Finkelstein on Dame Hodge

Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, August 18th, 2018 - 58 comments
Categories: discrimination, International, journalism, liberalism, Media, Propaganda, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, uk politics - Tags: ,

Most people will know that Labour MP Dame Hodge called Jeremy Corbyn a “fucking antisemite and racist” to his face. Most people will also know that the Labour Party dropped disciplinary proceedings against her, and will also know that the Labour Party is under an unrelenting campaign by conservative Jewish organisations because it will not adopt a contested definition of antisemitism verbatim.

There has also been the peddling of what far too many people want to call “fake news” (ie – common garden variety propaganda) that would have had people believe that Jeremy Corbyn laid a commemorative wreath to Black September terrorists, even though no bodies of any perpetrator of the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre is in the cemetery Corbyn was at…or anywhere else in Tunisia for that matter.

Liberal media is now doubling down on that last point, and would have us accept that an alleged planner of the Olympic Massacre, who denied any involvement and whose innocence or guilt was never put to the test, is the same thing as a known perpetrator.

As an aside. When, as in Bibi on Corbyn, was the last time the leader of one country took the time out to “unequivocally condemn” the opposition leader of another country?

Anyway. Here’s Finkelstein on Hodge. But you’d do well to remember that Finkelstein is what some call a “self hating Jew”, and as such, his opinions and thoughts should be dismissed and play no part in drawing up or colouring any opinion around the fracas being generated around UK Labour Party these days.

If you don’t dismiss Finkelstein, as any “right thinking” person ought to, then you might also appreciate this piece by Mark Steel writing in The Independent

58 comments on “Finkelstein on Dame Hodge ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. dukeofurl 1
    18 August 2018 at 11:03 am

    Funny there was a similar push back to Ed Milliband when he was a supporter of palestinian causes
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ed-miliband/11196959/Maureen-Lipman-abandons-Ed-Miliband-over-Israel.html
    British Jews turn away from Ed Miliband’s Labour Party
    https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4654379,00.html
    https://www.spectator.co.uk/2015/04/how-ed-miliband-lost-the-jewish-vote/
    http://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-donors-said-abandoning-uks-pro-palestine-miliband/?fb_comment_id=762282173843783_762364453835555

    Ed Milliband was jewish. Makes you wonder.
    I would have thought for Corbyn the support of the British working class was more essential.

    • Bill 1.1
      18 August 2018 at 11:46 am

      Well, according to three overtly right wing news sources. Not familiar with ynetnews, but suspect that makes four.

      Jews within UK Labour have been on the receiving end of this antisemitism nonsense (subjected to disciplinary procedures).

      And at 2% of the population, yes, you’d think the support of the Jewish community wouldn’t be that crucial. But when people are using the presence of that Jewish community and its supposed fears to stir up nonsense that mainstream liberal outlets seem only too happy to echo and amplify….

      • dukeofurl 1.1.1
        18 August 2018 at 1:10 pm

        It seems that even having Milliband as a possible PM wouldnt loosen the purse strings ( raising money was mentioned over and over) so now with more Palestine friendly Corbyn, they has to use a bigger hammer to bring him down.
        You would think on the face of the evidence that Israeli meddling in UK politics is rife

      • swordfish 1.1.2
        19 August 2018 at 10:16 pm

        Finkelstein = brilliant as always.

        Bill:

        And at 2% of the population, yes, you’d think the support of the Jewish community wouldn’t be that crucial.

        Polls conducted within the British Jewish community have long shown that the community is overwhelmingly – and I mean overwhelmingly – Conservative-voting in its electoral proclivities.

        Was certainly Left-wing in the early-mid 20C … but very Tory since the 1960s. No coincidence that UK Jews headed Right as the community became more and more affluent in the post-War period.

    • Agora 1.2
      20 August 2018 at 12:26 pm

      The Israeli right’s ongoing war against jewish dissent
      https://www.jonathan-cook.net/2018-08-19/peter-beinart-israel-jews-enemies/

  2. Pat 2
    18 August 2018 at 11:20 am

    The man must be superhuman judging by the fear he is generating…..Stalin reincarnate?

    • Bill 2.1
      18 August 2018 at 11:54 am

      Hitlin? Staler? Fck knows.

      I might say there’s a potential to create unfortunate blow-back, if encouraging self fulfilling prophesy wasn’t also a possible something that’s on the table.

      I’ve read a few comments beneath articles where people are seemingly expressing a new found hostility towards Jews by way of extension of their anger towards those pushing this nonsense.

