Farewell Dr Michael Cullen
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- Date published:
1:52 pm, August 20th, 2021 - 21 comments
Categories: david cunliffe, helen clark, labour -
Tags: michael cullen, Sir Michael Cullen
Dr Michael Cullen has died, and with him goes a real standard-bearer for Labour for three decades.
He died of lung cancer.
I heartily recommend everyone read his autobiography Labour Saving which came out earlier this year.
To me the cover title is accurate, because in no small measure he saved the Labour Party from death.
Characteristically, it focuses a lot more on the big policy battles than it does on the personalities and hurly-burly of political life.
Much more important than saving the Labour Party, he delivered very long lasting changes to the financial wellbeing of New Zealand.
He came from pretty humble origins in England, rising from Otago academic life to become one of the Dunedin Members of Parliament in the Bill Rowling and then tumultuous Lange years.
Starting off as member for St Kilda and then Dunedin South, he was an MP from 1981 to 2009. A fair old stretch.
It’s not that easy to get into the political mindset New Zealand was in from the Muldoon years to the Lange era, but it was extraordinarily weird and disorienting.
From the late 1970s we went through some of the most brutal, grandiose and wasteful state directed development under Prime Minister Robert Muldoon, and within a society rent with massive growth in ideological foment through new kinds of feminism, conservation and ecology, anti-racist movements, anti-colonial movements, anti-nuclear and anti war protests, and then from all of that to within a few further years hard edged public commercialisation and monetarism – it was an extraordinary time to see whole new kinds of political thought evolve within New Zealand.
Going from the authoritarian economic controls of Muldoon to the ideological voodoo economics of Roger Douglas and his Treasury coterie must have been bewildering.
Here’s another summary.
In 1987 in the second term of Lange, Dr Cullen was appointed by Lange to Minister of Social Welfare, ostensibly to shore up Lange in Cabinet against Roger Douglas and that side of politics (many of whom went on to form the Act Party). But it was personally difficult with his father shortly dying after a long and painful illness, his first marriage ending and his dog dying, prompting him to consider resigning: “I seriously considered quitting from Cabinet, but the least I could do was stay there for Helen [Clark] and David [Lange] and make sure we don’t lose social policy to the Rogernomes who were driving so much of the policy.”
But what he will be remembered for by most New Zealanders is for a few key moves that have already withstood the test of time:
With Jim Anderton he formed (after some hesitation) Kiwibank. Granted, it’s never really flourished against the big four Australian banks. Indeed it has needed pretty heavy reinvestment to do any kind of expansion, so it got that from public pension funds. But for those like myself who reserve a nationalist twinkle in their eye when they generate a new loan or mortgage, it’s been so good to have the option of a proper New Zealand bank after the utter foolishness of the Bolger National government to require all our smaller local banks to be thrown to the international wolves. Only TSB Bank still stands proudly local from that era.
He formed the New Zealand Superannuation Fund. Dr Cullen pulls no punches in his biography about how stupid it was of National not to continue to fund this when they came into office in late 2008. NZSuper Fund now supports a huge range of local businesses and major local infrastructure. It remains one of the highest-performing superannuation funds in the world. It’s made perpetual superannuation pretty much untouchable in New Zealand politics.
In 2005 he introduced Working for Families. This has supported huge numbers of families across New Zealand. Perhaps it is a policy setting and subsidy level that we take somewhat for granted now. But what he was doing wasredistributing tax take to people with children and give them more options in their lives.
In 2007 he brought in Kiwisaver, which sought to address the real lack of savings that New Zealand had – and still has. However now that 14 years have passed, for those who have a reasonable earning life and can live longer than 65 when the individualised fund can be accessed, it’s a reasonable-sized financial cushion to fall on. Every employer has to offer it, you get $1,000 just for signing up, and it’s enabled several million New Zealanders to invest collectively in many local and international businesses, with a risk profile you can choose.
