From barking mad to common sense in one easy U turn

Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, June 28th, 2016 - 65 comments
Categories: accountability, business, john key, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: , , ,

Way back in April:

Greens’ “Barking Mad” Bill Blocked

The big question in Question Time arose from the allegation in leaked documents called the Panama Papers that New Zealand is a tax haven. Prime Minister John Key says tax havens are secret and New Zealand cannot be one because it has disclosure rules. Greens member’s bill opening trusts to scrutiny is blocked by the government. John Key calls Greens finance spokeswoman, Julie Anne Genter, “barking mad” for supporting it …

Typical reflexive aggression from Key (and offensively stigmatising to boot). April Key also claimed:

“Tax havens are where there is non-disclosure of information. New Zealand has full disclosure of information.”

Yesterday of course:

Review: ‘Existing foreign trust disclosure rules inadequate’

The Government has confirmed a shake-up of foreign trusts following a review sparked by the Panama Papers.

Foreign-owned trusts based in New Zealand will be required to disclose more information when registering, which would allow regulatory authorities to search the register. The trusts would also have to file annual returns, Finance Minister Bill English and Revenue Minister Michael Woodhouse said this afternoon.
…
“The inquiry concludes that the existing foreign trust disclosure rules are inadequate,” Mr Shewan’s report said. “The rules are not fit for purpose in the context of preserving New Zealand’s reputation as a country that cooperates with other jurisdictions to counter money laundering and aggressive tax practises.” Mr Shewan recommended a “significant” increase in the amount of information disclosed when trusts were first set up. …

According to June Key:

Key said the recommendations were sensible and well-reasoned…

For some strange reason this complete U-Turn has gone largely unremarked in the media.

65 comments on “From barking mad to common sense in one easy U turn ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. vto 1
    28 June 2016 at 9:49 am

    the weekly evidence of John Key’s penchant for making shit up as he goes

    bullshitter

    bullshitter

    bullshitter key

    • mikes 1.1
      28 June 2016 at 6:34 pm

      Yep. Just been watching one news which reported that inequality has risen steeply in NZ. The top 10% now own over 50% of the wealth, up 5% from 2010. The bottom 40% of people now own just 3% of the wealth.

      Keys response was “inequality hasn’t risen in NZ in decades”.

      There was no questioning of his response by the MSM.

      • mosa 1.1.1
        28 June 2016 at 11:50 pm

        Inequality hasn’t risen for decades !!!!!
        I gave up on the NZ MSM a long time ago when it became obvious that they had no intention of holding John Key to account for the deceptions he engages in or his lacklustre ,vacant,devoid of compassion,corrupt ,lack of vision,arrogant ,publicity seeking ,pompous ,vindictive leadership style.
        As for the u turn on foreign trusts its another example of taking a position on something,commenting which is usually a lie at that time and then denying he told a lie or made a criticism or simply cant remember saying it despite being on public record.
        He is the most powerful PM scince Muldoon and even he didnot have the fourth estate support Key does in fact quite the opposite ,he terrified most of them !
        There is hope, more kiwis saw through the flag debacle for what it was and exercised common sense with their vote and rejected it.
        Its time the silent majority spoke up and demand he resign along with the rest of the cowards in this government.

  2. save nz 2
    28 June 2016 at 10:14 am

    +100

  3. RedLogix 3
    28 June 2016 at 10:14 am

    On this basis up next we can expect National to introduce a radical new Universal basic Income.

    Paying all adult New Zealanders a “universal basic income” is a “barking mad” idea that would cost more than the country brings in from tax, Prime Minister John Key says.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11610662

    Turns out “Barking Mad” is the PM’s secret code for … ‘this is a really good idea and I want to pinch the credit for it’. This is a very old corporate game.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1
      28 June 2016 at 11:14 am

      I’d agree with that but there’s no way that National would bring it in as it actually allows a free labour market and a free labour market is the last thing that capitalists want as it means that people won’t have to work for them. It also means that private banks would not be allowed to continue to create money ex nihilo and there’s no way that National (or Labour for that matter) will stop that.

