Fire and Fury over North Korea

Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, August 12th, 2017 - 60 comments
Categories: uncategorized, us politics, war - Tags: ,

Donald Trump may not know much about the last time the United States Air Force unleashed fire and fury over North Korea. The Koreans certainly remember it.

In the later stages of the Korean war in the 1950s, unchallenged B-29s used bombs and napalm to bomb Korea flat. Every city in North Korea was completely destroyed, more than in Germany and Japan during the Second World War. Gen Curtis Lemay boasted that the United States Air force killed off 20% of the population of North Korea over a period of three years.

That is why Korea has put its Army and air force underground. They have learnt the lesson that the only way to stop America from doing it again is to have nuclear weapons as a deterrent.

It is way past time for a different approach to be taken. Bluster from both sides endangers us all. The Americans and the North Koreans need to talk to each other without any preconditions, and the first move should come from the Americans. That is the only hope for peace.

60 comments on “Fire and Fury over North Korea ”

  1. Ad 1

    A smart President like Obama would make a gesture like shifting those US troops and bases next to Seoul and the border, well to the south. make a gesture that both supports the South Korean president, is shown to be doing something, but doesn’t decrease its capacity to protect the south from attack.

    And of course, the US should commit to eradicating its own nuclear weapons before requiring another nation take down their own nuclear weapons.

    But since we have Trump, once each of the North Korean and U.S. presidents have exhausted the Webster’s Dictionary of exuberant boasting at each other, then what?

    The upcoming test if this gets worse for our own election is: can Labour position smartly on this?

    • adam 1.1

      You might want to read up about Obama, and his continuation of Bush’s policy towards North Korea.

      Which was the end of détente, coupled with a major shift toward jingoism.

      • Ad 1.1.1

        If you think that Obama and Trump are actually the same on North Korea, you’ll love Fox news summarizing the different approaches, from Clinton to Bush to Obama to Trump:

        http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/08/11/from-trump-to-clinton-how-us-presidents-have-dealt-with-north-korea.html

        Even Fox sees Obama as a whole bunch smarter than Trump on North Korea.
        And unsurprisingly, Clinton comes out ok form all of them.

        • adam 1.1.1.1

          Putting up a link to fox new will not be watched by me. Racist and degenerates are the back bone of fox, and I don’t feel like vomit in my mouth.

          I think it’s called the ‘fly over policy’ started by bush 2 in his axis of evil period, that carries on to the present day.

      • D'Esterre 1.1.2

        Adam:You might want to read up about Obama, and his continuation of Bush’s policy towards North Korea.’

        Yup. A clip here from Jimmy Dore:

    • D'Esterre 1.2

      Ad: “A smart President like Obama would make a gesture like shifting those US troops and bases next to Seoul and the border, well to the south. make a gesture that both supports the South Korean president, is shown to be doing something, but doesn’t decrease its capacity to protect the south from attack.”

      Haha…. smart president! Gave us a good laugh, did that. See this from Jimmy Dore (also posted below, but hey! a bit of repetition never hurts)

  2. Ed 2

    George Galloway interviews John Le Boutillier about Trump and North Korea

  3. Sabine 3

    and dear Trump, the man who will prevent World War 3, and such does neither need approval from congress nor god to launch the thing.

    and as Senator Lindsay Graham said, its in the Pacific so who cares. Murica Murica Murica.

  4. francesca 4

    Totally agree Mike
    Fire and fury sounds suspiciously like a fool strutting and fretting his hour upon the stage”full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”
    Meanwhile I hear the back channels shut down during the Obama years have been hastily reopened, and negotiations are underway.
    The US would do well to heed N Korea’s requests to stop the aggressive military exercises and to be prepared to enter in to a proper peace treaty.
    That utter fool Turnbull is not helping

  5. Eco maori 5

    In the 1950 China was not the second biggest economy in the world .Trumps is being contained by the republicans and Generals I think his only weapon is his Twitter account that is why he wont give it up most politicians are puppets to power behind the facade

    • ropata 5.1

      Obviously big oil and the military has Trump by the balls, but he is still a dangerous loose cannon endangering world stability. USA abdication of leadership is leaving a power vacuum, shit is gonna get worse before it gets better

  6. Sabine 6

    its a day for music

  7. Stuart Munro 7

    Obama was going to talk to North Korea, then didn’t. So much for audacious hope.