It was not until the last term of the Clark government that he finally acceded to rising star John Key egging on the public to demand tax cuts, that he finally did so. They weren’t huge. He reduced the company tax from 33% to 30% and introduced a 15% research and development tax credit. He also made the Kiwisaver scheme a bit more flexible for first home buyers and other small carveouts. He did further smaller tax cuts in his 2008 budget, but it was as he phrased it, “Time for someone else at bat”, and National romped in.
He generated a kind of certainty to the business and media commentariat that completely dissolved any remaining notion that Labour could not manage the economy. The economy, until his final year in power during the GFC, flourished. He tamed the ideologues in Treasury by refusing their own staff secondments and putting his own people to push back hard and ensure his big proposals were implemented. In his biography he named his own Parliamentary staff who served him well in this constant battle.
He bestowed to National and Labour governments that followed, a capacity from the state to intervene in the economy on a scale unseen since Muldoon, and to do so with a clear sighted sense of what a strong social democratic government could once more do. That’s another major (unheralded) ideological shift we owe him.
Being Minister of Finance for 9 years under the Helen Clark government was Dr Cullen’s professional highlight.
Everyone in Labour will have their own stories of him, but my highlight was at the party in Wellington after the 2002 win, and we were in a downtown room full of activists and all the media were gone, fairly late into the evening and a little shall we say relaxed, and Michael comes in commands the room, and then does a speech in which he mercilessly lampoons many of his own colleagues. From memory, Damien O’Connor was “one of those grunting Westport Okies with the vocal range of a brown bear who after we met the crowd and told them we were stopping Beech clear felling, rose as a grunting mass and chased me and the staff down with nailed clubs and fired torches”, Charles Chavel was “Tahiti’s mincing little preener who was leaping Beehive upward floor by floor and was only going to be stopped with a wall-length mirror”, David Cunliffe “was late because he couldn’t see a way to descend down through the clouds”, and Helen Clark would “do well as a replacement for Boris Karloff since her stare actually turns your blood to ice.” He went through about 12 of them like surgical steel, and we could not help but wee ourselves with happiness both that we had won and that there was a little safe space for activists to see our Labour people have the crap mocked out of themselves.
Leastways, that’s how I remember it.
Hopefully more stories like that come out in the wake. Should we get to have one under current circumstances.
The new Ardern government never really got him. They put him on the Tax Working Group and just trashed it out of sheer political anxiety. He did a few other public sector roles, but he just ran out of time.
Dr Michael Cullen is my favourite Minister in living memory.
Well done sir.
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- Significant step forward in fixing cruel and unjust pastA significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...7 days ago
- Missed opportunity but NZ will surely one day recognise the right to a sustainable environmentNew Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...7 days ago
- Release: Don’t cut our lunches – clear message sent to GovernmentTens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches. ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt makes U-turn on Suicide Prevention OfficeLabour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...1 week ago
- CCC issues warning over further climate delayToday’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...1 week ago
- Luxon targets are lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...1 week ago
- Luxon targets lame and lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...1 week ago
- Release: Commitment to disability communities missing from Govt prioritiesMinister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...1 week ago
- Methane target review is dangerous duplicationThe Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Government must commit to school building project for disabled studentsThe Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National must take mental health seriouslyMental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...2 weeks ago
- Referendums for Māori wards a racist step backwardsThe Government's imposed referendum on Māori wards is a racist step backwards for Māori representation, and disregards Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Job losses at Health not worth it for tax cutsNew Zealand will feel the harm of the National Government’s reckless cuts to jobs at the health ministry for generations, says Ayesha Verrall. ...2 weeks ago
- Press release: No Māori initiatives in Government’s nothing planMāori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Social housing off Government’s to-do listThe Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Less money in most people’s pockets this AprilChanges to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Simeon Brown shortchanges AucklandersThe Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...3 weeks ago
- MPP cuts unforgivableSlashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...3 weeks ago
- Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...2 hours ago - Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International CongressAssociate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...23 hours ago
