Fox Attacks: Iran

Written By: - Date published: 11:51 pm, November 29th, 2007 - 61 comments
Categories: International, Media - Tags: ,

This looks interesting. Fox Attacks: Iran is a new short film from Robert Greenwald, director of the excellent Outfoxed. The film focuses on the parallels between Fox’s drumbeat for war with Iraq and what’s being said now about Iran. It’s also a plea to other networks not to fall in behind Fox like they did last time.

Here’s what Greenwald has to say:

I remember very clearly the daily fearmongering led by FOX as they cheered for war with Iraq. The 24/7 images, sound effects, yelling and threatening were an ever-present drumbeat for war. We had to invade, and we had to invade now.. anyone who didn’t see that was a traitor. They viciously attacked those of us who worked to get out the truth.

You’d think that with the complete failure in Iraq, those days would be behind us. Sadly, you’d be wrong. FOX wants war with Iran…

This time is different though. We’re prepared, and we have the means to alert people to what FOX is doing. Everyone has seen the terrible tragedy and the awful price paid by so many Iraqis and Americans. We know this is coming, and we can stop it.

It was about this time in the lead-up to the Iraq war when the other TV networks started following FOX’s lead. As CNN’s Christiane Amanpour says in the video, they were intimidated by FOX into cheerleading for the Iraq war.

WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN.

This is a critical moment, and we must send a message to the major television networks urging them to ask tough questions, be skeptical, and tell us what is really happening. They must not follow FOX down the road to another war.

You can sign the open letter over here.

61 comments on “Fox Attacks: Iran ”

  1. Dean 1

    Did fox use Coldplay’s “Clocks” in their soundbites at all?

    Enquiring minds wish to know.

  2. Benodic 2

    Yay! A new troll! Here’s what I don’t get – why are all the trolls over at Kiwiblog intelligent and witty but the ones we get here all act like drunken bores? I feel like we’ve ended up with the raw end of the deal.

  3. Benodic 3

    While we’re all here why not have a dicussion about – oh, I don’t know – the topic of the post?

    I’m actually pretty surprised Fox is running with the same stupid formula. I know it’s all they know and I know it worked for them last time, but people are a little bit wiser now and they’ve kind of blown all their credibility on Iraq.

  4. Gruela 4

    Benodic

    I think you’d be surprised at how much credibility Fox still has in the U.S., especially when you get away from the coast. Incidentally, I couldn’t believe it one night, when I was flipping channels, that Fox is on free TV in NZ. I think I cried a little, when I saw that.

  5. Benodic 5

    Yeah they play it late nights on Prime. I watch it sometimes for humour value but then I’m filled with an immense sadness. The brandy helps me through the worst of it.

  6. Gruela 6

    It makes the Granny Herald look almost reasonable. Almost. But, no matter how hard they beat the war drums, it’s just not physically possible for the U.S. to invade Iran without a significant extraction from Afghanistan, (which, the more I think of it, the possible it becomes). The most likely option is surgical strikes from Israel, just as they did to Syria earlier in the year. But from what I understand, (which, I admit, never seems to be enough), Iran would be a much tougher nut to crack from the air than they were last time.

  7. Matthew Pilott 7

    Where’s Al-Jazeera when the US needs it?

  8. Dean 8

    I do apoligise, Benodic.

    I was just wondering wether this post of Tane’s had as much credibility as his last. I’m truly sorry. I shall refrain from asking for factual correctness from now.

  9. Benodic 9

    Don’t be cute Dean. You’re a troll and nobody likes you. Fuck off until you decide to add something to the debate.

  10. Gruela 10

    I second that motion, Benodic. Dean really is coming across like that snide and disparaging kid in your class at school, whom no-one liked and who was secretly hoping to get invited to parties but never was.

    So THIS is what happened to him!

