Explaining is losing (but only in politics)

Written By: - Date published: 6:24 am, April 9th, 2018 - 48 comments
Categories: greens, Politics - Tags: , ,

It is often said that people (voters) have short attention spans – imagine a class of school kids. Get the message across, plain and simple – teachers follow tested guidelines for effective pedagogy and, of course: repeat, repeat, repeat. Unfortunately, nothing in politics is plain and simple and to claim otherwise is lying or propaganda.

People are not as stupid as some like to think but they all have their biases. They will easily jump to conclusions that are based on and confirm their biases. We all do this.

Context (background) is hugely important in getting the right message and the message right. People love to shoot (at) the messenger and the message gets lost; this is often deliberate.

A political party obviously wants to get its message out, understood, and well-received. This means that they have to build a good rapport with their audience. This is particularly important for the Greens because they do not conform to the simple left-right paradigm and thus are easily misunderstood. A prime (but not fine) example was the recent announcement by the Greens to hand their Question Time over to the Opposition (i.e. National). Almost everybody’s first (and lasting) reaction was: WTF? And that includes many a bewildered Green supporter! Similar charges could be laid at Labour’s doorstep regarding the CPTPP.

Political parties need MSM to get their messages across. Without MSM it is like this Zen kōan:

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Simple catchy headlines are the lifeblood of MSM because they bait entice readers to click on the article and spend more time on the website, which indirectly or directly increases revenue – it is no different in supermarkets and shopping malls. Obviously, this click-baiting does little towards explaining the contents or the message of a political party. In fact, it is very common to be quite misleading and to create a false impression or expectation. And just like supermarkets or shopping malls, MSM are not necessarily for or against a particular party or brand, they are simply trying to make money!

Trying to explain a well-intended political decision or policy announcement afterwards is more like installing smoke alarms while the house is burning down around you: too little, too late.

It takes time for people to get to know you, to understand you, to warm up to you. You have to take them gently by the hand and guide them, step by step. One misstep, one stumble, and the trust is gone, often for good. Others will make sure of that.

Without taking this time to ‘educate’ people, to explain itself so that their messages may be received as intended, a political party is asking for trouble and resistance, every step along the way. Alienation with the electorate is a death sentence in politics.

It is a real shame when good information or a good opinion gets ignored and squandered because of poor preparation and delivery (communication). Never forget that people’s attentions spans are short and their patience thin.

So, please can I ask all progressive politicians and all radical thinkers & activists to build a good rapport with the general public, through MSM and other channels, so that their good work does not get lost in fighting a rear-guard action, damage control, and wasting the most precious of resources of all: time. In addition, there is a dearth of public intellectuals in New Zealand who can be instrumental in breaking down complex issues into pieces that can be understood by the general public without resorting to spin or framing, over-simplification, or banality unlike so many MSM opinion pieces.

This Guest Post is by Standardista Incognito.

48 comments on “Explaining is losing (but only in politics) ”

  1. Sacha 1

    Political communication requires more than ‘rapport’. And headlines are not written by political parties, though the framing supporting them certainly can be.

    The left needs to do better at articulating the overall concepts that give context for media stories. The right have been doing that so well for several decades that you will notice even lefties talking about ‘taxpayers money’ now rather than public funding. Time for the shoe to be on the other foot.

    • Incognito 1.1

      By “rapport” I mean a conversation that leads into dialogue & debate. It also means a mutual understanding and respect and a kind of connection that goes deeper and further than just consuming letters & words.

      Yes, clear articulation is very important; be specific & clear with the messaging and the intentions and thinking behind all of these. This means to be honest & transparent and, ultimately, be accountable for all of it. By “accountable” I don’t mean that you should be punished or penalised when something goes wrong, and it will, but that you take responsibility and learn from mistakes and do better next time.

      It really is down to the basics and then upwards & onwards …

  2. Robert Guyton 2

    Explaining isn’t losing; The phrase, “explaining is losing” is a weapon used by Right wingers when they know “I’m not listening !” would sound too, too childish.
    The most perfectly crafted headline can only do so much; people, as you said, aren’t stupid and pride themselves in knowing what’s going on, in everyday life and in politics.
    Explaining can be counterproductive when the tone is defensive or strident, but clear, assured explanations are powerful agents for enlightenment when they are well-aimed and well timed. I reckon.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1

      +1

    • Gosman 2.2

      Complex narratives don’t usually get cut through to the electorate but by all means try to do so in future.

