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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  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    3 days ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    7 days ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: James Shaw’s legacy keeps paying off

    One of the central planks of the previous Labour-Green government's emissions reduction policy was GIDI (Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry). This was basically using ETS revenue to pay polluters to clean up production, reducing emissions while protecting jobs. Corporate welfare, but it got the job done, and was often a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Gravity

    Oh twice as much ain't twice as goodAnd can't sustain like one half couldIt's wanting moreThat's gonna send me to my kneesSong: John MayerSome ups and downs from the last week of August ‘24. The good and bad, happy and sad, funny and mad, heroes and cads. The week that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Ditch the climate double speak and get real

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The Government announced changes to the Fast-Track Approvals Bill on Sunday, backing off from the contentious proposal to give ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to August 30

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest science of changing sea temperatures and which emissions policies actually work; on the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • This Govt’s infrastructure strategy depends on capital gains taxes & new road taxes

    Billions of dollars in value uplift was identified around the Transmission Gully project, but that was captured 100% by landowners and not shared to pay for the project. Now National is saying value capture should be used for similar projects. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/ Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 30-August-2024

    Kia ora and welcome to the end of another week. Here’s our regular Friday roundup of things that caught our eye, in the realm of cities and transport. If you enjoy these roundups, feel free to join our growing ranks of supporters by making a recurring donation to keep the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Table Talk: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.

    “That’s the sort of constitutional reform he favours: conceived in secret; revolutionary in intent; implemented incrementally without fanfare; and under no circumstances to be placed before the electorate for democratic ratification.”TO SAY IT WAS RAINING would have understated seriously the meteorological conditions. Simply put, it was pissing down. One of ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Big Norm and Chris Hipkins

    It’s 50 years ago today that “Big Norm” Kirk died of a heart attack in Wellington’s Home of Compassion. Home of Compassion. Although he was Prime Minister for only 623 days, he has an iconic place in New Zealand history, particularly Labour history. When Labour leaders like Jacinda Ardern recite ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #35 2024

    Open access notables Arctic glacier snowline altitudes rise 150 m over the last 4 decades, Larocca et al., The Cryosphere: We mapped the snowline (SL) on a subset of 269 land-terminating glaciers above 60° N latitude in the latest available summer, clear-sky Landsat satellite image between 1984 and 2022. The mean SLA was extracted ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Unravelling the String of State: New Zealand Sovereignty and the Treaty of Waitangi

    Oh dear. Sometimes people just need to prod the sleeping dog. We currently have a parliamentary dispute over the nature of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, as signed between the British Crown and New Zealand Maori: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/526451/sovereignty-debate-split-on-party-lines Specifically, the National Government takes the traditional view that Maori ceded sovereignty ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Rigour, PLEASE

    You may have noticed I have been taking my time getting home. You may have wondered if that might have anything to do with our brave little nation being constitutionally and morally abused by this woeful excuse for a government. It does. I have enjoyed being able to turn the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Making A Difference.

    The Jacinda and Ashley Show: Before the neoliberals could come up with a plausible reason for letting thousands of their fellow citizens perish, the Ardern-led government, backed by the almost forgotten power of an unapologetically interventionist state, was producing changes in the real world – changes that were, very obviously, saving ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

    The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Delivering priority connections for the West Coast

    A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington

    A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Waikato through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more efficient, safe, and resilient roading network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With almost a third of the country’s freight travelling into, out ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Building reliable and efficient roading for Taranaki

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