    Since Bush, the Koreans have been increasingly skeptical of the US. The US did a lot of indiscriminate killing in Korea during the Korean War, notably of Cheju people who were not Stalinist, and since the 486 generation everybody knows.

    http://www.art-in-society.de/AS14/KOR2/Korean-war-prehistory.html

    Pearl Buck, the US missionary and novelist who wrote The Good Earth, wrote a novel on Korea too – The Living Reed.

    I wouldn’t expect anything real from Trump – the US military is overcommitted with the gulf and Afghanistan. But it says a lot that he gets into a pissing contest with a murderous dictator and comes off looking less sane.

  8. Sabine 8

    “Shep, there appears to be a large chicken in front of the white house”

    indeed there is. http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/trump-chicken-white-house-1202522376/

    and the man with bone spur can launch the bomb anytime he wants to and there is no one who could potentially stop him from it.

    oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

    I for one welcome the rapture.

  9. Whispering Kate 9

    I for one am worried for my family who live in the US, with a lunatic at the wheel and tweeting like his life depended on it, isn’t it about time someone took him into the back room and dealt to him as only they know fit. Surely it is time to remove the reins of control from him. He needs to be looked at by a doctor/specialist as the man seriously needs his head examined.

    This brinkmanship pissing contest has gone on for too long and if there is anybody sane left in the Whitehouse they need to be acting responsibly by removing him from office.

    • Eralc 9.1

      I agree with you. We have family living in New York. They are seriously concerned. Along with the 78% in NY, they did not vote Trump.

  10. Eco maori 10

    Mike Pence is a republican man if Trump goes he’s in and then watch the Republican change all the American laws to suite them and there war machine

    • spikeyboy 10.1

      Exactly. Thats the beautiful thing about Trump. Everyone hates him so much that whatever he says is going to happen, the exact opposite occurs. Every time he says lets start a war here or here then thats a place that everybody else says no we cant do that. And its been a long time since lots of people in power in Usa have said no to any war. He got to fire a few missiles in Syria and gets to ramp up the misery in Yemen because these were someone elses wars started by other presidents but Trump is going to struggle to be allowed to start any new wars. The Usa needs to believe they are exceptional but Trump is such a basket case that its just too obvious how vicious there foreign policy is. Long live the basket case

  11. Sabine 11

    currently in the US.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/igd_news

    https://twitter.com/mattdpearce/status/896201381027106817?

    http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-white-virginia-rally-20170811-story.html

    my father passed away and one of my brothers send me a picture of him, and one of his father as i had none here in NZ.

    the picture of my ‘grandfather’ is that of a twenty something in the Uniform of the Wehrmacht, his son was born in 1940 and he died in 1942. He barely was a father he never was a Grandfather, he died in a ditch in Russia.
    In the meantime history is repeating itself cause people are dumb, greedy and comfortably numb.

    as for those that want to speak about Godwin, the guy is dead, and this is the history of my people and it is being repeated again albeit in a different flavour.

    • Terry 11.1

      OK I know I’m bring pedantic, but “Comfortably Numb” is from “The Wall. The picture above is the cover from Dark Side of the Moon. The two should never be mixed.

      • Sabine 11.1.1

        sorry, i uploaded the picture from youtube.
        what do i know? I wuz little then. Its just a tune from my childhood that i thought would fit.

    • ropata 11.2

      it ain’t Godwinism to point out that actual Nazis are gathering power in the USA.
      it’s not hyperbole, the USA is no longer a beacon of liberty, it is turning dark

      • Stuart Munro 11.2.1

        Godwin himself wrote “If you’re thoughtful about it and show some real awareness of history, go ahead…” Family history is as real as it gets for most of us.

        William Godwin may be better reading though – definitely proto-socialist and a lovely wordsmith – Mary didn’t learn all her skills from Shelley.

  12. Very good post thank you.

    The Koreans have suffered so much.

    I’m struggling to find optimism around this scenario. I mean trump? ffs homer Simpson would be better than him – safer for sure.

