliver on its core functions. ...
Radio NZ – political
20 hours ago

IPAC wants to see acknowledgement of all cyber breaches against public figures
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance, whose members were victims of a China-backed cyber attack, is discussing forming a standing committee to deal with foreign influence. ...
Radio NZ – political
20 hours ago

Government’s Cuts Put Work Of Stats NZ At Risk
The PSA is concerned that the voluntary redundancies being offered to staff by Stats NZ will impact on the agency’s ability to deliver on its core functions. ...
Scoop politics
20 hours ago

Is cooking with dog food instead of meat actually fine? I gave it a go
Results ranged from surprisingly yum to soul-destroying. I love cooking. The kitchen is a hearth of culinary creation, of sensory delights, of gastronomic poetry. I also can’t afford anything nice. Why does a pack of instant noodles and some milk cost ten bucks? I love you, Aotearoa, but I miss ...
The SpinoffBy Asia Martusia King
21 hours ago

Zero tolerance – Solomon Islands police on high alert ahead of PM election
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Police in Solomon Islands are on high alert ahead of the election of the prime minister today. The two candidates for the top job are former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele at the head of the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation, which is ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
21 hours ago

Fast-track Submitters Must Not Be Silenced Through Poor Select Committee Process
“We’re concerned that if the Select Committee process is poorly run members of the public will be silenced on this deeply troubling Bill.” ...
Scoop politics
21 hours ago

Number of businesses seeking help to downsize doubles as unemployment grows
An advocate says businesses are hurting and are reluctantly having to lay off workers. ...
Radio NZ – political
21 hours ago

Help Me Hera: My friend’s boyfriend Steve is always, always, always around
He’s fine but it feels like I’m losing a friend and it’s making me bitter. How do I say ‘enough is enough’? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Hey Hera, I’ve recently moved in with a girlfriend, her partner Steve, and his friend. We all live in a lovely little house. ...
The SpinoffBy Hera Lindsay Bird
22 hours ago

What junior doctors’ unpaid overtime tells us about the toxic side of medicine
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Hooker, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator, Health and Medical Humanities, University of Sydney PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock What’s been described as the largest underpayment class action in Australian legal history has just been settled. Who was allegedly underpaid? Thousands of junior ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
23 hours ago

We think we control our health – but corporations selling forever chemicals, fossil fuels and ult...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Chartres, Senior Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney shutterstock Ahmet Misirligul/Shutterstock You go to the gym, eat healthy and walk as much as possible. You wash your hands and get vaccinated. You control your health. This is ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
23 hours ago

Here’s how you can talk to your kids about gendered violence, and 7 ways to model good behaviour
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Hendriks, Research Fellow and Lecturer, Curtin University Children and young people may be seeing news headlines about men murdering women or footage of people rallying to call for action. Perhaps they or their friends have even gone to the protests. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
23 hours ago

Why are adults without kids hooked on Bluey? And should we still be calling it a ‘kids’ show’?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Balanzategui, Senior Lecturer in Media, RMIT University ABC “Bluey mania” shows no sign of abating. Bluey’s season finale, The Sign, was the most viewed ABC program of all time on iView. A “hidden” follow-up episode, aptly named The Surprise, created ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
23 hours ago

Over $300K spent on slushy syrup and maintaining machines for prison staff
Corrections has spent over $305,000 on slushy syrup and maintaining frozen ice machines in the past six years. ...
Radio NZ – political
23 hours ago

Winston Peters still trying to find out what Aukus Pillar 2 is about
The Foreign Minister says he is continuing work started by the previous Labour government. ...
Radio NZ – political
23 hours ago

Unemployment up, business confidence down
Labour market figures came in softer than the Reserve Bank had forecast, but they won’t be enough to move the needle on interest rates, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Unemployment ...
The SpinoffBy Catherine McGregor
24 hours ago