- Removing red tape to help early learners thriveThe Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...1 day ago
- RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tapeChanges to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...1 day ago
- McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationshipTrade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...1 day ago
- Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister LeePrime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...2 days ago
- PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ tiesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...2 days ago
- Antarctica New Zealand Board appointmentsForeign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...2 days ago
- Finance Minister travels to Washington DCFinance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...2 days ago
- Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlordsThe coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...2 days ago
- Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being consideredState Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...2 days ago
- New Zealand condemns Iranian strikesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...3 days ago
- Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plansHundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...5 days ago
- Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand ChairHealth Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...5 days ago
- Roads of National Significance planning underwayThe NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...5 days ago
- Navigating an unstable global environmentNew Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...5 days ago
- NZ welcomes Australian Governor-GeneralPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...5 days ago
- Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for WinterAssociate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...5 days ago
- NZ and the US: an ever closer partnershipNew Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...5 days ago
- Joint US and NZ declarationApril 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...5 days ago
- NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperationForeign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...5 days ago
- Government redress for Te Korowai o WainuiāruaThe Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...6 days ago
- Focus on outstanding minerals permit applicationsNew Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “While there are no set timeframes for ...6 days ago
- Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research CallThe New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...6 days ago
- Tenancy rules changes to improve rental marketThe coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...6 days ago
- Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with ChinaTrade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...6 days ago
- Freshwater farm plan systems to be improvedThe coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...1 week ago
- New Fast Track Projects advisory group namedThe coalition Government has today announced the expert advisory group who will provide independent recommendations to Ministers on projects to be included in the Fast Track Approvals Bill, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones. “Our Fast Track Approval process will make it easier and ...1 week ago
- Pacific and Gaza focus of UN talksForeign Minister Winston Peters says his official talks with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York today focused on a shared commitment to partnering with the Pacific Islands region and a common concern about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. “Small states in the Pacific rely on collective ...1 week ago
- Government honours Taranaki Maunga dealThe Government is honouring commitments made to Taranaki iwi with the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its first reading Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the commitment the Crown made to the eight iwi of Taranaki to negotiate ...1 week ago
- Enhanced partnership to reduce agricultural emissionsThe Government and four further companies are together committing an additional $18 million towards AgriZeroNZ to boost New Zealand’s efforts to reduce agricultural emissions. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the strength of the New Zealand economy relies on us getting effective and affordable emission reduction solutions for New Zealand. “The ...1 week ago
- 110km/h limit proposed for Kāpiti ExpresswayTransport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) will begin consultation this month on raising speed limits for the Kāpiti Expressway to 110km/h. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and this proposal supports that outcome ...1 week ago
- New Zealand Biosecurity Awards – Winners announcedTwo New Zealanders who’ve used their unique skills to help fight the exotic caulerpa seaweed are this year’s Biosecurity Awards Supreme Winners, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. “Strong biosecurity is vital and underpins the whole New Zealand economy and our native flora and fauna. These awards celebrate all those in ...1 week ago
- Attendance action plan to lift student attendance ratesThe Government is taking action to address the truancy crisis and raise attendance by delivering the attendance action plan, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. New Zealand attendance rates are low by national and international standards. Regular attendance, defined as being in school over 90 per cent of the ...1 week ago
