Fair Pay Agreements

Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, January 31st, 2019 - 36 comments
Categories: business, capitalism, class war, Economy, employment, jobs, minimum wage, poverty, Unions, wages, workers' rights - Tags: , ,

The Working Group set up in June 2018 to consider reform of the wage bargaining system in NZ industry has reported back to the Minister, Iain Lees Galloway.

The Minister says that the Coalition Government “has committed to improving incomes and working conditions for New Zealanders, focusing first on the wages and conditions of those who earn the least.”

He notes that as it currently stands, “employers who pay their staff a fair wage are being undercut by competitors paying below a fair rate. It’s a classic race to the bottom that’s damaging people’s prospects and holding many industries back.”

Image result for workers railway workshops nz

 

The report is substantial, detailed and appears determined to level the industrial playing field. You can read it here.

So, good news for workers, bad news for exploiters.

The Working Group, chaired by former Tory PM Jim Bolger, was tasked with making recommendations to the Government on a model for a system of bargaining to set minimum terms and conditions of employment across all industries and occupations.
 
This should mean that workers in an industry will have certainty that they will receive the going rate in an industry, regardless of who their employer is. It has significant benefit to business as well, forcing the rat bags in an industry to meet the mark. At present, good employers are competing with companies who use poverty wages as a business model.
 
To use the Talley Group as an example, the fourth largest meat company can offer better rates to farmers for stock because paying lower wages than others in the industry is an effective subsidy at the farm gate.
 
Predictably, employers reps on the working group don’t like the compulsory aspect of the proposal. For some bosses, compulsion is a good only when they have the power to force compliance. For example, I don’t recall too many employers complaining about 90 day fire at will trials.
 
The way the system will work if adopted is broadly similar to the Aussie model; industry wide minimums negotiated centrally, without resort to industrial action. Then unions and employers will bargain on top of those minimums in the usual way, with industrial action a possibility, as it is now.
 
Obviously, if workers want to get the best of both, they’ll have to join a union. That’s a good thing.
 
The proposal will still have to make it through cabinet, and then Parliament, but I have a sneaking feeling that the Minister is determined to see this process through.
 
Currently exploited and undervalued Kiwi workers will have reason to thank Iain Lees Galloway every pay day if he can get it over the line.
 
 

36 comments on “Fair Pay Agreements ”

  1. Unicus 1

    This is the real ILG – not the phoney fumbler the National Party press crowd attempte to create

    As the Aussie model proves – workers and buisiness both benefit when they manage workplace reward together.

  2. rata 2

    After 50 years following politics I am skeptical of promises.
    1. With all policy/promises until it has
    been active for 2-3 years we just don’t know.
    2. As with all policy/promises there is often the
    give with one hand and take with the other.
    3. How will these policies fare when a New Gov’t comes in?

    • ianmac 2.1

      Sorry rata but your opinion matters not as by your own pen you have eliminated value on any and all opinions.
      “Rata: 6.2
      31 January 2019 at 11:31 am

      Just the usual selective bias cherry picking info
      and juxtaposition to ” prove” a point
      Some one else comes along and through similar
      cherry picking juxtaposition proves the opposite.
      Does get tiresome .
      No shortage of cherry pickers in this country.
      There are thousands on social media 🙂”

      • rata 2.1.1

        @ianmac .
        Not at all in fact I have enhanced my view
        that there are different ways of seeing things.
        I like the “proposals” but
        Newton’s third law states:
        For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
        That’s why waiting to see the proof of the pudding is the true test.
        And changes of Gov’t so often see “corrections”.
        When Governments are at the whim of a Winston Peters
        nothing is set in stone. Never.
        Always stay vigilant.

        • veutoviper 2.1.1.1

          rata, I am trying to keep an open mind re your comments here.

          So, excuse me if I have over-stepped the mark, but I looked at your comments and thought, it is not what rata is saying, but how it is presented.

          I am very good using things like PS, laptops etc but hopeless using mobiles, smart phones and similar. I have a real mental block to the latter.

