Financial crisis spreading

Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, May 8th, 2010 - 42 comments
Categories: capitalism, class war, International - Tags: ,

In other cheery news this morning:

Euro crisis goes global as leaders fail to stop the rot

The growing crisis in the eurozone threatened to undermine the global economic recovery as markets plunged across the world on fears that European leaders may not be able to contain the debt contagion spreading from Greece.

Stock markets in London, New York, and Shanghai dived following criticism that much delayed and half-hearted measures to rescue Greece were undermining confidence in wider efforts to kick start the world economy.

European shares finished the day at a six-month low while the Dow was down around 1% at 10,424. In Asia, the Shanghai stock market fell to an eight-month low of 2688, down 6.8% on the previous day.

An emergency summit of the 16 leaders of the countries using the single currency was held in Brussels , with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France demanding tougher and quicker regulation of the financial markets in what looked like a doomed attempt to contain contagion from the Greek drama.
…
Capital Economics said the situation was delicately balanced and could become “devastating”: “So far, the crisis in Greece has not caused the money markets to freeze up. But if this situation were to change, the impact on risky asset prices could be devastating and derail the fragile global economic recovery. Policymakers know this only too well after the events of September 2008.”

Cracks have already begun to appear in the system. The cost of insuring against a default by banks in the euro-zone has risen sharply in recent days.

Europe’s sovereign debt crisis is making it harder for European banks to get their hands on dollars and may require their central banks to step in with short-term liquidity to keep up the flow of money through Europe’s economy.

Well, don’t say we didn’t warn you. It now looks highly likely that a second economic storm will engulf the world economy, and as usual little old NZ will get tossed about in its wake.

One particularly interesting snippet from The Guardian piece above. Many of the writers here would argue that much of society can be understood as a battle between a tiny minority of ultra-rich and a large majority of workers – money vs. people. But you don’t often see that view stated by major politicians and reported by the media quite as nakedly as this:

While pleading for the funds, Merkel has rounded furiously on the markets. After stating earlier this week that “politics have to reassert primacy over the financial markets”, she said that the “speculators are our opponents” and described the banks as “perfidious”.

Describing politicians as being in battle with the markets, she added: “Like all my other colleagues, I want to win this fight.”

Go for it Angela Merkel! Time for the people to take back control. Time for a real change.

42 comments on “Financial crisis spreading ”

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  1. Draco T Bastard 1
    8 May 2010 at 10:15 am

    Euro crisis goes global as leaders fail to stop the rot

    As they’re the ones that caused it I doubt that they have the wherewithal to stop it. We don’t need, or have any use for, leaders. What we need is people and community.

  2. freedom 2
    8 May 2010 at 10:15 am

    Invisible Empire is in plain sight and is heading towards the endgame. All the minutae of the arguments are irrelevant. It is time to accept the big picture is crooked and no amount of playing with the spirit-level will alter the outcome. The Media are as much at fault as the Banks and the Politicians. Centralised control of global banking is just around the corner.

    “We are grateful to The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. -But, the work is now much more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national autodetermination practiced in past centuries.”
    David Rockefeller, founder of the Trilateral Commission, in an address to a meeting of The Trilateral Commission, in June, 1991.”

    • Rob M 2.1
      8 May 2010 at 10:44 am

      More from Mr Rockefeller:

      “For more than a century ideological extremists at either end of the political spectrum have seized upon well-publicized incidents such as my encounter with Castro to attack the Rockefeller family for the inordinate influence they claim we wield over American political and economic institutions. Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as “internationalists” and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure – one world, if you will. If that’s the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.”

  3. prism 3
    8 May 2010 at 10:16 am

    Interesting phrase on news about Greece and the financial crisis – the news reader said something like – governments were acting to demonstrate to the markets that countries were acting to stabilise their economies. When the markets are implicated in the collapse as much as they are, this is highly ironic.

    Like Standard and Poor continuing to pass judgments on financial capability after the financial collapse that I don’t think they had been aware of. Seems that the markets are no more capable of acting well without the moral hazard that they accuse governments of. I wish we could have a government that had discussion papers released to the public, of alternative ways that we could establish the value of our currency instead of being an impulse buy product at the money market checkout. It is more important to us than that. We need to stop being a currency commodity and aim for less volatility, reduced short-term demand and less dependence on Hedge Funds to protect our export receipts.