  4. Smilin 4
    28 June 2016 at 10:27 am

    Any PR to save face, if it looks like a duck well it aint untill Key gets one of his to confirm it even though there should be enough support to question the validity of the processes Keys govt uses to stamp on the opposition when they push his BS so far up his face that he cant smile his way out of it .
    Go for it JG

  5. mac1 5
    28 June 2016 at 10:28 am

    The good ship “John Key” continues to tack about looking for favourable winds. It still has the same flag at its masthead, to its master’s disgust. Its weather and wind information is good though the boat is essentially rudderless. Its final destination is unknown but probably foreign, that can be trusted. The captain, an old sea-dog said by some to be ‘barking mad’, is very good at disguising its true colours.

    Like a Q-ship it is harmless-looking from a distance. Is it a warship or a merchant ship. Tracking its course on GPS shows a full double u-turn on the way to Irag, and a u-turn away from the Bahamas. A good deal of this can be put down to using mist and fog to hide its real purpose and destination.

    More on the master and the rest of the crew later. It can be revealed, however, that one of the lower deck petty officers has trouble retaining his hands, losing 12 overboard in three years sailing.

  6. Penny Bright 6
    28 June 2016 at 10:29 am

    Surely – if NZ has ‘full disclosure’ of information relating to foreign trusts – then it would already be available and would not need to be ‘requested’?

    When is NZ Prime Minister John Key going to apologise for, in my view, misleading the public, in light of the findings of the Shewan Report?

    If NZ Prime Minister John Key misled the House on this matter, is he going to be held accountable?

    Penny Bright
    2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

    • Draco T Bastard 6.1
      28 June 2016 at 11:19 am

      When is NZ Prime Minister John Key going to apologise for, in my view, misleading the public, in light of the findings of the Shewan Report?

      Never. He’ll continue to lie and u-turn and pretend that the past never happened until we lock the fucker up and take everything off him. And then, like all RWNJs, he’ll just whinge and blame other people rather than accept personal responsibility.

      • Richardrawshark 6.1.1
        28 June 2016 at 11:37 am

        He’ll probably do what Blair does, veto any investigation like the one he’s under.

  7. Nick 7
    28 June 2016 at 10:41 am

    You know he is not going to apologise Penny – he doesnt see anything to say sorry for…..the amount of his misleading blah bah on so many issues is like a tsunami that it seems he just surfs on top of. Dancing on a pin head or something like that.

  8. Greg 8
    28 June 2016 at 10:52 am

    Gee Wizz sheeple, stop mentioning the word Tax Haven, its been stripped from reports presented by the Treasury. It will give July Key an apoplexy fit.
    Please stick to the Team Key’s recreated history that zero rated company trusts are fine in dandy, and just wont deliver that much tax to NZ, lets not mention that they have already cost the tax payer an extra 205 million.
    Thats the crime here, or maybe a racketeering charge.
    Oh, why doesnt NZ have American racketeering laws, to charge crooked politicians, and other elected officials, and managerial elite.

    • Henry Filth 8.1
      28 June 2016 at 11:14 am

      What $200m?

      How did I miss that?

      • Greg 8.1.1
        28 June 2016 at 11:43 am

        it was reported in a Herald story back when the panana papers were released,

        it was in a offhand remark that Key likes to make when he doesnt it want it questioned,

  9. fisiani 9
    28 June 2016 at 10:56 am

    Full disclosure on request. A few tweeks and hey presto all is well. Great job by John Shewan and glad to see that the tweeks will be made.

    • Greg 9.1
      28 June 2016 at 11:03 am

      A stitch up job.
      How did 205 million get spent to make these company trusts complaint with EU laws,
      or was it just a means to transfer a stuffed envelope.

      • fisiani 9.1.1
        28 June 2016 at 11:09 am

        What 205 million are you on about? The NZ tax payer has not lost a cent.

        • Greg 9.1.1.1
          28 June 2016 at 11:38 am

          Key approved a special separate payment to the IRD in April for the separate purpose of making these companies complaint with EU money laundering laws.

          And its a taxpayer loss because it was taken from spending on health, education or police.
          205 million to make a return of 23 million to a few lawyers n accountants,
          thats criminal,

          • Henry Filth 9.1.1.1.1
            28 June 2016 at 1:31 pm

            Having a bit of trouble finding it. Do you have a link or an author? The EU-compliant bit seems quite attractive.