- World must act to halt Gaza catastrophe – PetersForeign Minister Winston Peters has told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York today that an immediate ceasefire is needed in Gaza to halt the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. “Palestinian civilians continue to bear the brunt of Israel’s military actions,” Mr Peters said in his speech to a ...1 week ago
- Speech to United Nations General Assembly: 66th plenary meeting, 78th sessionMr President, The situation in Gaza is an utter catastrophe. New Zealand condemns Hamas for its heinous terrorist attacks on 7 October and since, including its barbaric violations of women and children. All of us here must demand that Hamas release all remaining hostages immediately. At the ...1 week ago
- Government woolshed roadshow kicks offToday the Government Agriculture Ministers started their national woolshed roadshow, kicking off in the Wairarapa. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said it has been a tough time for farmers over the past few years. The sector has faced high domestic inflation rates, high interest rates, adverse weather events, and increasing farm ...1 week ago
- PM heads to Singapore, Thailand, and PhilippinesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon will travel to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines this week (April 14-20), along with a senior business delegation, signalling the Government’s commitment to deepen New Zealand’s international engagement, especially our relationships in South East Asia. “South East Asia is a region that is more crucial than ever to ...1 week ago
- Prime Minister launches Government TargetsPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced further steps to get New Zealand back on track, launching nine ambitious Government Targets to help improve the lives of New Zealanders. “Our Government has a plan that is focused on three key promises we made to New Zealanders – to rebuild the economy, ...1 week ago
- Natural hydrogen resource should be free of Treaty claims entanglementNatural hydrogen could be a game-changing new source of energy for New Zealand but it is essential it is treated as a critical development that benefits all New Zealanders, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones is seeking to give regulatory certainty for those keen to develop natural, or geological, ...1 week ago
- Job cuts at Oranga Tamariki hit more than 400 roles
More than 400 jobs are likely to go at the children's ministry, RNZ understands. ...58 mins ago - Women MPs Acknowledge Report Highlighting Increased Harassment Of MPs
“The research reflects the real experiences of women in politics, and I would like to acknowledge the mahi by the researchers in highlighting this,” Ikaroa-Rawhiti MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel said. ...2 hours ago - Choice and control: the NDIS was designed to give participants choice, but mandatory registration co...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Bennett, Disability Program Director, Grattan Institute Shutterstock/Benjamin Crone Many Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late last year. Now a draft NDIS ...2 hours ago - Introducing some of our 100 new sea friends
A scientific expedition has found 100 previously unknown New Zealand marine species. Who are these creatures from the depths of the Bounty Trough? A big lipped, dark eyed, slimy limp fish. A juicy, elongated orb with 16 little legs, four bouncing from its topside and a mouth pouting with stubby ...2 hours ago - Is a 24-hour Home and Away channel the answer to subscription fatigue?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexa Scarlata, Research Fellow, Media & Communications, RMIT University Do you find yourself endlessly scrolling through streaming channels, wondering what to watch among the hundreds (or thousands) of options? Do you worry about spending more money on yet another subscription just to ...2 hours ago
- Light pollution affects coastal ecosystems too – this underwater ‘canary’ is warning of the im...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathleen Laura Sterup, Postgraduate in Marine Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Wikimedia Commons/Luca Davenport-Thomas, CC BY-SA In the early 20th century, canaries were used as early warning systems in coal mines to alert miners to rising levels ...3 hours ago
- Biden is cancelling millions of student debts – here’s what to expect from AlbaneseSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University So weighed down have Americans become by student debt, and so potent a political issue has it become in the US, that President Biden plans to waive interest or write ...3 hours ago
- Melissa Lee ‘really, really happy’ about deal to keep the news on ThreeStuff will provide a news service for Warner Brothers Discovery on Three. As the industry awaits much-anticipated work to address sector-wide issues, the responsible minister says she’s very happy about the deal. News to continue but job losses likely to be significant News will continue ...3 hours ago
- Contractor and consultant bill still high in police and NZTAThe government is pushing to cut spending, but money was still going out of non-core areas in the latest figures. ...4 hours ago
- Stuff takes a big risk on Newshub
The bosses of Stuff and TV3 have been lauding their newly minted deal as a win for democracy and something to celebrate during a grim period for local media. While it is true that a slimmed down news service on Three is better than nothing, it is hardly strengthening our ...5 hours ago - Abuse of MPs increased to 98% in 2022 – studyHarassment of MPs increased on nearly every measure over eight years, with 98 percent now reporting some kind of harassment, a study has found. ...6 hours ago
- Public service cuts: Number of job losses set to rise to more than 2000Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Education are to make announcements about their plans for meeting demands to save money. ...6 hours ago