    • prism 3.1
      8 May 2010 at 10:22 am

      After reading freedom – is thinking a waste of time? Has it all been decided and the politicians just playing around the feet of the elephant, or some carrying on pretending and the others oiling its skin and painting its toenails?

      • freedom 3.1.1
        8 May 2010 at 3:25 pm

        Prism, The elephant is real that’s all i am saying. How you deal with the elephant is up to you. Most people i speak with agree that the elephant should probably be left where it is and everyone else go off and get back to whatever it was you were doing before the elephant turned up.

        For most people it was crazy stuff like raising healthy children, doing an honest day’s labour for an honest day’s pay, living in communities where the values of friendship and safety were worth more than the benefit of an off shore workforce and hedgefunded security scams. We got a warning last year with the bailouts around the world. The elephant let us know it was there. The next time though is dfferent, it will trumpet and blow its anger at being ignored but when no-one bothers to feed it, then we will see a new beast.

        The reactions will only be known once the events unfold, you have to make a choice right now, either do all you can now to wake people up , or you can sit back and watch it on t.v.
        The holocaust began with a simple piece of cloth, and the potential here is on a scale never seen before in our history. Speak truth to power and you will face the truth your eyes forgot.

        • prism 3.1.1.1
          8 May 2010 at 5:21 pm

          Freedom I agree with you that we must all do something.
          I have just been doing some thinking in a now vanished comment. Don’t know where its gone. The thought was there, but now…? Must go an do some physical work.

          • freedom 3.1.1.1.1
            8 May 2010 at 8:03 pm

            work well
            maybe a sly cup of tea would recharge the inspiration

            capcha: friend

  4. big bruv 4
    8 May 2010 at 10:37 am

    Beautiful!

    A Euro crisis caused by the collapse of the socialist Greek state.

    And you idiots advocate borrowing billions more to prop up state spending….

    This is what happens when you keep expanding the welfare state in a naked bribe to keep power.

    Serves them right.

    • Carol 4.1
      8 May 2010 at 11:00 am

      Well, actually, the German and other European banks/financial institutions are partly to blame. They had already invested in Greece’s banks before the crisis and stand to lose a lot from the Greek financial collapse. So basically, it seems they were making profits out of Greece’s ‘”socialist state” before the crisis.

      http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/german-banks-have-big-investment-in-greece/

    • Lanthanide 4.2
      8 May 2010 at 11:04 am

      From what I understand, the problem is not that Greek was socialist, as you like to blame it for (the scandinavian countries seem to be doing just fine, thanks, barely being affected by the recession).

      The problem is that Greek public service jobs were jobs for life where you would not be fired for anything, so people would get a job, turn up and have very little or no work to do. They’d go home or go work at another job, while still being paid the full wage for their public job. That is *not* socialism, that’s pouring money down a hole.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 4.3
      8 May 2010 at 11:04 am

      Silly old Big Bruv.
      The greek Socialists have only been in power since October 09. It was their predecessors the Greek tories who created the mess

      • mickysavage 4.3.1
        8 May 2010 at 6:50 pm

        I look forward to BB’s retraction of his blaming the left for the mess that Greece is in or an explanation why the left is to blame devoid of slogans.

    • RedLogix 4.4
      8 May 2010 at 11:34 am

      And of course bb’s assertion is scarcely helped by the ‘socialist’ Greek habit of not ever paying taxes, a national pastime that has directly undermined confidence in the ability of the Greek govt to support it’s debts.

      Incidentally NZ and Aus have debt positions not a lot different to the Greek one, but because we still have a relatively sound tax base we still enjoy the confidence of the markets.

    • Jenny 4.5
      8 May 2010 at 9:04 pm

      Hey BB, when are you going to give us the name of the insurance company that you claim insures workers against redundancy.

      Either that or admit you just make whacky facts up to suit your right wing prejudices.

      • Lanthanide 4.5.1
        10 May 2010 at 9:46 am

        I have redundancy protection insurance through ANZ and whoever it is they have underwriting their insurance these days.

        Or was BB claiming a national plan that covers everyone automatically? Such a thing does not exist.