      • AB 2.1.1
        18 August 2018 at 12:29 pm

        “a new found hostility towards Jews by way of extension of their anger towards those pushing this nonsense.”
        No doubt this possibility has entered the calculations of Corbyn’s (false) accusers.
        Goading someone’s supporters into committing precisely the acts you are falsely accusing their leader of – that’s a good strategy.

      • Pat 2.1.2
        18 August 2018 at 1:15 pm

        Prejudice will always be with us but the concerted effort to undermine him suggests their belief he can win given half a chance.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.1.3
        18 August 2018 at 3:01 pm

        I’ve read a few comments beneath articles where people are seemingly expressing a new found hostility towards Jews by way of extension of their anger towards those pushing this nonsense.

        People have a tendency to get angry at those who are constantly lying to them.

    • Siobhan 3.1
      18 August 2018 at 12:10 pm

      “Jeremy Corbyn is “probably the least charismatic leader of the left” but Labour MPs need to accept the fact that he “keeps beating them,” says Gary Younge, the Guardian columnist and author.

      In an interview with The Huffington Post UK, the left-wing commentator called Corbyn an “accidental leader” who was propelled into his role by forces greater than himself.

      Corbyn is “not tub-thumping or rhetorical brilliant” and claims that his leadership is ineffective may be true, Younge said.
      But he said he would have voted Corbyn in both leadership contests if he was a Labour Party member, because “something had to happen, and this is that something”..”

      https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/jeremy-corbyn-labour-gary-younge_uk_57e691fae4b0db20a6e9462a

      Gary Younge is, by Guardian standards unenthusiastically ‘pro-ish’ Corbyn.
      The Guardian being the paper who have engaged in printed warfare since Corbyn came to the fore. But Corbyn would be left on his knees if he took advice or leadership inspiration from people with such ‘fluid’ and indiferent supporter.

      https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2016/jul/19/yes-jeremy-corbyn-has-suffered-a-bad-press-but-wheres-the-harm

      • dukeofurl 3.1.1
        18 August 2018 at 1:04 pm

        You keep making the ‘mistake’ of thinking that Columnists writing in the Guardian are the voice of the Guardian itself.

        This is where you would find the ‘Guardian View’ https://www.theguardian.com/profile/editorial

        It will take a while to find anything on Corbyn at all. But this is a quite good one of the topic du jour which certainly raises interesting issues the more click bait columnists ignore
        https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/24/the-guardian-view-on-antisemitism-and-labour-not-just-a-problem-of-perception

      • Pat 3.1.2
        18 August 2018 at 1:13 pm

        The Guardians position re Corbyn has always puzzled me…. you have an old school Labour leader promoting old school social democratic ideals being relentlessly bagged by a self proclaimed left leaning publication…..odd, unless you consider the ‘left’ ideals have been undermined by a middle class fear of a loss of baubles.

        • greywarshark 3.1.2.1
          18 August 2018 at 2:35 pm

          Pat
          That’s a thought. The baubles, the comfort, the style, the entitled position of those displaying the right coded display, the fitting in; they mount up. Think: Python torture satire ‘No, no, not the comfy chair’.

        • Bill 3.1.2.2
          18 August 2018 at 7:18 pm

          …being relentlessly bagged by a self proclaimed left leaning publication…

          Hmm. The Guardian has never claimed to be anything other than a liberal publication promoting a liberal, not left, perspective.

          • Pat 3.1.2.2.1
            18 August 2018 at 7:30 pm

            given recent examples that may be a fair appraisal…however…

            “The status quo among the quality press was irrevocably altered by the launch of the Independent in 1986. Capturing the centre ground between the Guardian on the left and the Times and Telegraph on the right, the Independent attracted big name writers and readers with a modern design and distribution network that made the most of the post-union market”

            https://www.theguardian.com/gnm-archive/2002/jun/06/1

            • Bill 3.1.2.2.1.1
              18 August 2018 at 10:04 pm

              Just look up “the Guardian’s” take on its own history. They are proudly and very committed liberals (est 18??). People may have their own take on what that means in terms of “left” and what not, but hey….

              • Pat …
                18 August 2018 at 10:07 pm

                that quote is from exactly that….History of the Guardian..by the Guardian…at the Guardian.

                • Bill …
                  18 August 2018 at 11:41 pm

                  Christ Pat. Same piece.

                  The Manchester Guardian was founded by John Edward Taylor in 1821 and first published on 5 May of that year. The paper was intended to promote the liberal interest in the aftermath of the Peterloo Massacre,…</blockquote.

                  And you wanna look up their support or otherwise of the SDP?

      • Gabby 3.1.3
        18 August 2018 at 2:12 pm

        I wonder who in his view is more charismatic. Nice suits don’t strike me as charismatic.