- Massey takes risk in bid for international studentsCash-strapped Massey University is taking a risk in Singapore, as it looks for ways to claw back lucrative international students The post Massey takes risk in bid for international students appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- Could Te Kuha coal mine be a candidate for ‘goodbye Freddy’?Expert evidence gathered over years shows what might be lost if a proposed West Coast coal mine gets Government approval The post Could Te Kuha coal mine be a candidate for ‘goodbye Freddy’? appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- Why aren’t vulnerable babies being protected from RSV in Aotearoa?Each year, hundreds of New Zealand babies are hospitalised with this common respiratory virus, and health experts are concerned that preventative drugs used overseas are not being funded here. As winter approaches and people spend more time indoors, respiratory viruses start circulating. One common bug is RSV, or respiratory syncytial ...6 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 17 AprilThe post Daily crossword, Wednesday 17 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 17 AprilLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 17 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- From colour to climate change – a scientist’s journeyOpinion: I find myself now spending most of my academic retirement period explaining the science behind climate change to my local communities. What was the life journey that brought me to this role? As a young child I remember being fascinated first thing in the morning by the pure blues ...6 hours ago
- The dark side of the beauty industryThere is nothing to stop someone from buying a laser machine online and setting up a shop offering treatments for skin. Or injecting derma filler into a client’s face. No qualifications are needed for either treatment, but when it goes wrong the results can be life changing, even life threatening. ...6 hours ago
- Govt urged to protect seabirds on the brink of extinctionAlbatross are being accidentally caught and killed by NZ fishing vessels at a rate 350 percent higher than previously reported The post Govt urged to protect seabirds on the brink of extinction appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- Australia’s cash availability crisis creating an NZ monopolyHit by low demand for physical money, Australian cash-in-transit giant Armaguard is selling its NZ wing after rejecting an A$26m bailout The post Australia’s cash availability crisis creating an NZ monopoly appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- What the Post Office scandal can teach the Christchurch attacks inquiryOpinion: It only needs one person to stand up against injustice, but it requires a culture of inquiry for the truth to come out The post What the Post Office scandal can teach the Christchurch attacks inquiry appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- Health education contracts on the chopping blockPharmac has opted not the renew the contract for educational resource He Ako Hiringa The post Health education contracts on the chopping block appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 hours ago
- Olympic sailor doubles as Am Cup gamerAs a kid, Erica Dawson never owned one of those annoying little Tamagotchi digital pets. As a teen, she wasn’t the slightest bit interested in home video games and wasn’t addicted to playing Angry Birds on her phone, either. But now, on the cusp of entering her 30s, Dawson has ...6 hours ago
- 14 (!) crucial questions about Stuff replacing Newshub, asked and (mostly) answeredBased on interviews with the heads of Stuff and Warner Bros Discovery, along with staff across both organisations, Duncan Greive presents an in-depth primer on the biggest news media deal in years. With additional reporting by Stewart Sowman-Lund Why did Stuff win out over NZME? This is in many ways ...6 hours ago
- Critical minerals receive multi-million dollar support under Future Made in Australia policySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Two major critical minerals projects in Queensland and South Australia are to receive hundreds of millions of dollars in federal government loans as part of the Albanese government’s new Future Made in Australia policy. ...10 hours ago
- Water theft laws and penalties in the Murray-Darling Basin are a dog’s breakfast. Here’s how we ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam James Loch, Associate Professor, University of Adelaide Water is one of Australia’s most valuable commodities. Rights to take water from our nation’s largest river system, the Murray-Darling Basin, are worth almost A$100 billion. These rights can be bought and sold or ...13 hours ago
- Massey University signs agreement confirming plan to set up Singapore branchMassey University says its Singapore campus will provide education services to students who do not want to study in New Zealand. ...13 hours ago
- After a second knife attack in Sydney, how can parents talk to their kids and help them feel safe?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Westrupp, Associate Professor in Psychology, Deakin University In the space of three days, there have been two devastating knife attacks in Sydney. Your child may have seen these on the news or social media. Or they might be hearing about it ...15 hours ago
- Why is the Sydney church stabbing an act of terrorism, but the Bondi tragedy isn’t?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greg Barton, Chair in Global Islamic Politics, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University Just days after the deadly Westfield Bondi attacks, a second knife attack in Sydney has generated widespread shock and grief. This time, a 16-year-old entered an ...16 hours ago