  13. Katipo 14

    US comedian Bill Burr responds to a letter from a concerned fellow citizen about North Korea.
    (Salty language warning)
    https://youtu.be/3TFY16RQG8k

  14. RedLogix 15

    Many years back I read a decent analysis on just the very point you make Mike; that because all of North Korea’s important assets and population are so very deeply buried, they were possibly one of the very few nations on earth who might attack the USA and win.

    It sounds preposterous, but all NK has to manage is to flatten Seoul with an immense firestorm of conventional artillery, successfully land one or two nukes in a large US city, and Tokyo for good measure, provoke the US into a nuclear strike, and wait for the Chinese to retaliate on the Americans. It’s quite possible that along with the cockroaches, the North Korean regime would emerge quite untouched from the rubble and green glass … .

    Assumptions the US military machine must inevitably prevail are just that …

    • Assumptions the US military machine must inevitably prevail are just that …

      The assumptions that the US was invincible have been proven in error for the last few years. Iran, Afghanistan, ISIS – all have proven the sheer weakness of the US military and their diplomacy.

      They can do a lot of physical damage but they can’t direct the world the way that they’d like, the way that they’d come to believe that they could.

      • Ad 15.1.1

        The last war they won was World War 2.

        Plus Grenada.

        • Draco T Bastard 15.1.1.1

          The last war they won was World War 2.

          And indications are that without Russia they wouldn’t have.

          • RedLogix 15.1.1.1.1

            Considering that some 80% of the German army was destroyed in Russia I always thought it was way more than an ‘indication’.

            The Eastern Front was the largest and bloodiest theatre of World War II. It is generally accepted as being the deadliest conflict in human history, with over 30 million killed as a result.[8] The German armed forces suffered 80% of its military deaths in the Eastern Front.[88] It involved more land combat than all other World War II theatres combined. The distinctly brutal nature of warfare on the Eastern Front was exemplified by an often willful disregard for human life by both sides. It was also reflected in the ideological premise for the war, which also saw a momentous clash between two directly opposed ideologies.

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Front_(World_War_II)

            Us westerners tend to have a distorted and exaggerated view of our role in defeating the Third Reich. Certainly events like the defeat of Rommel, the denial of Saudi oil to the German war machine, the Battle of the Atlantic which so narrowly avoided Churchill’s surrender in 1942, and the Battle of Britain which so damaged the German Air Force, not to mention the invasion of Italy … while all significant tactical victories … overlook the raw fact that it was the Russians who slowly, brutally ground down the bulk of the German war machine.

            At a terrible price. In the age groups up to 40 yrs, some 20% of their people were lost. And given a large fraction of these were young men, it’s fair to say an entire generation was ripped in half.

            • Sabine 15.1.1.1.1.1

              only a fool sends men to russia.
              you don’t defeat the Bear and his comrade, General Winter.

        • lprent 15.1.1.2

          And Panama

      • RedLogix 15.1.2

        That’s the bit that worries me. Trump’s bloody bluster may well have the NK regime calculating that even if they know they cannot win in the conventional sense, they may be able to make the Americans lose worse than them.

    • ropata 15.2

      That is fucking insane but that never stopped us from going to war before.

  15. JC 16

    “This is the way the world ends
    Not with a bang but a whimper” …

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Beach_(novel)

    or…

    …. Associate Professor Benoît Pelopidas is in New Zealand as a guest of the University of Auckland and the Peace and Disarmament Education Trust to mark the 30th anniversary of New Zealand’s nuclear free law. He’ll give the university’s 2017 Chapman Public Lecture on August 15, entitled: “Facing nuclear danger: from proliferation to global nuclear vulnerability”, and seven other public talks between August 3-16.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/201854520/benoit-pelopidas-how-close-are-we-to-nuclear-war

  16. Ad 17

    Not necessarily “brilliant”, but a whole bunch better than Trump.

  17. mickysavage 18

    Man I’m over in Hong Kong and off to China soon …

    Surely Trump would not be this stupid …

    • Sabine 18.1

      currently he is proposing invading Venezuela.

      http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-venezuela-military_us_598e317ee4b0909642971b4f?section=us_politics

      I would not hold my breath for the geezer to do something to get people too not get to upset with his many winnings.