          • mosa 9.1.1.1.2
            29 June 2016 at 12:06 am

            Criminal activity is perfectly acceptable now, John Key is a master at it and there is never a smoking gun ! As Nixon said of the WaterGate break in and obstructing justice and tried too cover it up with hush money, its not illegal when the President does it.
            Frightening that we are prepared too accept it, when did that happen ?

        • reason 9.1.1.2
          28 June 2016 at 2:03 pm

          NZ tax payers lost $440 million when John Shewans ‘tax vehicles’ that the aussie banks were using were found guilty of being a con job by New Zealands High Courts.

          Despite losing and being found guilty Shewans clients …… who were profit gouging aussie banks ………. and despite the motive being pure greed ……….. they were let off 20% and the penalty should have been closer to $2.7 Billion ………….. instead of the $2.2 Billion imposed by the courts.

          National supports and is supported by rich tax cheats
          http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/8515361/Money-trail-leads-home-to-New-Zealan

          Key is the worst yet ….

          ” James Shaw: If New Zealand is not a tax haven, why would Mossack Fonseca—a company which, by its own admission, has 95 percent of its business in avoiding tax—urge its clients to use New Zealand’s foreign trust and company structures as a way of avoiding tax?”

          Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Two things. Firstly, there can be quite legitimate reasons why people have a foreign trust, and I suggest the member leave the House and ring Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and Red Cross”

          ##############################################

          “Andrew Little: Does he oppose New Zealanders and multinationals using another country’s tax laws to dodge New Zealand tax, given that he allows foreigners to do the same thing here?

          Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I cannot talk for Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and the Red Cross, but what I can say is that every country has a different tax system.”

          ################################################

        • Greg 9.1.1.3
          28 June 2016 at 3:21 pm

          http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11636261

          and more will be spent when the rules are changed,
          jesus wept,

          • fisiani 9.1.1.3.1
            28 June 2016 at 3:33 pm

            Money will be spent on protecting the NZ taxpayer. Rightly so.

            • reason 9.1.1.3.1.1
              28 June 2016 at 5:56 pm

              John Key has been defending the tax haven status of New Zealand ………. that he created …….
              ***************************************************
              “Julie Anne Genter: Have there been any changes to the rules since the IRD warned his Government in 2013 that “there was a risk to New Zealand’s reputation” because of limited disclosure requirements?

              Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member would have to direct that question to the Minister responsible for inland revenue. They are the ones who have done all the work with the OECD on the base evasion programme. But, as we know, things like factor and anti – money-laundering legislation have been changing.

              Julie Anne Genter: I seek leave to table an email dated 24 March 2016 from the IRD that states that it has not progressed any reform in this area.”
              ****************************************************
              Apart from key and the nats blocking any action on the IRD warnings….. the tax haven industry also had its lawyers threatening media people …..for using the phrase “tax haven”

              “UPDATE: Reader Tom Dale accepted the challenge of finding the 2012 60 Minutes report on the TV3 website. He found the video, but it has been set to private. And that seems clearly related to this extraordinary statement in the show’s blog. It appears that even saying the words “tax haven” was legally perilous four years ago. It looks like the Panama Papers have made a bigger difference than we realised.” http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/forgetting-what-we-didnt-know/

          • Hapuku 9.1.1.3.2
            28 June 2016 at 10:11 pm

            The $205 million to the IRD was for all compliance not just that related to overseas trusts.

            • Greg 9.1.1.3.2.1
              29 June 2016 at 8:36 am

              No it wasnt universal, your wrong,
              Key clearly stated it was for the zero rated tax havens and a one of special payment to make them legal complaint

              Or maybe it was just a vehicle to pass a envelope.

              How did McCully make payments to the Saudi Businessman.

        • In Vino 9.1.1.4
          28 June 2016 at 6:43 pm

          “Full disclosure on request” is NOT full disclosure. Full means complete – without any request needed. Look it up.

          I am a teacher of language, Fisi, – I have to accurately translate things like this from one language to another, and judge others’ translations.

          John Key lied in his usual way – a half-truth, which in this case clearly constitutes a lie.

          And you are trying to assist him in slimy, devious obfuscation.