  5. Pascal's bookie 5
    8 May 2010 at 10:48 am

    It looks to me like we are just about caught on the horns of Rodrik’s Trilemma. (yes, it’s a triceratops)

    If Rodrik is right, you can have any two but not all three of the following:

    Deep economic integration (basically the globalisation WTO, ‘free’ trade, floating currencies etc)

    Nation states.

    Democracy.

    2, but not 3.

    This is a historicalish link http://alainet.org/active/20033&lang=es talking about the idea relating it to South America in 2007.

    This relates it to Greece today.

    And this guy is a good easy read on the broader issue

    • RedLogix 5.1
      8 May 2010 at 11:44 am

      Well I’ve long held that ultimately the nations states will eventually be compelled to surrender a portion of their sovereignty to some form of global governance. The only open question is how to hold this global power to democratic accountability, so that ordinary people have some sense of meaningful participation in it.

      Exactly as the medieval landed nobility ultimately gave way to national monarchs, who in turn gave way to democratic parliaments. If you asked the average medieval village dweller about the notion of single centralised power in the land, he would have most likely answered that the local warlord up the road in his castle was bad enough, and he didn’t trust the idea of ‘big kings’. (It’s more or less the same answer most libertarians have yet to move on from…)

      • prism 5.1.1
        8 May 2010 at 2:38 pm

        The centralised approach can achieve much, pool resources, regulate standards and so on if it wishes, but also go in the other direction. There is a frequent gripe from people who feel out of the loop that they are branch office up against the all-controlling, uninvolved, uninterested, distant ‘head office’.

  6. Rob M 6
    8 May 2010 at 10:50 am

    Can this big bruv moron be banned. The “Business Gooooood! State “Baaaaaaad!” binary rhetoric is as tired as the government he supports.

    Who lent them the money you muppet?

    [lprent: He doesn’t usually violate my behaviour guidelines. He responds to any warnings when I think that he has. Despite my frequent (non-moderator) differences of opinion with him, as a moderator I’m not banning anyone for a difference of opinion when they can and do (albeit ineffectually) argue for their point of view. Since this isn’t a democracy, that is a final word. ]

    • Lanthanide 6.1
      8 May 2010 at 11:06 am

      I just treat everything big bruv says as a self-parody, because it certainly can’t be taken seriously. He’s like a 10 year old that wants to talk with the adults.

  7. Benjamin B. 7
    8 May 2010 at 11:33 am

    Ehrm. Angela Merkel and the people on one line … Are you serious? In my view there’s nothing she’d care less about than the people. Except when there’s a chance to collect a few votes.

  8. ropata 8
    8 May 2010 at 12:07 pm

    On [2006] exchange rates, … 54 percent of New Zealanders earn an annual income of less than $US12,750. The increasing social inequality … has been developing since the market “reforms’ instituted by the Labour government in the 1980s, which saw a sustained attack on jobs and wages and the privatisation of public assets. Throughout the 1980s, the real value of wages declined, while the share of national wealth accumulated by the propertied elite rapidly expanded.

    This process was extended by the Nationals [sic] in the 1990s, and continues today under the Labour-led government of Helen Clark. Since Clark was elected in 1999, by falsely presenting Labour as a “centre-left’ alternative to the right-wing monetarist economic agenda of the previous period, the wealthy have increased their net worth at a greater rate than at any time during the previous decade when the conservative National Party held office.

    Recent labour productivity figures demonstrate the rise in the rate of exploitation of workers… [article continues]

    From http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/jun2006/newz-j05.shtml
    See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_class_in_New_Zealand

    • Quoth the Raven 8.1
      8 May 2010 at 2:09 pm

      When others were adopting monetarist policy after the failure, the high unemployment and stagflation, of keynesian policies, what was Greece doing?

      Thus, the Greek government did not face any difficulties borrowing from the domestic and international markets in the early 1980s. This allowed the government to continue pursuing its expansionary policies. Moreover, the central bank lacked independence, a factor that Alesina (1988) and Cukierman, et. al., (1992) find to be inversely related to inflation. Even though the Currency Committee was officially abolished in 1982, the government continued to set the broad outlines of monetary and exchange rate policies during the 1980s. This meant that monetary policy was dominated by the need to finance fiscal expansion.

    • prism 8.2
      8 May 2010 at 2:42 pm

      Good quote ropata and links. Spot on.