          So I thought I will try to convert your comment here into how it might appear I if presented on a laptop, PD etc. So here goes –

          rata 2.1.1
          31 January 2019 at 7:15 pm

          @ianmac .

          Not at all; in fact I have enhanced my view that there are different ways of seeing things.

          I like the “proposals” but Newton’s third law states:
          “ For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

          That’s why waiting to see the proof of the pudding is the true test.

          And changes of Gov’t so often see “corrections”. When Governments are at the whim of a Winston Peters, nothing is set in stone. Never. Always stay vigilant.”

          Sorry, that makes a lot more sense to me. I can now see much better what you are saying.

          I will butt out now …

    • patricia bremner 2.2

      So, you prefer to moan and have this Government do nothing?
      If a new Government gets in and tries to change this again, workers will fight tooth and nail.
      Voters will punish them at the ballot box.
      Workers now understand “United we stand, divided we fall back into a spiral of ever lower contracted wages”

      Jim Bolger was stunned that working people were living in cars struggling to cope.
      This bad system of contracting is at the bottom of undercutting in transport, building and retail including banking and insurance.
      Jim still comes from a “deserving poor” perspective, but even he could see it had become a “How low can you go?” leading to imported workers “Paying” for jobs and employers cheating on holiday pay basic wages, breaks accommodation etc.

      The employers will fight this because they must get a decent model of employment which for some will show up in their balance sheets as “different from before”.
      That will mean less for their shareholders and employers may have to face explaining to shareholders banks and the tax department.
      Try to be more like your name.

  3. DJ Ward 3

    What do you compare it with. Many buisinesses compete with companies paying $2 hour. It’s resulted in business closures so there is no jobs.

    If wage increases forced legislatively result in an unprofitable Buisiness then you end up with no jobs.

    If wage increases affect the budget of a Buisiness they will hire less workers investing in technology instead, then you end up with no jobs.

    If wage increases increase government spending then they can spend less on other things, or have to tax more, resulting in less jobs.

    …………

    You can create more gain for low income workers by addressing our obscene rental market, childcare, food costs, electricity costs. IE the gains are in cost of living.

    • patricia bremner 3.1

      Rubbish, if profits were shared more evenly then families could eat and the shareholders might buy a slightly cheaper car. Life is more than money, but that is the exchange medium. Unfortunately people like you think everyone but the workers should be first in line. There is a shortage of workers not work so your argument is fallacious. Funny how you all compare our poor wages with Aus and go “Why?”
      Australia has had this system we are introducingfor 30 years.

      • DJ Ward 3.1.1

        Well I have been a minimum wage worker. I just took steps to gain skills and qualifications to improve my income earning potential. I left $13.50 with time & 1/2 after 40 hrs to $9 fixed 40 hrs to improve myself. I lived in a caravan for 4 1/2 years. I have also never once gone to an employer asking for a pay rise. They have just given me them because of my work ethic, and trust. I have also been employed by a boss that was to an extent exploitive. The result was less loyalty from me. At the other end I was in a tough position and offered my services for $40 and the employer responded by saying it wasn’t fair and paid me $55.

        People like me?

        No you think workers should get everything, the people who risk everything nothing. I on the other hand when I work for a boss I put them first, make decisions that minimise expenditure, maximising there profits. Then I’m rewarded because I’m valuable to the boss. I don’t just turn up, go through the day watching the clock, moaning at everything, and expect to be treated like I can’t be replaced.

        I’ve seen people being replaced by technology and foreign wages. I started a job with 10 staff that increased to 14. They purchased robotic printers, and outsourced the other jobs to Asia. There final products were cheaper than just our material costs. End result was a reduction to just me and one other worker increasing to 3 because they cut back a bit much.

        The main factory closed down with hundreds of job losses. They were on strike only a few years earlier asking for more pay.

        • patricia bremner 3.1.1.1

          Offering regulated fair pay is “communism by stealth. ”

          “You(Me) believe workers should get everything”

          So believing in a fair days pay for a fair days work, means I’m a communist who wants everything”

          That is a stretch.
          Look I come from a working family, my Dad was a Miner’s Union Rep, so by your rules you come up with” Communism and everything.”