      • Robert Guyton 2.2.1

        “clear, assured explanations” are “complex narratives”, Gosman?
        Nice re-interpretation there!

        • Gosman 2.2.1.1

          What you think is clear and assured isn’t necessarily what others regard as clear and assured.

          • Robert Guyton 2.2.1.1.1

            Yes it is.

            • Robert Guyton 2.2.1.1.1.1

              Was that “clear and assured”?
              Yes.

              • Gosman

                Give me an example of a clear and assured explanation for a policy that you support but one that has a degree of complexity that means it is often misunderstood by the electorate.

                • Robert Guyton

                  Policies are generally complex by necessity – make one too simplistic and it won’t stand up to scrutiny. I suggest separating policy into its parts and explaining each clearly and assuredly.

              • weka

                😁

    • Chris 2.3

      As soon as I hear that phrase I think of slater.

    • mikes 2.4

      “…people, as you said, aren’t stupid…”

      Have you talked with any people recently?

    • Incognito 2.5

      I am 100% with you Robert.

      There’s explaining, there’s educating, and there’s defending and being (put) on the back foot.

      A little explaining is perfectly fine, necessary even, but it requires proper groundwork and ought to be done at the right time & place. As with planting, the flower and the fruit are sustained by the root; with good preparation you’re more likely to get a good result 😉

      An effectively delivered message that builds on well laid-out prior explanations is more likely to be understood and received as intended; it becomes more than a message and like a tool to build a step to the next level.

  3. Ad 3

    There’s too much of the governments’ few public supporters having to suck it up while the government does such a poor job of communicating and continues to stumble.

    Amongst the many self-inflicted wounds, the petrol tax/not tax/cumulative tax argument has been the worst.

    I was gong to write a post about it, but thought I’d hold off until budget – which better come off like a goddamn miracle.

  4. esoteric pineapples 4

    I think the left has to become more aggressive and strategic in holding much of the main stream media to account for not fulfilling its journalistic role. It could take a leaf from the “tax payers union” book and form a ginger group to highlight media bias and inconsistencies at every turn. Of course, the challenge would be to get one’s views published! Media aren’t going to want to quote someone criticising them. But one can start by doing press releases and forwarded them to all news agencies including Scoop and cultivating particular journalists who are sympathetic. As one can see from the Tax Payers Union, it’s not hard to start such a group. All you need to do is give yourself a name, have a spokesperson and start putting out press releases every day.

    • Keepcalmcarryon 4.1

      We need media watch type investigative journalism to highlight how out of kilter and trash our media has become.
      Let the public see what fools they are being played for.
      This in turn requires public broadcasting which needs better funding which labour were starting with RNZ but were scuttled by the right wing embedded In the media already.
      That and stupidity.
      And so the vicious cycle repeats unless major change is enacted.

    • Tuppence Shrewsbury 4.2

      so not building a rapport with the media as they aren’t reporting on what you want reported and are reporting on what you don’t want reported?

      Go for it, see how that goes

    • cleangreen 4.3

      Well said esoteric pineapples,

      “The left; – could take a leaf from the “tax payers union” book and form a ginger group to highlight media bias and inconsistencies at every turn.”

      Could not agree more as we need a strong voice and strong “advocacy” to reach the masses now with the principles and policies of the new Government as today a leading media expert says Labour will suffer as time goes by if their message is not heard soon as there is no clear policy that is coming out that people can embrace.

      So we must face reality here as labour are loosing the media war now since the Minister of broadcasting screwed the whole RNZ plan up to make us a voice within RNZ which is now likely to be scrapped sadly.

      We need to hold Clare Curran responsible for her stupid errors in judgement as she is still acting very obstinate; – stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion without showing any remorse.

    • Muttonbird 4.4

      Although The Standard isn’t yet visible enough, right here is a good start.

      The Standard is read by journalists and political analysts and the better of thoughts expressed here do make it out occasionally. We already know this. Just need to grow it – the better expressed thought, that is.

      We need to keep re-enforcing the voice of the left with well-argued socially conscious ideas and firm rebuttal and dismantling of the moronic conservative click-bait.

      And stop the petty bickering – you know who you are!

      In terms of watching the media, someone else will have to look at the Herald because I have just removed it from my phone and favourites bar! Drastic action I know but, not buying into Incognito’s supermarket analogy, it is my form of boycott.

    • Obtrectator 4.5

      “Media aren’t going to want to quote someone criticising them.”

      Quite so. Case in point: the Herald suddenly stopped enabling comments on its articles a year or two ago.