      • Stuart Munro 18.1.1

        Trump – the new Vyacheslav Plehve:

        “Alexey Nikolaevich, you don’t know Russia’s internal situation. To avert a revolution, we need a small victorious war.”

        The Japanese victory at Tsushima put paid to that strategy.

        • Sabine 18.1.1.1

          Göring: Why, of course, the people don’t want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally, the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship.

          • Stuart Munro 18.1.1.1.1

            Interesting, thanks.

            Back when I was reading up on corruption though, I came across an additional piece of the puzzle, which was what is described as a ‘logrolling alliance’. A logrolling alliance is like the media, far-right, industrial or agricultural interests and the Gnats in NZ. This loose alliance cooperates on a quid pro quo basis but also unites against progress on spec that their allies will support them if an important issue arises later on.

            The example of logrolling alliance the corruption book chose was the so-called ‘marriage of iron and rye’ which was a cabal of the German military industrialists and the dregs of the landowning aristocracy. This group was very pro war because selling guns or battleships was so profitable.

            • Sabine 18.1.1.1.1.1

              i give you Country Joe Mcdonald.

              fixn’to die rag

              https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/countryjoeandthefish/ifeellikeimfixintodieragtake1.html

              “There’s plenty good money to be made
              By supplying the Army with the tools of its trade,
              Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
              They drop it on the Viet Cong.
              And it’s one, two, three,
              What are we fighting for?
              Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn,”

              “Come on mothers throughout the land,
              Pack your boys off to Vietnam.
              Come on fathers, and don’t hesitate
              To send your sons off before it’s too late.
              You can be the first ones in your block
              To have your boy come home in a box. ”

              it was an excellent song then, it still is a good song now, just replace vietnam with Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and any other country they might want to destroy for profit and a medal.

  18. Donald J Trump.

    Made a few mistakes, has been set up to look like hes incompetent and impulsive. By the same news media that talked up the globalists. Obama , Clinton and the organizations that back them . Even John Pilger / Julian Assange exposed the Clinton Foundation as being a conduit for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain to purchase arms for ISIS.

    So what do we make of this?

    A USA missile strike in Syria at the same time as Trump was conducting heads of state meetings with the second in command of China. And then afterwards had extensive talks with the same. So much so that China has been forced to become part of the ‘ holding back the aggression’ ( despite wanting North Korea as a buffer zone ) …

    Trump is no globalist.

    He is happy to be friends with Russia’s Putin. He is happy to cooperate with China.

    Yet the neo cons and the liberals hate him.

    Why ?

    They want a catalyst , and to adhere to a 19th century theory : Battle for the heartland ,

    Search Results
    Battle For The Heartland: Understanding America’s Unrelenting …
    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/…/battle-for-the-heartland-understanding-americas-unrelenti.

    Why does Trump so threaten the neo cons and the liberals?… because they are two sides of the same spectrum?

    The ‘ one world government’ / new world order that George Bush senior continually spoke about ?

    George H.W. Bush New World Order Speech – YouTube
    you tube▶ 1:14
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txukr5zgHnw

    And could it be that there is actually ,… a point of disclosure that exposes a well managed geopolitical agenda that transcends even limited tactical nuclear warfare in a localized region,… a region that simply becomes a convenient excuse for the introduction of a truth so shocking that it , being viewed by satellite and global internet communications , shatters modern accepted paradigms of science , religion and established political orders?

    I think L A Mazulli is worth looking into.

    UFO Discussion! The Coming Great Deception – YouTube
    Video for UFO Discussion! The Coming Great Deception▶ 53:38
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlU1hsLwUYo

    And if you need a little encouragement from a respected elder who held his own and crossed many generations in appeal because of his simple , loving , down to earth , non compromising stance and compassion for people , here’s Johnny Cash . One of the greatest. From the bluesers to the Heavy Metalists to the Rappers. They all respect the old Grandfather who spoke truth all his long life .

    Johnny Cash – God’s Gonna Cut You Down – YouTube

    • Oh , … and then there’s Roswell , and Operation Highjump.