          I have talked of law to reign in exploitative employers who see underpaying workers, ignoring the few protections they have as a right. Not all are like that.

          There will always be sunset industries which will die a natural death as technology speeds up. That will happen which ever Government is in.

          Engineers in ship building went through that. Telecom workers thought they had a job for life.

          Jacinda has stated change in work and in climate will impact heavily, and she wants to improve the chance of people developing resilience to cope.

          Fair pay, free education, good low cost health care, more houses to stabilise the market, protection for our exporters by agreements, R&D etc.

          Now we do not have the power to influence those who throw up trade barriers,
          or make a huge impression on climate change. I am proud they are trying.

        • Kevin 3.1.1.2

          Happy to be exploited? That’s a new one on me. Imagine how much you COULD have earned if you hadn’t relied on employer generosity.

    • Underpaid workers are already heavily subsidised by the state, DJ. Working for Families doesn’t just ease the burden on families, its a subsidy for the boss too. Saves the boss having to pay a living wage.

      There is no solid correlation between wages and new technology. If there is a machine available, any boss would be mad not to investigate it. It won’t matter if the workers it replaces are on $17.50 or $27.50. If the machine can do it next to nothing, that’s what’s going to happen.

      Wage rises are a tonic for the economy. Workers on the average wage and below spend every cent they get. A wage rise is therefore good news for supermarkets, petrol stations, burger bars, pubs, the local dairy and so on.

      • DJ Ward 3.2.1

        Yes, I’ve seen it first hand.
        When a company makes a profit they pay tax.

        I totally agree WFF is a Buisiness subsidy. It’s also a Landlord subsidy indirectly.

        Who brought that in?

        I’m not saying if companies can increase profits that they should ignore workers and just make more. It’s got to be a balance. If a company is struggling then sorry but the workers shouldn’t ask for anything. If a company is doing well then they should give a share of profits as a bonus, as well as a wage rise.

        Making things compulsory risks lower performing companies viability.

        It’s communism by stealth. Trending all workers to the same pay. You end up with ridiculous comparisons like retirement home workers with prison officers.

        • Pat 3.2.1.1

          I”t’s communism by stealth. Trending all workers to the same pay. You end up with ridiculous comparisons like retirement home workers with prison officers”

          Is that a comparison you really want to advance?

        • Shadrach 3.2.1.2

          In early 2004, after Don Brash gave his Orewa speech, National’s popularity skyrocketed, with the Nats enjoying “the biggest single gain by a political party in a single poll in Colmar Brunton’s polling history” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Brash). Labour were spooked, and Helen Clark pulled out one of the greatest political bribes in history. And WFF was born.

          WFF is a massive and inefficient redistribution of income. We could achieve virtually the same impact with a generous tax free threshold, a slight drop in the lowest tax rate, and a matching lift in the highest tax rate. And we could tell the bureaucrats administering this farce to bugger off.

        • KJT 3.2.1.3

          you mean “if, a company is not successful it should be subsidised by it’s workers”.

          What happened to capitalism? “If a company cannot pay for the resources it uses, it should be allowed to fail. To make room for one that uses those resources more efficiently”.
          Where does it say “a failing company should be propped up by it’s employees, and tax payers”?

    • Siobhan 3.3

      Most companies are already having their wage bill artificially lowered thanks to Family Tax Credits etc, so their profits are already being propped up by our tax system.
      And we allow them to import labour from third world countries..because those workers are the only people who think these wages are good, because they are back home. They wouldn’t be if these workers actually had to live and raise a family here in NZ full time.

      Time they started paying fair wages BEFORE profit.

      Case in point…Chorus..massive profits and a system that means workers have to be exploited…

      https://www.odt.co.nz/business/chorus-six-month-profit-329m

      https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/10/chorus-subcontractors-exploiting-migrant-employees.html

      and the Hawkes Bay Horticulture, apple pickers. The wages are so low that even the backpackers aren’t interested.

      http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1805/S00699/nz-apple-industry-leads-the-world-four-years-running.htm

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/rural/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503457&objectid=11489341

      https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/351595/fruit-growers-need-to-pay-pickers-more-minister

      and Dairy…etc etc..