    • Incognito 4.6

      The Government newsroom needs to get their act together, as Tim Murphy recently argued, but I don’t think they’d need to become more aggressive and certainly not towards hardworking journalists who already are under a lot of pressure.

      https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/04/04/102308/beehive-newsroom-needs-to-move-the-story-on#

      To reach the largest audience the MSM are needed but also other channels of direct and indirect communication should be explored. That said, the MSM is not the enemy! They too are struggling.

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102844502/give-us-some-of-that-broadcasting-cash

      I believe a good relationship with MSM will pay off in the long run and possibly change the reporting from the highly polarised content & style to a more interesting one in which multiple angles and nuances become the norm rather than the exception. Polarisation has benefitted some, of course, and it still does so we can expect resistance to any change from the BAU.

      I believe people are tiring of the same-old-same-old ways of mudslinging, gotcha interviews, and DP. They want to be taken seriously and listened too and talked with, not talked to, by politicians, as grown-ups, not like children. MSM has an essential role to play for this to happen and I think they could benefit from this too; a ‘win’ all around 😉

  5. Carolyn_Nth 5

    As an ex teacher of diverse age groups from rising 5 years to adults, I couldn’t easily get past the first sentence.

    Get the message across, plain and simple – teachers follow tested guidelines for effective pedagogy and, of course: repeat, repeat, repeat.

    Well yes to the first part about evidence based teaching and learning. But it’s not that plain and simple as “repeat, repeat, repeat” indicates.

    Basically the main aim of education in a democracy is to teach people to be critical thinking, independent learners: i.e. to teach people how to learn.

    There is some repetition involved – but repetition of the rote learning kind is only good for certain kinds of leanings, and too much of it is authoritarian brainwashing.

    Spaced leaning is very important. ie trying something out, then coming back to that task and repeating the activity at intervals.

    I agree with some other things in the post.

    • ianmac 5.1

      Yes Carolyn. It is a long time since good teachers used “repeat,repeat,repeat.” Most people have long memories of that which they understood but forget quickly that which relies on repetition. (Is repetition nagging?)

    • Incognito 5.2

      My bad. Perhaps I should have written practice, practice, practice. To become critical independent thinkers & learners takes an awful lot of practice and repetition (!), which is indeed structurally quite different from rote learning; it is a stepwise process of development.

      Anyway, this post is not about the intricacies of pedagogy as such. I would love to hear what other things in the post you disagree with because I value your opinion.

      • Carolyn_Nth 5.2.1

        Thanks, Incognito. I’m pondering on further comment, but may not have time for it today.

        I’m always interested in topics about communication. So an important post.

        • Incognito 5.2.1.1

          No worries and I hope to be around for a while and look forward to your comment.

    • mikes 5.3

      “Basically the main aim of education in a democracy is to teach people to be critical thinking, independent learners: i.e. to teach people how to learn.”

      Maybe from your individual perspective.

      The state wants obedient taxpayers, not critical or independent thinkers.

  6. David Mac 6

    I think the ‘explaining is losing’ thing relates to the water we throw on our communication with detail that obliges our listener to swap over to the other half of their brain. It’s the difference between “Mr Mac in an emergency ABS applies the brakes more efficiently than 99.8% of human beings.” and “Mr Mac the ABS modulating valve in the control module is oscillating at 1000 pulses per second.”

    The first way lets me custom make my own explaining to suit me. I visualise my teen daughter getting her license soon and borrowing the vehicle.

    The 2nd way, the amazing technical aspects of ABS systems, the explaining is all done. Communication wise, I only have ‘Wow that’s fast’ to respond with. Gets me no closer to buying into the message, lost in the explaining.

    • Sacha 6.1

      And your framing is around keeping safe. That’s the level our messages need to be planned at.

    • ianmac 6.2

      Just thinking about how smokers grumbled about restrictions on where they smoked and how much the cigarettes increased in cost but generally accepted for the Public Good.
      Increasing petrol fees should be accepted by most (except for Bridges) as for the Public Good.

    • Incognito 6.3

      All communication must be tailored to the intended audience. Some audiences demand technical detail and others are satisfied with the assurance that it works and take it for granted.

      Don’t oversimplify things and don’t go too technical or hide behind technical lingo that almost no-one understands and wants to listen too for more than 5 seconds. It is no different for science communication as it deals with a broad audience with widely different levels of interest, knowledge, and understanding and attempts to explain very complex stuff. Some people are bored to death and some will be enchanted in a jaw dropping way 😉

      In my view, people cannot and must not escape exposure to complex stuff such as politics and science but it will require superb communicators and a whole lot of effort.