  11. Lee C 11

    Typical mechanics of a despotic system – whip up fear of a shadowy bogey-man, establish yourslf as the only possible saviour, then strike, and if international law, democratic or Human Rights are made to suffer in the process, it is written off as collateral damage in the name of the greater good.
    ,
    When Fox begins to express similar outrge at the Israeli ownership of nuclear weapons, we might go towards seeing why Iran is developing its own nuclear programme.
    The US foreign policy was flawed over it illegal invasion of Iraq, and because it was flawed over Iraq, unless it fixes that flaw, it will only seek to vindicate its wrongs by compounding them.

    Is this another example of US Middle East policy jumping to Israels tunes? We shall see.
    FUnny, I always thought that Syria would be next on their shoppping list.

  12. Wayne 12

    Might be a good stocking filler for John Key?

  13. djp 13

    Ah yes the politics of fear.

    Ron Paul `08!

  14. The Double Standard 14

    “Incidentally, I couldn’t believe it one night, when I was flipping channels, that Fox is on free TV in NZ. ”

    Quick – ban it!

    Maybe we should send Winston to the USA to tell them how to run their foreign policy?

  15. Lee C 15

    Yes Wayne, It didn’t take long for someone to take a pop at (yawn) John Key over this, did it?

    Because in the face of another illegal invasion by the US, we all like to imply that John Key applauds US instigated genocide whenever we can, don’t we?.

    Saw a recent quote from Helen Clark about fireworks and why we should ban the sale of them.
    “Last night in my suburb, I felt as if I was in downtown kandahar.” she said.

    I think we should we organise a petition and ask her to give up a week’s wages as atonement to the children of Iraq for this incredibly thoughtless and flippant reference to the very serious situation in Iraq.

    Who is with me?

    What, no equally applied outrage?

    Or shall we just use the forum about US foreign policy to (yawn) score petty little points about (yawn) John Key (again) (yawn)?

  16. Matthew Pilott 16

    Kandahar is in Afghanistan Lee.

    Just in case you don’t believe me 😉

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kandahar

    There is a difference between saying tat the noise of fireworks makes you feel as if you are in a low-level warzone and saying the war in Iraq is over when hundreds are dying every week. Tone down the empty rhetoric Lee, any valid points you make (and I will happily say there are many good contributions from you) are diminished by these flippant posts.

  17. The Double Standard 17

    Interesting to find that Fox is the highest rating cable news network in the USA – roughly double CNN’s ratings.

    Good thing that American citizens are still free to choose what to watch eh?

  18. r0b 18

    “(yawn) John Key (again) (yawn)”

    Been watching his new DVD?

  19. Wayne 19

    Lee you must stop being so defensive of John Key. People might start thinking you’re a tory 🙂

    What’s The Double Standard’s problem? I don’t remember anyone saying Americans shouldn’t be free to choose what they watch. He’s just making stuff up now.

  20. Lee C 20

    Sorry Pillott I stupidly used an article from ‘Investigate’ as a reference.
    Wayne I think I’ve already been ‘outed’ as a ‘tory’ by R0b just last night, because I have a tendency to try and see both sides of an issue. ANd because I hate the EFB regardless of who supports it, or fails to oppose it.
    My ‘bone’ of contention is the apparently fashionable tendency in The Standard to fixate on ‘John Key’, and it does start to grate. That is not a ‘defence’ of Key, rather a pleas for well not talking about him all the time.
    Ahhh R0b there you are, you trickster, you! quoting my rabidly partisan sentiments on The Standard for all to see what a slavering lap dog of international capitalism I really am!

    I returned the favour and posted your references to De Toqueville’s ‘Tyranny’ (with suitably biased remarks of course) and level playing field over on kiwiblog. hahahahahahaha!
    ps I found his DVD inspirational. I particularly enjoyed the Coldplay soundtrack.

  21. Lee C 21

    ps on reflection R0b is it not possible for the philosophy of ‘Tyranny of the Majority’ to be hi-jacked by an unscrupulous minority as a justification for passing laws that are undemocratic? (In the public good, as it were?)
    In the same way that ‘Third Way Politics’ can als end up with a dichotomous relationship between ‘laissez-faire capitalism’ and ‘socialism’ which inevitably leads to more restrictive law-making by a social-democratic government as a means to try and redress the tension?
    Would the EFB rank as such an example?