      • patricia bremner 3.3.1

        Thank you Soihban, Well constructed points.

      • Patricia 3.3.2

        Part of my work is with young vulnerable workers experiencing financial difficulties.
        I frequently see abuse of labour laws. Underpaid / no lunch breaks / no pay slips / deductions without consultation for uniforms + work boots. And if the young people challenge their employer then out the door they go and often without a final pay. Single people do not get a lot of extra government assistance to top up their low wages.

  4. mary_a 4

    This is a good move, hopefully promoting some fairness in the workplace for a change, something that has been lacking for far too long. Unbalanced and unfair working relationships fail every time, having a negative impact on both business and employees.

    I have been an employer in the past and I learned this … treat your staff with respect, treat them well and they will do likewise in return. Good employer/employee relationships work all the time.

    What I’d like to see is the abusive, greedy, rogue employers hit hard till it hurts! No more low below liveable wage standards, which is a disgraceful blight on society! It can be done if we let it!

    Now it will be quite interesting to see which politicians from all sides of the house will vote in favour for this. I’ll be watching this one very closely.

    • patricia bremner 4.1

      Quite right Mary_a I will watch their vote very carefully. This is vital.

    • Grantoc 4.2

      mary_a

      You can hit exploitative employers without compulsory unionism. For starters they’re a very small minority of employers.

      Compulsory unionism is a blunt one size fits all instrument that will do more damage than good to the economy and therefore to workers.

      For a variety of reasons (technology; diversity, labour market flexibility etc) companies throughout NZ face different circumstances, which require different solutions. This includes how you remunerate staff. To have this one size fits all compulsory unionism forced upon them by a centrist government and bureaucracy will negatively impact many companies and drive many out of business and/or to employ fewer workers.

      Watch business confidence fall if the government gets serious about this recommendation.

      Its ironic that last year this government was promoting the need to strategise for the future of work. If they impose compulsory unionism on the the workplace, supported by an out of touch relic from the National Party, they’ll actually be turning their back on any serious consideration of the future of work and returning to the history of work, i.e. the 20th Century. This will hardly enable NZ to adapt to the changes ahead re the future of work.

  5. Reeee 5

    Labour WANTS as many as possible of the most vulnerable, lowest-paid workers in the country to get replaced by a machine where you press buttons to place your order, and then swipe your card to pay.

    I can think of no other outcome to this policy to make unionism compulsory whether your staff want it or not.

    It is a recruitment drive for the unemployment benefit.

    See, look. The machines took your jobs. You need a benevolent welfare state to take care of you in this cruel, neoliberal age. Capitalism has failed. Where would you be without your friend, the Labour Party?

    • patricia bremner 5.1

      That could happen any way. Are you saying laid off workers in such an employment situation would get better help under National? What bloody planet are you on? Planet Key?

  6. Alan 6

    only 14 comments, are you not confident this report will go anywhere???

  7. I’m not a left wing person but there are too many people who are now struggling to make ends meet (this doesn’t include those who can’t manage their money).

    I think this is a good thing for NZ – our housing costs are making life too hard.

  8. infused 8

    yeah, good luck with this.

    it’s a dog, and will be exploited by unions as only unions can do. like above, you’re just going to see a loss of jobs.

  9. -_- 9

    A paltry 1000 people get to dictate to workers what their employment terms will be. Fuuuuck off.

    This is only good for unions, not workers.

  10. patricia bremner 10

    Amazing how people speak of Unions as if they are not helping the workforce,

    • More amazing still is the agendas of these posters who deliberately forget why Unions came into existence in the first place,… unless of course they want a full return to Dickens time with children climbing up chimneys , factory girls dying of fossy jaw and miners dying down mine shafts ( oh wait – we’ve had that in recent history under the most virulently anti union PM Con Key… )…

      Maybe they like seeing workers family’s living in cars… or paying immigrants token wages… and happily crack open a can of tuna when reading about slave labour out on the fishing boats…

      Or maybe they are just total wankers.