      Now we know that Operation Paperclip was bonafide because that is where we had Wernher von Braun become the head of NASA. He among the numbers taken as part of Operation Paperclip in which over 80 German scientists involved in the NAZI rocket / flying disk program were basically abducted by the Americans during World War Two,… 80 German scientists and their family’s were spirited out of Germany to White Sands Missile base and other USA Air Force facility’s,… given false ID and repatriated to the USA,… while the Americans let the Russians do the demolition work on Berlin… and the end product ?… the world was introduced to stealth fighter technology… they did it to gain technological superiority over other nations post WW2.

      US Navy Zumwalt Class STEALTH SHIP – YouTube
      youtube▶ 10:21

      Then we had the Roswell thing :

      Roswell 70 Years Later! – YouTube
      youtube▶ 30:05

      Dontcha think , … that like mushrooms … we are being kept in the dark and fed on bullshit?

      Have a wee think about it . And realize that the internet is a wonderful thing,… that if you are really willing to think outside the square , spit out the obvious red herrings and misinformation that we have been programmed to operate in , … and actually dare to imagine,… that there is possibly , another place, another ‘ dimension’ ,… and that the man from Galilee that spoke of these things over 2000 years ago was speaking the truth.

      And that , you are all in fact , valuable and irreplaceable human beings.

      Food for thought.

  19. So , just why did the head of the Russian Orthodox Church shake hands with penguins and meet with the Roman Catholic Church after 1000 years of estrangement in Antarctica , … just why did Senator Kerry travel there in the middle of the USA elections , and why on earth did Vladimir Putin do the same a few months before… and officials from Australia , … and just why did Buzz Aldrin travel there at the same time as the head of the Russian Orthodox church as well?…. and why did Lockheed Martin deploy so many workers there… and why is there an international ‘ no fly zone’ in the center of Antarctica unless there is specific military clearance?

    The ‘ Hollow earth theory ? ‘… well according to Admiral Byrd that’s exactly whats happening. And according to NAZI Arianism that’s why they were reaching into places like Tibet for information…

    Ever heard of the spearhead of Linginus, people ?

    #10 – Spear of Destiny / Spear of Longinus – Episode 10 – YouTube
    youtube▶ 28:33
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64_qXlIgBv8

    Neuschwabenland, Antarctica and Operation Highjump – YouTube
    Video for new swabia antarctica youtube▶ 9:30
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VSIHbZk_CQ

    Anyhows,… here’s a song from my 21 year old son Finn on the night.

    I liked it and decided to stick it on here because young people are so precious. Young people are cool.

    Kid Rock – Redneck Paradise (Remix) ft. Hank Williams Jr … – YouTube

  20. Eco maori 21

    Trump is eroding USA soft power .
    It will take years for the real people in power year’s the reverse this .
    So the Generals won’t let Trump push the button .The first sign of this was when
    the aircraft carrier totally ignored Trumps orders that was a sign to the world stock markets /people don’t shit your pants we got this Idiot .
    Why has Trump sacked so much staff because they are not doing as he ask.
    And now we have the communication tool that can expose there bullshit in days not 10 years and the Generals or there aids have read that famous tactical book The Art of War it’s is always better cheaper to use diplomacy than WAR

  21. Exkiwiforces 22

    The only way you are going to get North Korea around the table for tea and sandwiches is for China to pull out of the mutual defence and trade Treaty between China and North Korea that was signed by parties in the late 50’s or 60’s. This treaty has allow the North to carry on the way it is at moment with almost impunity against any UN Security Council resolutions to date. If China did pull the pin on this treaty, I’m of the opinion that North Korea would suddenly start behaving itself and be open to talks. The other thing we need to remember is that New Zealand also signed the armistice agreement as a part of UN Forces during the Korean War thence why we still have members of the NZDF attached to the UN Headquarters and the NZDF trained with its South Korea counterparts. In other words we will still have fulfill our UN obligations under the current treaty that we signed back at the end of the Korean War.

  22. D'Esterre 23

    Mike Smith: “In the later stages of the Korean war in the 1950s, unchallenged B-29s used bombs and napalm to bomb Korea flat. Every city in North Korea was completely destroyed, more than in Germany and Japan during the Second World War. Gen Curtis Lemay boasted that the United States Air force killed off 20% of the population of North Korea over a period of three years.”

    Indeed. Here’s Jimmy Dore on the subject:

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    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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

  • 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
    18 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
    21 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
    22 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
    24 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

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