  22. Wayne 22

    Lee I’m not the standard I’m a guy called Wayne who works in a call centre and I’m genuinely concerned that if he’s PM he’ll try to drag us into Iran.

    I don’t see you criticising the people calling Helen Clark a lesbian lickspittle liabore feminazi over at Kiwiblog. A Very Double Standard on your part Lee.

  23. Matthew Pilott 23

    “Sorry Pilott I stupidly used an article from ‘Investigate’ as a reference.”

    That comment just brightened my morning, cheers Lee 😀

    Wayne, just let TDS get it out of his system, perhaps it’s a morning thing and later on he will post in response to actual comments, as opposed to his one-eyed view of what he imagines us ‘commies’ believe.

  24. Lee C 24

    I don’t see you criticising the people calling Helen Clark a lesbian lickspittle liabore feminazi over at Kiwiblog.

    Well if it will please you, Wayne, I’ll do so in future.

    Thanks for the mental image, all the same.

  25. r0b 25

    Lee – why such a violent reaction to being associated with your own words? Aren’t you proud of them? (For others, the relevant stuff is at the end of http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=776 )

  26. rjs131 26

    Is this the same ‘peace loving’ Iran that says that Israel shoudl be wiped off the map.

    I dont any one on here saying that the Iranians are innocent jsut that everyone wants to vent their spleen with an anti-israeli and anti-americans outburst.

    Should Iran have nuclear weapons? Should attempts by them to gain nuclear weapons be stopped? I dont see you criticisng the French for their extremely strong condemnation of the Iranians

  27. Camryn 27

    Matthew P – John Key didn’t say “the war is over in Iraq” in the sense that there’s no fighting/violence going on there that you imply.

    He clearly meant the invasion period where the war was nation-states (US Others) versus nation-state (Iraq) rather than the “insurgency” period following.

    http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2007/10/herald_on_iraq.html
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10469133

    Tane made a valid point on both KB and here that Labour politicians also said the war was over, but then ceased to do so once the conflict flared up into what it is now… essentially a civil war with the US now technically representing the government of Iraq. The fact that they did, though, say the war was over is a strong reminder that this Iraq mess has had two clear phases.

    Key should’ve been clearer that he meant the first war rather than the second one, but you can’t justifiably berate him for the meaning that Helen et al wish he meant rather than on actual facts. You’re just parroting spin.

  28. Matthew Pilott 28

    RJS That’s because the French are unlikely to ignore international law and convention and invade Iran on the basis of an orchaestrated litany of lies, when the real reason is very obvious and cynical.

    I do not support the Iranian regime, but think it is a good counterweight to Israeli influence. Both sides are equally atrocious as nations – Iran supporting Iraqi terrorism, and Israel with the Palestinian situation.

    The solution is not to drum up an atmosphere of fear and send in the Yanks.

    P.s where did ‘peace loving’ come from, or did you make it up to make your post seem, at a glance, more effective, when in fact it shows that you are worried about the weight of your argument and thought you’d ‘sex it up’ a bit?

    P.P.S captcha – relatively occupied – probably not talking about Palestine then 😛

  29. Matthew Pilott 29

    Camryn you don’t need to spin for JK, he’s perfectly adequate at doing it himself

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10467733

    And perhaps it was a slip but he did say that, and later tried to correct it. I think you’re reading into it too much though, I was only contrasting it with Clark’s comments about fireworks…

    Parroting spin my arse BTW, why do you need to take such a biased view of my comments, it’s really not necesary. His words were that “frankly the war in Iraq is over”. There are hundreds dying there every week, so I have just stated two facts. That is not spin. Chill.