    • just saying 8.3
      8 May 2010 at 10:16 pm

      Very relevant Ropata.

      Maybe in the long run Labour losing the last election will turn out to be for the best as the only way to stop them in their neocon tracks, and make them turn back to the left. With the upcoming challeneges of global warming, and peak oil, having our two main parties running right wing agendas is a collision course for unfixable tragedy.

      Reminds me of when I wrote to Helen clark in her second term about my concerns about Labour’s continued right-wing policies (a polite and heartfelt letter) I heard absolutely nothing for more than a year until the next election campaign, when, she,or someone in her office, sent me the formula reply – along with a big wad of election campaign propaganda.

      Having another term of NACT will be a disaster, but if Labour contines to be national-lite how much better off are we really in the long term? And a right-wing Labour Party makes extreme right-wing policies from NACT seem all the more reasonable.

  9. r0b 9
    8 May 2010 at 12:38 pm

    Bruv and other right wingers like to blame Greece’s “socialist government” for its crisis. As usual they either don’t understand the issue, or if they do they lie about it. From The Times:

    Where did it all go wrong?

    Greece’s economy has many structural problems dating back decades, but the current crisis was triggered by a spectacular loss of market confidence after the public deficit figures were revised up sharply from 3.7 per cent of GDP to 6 per cent in September, and then up again to 12.7 per cent after the general election in October.

    Looks like the previous Conservative government was fudging the figures. The “Socialists” have only been in government since October. The causes of the crisis are many, and yes part of the mix is generous public sector entitlements. But that’s only part of it:

    What about tax evasion?

    This is another huge problem in Greece, with many families and businesses declaring the minimum earnings to avoid paying tax. About 95 per cent of tax returns are for less than €30,000 a year. Estimates for the annual loss to the Greek exchequer range from €20 billion to €30 billion.

    Businesses avoiding their obligations, and good old fashioned personal greed, which the last Conservative government failed to control. Another factor cited is “the huge military budget”. The Greek crisis has many complex causes, but a “failure of socialism” it is not…

  10. Bored 10
    8 May 2010 at 12:50 pm

    The New York Times today talked about the stock markets….”Financial market regulators said late Friday that they had not yet determined the cause of the sudden decline in stock prices that occurred on Thursday afternoon, while acknowledging that the sharp drop, which rattled investors worldwide, “is inconsistent with the effective functioning of our capital markets.’

    It would seem that there are too many issues stacking up around the world to give the equity markets confidence..
    * oil prices going through $90 US pb
    * an American Chernobyl type disaster in the Gulf of Mexico
    * a hung parliament in UK which is coincidentally pretty much insolvent
    * Greece going down the tubes with the EEC unable to agree to or stop the rot spreading to Portugal and other points.
    * the markets worldwide chewing through the bail out money (magicked into existence as public debt that cant ever be repaid).
    * massive fraud at Goldman Sachs, major bank bosses donating bail out money tpo themselves as bonuses.
    * diminishing profits from corporates, earnings slumps
    * ongoing cost of the war in the Gulf and Afganistan

    Add that to global warming and peak oil, peak soil, species diminution and investor confidence might soon be at an all time low. All aboard the roller coaster ride ….

    • Quoth the Raven 10.1
      8 May 2010 at 1:59 pm

      Add that to global warming and peak oil, peak soil, species diminution and investor confidence might soon be at an all time low. All aboard the roller coaster ride .

      The world has always been this way. Things are always in flux. There is always change. There are always problems man has to overcome. I bet every generation thinks things have never been so chaotic and that they sit on some precipice, but they’d be wrong just like people are today.

      • uke 10.1.1
        8 May 2010 at 3:49 pm

        The last one or two generations of Westerners are in a unique position, I think.

        They are the first with the power to degrade the biosphere to the extent it may be uninhabitable. This power lies not simply in nuclear weaponry and the like, but as simply the side-effects of a lifestyle choice (standard of living) that is now, apparently, an “entitlement”.

        Most dangerous of all are Westerners economic missionary zeal to “develop” the rest of the world (which is apparently “undeveloped”), force them to adopt their own wasteful, energy-hungry, materialistic, alienated-from-their-labour ways.