          • Greg 9.1.1.4.1
            29 June 2016 at 8:42 am

            Exactly,
            hence why i remember the 205 million special payment to IRD,
            that the Labour party clearly ignored or did’nt click on too.

            Key can be very articulate when it matters, like in Parliament on Teusday defending the report.
            Other times, he makes a statement and adds on details.

            fyi, I’m a recovered level 5 head injury survivor, and slightly dyslexic.

    • Richardrawshark 9.2
      28 June 2016 at 11:38 am

      A few tweaks, Jeez, fuck off.

  10. Marple 10
    28 June 2016 at 11:06 am

    JG should take it as a compliment that she’s rattled John Key – he’s always rude and personal when threatened. After all, he’s just not used to articulate, intelligent and strong women is he?

  11. AB 11
    28 June 2016 at 11:17 am

    From the Key-Woodhouse Modern English Dictionary:

    “Full disclosure of information”
    Definition: unlikely disclosure of inadequate information

    “Tax Haven”
    Verb. Used colloquially to describe attempts at separating behaviour and intent from their standard definition, e.g.
    “I am not a prostitute, though I can be used like one”.
    Reply: “Sounds like you are tax havening a bit there!”

  12. ianmac 12
    28 June 2016 at 11:35 am

    Key has developed it to a fine art.
    Stay calm.
    Keep your voice level.
    State a new “truth” as though it was always so.
    Answer any questioning of apparent U turns with a smiling “But that was what was known at the time,” or “That was within the context of question at the time.”
    I think that all his Ministers are forced to stand in front of a mirror and practise barefaced lies and deflections.
    Superficially the Public accept.

  13. esoteric pineapples 13
    28 June 2016 at 11:39 am

    “Barking mad” was Key’s favourite riff for a while because it got him a laff. He’s like the ignorant opinionated uncle at family gatherings.

    • mosa 13.1
      29 June 2016 at 12:28 am

      Yeah the creepy dirty old rich one with the knighthood and wearing a kyle lockwood silver fern flag polo shirt.

  14. Andre 14
    28 June 2016 at 12:14 pm

    Hopefully someone with actual expertise can clear something up for me.

    I’ve got the impression that a major difference between NZ and the rest of the world is that we look at the tax residency of the settlor in deciding whether to apply tax, whereas everyone else looks at the trustee(s) tax residency. This difference seems to be one of the things that makes New Zealand’s foreign trust regime so attractive to foreigners looking for “legitimate tax avoidance”..

    Shewan’s suggested “tweaks” don’t appear to address this issue. Any suggestions why not? Is it too cynical to think it’s so we can be “seen to be doing something” while leaving the “legitimate avoidance” mechanism intact?

    • Henry Filth 14.1
      28 June 2016 at 1:20 pm

      Having a bit of trouble finding it. Do you have a link or author?

      That EU compliant bit sounds interesting.

    • mosa 14.2
      29 June 2016 at 1:03 am

      What we all have to remember is this point !
      If the panama papers had remained secret we would not have been any the wiser to the tax evasion being encouraged and known about by this administration and IGNORED despite warnings from their own IRD department.
      That tells all of us what kind of government and Prime minister we have in authority in this country and its sickening.
      If there was any justice and accountability that is practiced in other first world countries when tax evasion is discovered and obvious political interference by the countries leader through his lawyer is uncovered they are forced to resign and face charges in a court of law.
      New Zealanders cant keep their heads in the sand for much longer, i think eight years is long enough !
      The opposition need to change tactics in parliament every time Key is caught out misleading the house which for everyone else is a serious offence.
      Whispering RESIGN every time Key speaks would be a start.

  15. mary_a 15
    28 June 2016 at 12:18 pm

    I was watching Parliament when Julie Ann Genter suggested exactly what has been recommended in the findings of John Shewan’s report. As we all know now, John Key’s response was to tell Genter her suggestion was “barking mad.”

    However, will Key remember that particular reply he gave?

    No doubt when challenged, it be the usual same old BS memory loss tactic, which he gets away with far too frequently to cover his arse “… I don’t remember saying that!”

    • dv 15.1
      28 June 2016 at 1:26 pm

      And did he mislead parliament?