- Masses of scalloped hammerheads have returned to one of Australia’s busiest beaches. But we don’...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olaf Meynecke, Research Fellow in Marine Science and Manager Whales & Climate Program, Griffith University A juvenile hammerhead at Burleigh Beach, watched by snorkellers Olaf Meynecke, CC BY-NC-ND For the second year in a row, over 100 hammerheads have gathered at one ...16 hours ago
- Have New Zealanders been misled about AUKUS, is involvement a foregone conclusion?Analysis - New Zealand involvement in pillar two of the military deal would represent a seismic shift. ...17 hours ago
- How the Lehrmann v Channel 10 defamation case shone an unflattering light on commercial news gatheri...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson’s victory in the defamation action brought against them by Bruce Lehrmann is the second big win inside a year for the Australian media using ...18 hours ago
- Pharmacists should be able to dispense nicotine vapes without a prescription. Here’s whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Coral Gartner, Director, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence on Achieving the Tobacco Endgame, The University of Queensland Zamrznuti tonovi/Shutterstock The Australian government is currently considering a bill to implement the next stage of reforms to vaping regulation. At present, vaping products ...18 hours ago
- For 600 years the Voynich manuscript has remained a mystery. Now we think it’s partly about sexSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keagan Brewer, Macquarie University Research Fellow, Macquarie University Yale University Library The Voynich manuscript has long puzzled and fascinated historians and the public. This late-medieval document is covered in illustrations of stars and planets, plants, zodiac symbols, naked women, and blue ...19 hours ago
- Can AI read our minds? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be worriedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Baron, Associate Professor, Philosophy of Science, The University of Melbourne Iconic Bestiary / Shutterstock Earlier this year, Neuralink implanted a chip inside the brain of 29-year-old US man Noland Arbaugh, who is paralysed from the shoulders down. The chip has ...20 hours ago
- 5 reasons why the Fast-track Approvals Bill threatens NZ’s already fragile ecosystemsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Stanley, Professor of Ecology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Conservation “good news” stories – the release of native birds into new habitats, for example – are always welcome. They recognise the work of conservation staff and volunteers ...20 hours ago
- Stuff to provide news bulletins to replace Newshub on ThreeBy Colin Peacock, RNZ Mediawatch presenter Warner Bros Discovery has done a deal with Stuff to provide news to replace Newshub. It will keep news on TV channel Three from July 6 and help Three retain some viewers. It also means important income for Stuff, but it will also stretch ...20 hours ago
- Stuck in fight-or-flight mode? 5 ways to complete the ‘stress cycle’ and avoid burnout or depres...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Theresa Larkin, Associate professor of Medical Sciences, University of Wollongong Shutterstock Can you remember a time when you felt stressed leading up to a big life event and then afterwards felt like a weight had been lifted? This process – the ...20 hours ago
- Ministry of Education job cuts may affect school lunch programmeThere is concern the team delivering the programme could be halved, while RNZ has also been told it will be "decimated". ...20 hours ago
- From forced kisses to power imbalances, violence against women in sport is endemicSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiona Giles, Research Fellow, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University Former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales may face significant consequences for his non-consensual kiss of Spanish soccer star Jenni Hermoso. But this is not the norm for perpetrators ...21 hours ago
- As China’s influence on Pacific media intensifies, Australia can’t afford to lose the region’s...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucy Morieson, Lecturer in Politics and Communication , RMIT University When the people of Solomon Islands go to the polls on Wednesday, they will be voting for more than just a new prime minister. The election will also be a referendum on ...21 hours ago
- The best moments from the outrageous final episodes of MAFS AUFrom the Jono and Ellie bombshell to the return of Collins, we look at back at the final episodes of Married at First Sight Australia 2024. When John Aiken told us back in February that we were in for a “quite shocking” season of Married at First Sight Australia, little ...21 hours ago
- Expanding Coal Mining In 21st Century An “absurd, Selfish Decision” Says WWFResources Minister Shane Jones announced today that the Government will ease the consenting process for setting up new coal mines or expanding existing ones. ...21 hours ago
- The Boy in the Water nominated for best podcastNewsroom has received five nominations for the 2024 Voyager Media Awards, including best podcast for Melanie Reid’s popular nine-part in depth investigation The Boy in the Water. ReadingRoom’s Steve Braunias has been nominated for best columnist, opinion or critique, and Aaron Smale is up for the Te Tohu Kairangi award. ...21 hours ago
- Watch: Christopher Luxon faces questions in SingaporeThe Prime Minister is speaking to media on his second day of a tour around South East Asia. ...22 hours ago
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Brilliant.