    • Morrissey 3.2
      18 August 2018 at 4:21 pm

      Te Reo, your comment is not only grossly ill-judged unfair, it’s almost as foolish as your support a while back for that chickenhawk Hillary Benn.

    • Ed 3.3
      18 August 2018 at 4:23 pm

      The Guardian has been running a ‘get Corbyn campaign’ for 2 years.
      It is not impartial.

  4. Agora 4
    18 August 2018 at 1:13 pm

    This narrative pre-dates the state of Israel
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Mandate_for_Palestine_(legal_instrument)
    and has local echoes with the appointment of Ferguson as Governor General,
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Fergusson,_Baron_Ballantrae
    having served in Malaya,
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayan_Emergency
    Palestine,
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Mandate_for_Palestine_(legal_instrument)
    and Suez
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Crisis

    Churchill came under pressure from his own north London Jewish constituency during the Palestine emergency to create Israel. Hodge is not the first heavy hitter, and won’t be the last.

    Corbyn’s advisors could do a lot worse than read Churchill’s memoirs.

  5. joe90 5
    18 August 2018 at 2:44 pm

    Richard Silverstein, long time critic of Israel, reckons Netanyahu’s stickies are all over this.

    Returning to Tunisia, digging up the kinds of pictures used to smear Corbyn and performing the research to determine who is buried in the cemetery is no job for amateurs. No matter how much animus has arisen against Corbyn, no one in Britain has both the means, methods and expertise to do this sort of thing. My strong suspicion is that it was the work of Israeli intelligence operatives. Not necessarily the Mossad itself, though that’s a possibility. But certainly current or former intelligence operatives working on behalf of official Israeli agencies. The Strategic Affairs ministry immediately comes to mind. It is headed by Gil Erdan and his deputy, former military censor Sima Vaknin-Gil. They have publicly boasted that they are hiring such agents to mount sabotage campaigns against international targets supporting BDS and other forms of anti-Israel “delegitimization.”

    https://www.richardsilverstein.com/2018/08/17/israeli-attempts-to-overthrow-corbyn-and-other-foreign-leaders/

  6. Adrian Thornton 6
    18 August 2018 at 3:09 pm

    You gotta love Finkelstein, never one to pull his punches.

    I think that like the unrelenting media smear campaign against Corbyn pre the UK election, this hatchet job is failing to gain very much real traction outside of the media and political class, when one takes into consideration the huge amount of ink dedicated to this ridiculous antisemite bullshit, not much of their mud slinging has stuck it would seem, well according to the polls.
    https://yougov.co.uk/news/2018/08/16/has-jeremy-corbyn-wreath-laying-controversy-change/

    Here is a good piece on what is looking like the new paradigm in UK politics vs media

    The rise of Corbyn’s Labour party and the eclipse of the Tory media
    https://doc-research.org/2018/03/rise-corbyns-labour-party-eclipse-tory-media/

    “For the Right in Britain, fake news, vicious trolling and unsubstantiated allegations are not innovations of the digital age. Instead, these techniques were perfected in analogue times for attacking its opponents on the Left. Heavily subsidised by advertising, Tory newspapers secured a mass readership for the rabidly reactionary politics of their extremely rich owners with a seductive mix of human interest stories, celebrity gossip and sports coverage. As a public service broadcaster, the BBC was legally obliged to offer a more balanced coverage of the party contest, but its journalists all too often followed the lead of their openly partisan colleagues from the print media. Lacking alternative sources of information, the British electorate has repeatedly been persuaded by smears and lies to vote in large numbers against its own class interests”

  7. Ed 7
    18 August 2018 at 3:38 pm

    Finkelstein was on George Galloway’s show yesterday.

    Starts at 7:50

    http://talkradio.co.uk/radio/listen-again/1534528800#

    • Bewildered 7.1
      18 August 2018 at 5:30 pm

      Filkelstein also likes cats as well then

      • weston 7.1.1
        18 August 2018 at 8:31 pm

        That the best you can do bewildered ??Its often said that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit ..dunno why cause sometimes its funny but if you ask me SNIDE is plumbing the depths .

  8. Lettuce 8
    18 August 2018 at 4:09 pm

    An interesting and informative (but long!) article on the BDS movement. It’s surprisingly impartial given that it’s been published in the Guardian:

    https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/aug/14/bds-boycott-divestment-sanctions-movement-transformed-israeli-palestinian-debate

  9. Wayne 9
    18 August 2018 at 4:15 pm

    When a senior Labour MP accuses her leader of being an anti Semite, it can’t be just dismissed as fake news. While the issue may or may not have an effect on Labour’s electoral chances (I simply don’t know) that is not the only lens to view the issue.