    • mosa 15.2
      29 June 2016 at 1:22 am

      You know who is really barking mad ?
      The 47 % who keep voting for him and his colleges who think that all the outrageous appalling lack of ethics and dirty tricks and deception are ok and perfectly acceptable as long as we have a National government making them richer and richer every year.
      They are the ones who spit on poor people living in cars and the homeless on the street.
      And the real enemy is the MSM who are just as culpable as the masters they serve for not reporting or seeking accountability and the truth.

  16. Ed 16
    28 June 2016 at 12:51 pm

    The developments represent mission accomplished for National. They knew from the time the Panama Papers were released that they would have to close the hidden part of the industry, but the clients of Key’s personal lawyer needed time to get the assets moved to the next favoured location. The industry will have had a busy time, and probably need the time it will take to get a Bill through – but it will be timed to suit them, not our country.

    Key will not try not to speak on this matter again, but he will have already had the discussions that matter – with conservative donors in New Zealand and other countries who will be watching to see that the preservation of their wealth is being protected as much as possible.

    • Macro 16.1
      28 June 2016 at 1:39 pm

      Key will not try not to speak on this matter again, but he will have already had the discussions that matter – with conservative donors in New Zealand and other countries who will be watching to see that the preservation of their wealth is being protected as much as possible.

      Exactly.

  17. Bearded Git 17
    28 June 2016 at 3:35 pm

    Andrew Little had this right on Morning Report this morning. The financial and beneficiary information now recommended by Shewan to be disclosed on the overseas trusts and look-through companies needs to be PUBLICLY accessible not just accessible to the IRD.

    This is a major (and purposeful) flaw in the Shewan report. Labour should slot this into their manifesto now.

    • Henry Filth 17.1
      28 June 2016 at 4:06 pm

      It may be legally difficult to differentiate between foreign and domestic trusts.

      And given the widespread use of trusts in the New Zealand domestic setting, the publicly accessible component especially may encounter some political difficulties.

      After all, “my” trust has tax (and other) obligations to the government, but what obligations of disclosure does it have to the wider, nosey, thrill-seeking public at large?

      • Bearded Git 17.1.1
        28 June 2016 at 5:16 pm

        Henry-that is easy.

        If the overseas beneficiaries do not have NZ citizenship or NZ residence then the information on the trusts/companies should be publicly accessible. Why should we let overseas people use NZ as a money laundering/tax haven destination?

        Legislation should make proof of citizenship/residence mandatory when setting up a trust/company and for the 13000 (approx, or was it 16000?) already set up.

        • Henry Filth 17.1.1.1
          29 June 2016 at 2:32 am

          We seem to disagree.

          Could you explain why you consider that, under a decent disclosure and compliance regime, residence or citizenship should be mandatory?

      • North 17.1.2
        28 June 2016 at 5:19 pm

        Filth…….you were going fine until your last line – “……nosey, thrill seeking public at large?”

        • Henry Filth 17.1.2.1
          29 June 2016 at 2:29 am

          You’re right. I shouldn’t have toned it down.

          “. . . to the gawping prurient interest of the financially illiterate envious choking down the sensationalist pap delivered by the lowest-common-denominator-dominated mass media?”

          Thanks for the heads up!

          • mac1 17.1.2.1.1
            29 June 2016 at 9:53 pm

            Oh the alliteration, the assonance, the sheer wordy delight of “lowest-common-denominator-dominated mass media” and the rest. Well written, Henry Filth.

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    The RBNZ governor is citing high net migration and profit-led inflation as factors in the bank’s hawkish stance. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, including:Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says high net migration and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Nicola Willis' 'show me the money' moment
    Willis has accused labour of “economic vandalism’, while Robertson described her comments as a “desperate diversion from somebody who can't make their tax package add up”. There will now be an intense focus on December 20 to see whether her hyperbole is backed up by true surprises. Photo montage: Lynn ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
    The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    2 days ago

  • And I don't want the world to see us.
    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes – The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    3 days ago