  30. Lee C 30

    Question to those who might know – I heard of a book that is outin the USA about the influence of Israeli and hard-Chrisitan right influence on US foreign policy in teh Middle East – and it suggested that the Israeli lobby and Bush’s Evangelical movemnt are giving a lot of US dollars and getting little in return from Israel out there. Can anyone give me a link?

    This is a lazy quick link still – http://www.antiwar.com/orig/lind1.html

  31. Billy 31

    Hooray! A post about something.

    I wouldn’t be too worried about the US going into Iran. I think, secretly, Chaney realises that Iraq was the mother of all fuckups. I doubt there is anyone in the administration with the apetite to start another.

  32. Lee C 32

    It’s a nice idea to start a little paranoia-fire before an election though, as a rallying call to the otehrwise apathetic….

  33. Matthew Pilott 33

    Billy – bingo, with the added incentive not to invade, that Iran would be far harder to invade that Iraq in the first place, notwithstanding the four years of heavy combat operations that have virtually run the US army to a standstill.

    I haven’t watched Fox for years – do they still have the terror alerts on their news reel, y’know – “TERROR ALERT – ORANGE”?

  34. Liz Short 34

    Billy I’m glad that you acknowledge that Iraq
    was the mother of all fuckups.

    Will you therefore acknowledge that to NOT get involved in the aforementioned “fuckup” was
    a good policy. and furthermore any leader (or party) that WOULD have got involved in the fuckup
    needs to have their decision making abilities questioned ?

  35. Lee C 35

    Liz you are absolutely right.

    New Zealand should have absolutely no part in Iraq and if there is anything that historically Helen Clark and the Labour Government should receive plaudits for, it is their stance on Iraq.

  36. Billy 36

    Liz, I do not know who you are, why you have suddenly found your voice, and why you seem so obsessed with me. Are you in love with me?

    No need for the “gotcha” tone. I freely acknowledge that Iraq was an emourmous fuckup (in fact, I just said it). I also said so before they went in. It’s not a left-right thing. It’s a common sense thing.

    BTW, I was all for going into Afghanistan. The bad guys were there. It made sense.

    I do not know why you assume that I agree with everything the National Party says or does. I prefer thinking for myself, rather than swallowing a party line. And I haven’t voted for them since 1990.

    Now, I know it is hard, but please try to stop obsessing about me.

  37. chris 37

    Of course faux news is the staple of redbaiter and his fellow “culture warriors”, references to secular progressives, left wing media bias and the creeping socialist agendas within the education system etc etc, but if you want something that is really disturbing I can recommend LGF, The Gates of Vienna and closer to home, the favorite of Adolf and Fairfacts of No Minister, the creepy Aurora at The Midnight Sun.

    http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/

    http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/

    http://www.themidnightsun.org/

  38. Lampie 38

    Interesting to find that Fox is the highest rating cable news network in the USA – roughly double CNN’s ratings.

    Good thing that American citizens are still free to choose what to watch eh?

    Cable is free?

  39. Matthew Pilott 39

    Lampie – gold!

    Especially as Fox is free to air in NZ, apparently. Truth ain’t so pretty as imagination, eh TDS?

  40. Liz Short 40

    why you seem so obsessed with me. Are you in love with me?
    Christ now you are beginning to sound like DPF

    Two posts mentioning you and I’m obsessed.

    Billy you are gone by luchtime

  41. Billy 41

    “Two posts mentioning you and I’m obsessed.”

    I know you’re new, so I’ll let it slide, but they are comments.

    And all of your comments have been about me.

    I’m off to lunch.

  42. Robinsod 42

    why you seem so obsessed with me. Are you in love with me?

    The dude’s stealing all my lines!

  43. PhilBest 43

    Lee C, Iraq has been a UN mandated peacekeeping operation since May 2003. Does our government support those or not?

  44. Gruela 44

    I think Lee got the answer a few posts back, personally.

    Fox is beating the war drums because
    (a) it’s good for ratings in their market
    (b) they know a patina of fear cast over next year’s election will help the Republican candidate.

    I think with these guys, the simple answer’s usually the right one because, well, they don’t do ‘complicated’.