      Once people are properly informed they can actually make informed decisions. Isn’t this essential for democracy?

  7. Rozgonz 7

    well there is a lot of explaining going on at the moment isn’t there…

  8. indiana 8

    I think a good example of “explaining is losing” is when Phil Goff tries to explain how much tax would be collected from a CGT in a debate.

    • weka 8.1

      Do you mean Cunliffe? He bungled the explanation, for a whole range of reasons. A clear explanation grounded in values based politics along with being able to stand up to FJK would have had a different result.

      • savenz 8.1.1

        Or why trusts were not subject to capital gains taxes…

        If Labour and Greens talked less about taxing people and focused on helping people and getting a result or working out where all the money being collected in exisiting taxes has gone or is going…

        example 200 million plus with America’s cup village for a billionaire event (trickle down apparently is expected to occur to help the little people aka SkyCity and Hotel owners + their minimum waged workers who may or may not have to be specially flown in from other countries).. but Auckland council has no money apparently and $2 million a day for rate payers debt… likewise I’m sure the America’s cup village will be built on time, unlike the Unitech houses that people need today…

        Petrol taxes well they are apparently coming in… but since Auckland Transport is already receiving 1.3+ billion a year in rate payer money, and has no public transport at all in many parts of the super city and even the simplest journey in Auckland such as 2 bus stages takes 1.5 hours and costs mega bucks for a family…

        Isn’t giving our transport agencies more money to implement something, like giving a kid with matches another lighter to burn the house down in case they can’t do it the first time?

        There is talking about something, but completely another thing to build and implement something properly and fairly that will be helpful to a lot of people with the taxes and if they can’t do anything reasonable with the existing taxes then there is zero guarantee giving more money will help?

        Are our politicians capable of thinking things through themselves anymore, and are they well advised by their officials, because they crack rapidly under basic questioning on their policies?

  9. savenz 9

    I think it goes way beyond getting a message across, the politicians biggest problem is that they often lose touch with reality because they get into a bubble of politics and around too many lobbyists and spin.

    The Jacinda factor was this idea that she was one of us and cared about local people in NZ…. the issue is… has she already lost touch while thinking what the media write about her is actually what people think…. the media is not actually the people – but advertisers… quite different things, ha ha.

    this is a super article about Madeleine Albright and similar issues… reality and perception – they are against something but somehow do not understand it did not arrive out of the blue… I don’t mean to target Jacinda with this, but Labour and Green thinking…..

    “Trump, fascism and democracy: Here’s what Madeleine Albright can’t or won’t say
    Former secretary of state sees the “storm clouds” of fascism: But she helped make the world that brought us Trump”

    https://www.salon.com/2018/04/07/trump-fascism-and-democracy-heres-what-madeleine-albright-cant-or-wont-say/

    • Incognito 9.1

      Getting the message across is just one side of the coin. The other side is receiving a message back. In other words, a dialogue or conversation about stuff that both parties involved do understand, stuff that is highly relevant to both. I agree that politicians need to listen more & better to the people and stop playing lip service. Unfortunately, politicians cannot talk with every single individual separately so they have to package & deliver it in order to reach as many as possible without distortion or interference. As I said before, I think MSM is key in this but other avenues are opening up too.

  10. Matthew Whitehead 10

    I think “explaining is losing” is probably valid for scandals, and for having your policies misunderstood initially, but explaining can actually be winning if people don’t know about your policies or values and you get an opportunity to explain them.

    The trick is to balance giving enough detail to actually understand in context with not overloading the audience.

    But yes, having to explain after everyone has already formed a first impression is very difficult and it’s better to avoid it.

    • Incognito 10.1

      When explaining becomes or is perceived as correcting it becomes very tricky and easily an exercise in futility because people will resist even if only subconsciously (or perhaps even more so when subconsciously).

      Explaining should not attempt to ‘convert’ or ‘assimilate’ and be based on the principle that it is o.k. to disagree. We actually need a rich diversity of opinions and a contest of ideas, not a mono-culture of yes-sayers and obedient & compliant workers or citizens, which is as bad, in my view, as the Left-Right false dichotomy that we are currently ‘enjoying’.

      • Matthew Whitehead 10.1.1

        My point is more that sometimes people become converted when hearing the details, and that getting technical isn’t always a bad thing, not that explanation-as-campaigning is always okay.

  11. AsleepWhileWalking 11

    Fuck MSM.

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    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
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