  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume III
    Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    4 days ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 thru Dec 2, 2023. Story of the Week CO2 readings from Mauna Loa show failure to combat climate change Daily atmospheric carbon dioxide data from Hawaiian volcano more ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Affirmative Action.
    Affirmative Action was a key theme at this election, although I don’t recall anyone using those particular words during the campaign.They’re positive words, and the way the topic was talked about was anything but. It certainly wasn’t a campaign of saying that Affirmative Action was a good thing, but that, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 100 days of something
    It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Look who’s stepped up to champion Winston
    There’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today  – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • What's The Story?
    Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • The longest of weeks
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts to
    Like earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Under New Management
    1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • While we wait patiently, our new Minister of Education is up and going with a 100-day action plan
    Sorry to say, the government’s official website is still out of action. When Point of Order paid its daily visit, the message was the same as it has been for the past week: Site under maintenance Beehive.govt.nz is currently under maintenance. We will be back shortly. Thank you for your ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • DAVID FARRAR: Hysterical bullshit
    Radio NZ reports: Te Pāti Māori’s co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has accused the new government of “deliberate .. systemic genocide” over its policies to roll back the smokefree policy and the Māori Health Authority. The left love hysterical language. If you oppose racial quotas in laws, you are a racist. And now if you sack ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #48 2023
    Open access notables From this week's government/NGO section, longitudinal data is gold and Leisorowitz, Maibachi et al. continue to mine ore from the US public with Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Fall 2023: Drawing on a representative sample of the U.S. adult population, the authors describe how registered ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • ELE LUDEMANN: It wasn’t just $55 million
    Ele Ludemann writes –  Winston Peters reckons media outlets were bribed by the $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund. He is not the first to make such an accusation. Last year, the Platform outlined conditions media signed up to in return for funds from the PJIF: . . . ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 1-December-2023
    Wow, it’s December already, and it’s a Friday. So here are few things that caught our attention recently. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt covered the new government’s coalition agreements and what they mean for transport. On Tuesday Matt looked at AT’s plans for fare increases ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    6 days ago

  • Shane MacGowan Is Gone.
    Late 1996, The Dogs Bollix, Tamaki Makaurau.I’m at the front of the bar yelling my order to the bartender, jostling with other thirsty punters on a Friday night, keen to piss their wages up against a wall letting loose. The black stuff, long luscious pints of creamy goodness. Back down ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 1
    Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop and other National, ACT and NZ First MPs applaud the signing of the coalition agreements, which included the reversal of anti-smoking measures while accelerating tax cuts for landlords. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • 2023 More Reading: November (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for November: A Modern Utopia, by H.G. Wells The Vampire (poem), by Heinrich August Ossenfelder The Corpus Hermeticum The Corpus Hermeticum is Mead’s translation. Now, this is indeed a very quiet month for reading. But there is a reason for that… You see, ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies.The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. They also describe the processes of the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago

  • Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
    First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
    First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Finally
    Henry Kissinger is finally dead. Good fucking riddance. While Americans loved him, he was a war criminal, responsible for most of the atrocities of the final quarter of the twentieth century. Cambodia. Bangladesh. Chile. East Timor. All Kissinger. Because of these crimes, Americans revere him as a "statesman" (which says ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • Government in a hurry – Luxon lists 49 priorities in 100-day plan while Peters pledges to strength...
    Buzz from the Beehive Yes, ministers in the new government are delivering speeches and releasing press statements. But the message on the government’s official website was the same as it has been for the past several days, when Point of Order went looking for news from the Beehive that had ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • DAVID FARRAR: Luxon is absolutely right
    David Farrar writes  –  1 News reports: Christopher Luxon says he was told by some Kiwis on the campaign trail they “didn’t know” the difference between Waka Kotahi, Te Pūkenga and Te Whatu Ora. Speaking to Breakfast, the incoming prime minister said having English first on government agencies will “make sure” ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Top 10 at 10 am for Thursday, Nov 30
    There are fears that mooted changes to building consent liability could end up driving the building industry into an uninsured hole. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Thursday, November 30, including:The new Government’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on how climate change threatens cricket‘s future
    Well that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, M Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else, and complaining that he has inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” – which is how most of us are ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    7 days ago

  • We need to talk about Tory.
    The first I knew of the news about Tory Whanau was when a tweet came up in my feed.The sort of tweet that makes you question humanity, or at least why you bother with Twitter. Which is increasingly a cesspit of vile inhabitants who lurk spreading negativity, hate, and every ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • Dangling Transport Solutions
    Cable Cars, Gondolas, Ropeways and Aerial Trams are all names for essentially the same technology and the world’s biggest maker of them are here to sell them as an public transport solution. Stuff reports: Austrian cable car company Doppelmayr has launched its case for adding aerial cable cars to New ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago

  • November AMA
    Hi,It’s been awhile since I’ve done an Ask-Me-Anything on here, so today’s the day. Ask anything you like in the comments section, and I’ll be checking in today and tomorrow to answer.Leave a commentNext week I’ll be giving away a bunch of these Mister Organ blu-rays for readers in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • National’s early moves adding to cost of living pressure
    The cost of living grind continues, and the economic and inflation honeymoon is over before it began. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: PM Christopher Luxon unveiled his 100 day plan yesterday with an avowed focus of reducing cost-of-living pressures, but his Government’s initial moves and promises are actually elevating ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Backwards to the future
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed that it will be back to the future on planning legislation. This will be just one of a number of moves which will see the new government go backwards as it repeals and cost-cuts its way into power. They will completely repeal one ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • New initiatives in science and technology could point the way ahead for Luxon government
    As the new government settles into the Beehive, expectations are high that it can sort out some  of  the  economic issues  confronting  New Zealand. It may take time for some new  ministers to get to grips with the range of their portfolio work and responsibilities before they can launch the  changes that  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    1 week ago

  • Treaty pledge to secure funding is contentious – but is Peters being pursued by a lynch mob after ...
    TV3 political editor Jenna Lynch was among the corps of political reporters who bridled, when Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told them what he thinks of them (which is not much). She was unabashed about letting her audience know she had bridled. More usefully, she drew attention to something which ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • How long does this last?
    I have a clear memory of every election since 1969 in this plucky little nation of ours. I swear I cannot recall a single one where the question being asked repeatedly in the first week of the new government was: how long do you reckon they’ll last? And that includes all ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • National’s giveaway politics
    We already know that national plans to boost smoking rates to collect more tobacco tax so they can give huge tax-cuts to mega-landlords. But this morning that policy got even more obscene - because it turns out that the tax cut is retrospective: Residential landlords will be able to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme scrapped
    The Government has axed the $16 billion Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme championed by the previous government, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “This hugely wasteful project was pouring money down the drain at a time when we need to be reining in spending and focussing on rebuilding the economy and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
    New Zealand welcomes the further one-day extension of the pause in fighting, which will allow the delivery of more urgently-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of more hostages, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “The human cost of the conflict is horrific, and New Zealand wants to see the violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government his condolences to the family of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut. “While opinions on his legacy are varied, Secretary Kissinger was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Backing our kids to learn the basics
    Every child deserves a world-leading education, and the Coalition Government is making that a priority as part of its 100-day plan. Education Minister Erica Stanford says that will start with banning cellphone use at school and ensuring all primary students spend one hour on reading, writing, and maths each day. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • US Business Summit Speech – Regional stability through trade
    I would like to begin by echoing the Prime Minister’s thanks to the organisers of this Summit, Fran O’Sullivan and the Auckland Business Chamber.  I want to also acknowledge the many leading exporters, sector representatives, diplomats, and other leaders we have joining us in the room. In particular, I would like ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Keynote Address to the United States Business Summit, Auckland
    Good morning. Thank you, Rosemary, for your warm introduction, and to Fran and Simon for this opportunity to make some brief comments about New Zealand’s relationship with the United States.  This is also a chance to acknowledge my colleague, Minister for Trade Todd McClay, Ambassador Tom Udall, Secretary of Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • India New Zealand Business Council Speech, India as a Strategic Priority
    Good morning, tēnā koutou and namaskar. Many thanks, Michael, for your warm welcome. I would like to acknowledge the work of the India New Zealand Business Council in facilitating today’s event and for the Council’s broader work in supporting a coordinated approach for lifting New Zealand-India relations. I want to also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Coalition Government unveils 100-day plan
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has laid out the Coalition Government’s plan for its first 100 days from today. “The last few years have been incredibly tough for so many New Zealanders. People have put their trust in National, ACT and NZ First to steer them towards a better, more prosperous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Further humanitarian support for Gaza, the West Bank and Israel
    The Government is contributing a further $5 million to support the response to urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, bringing New Zealand’s total contribution to the humanitarian response so far to $10 million. “New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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