    But an invasion will never happen.

  45. Lampie 45

    Lee C, Iraq has been a UN mandated peacekeeping operation since May 2003. Does our government support those or not?

    I may have missed it somewhere as I can’t find that on the operations list from the UN http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/
    If you do find it, post the link

  46. Lee C 46

    Lampie “Lee C, Iraq has been a UN mandated peacekeeping operation since May 2003. Does our government support those or not?”

    I honestly do not know the answer to that. Interestingly enough, if they do, that might support the idea that ‘the war is over’.

    This might involve petitions, politicians’ wages donated to to ‘the children’ etc….

    If they don’t it might cast a shadow over New Zealand’s prior support for the UN’s lack of support for the original illegal invasion.

    hmmmm.

  47. Lampie 47

    Lee C, Iraq has been a UN mandated peacekeeping operation since May 2003. Does our government support those or not?”

    Ummm thats Philbest’s quote

    I’m just wondering if there is a UN mandated peacekeeping operation in Iraq as I can’t find one so I’m interested so I can have a peek on the net on where that info is

  48. illuminatedtiger 48

    I see Prime TV are still showing Fox through the night. I’ve been aware for several years now that Prime TV are actually in breach of the broadcasting standards act by showing this garbage. The act spells out clearly that anything screened on TV (made here or otherwise) must give a fair and balanced (read: not Fox) view whereas it is clear Fox News does not. So theres a little project for people interested, if you ever end up watching this filth during the night write down any obvious breaches (this shouldn’t be hard) and email them through to Prime. They are obligated to act appropriately and if you feel they haven’t you can take it further.

  49. Billy the Double 49

    doesn’t give currency traders a good look
    didn’t put this on his DVD

  50. Billy the Double 50

    Fuck still the wrong thread

  51. Santi 51

    I agree. Fox is rubbish. I’d prefer to watch North Korea’s TV all night. It’s of great quality, trully independent and better than the BBC.

    That’s exactly what Kim Il Jong told the poodle Winston two weeks ago.

    I’m all for NKTV on channel 2

  52. Lee C 52

    Starting to see why they call you ‘Billy the Double’!

  53. PhilBest 53

    While we’re on the subject of Iran and Iraq, i have a suggestion to make. Why don’t all you wise-arse Bush-haters put your talents of omniprescence to good use and make yourselves filthy rich? because if you KNOW that Iraq and the world would be better off today with Saddam still in power, and you KNOW that the Mullahs of Iran are never going to do anything hurtful with a nuke, predicting winning Lotto numbers should be a doddle for you.

  54. Robinsod 54

    Phil – you’ve got real problems with rational debate, eh?

  55. Thomas 55

    Phil – you’ve got real problems

  56. Santi 56

    Thomas, you got even worse problems.

  57. Thomas 57

    Santi
    To which Thomas are you referring?, there seems to be a few
    SO I am going to change mine to
    More soporific then a John Key DVD

  58. More soporific then a John Key DVD 58

    Thats better
    Anyone see the march apparently 5 thousand
    marching for freedom?

  59. Pascal's bookie 59

    Lee C

    I think this might be the book you were looking for upthread:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Israel_Lobby_and_U.S._Foreign_Policy

    The following is something else that you might find interesting:
    http://www.amconmag.com/06_30_03/feature.html

  60. thomas (formally knowed as thomas) 60

    haha thomas my matey – lets see how u like it when JK gets medieval on your ass!

  61. PhilBest 61

    Who’s got problems with rational debate? Who’s shutting down freedom of speech in NZ, and who says that a TV channel like Fox should be banned, and talk radio regulated? Is anyone on the RIGHT calling for that sort of thing over all the leftwing propaganda media organs, which by the way, is most of them, a matter of default since far more lefties get to become journalists than rightwingers. That’s why there’s such a healthy market niche for Fox News in the US, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of Kiwis watch it as an antidote to john Campbell and his ilk.

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    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
  • 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 ...
    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
    24 hours 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

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