      Who don’t know about history and Massey’s Cossack’s and furthermore don’t want to. Or , most probably , see themselves on the side of Massey’s govt.

      The minority far right wing neo liberals have had more than their share of fun in the sun for three decades. Three long decades of theft, rort , plunder and guile. Yet, as a historical scientist once observed , ‘ what goes up , must come down’.

      To coin a phrase by others , – their ideology is a sunset one.

      As is the whole Employment Contracts Act 1991 of Ruth Richardson.

      The Former Pm has realized the whole system was designed to impoverish workers from the get go and overruled and overturned the former Finance Minister.

      Just a pity it took half a lifetime for him and others to do it.

    • Exactly! And sad how many righties don’t acknowledge that unions are voluntary and democratic and that union membership consists of workers and nothing but workers. While it’s often disputes that make the news, unions carry on doing terrific work behind the scenes making sure their members get the help, advice and support they need. That’s not just employment law stuff, it’s also taking health and safety cases, battling ACC etc. For less than the price of a pint, union membership is a dead set bargain.

  11. Ruthanasia – Wikipedia
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruthanasia

    Mother of all Budgets – Wikipedia
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_of_all_Budgets

    Defeat the Bill! The struggle against the Employment Contracts Bill, 1991
    https://iso.org.nz/…/defeat-the-bill-the-struggle-against-the-employment-contracts-bill-…

    The 1913 General Strike: relevant to us in 2013? | Redline
    https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/01/…/the-1913-general-strike-relevant-to-us-in-2013…

    Friar Tuck explains the divine nature of beer – YouTube
    Video for friar tuck making beer robin hood prince of thieves you tube▶ 0:19
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CONa4b9errw