    It seems to me that Labour has a real issue to deal with. The UK with a PM who is deeply opposed to Israel would be pretty problematic. It would go to the heart of the western alliance in a general sense.

    While I appreciate that would be a reason for rejoicing among many Standardnistas, I would see it as a huge problem for western unity generally. Effectively it would break up the western alliance which leads deeply into unknown territory.

    • Ed 9.1
      18 August 2018 at 4:22 pm

      Of course Wayne.
      You would say that.

    • Morrissey 9.2
      18 August 2018 at 4:28 pm

      When a senior Labour MP accuses her leader of being an anti Semite, it can’t be just dismissed as fake news.

      Yes it can. She’s a merciless liar. I’ll bet if someone accused YOU of something outlandish and without a skerrick of evidence to support it, you’d be bawling “Fake news!” loudly and unremittingly.

      BREEN COMMENTS:
      Until I read this comment by this ridiculous, discredited old fool, I thought Te Reo Putake had contributed the most disgusting comment on this thread.

      • Ed 9.2.1
        18 August 2018 at 4:31 pm

        A disgraceful comment by Wayne.
        How low can he go?

        • Morrissey 9.2.1.1
          18 August 2018 at 4:36 pm

          Much lower, sadly. He and Dame Margaret Hodge would be a good pair.

          She’s the most repulsive person to ever sport the title “Dame Margaret”, by the way. Quite an achievement, considering the competition.

        • Wayne 9.2.1.2
          18 August 2018 at 6:10 pm

          Why is it disgraceful? Simply to say it is not fake news, and that if the UK turns its back on Israel that will be problematic for the west generally.
          You may not agree with it, but it is hardly disgraceful.
          If you think it is disgraceful to express such a view, that probably why the whole issue is so problematic for UK Labour.

          • Morrissey 9.2.1.2.1
            18 August 2018 at 6:53 pm

            The onus is on Hodge, and her willing megaphones like you, to prove these wild claims. You have not done so. You are, therefore, a liar.

            • Wayne 9.2.1.2.1.1
              18 August 2018 at 7:12 pm

              I don’t know whether Corbin is antisemite or not. It was Dame Hodge (and many others) who have said he is.
              But he sure is anti Israel and pro Palestine. Not too much doubt on that.
              If he is PM (and he could easily be) in my view he will be a threat to western unity. Will he do any lasting damage in a five year term? Hard to say, but I guess we will find out.

              • Morrissey …
                18 August 2018 at 7:14 pm

                He is not antisemitic, and you do know it. You are a liar.

              • Anne …
                18 August 2018 at 7:41 pm

                I don’t know whether Corbin is antisemite or not. It was Dame Hodge (and many others) who have said he is.
                But he sure is anti Israel and pro Palestine. Not too much doubt on that.

                And there-in lies the problem Wayne.

                One can be pro-Jewish people but anti the current Israeli government.
                They are two different things. As someone who is non Jewish but who had Jewish relatives in England I fall into this category.

                From my reading of Jeremy Corbyn that is precisely his conundrum.

                ‘Dame’ Margaret Hodge comes across to me as deliberately creating mischief for Corbyn and for personal political gain. I wouldn’t trust her as far as I could throw her.

                Incidentally, what did she get a dame-hood for?

                • Morrissey …
                  18 August 2018 at 7:47 pm

                  Anne, Wayne knows all that perfectly well. You are speaking in good faith, he is not. He thinks he’s still obliged to lie habitually, as he did when he was Minister of “Defence”. Old habits die hard, clearly.

                  • sumsuch …
                    19 August 2018 at 2:06 am

                    Nope, he’s sincere, just following ‘his (dim) lights’. I do appreciate his willingness to enter the lists, unlike 99 % of ‘luminaries’.

                • Tuppence Shrewsbury …
                  19 August 2018 at 9:04 pm

                  Why do hate women who speak truth to power? You’re always so rough on women who question men at the top of power structures.

                  Is there an underlying religious reason you side with the Palestinians?

                  • Anne …
                    20 August 2018 at 10:48 am

                    Who said I always side with the Palestinians. There are occasions when I think they goad the Israelis to take certain courses of action – and vice versa. In fact, it seems to me to be an eternal merry-go-round where both sides remain intransigent and refuse to genuinely negotiate a lasting peace deal with the other.

                    I have sympathy for Israel’s geographical position. They are a tiny country with narrow borders which must make them feel extremely vulnerable. I guess that is the reason they are surrounding themselves with protective buffer zones. On the other hand, they’re stealing the lands of their Palestinian neighbours by force, and I can also appreciate the fury that has been stirred up because of it.