There are few Politicians who leave a resounding legacy. Thank you Michael. Proud to be associated with you through the Labour Party.
I liked and respected Cullen. Sad to hear of his passing.
He was my all time favorite Politician and a true treasure for NZ. His way of commenting with his sharp mind and yet in an inoffensive way was more an art than a skill that very few possess. Respect and condolences to his family.
Respect.
Well said Ad. Apart from his huge intellect and his ability to explain simply very complex ideas I particularly liked his ability to not give a fuck and say what he thought.
Everyone in parliament goes to the finance minister for money. Cullen was competent in the role of finance minister and I always respected him for that.
good man michael cullen, and thanks
Great post Ad that does honour to a great man. I got to have a beer one on one with him once and much to his embarrassment I told him how much I appreciated what he had done for NZ. A little cringe-making in hindsight, but I'm still glad I did.
And yes what a wicked, razor sharp wit the man had, some of his lines in the House absolutely carried the day.
Sir Geoffrey Palmer on Cullen.
Can anybody else see the image in joe90’s comment and is it just my browsers’ settings again?
I see blurry text. Assume that is an image.
No problem seeing the image.
Firefox / Windows 10.
edit: the text is slightly off, kinda like an old-skool fax.
Really strange, I went on another PC (Win10) and tried Firefox, Chrome, and Edge and only Chrome and Edge showed it, but Firefox did not!? Oh well …
To be perfectly honest about this man he was funny bright and the best neoliberal finance minister we've ever had. He did smooth the rough edges a little bit and his big legacies are watered down things Jim Anderton had to fight him tooth Nas nail for…
His legacy is 9 surpluses. A watered down super and a neoliberal run kiwirail, the beginning of the housing crisis, leaving unemployed families off working for families and despite having the most prosperous economy since the end of ww2 not rolling a back the cuts that decimated vulnerable people in this country on welfare.
He was who bill English wishes he was…
Unfortunately our current finance minister sees Cullen as the all knowing all powerful guru …
Life didn't get better for anyone growing up in poverty or who was disabled or on welfare back then just as it hasn't now.
If smoothing out the edges are great left wing legacy projects…. The left in this country are DOA
He wasn't a bad man. He was good at his job. He did some good things but he was no legendary iconic ground breaker that people are trying to make him into
He was the best neoliberal minister of finance we've ever had
Rip.
Agreed, Clark and Cullen crowed over surpluses generated by doubling of house prices, did nothing to restrain an obvious bubble, and didn't reverse the mother of all budgets, punishing the worst off
Cullen was a good man with a big blind spot
https://twitter.com/roblogic_/status/1428203228164870150?s=20
I am reading Michael Cullen's memoir, Labour Saving, it is another gift to all of us and I am amazed when I think that he was suffering from lung cancer at this time.
This epitomises this mans work ethic.
I wish Roger Douglas had brought in a CGT, rather than pose an alternative assets tax and then do nothing.
At least Michael Cullen wishes he had seen Bill English coming and financed the NZSF with 1% from employees and 1% from employers, so we had contributions 2009-2018. And used the $2B freed up to build state houses 2002-2008.
No one sees the field in front of them clearly enough at the time.
What you say in paragraph 2 it is not too late to do this.
Not sure who Coreyjhumm is talking about but he is entitled to his point of view. A case of damming with faint praise. Michael was fighting for the security of superannuants throughout his parliamentary career and I seem to recall that at one point he urged a return to Labours 1974-5 compulsory scheme. Finally he was in a position to make a difference and Kiwi Saver was/is a decent compromise. Pensioners for decades to come will have much to thank Sir Michael for. Hard to see how he could be defined as a neo-liberal. Can't wait to read his book.
No politician is perfect, and some are beyond incompetent to self-serving and power-grasping, but MC was as good as you could hope for.
His work is done, RIP.