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  • Hipkins fires up in leaders’ debate, but has the curtain already fallen on the Labour-led coalitio...
    Labour’s  Chris Hipkins came out firing, in the  leaders’ debate  on Newshub’s evening programme, and most of  the pundits  rated  him the winner against National’s  Christopher Luxon. But will this make any difference when New  Zealanders  start casting their ballots? The problem  for  Hipkins is  that  voters are  all too ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    3 days ago
  • Govt is energising housing projects with solar power – and fuelling the public’s concept of a di...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Not long after Point of Order published data which show the substantial number of New Zealanders (77%) who believe NZ is becoming more divided, government ministers were braying about a programme which distributes some money to “the public” and some to “Maori”. The ministers were dishing ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • MIKE GRIMSHAW: Election 2023 – a totemic & charisma failure?
    The D&W analysis Michael Grimshaw writes –  Given the apathy, disengagement, disillusionment, and all-round ennui of this year’s general election, it was considered time to bring in those noted political operatives and spin doctors D&W, the long-established consultancy firm run by Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Known for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • FROM BFD: Will Winston be the spectre we think?
    Kissy kissy. Cartoon credit BoomSlang. The BFD. JC writes-  Allow me to preface this contribution with the following statement: If I were asked to express a preference between a National/ACT coalition or a National/ACT/NZF coalition then it would be the former. This week Luxon declared his position, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • California’s climate disclosure bill could have a huge impact across the U.S.
    This re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Andy Furillo was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The California Legislature took a step last week that has the potential to accelerate the fight against climate ...
    3 days ago
  • Untangling South East Queensland’s Public Transport
    This is a cross post Adventures in Transitland by Darren Davis. I recently visited Brisbane and South East Queensland and came away both impressed while also pondering some key changes to make public transport even better in the region. Here goes with my take on things. A bit of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Try A Little Kindness.
    My daughter arrived home from the supermarket yesterday and she seemed a bit worried about something. It turned out she wanted to know if someone could get her bank number from a receipt.We wound the story back.She was in the store and there was a man there who was distressed, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • What makes NZFirst tick
    New Zealand’s longest-running political roadshow rolled into Opotiki yesterday, with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters knowing another poll last night showed he would make it back to Parliament and National would need him and his party if they wanted to form a government. The Newshub Reid Research poll ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • September AMA
    Hi,As September draws to a close — I feel it’s probably time to do an Ask Me Anything. You know how it goes: If you have any burning questions, fire away in the comments and I will do my best to answer. You might have questions about Webworm, or podcast ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Bludgers lying in the scratcher making fools of us all
    The mediocrity who stands to be a Prime Minister has a litany.He uses it a bit like a Koru Lounge card. He will brandish it to say: these people are eligible. And more than that, too: These people are deserving. They have earned this policy.They have a right to this policy. What ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • More “partnerships” (by the look of it) and redress of over $30 million in Treaty settlement wit...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point of Order has waited until now – 3.45pm – for today’s officially posted government announcements.  There have been none. The only addition to the news on the Beehive’s website was posted later yesterday, after we had published our September 26 Buzz report. It came from ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • ALEX HOLLAND: Labour’s spending
    Alex Holland writes –  In 2017 when Labour came to power, crown spending was $76 billion per year. Now in 2023 it is $139 billion per year, which equates to a $63 billion annual increase (over $1 billion extra spend every week!) In 2017, New Zealand’s government debt ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • If not now, then when?
    Labour released its fiscal plan today, promising the same old, same old: "responsibility", balanced books, and of course no new taxes: "Labour will maintain income tax settings to provide consistency and certainty in these volatile times. Now is not the time for additional taxes or to promise billions of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • THE FACTS:  77% of Kiwis believe NZ is becoming more divided
    The Facts has posted –        KEY INSIGHTSOf New Zealander’s polled: Social unity/division 77%believe NZ is becoming more divided (42% ‘much more’ + 35% ‘a little more’) 3%believe NZ is becoming less divided (1% ‘much less’ + 2% ‘a little less’) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the cynical brutality of the centre-right’s welfare policies
    The centre-right’s enthusiasm for forcing people off the benefit and into paid work is matched only by the enthusiasm (shared by Treasury and the Reserve Bank) for throwing people out of paid work to curb inflation, and achieve the optimal balance of workers to job seekers deemed to be desirable ...
    4 days ago
  • Wednesday’s Chorus: Arthur Grimes on why building many, many more social houses is so critical
    New research shows that tenants in social housing - such as these Wellington apartments - are just as happy as home owners and much happier than private tenants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The election campaign took an ugly turn yesterday, and in completely the wrong direction. All three ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Old habits
    Media awareness about global warming and climate change has grown fairly steadily since 2004. My impression is that journalists today tend to possess a higher climate literacy than before. This increasing awareness and improved knowledge is encouraging, but there are also some common interpretations which could be more nuanced. ...
    Real ClimateBy rasmus
    4 days ago
  • Bennie Bashing.
    If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The kindest cuts
    Labour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Green right turn in Britain? Well, a start
    While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    5 days ago
  • At a glance – How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    5 days ago
  • How could this happen?
    Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...