                    As for your first sentence… straight out of that large hole in your head where your brain would be if you had one. Lies and innuendo – the hall marks of a right wing troll devoid of any rational thought so has to resort to ad hominems.

              • gnomic …
                19 August 2018 at 12:50 am

                A former minister in a National Party government wrote thusly.

                “The UK with a PM who is deeply opposed to Israel would be pretty problematic. It would go to the heart of the western alliance in a general sense. While I appreciate that would be a reason for rejoicing among many Standardnistas, I would see it as a huge problem for western unity generally. Effectively it would break up the western alliance which leads deeply into unknown territory.”

                Terra incognita? Somewhat like the space between your ears? What is this ‘western alliance’ of which you speak? And why is the Israeli state so crucial to its existence? I think we should be told. Alas I doubt you are up to the task.

                Western unity??? Bwahahahaa. What colour is the disunity on your planet?

                Do try to be less pompous. And perhaps take up growing lilies or somesuch and leave commentary to those with something useful to say.

                • Wayne …
                  20 August 2018 at 7:56 am

                  Why do I think that if the UK becoming anti Israel will hurt the western alliance (primarily NATO). Because it will cause a deep rift between the UK and the US.
                  The UK under Corbyn is likely to go way beyond criticism of Israel for specific things, and move into an official policy of BDS. Though I suppose Corbyn as PM could have other more important priorities and not seek to change existing UK policy on Israel/Palestine.

              • Kevin …
                19 August 2018 at 5:57 pm

                And therein lies the problem Wayne. The apatheid state of Israel plays the holocaust card as and when it suits them (which to be honest is almost all the time) so anyone who disagrees with anything they say or do is instantly tagged an antisemite. The apartheid state if Israel is NOT above legitimate criticism, as and when required, but subscribing to the IHRA for all intents and purposes removes that right of criticism of anything they say or do all the time.

    • Barfly 9.3
      18 August 2018 at 4:29 pm

      Yeah Wayne

      Zionism good – Palestinians Bad?

      That your spin?

      Second attempt at a post

    • KJT 9.4
      19 August 2018 at 1:36 pm

      I take it Wayne. You support Israeli bombing of Gaza, then?

      Never let principles get in the way of the “Western Alliance”. Eh!

    • smilin 9.5
      22 August 2018 at 8:48 pm

      If the western alliance continues to move in a corrupt direction as it has since 9/11 the truth of its outcome will just continue until the racial religious groupings ultimately destroy democracy And we will have gone back so far in time that the reality shock of it will be something akin to pagan europe
      And all this is the fallout from 9/11 the greed of arms selling and the destruction of the Arab nations est under the British mandate
      The US support for Israel merly to secure the oil so that the west can continue especially the US to pay next to nothing for it as they have when their supplies were plentiful
      Europe is filling up with muslims running from genocide and war because the west cannot stop what they started and they were warned it would be of their own making But do any of those now in power really have the power to control the MIC?

  10. Barfly 10
    18 August 2018 at 4:26 pm

    Yeah sure Wayne,

    Zionism good Palestinians Bad

    That sums it up for you?

  11. Morrissey 11
    18 August 2018 at 4:58 pm

    “A series of increasingly absurd propositions.”

  12. Philj 12
    18 August 2018 at 5:57 pm

    I hear reported, Jeremy, once sat on a German toilet. This is a very bad look, and must not get leaked to the MSM. Lol

  13. Morrissey 13
    18 August 2018 at 7:36 pm

    The Blairite rump’s absurd and cynical attack on Corbyn is brilliantly dissected here

    The whole thing is worth watching, but especially Norman Finkelstein, who begins at the 40:07 mark….

    Some very good comments from the chat thread on the right hand side of the YouTube page. e.g.

    schumiisking:​ i’ve still not been able to find 1 person who can give me evidence of a labour party member being racist to jewish people. … This is a “huge row” because Corbyn has been apologising instead of saying “this is fake news, no comment”

    • weston 13.1
      18 August 2018 at 10:29 pm

      Thanks for that Morrissey enjoyed every minute nice to see such switched on young dudes talk through the issues so thoroughly in a pretty much ego less pleasantly informal setting .top marks .

  14. sumsuch 14
    19 August 2018 at 2:35 am

    Incensed by possible offence — if you go into it further enough — against Jews but not plutocracy. Good one Brit Labour. The electorate, being educated by Trump, concentrate on what matters rather than imperfections in humans.

    I’d like to see Brit Left criticism of the Guardian’s attitude to Corbyn since they know more about it than us.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    18 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    24 hours ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T00:23:53+00:00