Luxon’s leadership test: what would it take to win back unimpressed NZ voters?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suze Wilson, Senior Lecturer, School of Management, Massey University Christopher Luxon’s sacking of two struggling cabinet ministers last week was praised by pundits as a sign of decisive – even “brutal” and “ruthless” – leadership. But this week’s 1News-Verian poll suggests the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Government to tweak Building Act to make building a home easier
Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says it takes nearly 600 days to build a house in NZ - and that is simply too long. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill Steering Committee Launches Community Engagement Campaign
The campaign will engage the community and encourage submissions on the bill to the New Zealand government by the closing submission deadline of Friday 31st of May 2024 4pm. ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

Shaky Foundations: Why Our Democracy Needs Trust | Limit Urgency To Rebuild Trust: New Research
The paper raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand's political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency plays in that. ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

My co-housing project failed, but I still think it’s a great idea
The Urban Habitat Collective was an attempt to built an innovative new form of apartment building in Wellington. Here’s why it failed, and why the idea could still work, writes co-founder Bronwen Newton. When we started the Urban Habitat Collective in November 2018, we thought we were starting a revolution, ...
The SpinoffBy Bronwen Newton
1 day ago

A new generation of activism: Marking 20 years since the foreshore and seabed hīkoi
Two decades ago this week, a controversial law that attempted to define ownership of the foreshore and seabed prompted a formidable display of outrage and kōtahitanga as 15,000 marched to parliament. Jamie Tahana looks back. ‘Hīkoi, hīkoi,” they chanted by the thousands as the biggest Māori march in a generation ...
The SpinoffBy Jamie Tahana
1 day ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 2 May
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 2 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
1 day ago

Daily crossword, Thursday 2 May
The post Daily crossword, Thursday 2 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
1 day ago

Palestinian activist ‘perplexed’ by minister’s special visa argument
As Palestinians escape the war zone in Gaza, activists say emergency visas, like those issued to Ukrainians, are needed The post Palestinian activist ‘perplexed’ by minister’s special visa argument appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Fox Meyer
1 day ago

When dying well is out of reach
Why has New Zealand slipped from third to 12th on Quality of Death Indexes over the past decade or so? Hospice New Zealand Chief Executive Wayne Naylor has a list of reasons. “We don’t have a current national strategy – the Government hasn’t renewed our 2001 strategy, so we don’t ...
NewsroomBy Sharon Brettkelly
1 day ago

New SASS Talk podcast sparks convo in sport
While women’s sport is exploding in Aotearoa and around the world, you still don’t hear a lot of talk about athletes and their periods, RED-S, breastfeeding and visible panty-lines. SASS (Suze and Sez Sports) Talk isn’t afraid to have that kōrero. LockerRoom founder Suzanne McFadden and Olympian broadcaster Sarah ...
NewsroomBy Sarah Cowley Ross and Suzanne McFadden
1 day ago

Season two of The Boy in the Water
On an unusually hot night in January 2019, a little boy’s lifeless body was found face up in a small town’s sewage oxidation pond. To the police, it was an open and shut case: three-year-old Lachlan Jones had run away from his home in the Southland town of Gore, climbed ...
NewsroomBy Melanie Reid
1 day ago

New push for corporate killing laws
A Labour Party Member’s Bill aims to plug a culpability gap between manslaughter and health and safety breaches The post New push for corporate killing laws appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Andrew Bevin
1 day ago

Book of the Week: The naked civil servant
Terence O’Brien had the rare and no doubt undesired distinction of rising to one of the most exalted positions in New Zealand diplomacy, then being unceremoniously recalled to Wellington without explanation just when his career was at its zenith. What is perhaps more surprising is that he appears to have ...
NewsroomBy Karl du Fresne
1 day ago

Concerning proliferation of working groups, jobs for mates
Governments are increasingly opting for working groups – led by their mates – over the core public service The post Concerning proliferation of working groups, jobs for mates appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Laura Walters
1 day ago

Concerns of spending spree if disability funding changes were consulted on
Whaikaha had no intention of giving anyone – even other agencies – advance warning of its plan to limit what disabled people and their carers could buy The post Concerns of spending spree if disability funding changes were consulted on appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Emma Hatton
1 day ago

Ex MP travel expenses – it’s a fair question

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