    5 days ago
  • Always Be Campaigning
    The big screen is a great place to lay out the ways of the salesman. He comes ready-made for Panto, ripe for lampooning.This is not to disparage that life. I have known many good people of that kind. But there is a type, brazen as all get out. The camera ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • STEPHEN FRANKS: Press seek to publicly shame doctor – we must push back
    The following is a message sent yesterday from lawyer Stephen Franks on behalf of the Free Speech Union. I don’t like to interrupt first thing Monday morning, but we’ve just become aware of a case where we think immediate and overwhelming attention could help turn the tide. It involves someone ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Competing on cruelty
    The right-wing message calendar is clearly reading "cruelty" today, because both National and NZ First have released beneficiary-bashing policies. National is promising a "traffic light" system to police and kick beneficiaries, which will no doubt be accompanied by arbitrary internal targets to classify people as "orange" or "red" to keep ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Further funding for Pharmac (forgotten in the Budget?) looks like a $1bn appeal from a PM in need of...
    Buzz from the Beehive One Labour plan  – for 3000 more public homes by 2025 – is the most recent to be posted on the government’s official website. Another – a prime ministerial promise of more funding for Pharmac – has been released as a Labour Party press statement. Who ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: The Vested interests shaping National Party policies
    As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that might arise. One of the key individuals of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago
  • Labour may be on way out of power and NZ First back in – but will Peters go into coalition with Na...
    Voters  are deserting Labour in droves, despite Chris  Hipkins’  valiant  rearguard  action.  So  where  are they  heading?  Clearly  not all of them are going to vote National, which concedes that  the  outcome  will be “close”. To the Right of National, the ACT party just a  few weeks  ago  was ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    5 days ago
  • GRAHAM ADAMS: Will the racists please stand up?
    Accusations of racism by journalists and MPs are being called out. Graham Adams writes –    With the election less than three weeks away, what co-governance means in practice — including in water management, education, planning law and local government — remains largely obscure. Which is hardly ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on whether Winston Peters can be a moderating influence
    As the centre-right has (finally!) been subjected to media interrogation, the polls are indicating that some voters may be starting to have second thoughts about the wisdom of giving National and ACT the power to govern alone. That’s why yesterday’s Newshub/Reid Research poll had the National/ACT combo dropping to 60 ...
    5 days ago
  • Tuesday’s Chorus: RBNZ set to rain on National's victory parade
    ANZ has increased its forecast for house inflation later this year on signs of growing momentum in the market ahead of the election. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: National has campaigned against the Labour Government’s record on inflation and mortgage rates, but there’s now a growing chance the Reserve ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Katie Myers. This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Pittsburgh, in its founding, was blessed and cursed with two abundant natural resources: free-flowing rivers and a nearby coal seam. ...
    5 days ago
  • September-23 AT Board Meeting
    Today the AT board meet again and once again I’ve taken a look at what’s on the agenda to find the most interesting items. Closed Agenda Interestingly when I first looked at the agendas this paper was there but at the time of writing this post it had been ...
    5 days ago
  • Electorate Watch: West Coast-Tasman
    Continuing my series on interesting electorates, today it’s West Coast-Tasman.A long thin electorate running down the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. Think sand flies, beautiful landscapes, lots of rain, Pike River, alternative lifestylers, whitebaiting, and the spiritual home of the Labour Party. A brief word ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Big money brings Winston back
    National leader Christopher Luxon yesterday morning conceded it and last night’s Newshub poll confirmed it; Winston Peters and NZ First are not only back but highly likely to be part of the next government. It is a remarkable comeback for a party that was tossed out of Parliament in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • 20 days until Election Day, 7 until early voting begins… but what changes will we really see here?
    As this blogger, alongside many others, has already posited in another forum: we all know the National Party’s “budget” (meaning this concept of even adding up numbers properly is doing a lot of heavy, heavy lifting right now) is utter and complete bunk (read hung, drawn and quartered and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    6 days ago
  • A night out
    Everyone was asking, Are you nervous? and my response was various forms of God, yes.I've written more speeches than I can count; not much surprises me when the speaker gets to their feet and the room goes quiet.But a play? Never.YOU CAME! THANK YOU! Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • A pallid shade of Green III
    Clearly Labour's focus groups are telling it that it needs to pay more attention to climate change - because hot on the heels of their weaksauce energy efficiency pilot programme and not-great-but-better-than-nothing solar grants, they've released a full climate manifesto. Unfortunately, the core policies in it - a second Emissions ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • A coalition of racism, cruelty, and chaos
    Today's big political news is that after months of wibbling, National's Chris Luxon has finally confirmed that he is willing to work with Winston Peters to become Prime Minister. Which is expected, but I guess it tells us something about which way the polls are going. Which raises the question: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • More migrant workers should help generate the tax income needed to provide benefits for job seekers
    Buzz from the Beehive Under something described as a “rebalance” of its immigration rules, the Government has adopted four of five recommendations made in an independent review released in July, The fifth, which called on the government to specify criteria for out-of-hours compliance visits similar to those used during ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Letter To Luxon.
    Some of you might know Gerard Otto (G), and his G News platform. This morning he wrote a letter to Christopher Luxon which I particularly enjoyed, and with his agreement I’m sharing it with you in this guest newsletter.If you’d like to make a contribution to support Gerard’s work you ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Alarming trend in benefit numbers