      • Bored 10.1.2
        8 May 2010 at 6:19 pm

        So QoR, why all the dismay from the investors if the flux you describe is the norm?

        • Quoth the Raven 10.1.2.1
          8 May 2010 at 7:44 pm

          Bored – There have always been periodic crises in our state-capitalist system obviously accompanied by dismay from investors. It’s the view from some that we’re in some unique period on the precipice of this or that catastrophe that I’m criticising. The reality as I was trying to say is that there is always change, flux, problems immense and small to overcome.

          They are the first with the power to degrade the biosphere to the extent it may be uninhabitable. This power lies not simply in nuclear weaponry and the like, but as simply the side-effects of a lifestyle choice (standard of living) that is now, apparently, an “entitlement’.

          This is true to a certain extent. But it’s equally true that humanity has never been at less risk of destruction from natural rather than unnatural causes. It’s also true that we’re not hanging under the Damocles sword of nuclear war as we were only a generation or two ago. It’s also true that we live in one of the most peaceful times in human history. Our power to degrade the biosphere is accompanied by unprecedented understanding of its workings. Though climate change is a great threat one shouldn’t fall into wailing catastrophism. I used to argue strenuously here with climate change deniers I do so less now lest I feed the trolls on both sides.

          • uke 10.1.2.1.1
            9 May 2010 at 6:03 am

            “Our power to degrade the biosphere is accompanied by unprecedented understanding of its workings.”

            This it true to a certain extent. We are now also aware of deforestation, loss of topsoil and groundwater reserves, peak oil and other resource depletions, overfishing, pollution, loss of biodiversity, etc.

            It is also true that we have perhaps never been so vulnerable to our sense of technological triumphalism, the faith-based approach that “things will work themselves out”, the scientists will find a way.

            Interestingly, in Jared Diamond’s book Collapse, “wailing catastrophism” is not given as one of the major factors causing the decline of societies – a sense of due urgency is not inappropriate.

          • Bored 10.1.2.1.2
            9 May 2010 at 11:05 am

            Q, catastrophism is not at question here, my original point was merely that investor confidence was going to be very hard hit because of the number of intersecting issues. People who have enough to invest constantly try and seek safe options to retain their wealth, uncertainty just does not do it for them. Thats the real basis of conservatism, the attempt to entrench advantage, to retain what one has, to feel at ease with your known world.

            Interestingly catastrophism really pisses off everybody as we all have some innate need for security and surety over our lifes. Being told that a train is about to come off the tracks, run through your lounge and flatten everything has the normal effect of:
            1. you sitting in your lounge chair in disbelief as the train approaches…
            2. you telling the messanger to get a life….
            3. a train wreck mess to try and survive….

            So lets just sit back and watch the financial crisis and see what unfolds, I am betting investor confidence world wide wont be killed by this event, probably just dented. The other issues I mentioned will do the rest of the panel beating, sort of cumulative damage over time.

  11. Quoth the Raven 11
    8 May 2010 at 1:39 pm

    Describing politicians as being in battle with the markets, she added: “Like all my other colleagues, I want to win this fight.’

    Approvingly quoting a conservative I see. What a nice piece of mythology it is from Merkel. Some sage words:

    Corporate liberalism functions via a façade of opposition between a purportedly progressive statocracy and a purportedly pro-market plutocracy. The con operates by co-opting potential opponents of the establishment; those who recognise that something’s amiss with the statocratic wing are lured into supporting the plutocratic wing, and vice versa. Whenever the voters grow weary of the plutocracy, they’re offered the alleged alternative of an FDR or JFK; whenever they grow weary of the statocracy, they’re offered the alleged alternative of a Reagan or Thatcher. Perhaps the balance of power shifts slightly toward one side or the other; but the system remains essentially unchanged. (Which explains, for example, why the recent much-trumpeted power shift in Congress has resulted in precious little policy change.)

    Alas, just as the insights of the 19th century were largely lost by the 1920s, so the insights of the 1960s seem to have become largely lost by the 1980s. Probably Reagan indeed played a crucial role in sowing confusion once more, this time by wrapping fascism in libertarian rhetoric just as the Progressives and FDR had wrapped fascism in leftist rhetoric. In any case, many libertarians today (sometimes even professed followers of Rothbard) have gone back to thinking of business as a persecuted minority to be defended against the creeping “socialism’ of the regulatory state, while many on the left (sometimes even professed anarchists, like Noam Chomsky) look to the federal government as a bulwark against so-called “laissez-faire’ and indulge in nostalgia for the New Deal.

    If the left/libertarian coalition of the 19th century, abortively re-attempted in the 1960s, is to be reestablished, as it should be, it is above all an understanding of the nature of corporate liberalism its non-accidental nature, given the incentives inherent in state power that must be revived.

  12. prism 12
    8 May 2010 at 3:15 pm

    Past posts have good information backgrounding the financial thing. Sovereign debt and Greece Iceland etc. is something I have to study. I think Rob’s post in April on The Standard noted below is going to give lots to think about – check it out (again?). We need to know about this stuff.
    Call your broker…
    By: r0b – Date published: 1:12 pm, April 28th, 2010 – 60 comments
    Categories: International, capitalism – Tags: greece, sovereign debt

    John Key should know but he’s a money surfer I think – riding the top of the wave.
    Treasury should know but they are looking at trends and stats and long-term v short-term – people are to one side as a distraction sort of like the giant aid org that was looking at aid delivery 3-6 months away when the stock of food in the needy country was forecast to be finished in 6 weeks.
    The politicians should know but they consider personal experiences before the need to widen their understanding. They keep thinking of the country as a giant household or giant business (when if a quick view is wanted its a bit of both) – but that’s a truncated view (that’s why they can’t see the elephant in the room). They are busy just keeping the show on the road, patching up the system, providing continuance (whether ineffective or not) and failure will be devastating personally and for their party.
    Not much room for initiative and wider thinking there (such as WB Sutch and Bruce Jesson who didn’t fare well and are now farewelled.)

    [lprent: added link. ]

  13. Ag 13
    8 May 2010 at 3:17 pm

    Looks like the final victory of communism is just around the corner.

    Which of the tories who trolls The Standard is first for the gulag?

    • Quoth the Raven 13.1
      8 May 2010 at 3:37 pm

      Only the gulag for them. Such niceties from you I’m surprised.

  14. vto 14
    8 May 2010 at 8:06 pm

    Oh my giddy aunt me hopes this current meltdown stops. We just had enough. ffs

    Unfortunately until all old debt issues are resolved, in the markets eyes, the matter will continue and linger and rot.

    • Bored 14.1
      9 May 2010 at 11:08 am

      Who knows how this will end, all I know is that somebody who did not create the mess will be asked to pick up the bill, current modus operandi here is to give it to the unborn.

  15. freedom 15
    8 May 2010 at 8:17 pm

    re the 1000 point drop the other day
    it may well have been a data entry error that led to the initial trade’s impact but from that moment on it was silicon doing the damage

    http://beforeitsnews.com/story/40/644/Mr._President:_Unplug_the_F_ing_Computers.html

    “This was not humans – it was pure computer algorithm trading. —This was basically the 1987 program-trading crash powered by the fastest CPUs money can buy, and points out that these systems do not have social utility and at times like this they are unbelievably destructive.”

    those with a memory may remember the 1000 point drops are the low end of figures that the US Senate was threatened with if they didn’t sign the Bailout. Now old news, just how much has the untraceable and apparently inadequate Bailout fund used?

    ” According to the watchdog overseeing the federal government’s financial bailout program, the full exposure since 2007 amounts to a whopping US$23.7 Trillion dollars,” (NZ$33.16 Trillion)

    quotes from beforeitsnews.com & infowars.com

  16. Zak Creedo 16
    10 May 2010 at 9:59 pm

    My ‘gee’ day… time for the bloggers here and their commentariat to come clean on what they think or imagine banking is about..?

    And when they have that down in clear crisp pixels for all to see, time then to tell their comprehension of shadow banking (tho some might prefer to term this shadow financing.

    For whom do these bells toll, folk?:

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    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    17 hours ago

  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    18 hours ago

  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    18 hours ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    19 hours ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    20 hours ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    20 hours ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    21 hours ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    23 hours ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    24 hours ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    2 days ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State 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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
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  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
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  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
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  • Taupō takes pole position
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  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
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  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
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  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
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  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
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  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
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  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
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  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
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  • Joint US and NZ declaration
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