    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  While there will not be another quarterly release of benefit numbers prior to the election, limited weekly reporting continues and is showing an alarming trend. Because there is a seasonal component to benefit number fluctuations it is crucial to compare like with like. In ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON: Has there been external structural change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase.   Brian Easton writes –  Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • CRL Progress – Sep-23
    It’s been a while since we looked at the latest with the City Rail Link and there’s been some fantastic milestones recently. To start with, and most recently, CRL have released an awesome video showing a full fly-through of one of the tunnels. Come fly with us! You asked for ...
    6 days ago
  • Monday’s Chorus: Not building nearly enough
    We are heading into another period of fast population growth without matching increased home building or infrastructure investment.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Labour and National detailed their house building and migration approaches over the weekend, with both pledging fast population growth policies without enough house building or infrastructure investment ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Game on; Hipkins comes out punching
    Labour leader Chris Hipkins yesterday took the gloves off and laid into National and its leader Christopher Luxon. For many in Labour – and particularly for some at the top of the caucus and the party — it would not have been a moment too soon. POLITIK is aware ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • Tax Cut Austerity Blues.
    The leaders have had their go, they’ve told us the “what?” and the “why?” of their promises. Now it’s the turn of the would be Finance Ministers to tell us the “how?”, the “how much?”, and the “when?”A chance for those competing for the second most powerful job in the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • MIKE GRIMSHAW:  It’s the economy – and the spirit – Stupid…
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Over the past 30-odd years it’s become almost an orthodoxy to blame or invoke neoliberalism for the failures of New Zealand society. On the left the usual response goes something like, neoliberalism is the cause of everything that’s gone wrong and the answer ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • Safeguarding Tuvalu language and identity
    Tuvalu is in the spotlight this week as communities across New Zealand celebrate Vaiaso o te Gagana Tuvalu – Tuvalu Language Week. “The Government has a proven record of supporting Pacific communities and ensuring more of our languages are spoken, heard and celebrated,” Pacific Peoples Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Many ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • New community-level energy projects to support more than 800 Māori households
    Seven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Huge boost to Te Tai Tokerau flood resilience
    The Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Napier’s largest public housing development comes with solar
    The largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Te Whānau a Apanui and the Crown initial Deed of Settlement I Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me...
    Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefit
    Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Immigration settings updates
    Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Poroporoaki: Tā Patrick (Patu) Wahanga Hohepa
    Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Renewable energy fund to support community resilience
    40 solar energy systems on community buildings in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events Virtual capability-building hub to support community organisations get projects off the ground Boost for community-level renewable energy projects across the country At least 40 community buildings used to support the emergency response ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • COVID-19 funding returned to Government
    The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Appointment of District Court Judge
    Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today.  Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
    The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-up
    Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Taupō Supercars revs up with Government support
    The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarter
    The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs
    The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today.   “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • More support for victims of migrant exploitation
    Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Strong export boost as NZ economy turns corner
    An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te Karaka
    The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Further business support for cyclone-affected regions
    The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underway
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General Assembly
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Midwives’ pay equity offer reached
    Around 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • New Zealand provides support to Morocco
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilience
    The Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today.  A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Government invests in Greymouth’s future
    The Government has today confirmed a $2 million grant towards the regeneration of Greymouth’s CBD with construction of a new two-level commercial and public facility. “It will include a visitor facility centred around a new library. Additionally, it will include retail outlets on the ground floor, and both outdoor and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago
  • Nanaia Mahuta to attend PIF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Suva, Fiji alongside New Zealand’s regional counterparts. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to working with our pacific whanau to strengthen our cooperation, and share ways to combat the challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago
  • PREFU shows no recession, growing economy, more jobs and wages ahead of inflation
    Economy to grow 2.6 percent on average over forecast period Treasury not forecasting a recession Inflation to return to the 1-3 percent target band next year Wages set to grow 4.8 percent a year over forecast period Unemployment to peak below the long-term average Fiscal Rules met - Net debt ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago
  • New cancer centre opens in Christchurch
    Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall proudly opened the Canterbury Cancer Centre in Christchurch today. The new facility is the first of its kind and was built with $6.5 million of funding from the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group scheme for shovel-ready projects allocated in 2020. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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