Go Bus Lockout; Hypocrites Ngai Tahu and Tainui Screw Workers

Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, November 19th, 2018 - 70 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, boycott, business, capitalism, class war, Economy, jobs, Unions, wages, workers' rights, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: , ,

Two iwi who you would have hoped would know better are bullying bus drivers in the Waikato.

Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff has called for donations to the welfare fund for FIRST Union members who have been locked out by Tainui and Ngai Tahu owned Go Bus in the Waikato.

“This employer has cynically tried to tank driver’s incomes right before Christmas, because they dared to ask for a living wage,” Wagstaff says.

Go Bus is owned by the two well funded iwi, neither of whom appears to give a shit about working people.

First Union divisional secretary Jared Abbott said it was time for Go Bus’ owners to get involved in the dispute.

“In any situation in an industrial dispute like this that escalates to this level, it’s time for the owners to step in and take some responsibility for what is going on.”

However, that may be a forlorn hope unless people rally behind the drivers. The CTU’s Richard Wagstaff points to the way forward:

“The next step is telling operators who tender for contracts by squeezing drivers’ wages and conditions, like Go Bus, Tranzit, Ritchies Murphy and Pavlovich, that commuters aren’t having it. Working people are firmly on the side of the drivers getting them safely around our towns and cities, and they support the living wage.”

We tend to go easy on iwi owned enterprises, however the reality is that they are capitalist businesses who will happily rip off their workers. Ironically, Ngai Tahu claim to be in favour of paying the Living Wage, though that is clearly bullshit. What they actually are in favour of is using economic violence against workers.

Council of Trade Unions Maori Vice President, Syd Keepa, says Go Bus has iwi members driving its buses and the union is calling for the two iwi to step in:

“The drivers, many of which whakapapa to the iwi that own Go Bus, are asking the iwi to step in and assist in a resolution with the company because the abysmal wages are having a depressing effect on the drivers’ wellbeing, their families and their respective communities. Ngai Tahu are a Living Wage employer, yet when their own people put their hand up for a decent rate they have been locked out.”

Please donate to the drivers. They and their families are going to need considerable help over the next few weeks. The website is: http://busfair.nz/donate/

Tainui can be contacted via fb here. Ngai Tahu’s fb is here.

Tell them they should be ashamed of themselves.

70 comments on “Go Bus Lockout; Hypocrites Ngai Tahu and Tainui Screw Workers ”

  1. Right on.

    “Living Wage Employer’ is being used as a white wash like unaudited ‘free range’ and ‘Forest Friendly’ etc.

    Apparently Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu has a living wage policy, but its subsidiaries are able to say ‘No’ we can’t/won’t do that.

    Which is a problem with all these things. its all about nice headlines not real life.

    Its like the great wages and health perks for google employees..the thing people don’t realise being that half the workforce at google are ‘Contractors’ who get diddly squat.

  2. adam 2

    For the love of God, how are average members of an Iwi responsible for the actions of leadership and boards – any different from other structures in society? That’s like saying all white people from Christchurch are responsible for Gerry Brownlee. Or other logical fallacies.

    Iwi, are made up of a lot of different hapū. To lump them all in one, is wooly settler
    thinking at best.

    You could have said the board of Ngāi Tahu holdings, which is a better description, or did you not want to mention that Chris Joblin as CEO of Taniue Holdings is a pākehā. Or is it simpler to indulge in a bit of hard right race baiting?

    You know I’m hard core pro workers rights, but that means fingering the right people, not some faceless corporation or equally valueless, some faceless iwi. Doing things like this don’t help the workers on the ground, especially when the real people making the decisions get a free pass. You know like Mike Sang, Allan Hickford and the rest of the management team.

    • bwaghorn 2.1

      Didn’t you get the memo . In the true left’s eyes all Maori, woman and LGBT are perfect people who are beyond reproach and if you are maori lesbian you are actually a God. (I made that last bit up for a laugh)

      • Michelle 2.1.1

        yes we are so perfect b waghorn we are filling our prisons but it if your a rich arab you can get away with murder and people will shake you hand and bow as they are fucken gutless and only care about money

  3. SaveNZ 3

    Sad. It also makes a mockery of wanting jobs and opportunities for Iwi, if the wages offered by iwi are too low.

    I’m also disgusted when iwi don’t fish their quota themselves but lease the quota to foreign slave traders to harvest the fish, and then wonder why Maori don’t have job opportunities.

    Same for horticulture, same for farming, aka not creating jobs for Maori but instead getting cheaper migrant workers in.

    Maori own 15% of the NZ economy.

    They could be leading the way for their people instead of just trying to follow the neoliberal way which has a few capitalist winners and a lot of losers.

    Obviously I think that ALL NZ business should be on living wages.

    I’m also not sure that the $20 p/h of living wage is enough if you live in Auckland, how do you live on that amount with a family, a dog kennel?

    Apparently the affordable housing in Wellington is now up to $700 p/w. The figures for living wage need updating.

  4. Tiger Mountain 4

    an echo of the 90s–“Brown Table”, Dr Elizabeth Rata’s “Neo Tribalists”, and John Tamihere’s West Auckland Trust’s then reactionary attitude to unions, but the fact is the small layer of class collaborative, Māori capitalist elites must be called and dealt with like any other exploitative employer

    I take Adam’s point though, TRP’s opener does resemble collective punishment rather than focusing on the specific villains

    the time line alone of this scenario shows the employer to be seriously taking the piss, support the drivers!! financially and on their pickets!!

  5. Bewildered 5

    Great to see iwi standing up to mafia like financial stand over tactics from a union whose members are a minority at the bus company

    • In Vino 5.1

      Bewildered – would you like to work for the miserable, demeaning rates those drivers are getting? I don’t think you have even thought about such matters. No doubt you worked super-hard and made meritorious decisions so that you could deservedly live comfortably. Nauseating.

      • Bewildered 5.1.1

        Yep been there done that, learnt quickly low end wage jobs was not great so did something about it, thanks for asking Vino albeit cliche question from some one with a victim mentality

        • Bewildered 5.1.1.1

          Put this to you Vino, If Union next strategy was to collect fares and keep it, you ok with that, no different not collecting, both are stealing from company and iwi shareholders

          • In Vino 5.1.1.1.1

            Victim mentality? Silly wishful thinking. You think you are special because you ‘did something about it’? A self-made man who worships his creator?
            As it happens, I have a Master’s degree, and am still working part-time in the profession which has afforded me a good life. In no way am I a victim. I am damned fortunate – much more so than the poor bastards being exploited for less than $20 an hour: demeaning and destructive of human dignity.
            Your foolish misunderstanding of the Union’s tactic is utterly risible. One of the few ways they can affect their mingy employers is to refuse to collect fares, which is actually a help to the public they are supposed to be serving. Your idea that they would steal that money for themselves is as dumb as the proposition that they are stealing money that they are not collecting.
            Stealing it would be if they did collect the money and kept it for themselves. Refusing to collect it is industrial action, not theft.
            Stop kidding yourself.

            • Bewildered 5.1.1.1.1.1

              Only one masters degree , you got a bit of catching up re getting off your backside re my background, sacrifices and risks I took ( if it’s a competition) Not collecting fares is tantamount to theft as they are incurring cost on the company while refusing to recover what is due to the cover those costs The company is a business not a charity re your point to serve the public Dont know if bus company are pricks or not but suggest if you don’t like the company or pay, leave and do something else don’t rely on a morally bankrupt union

              • In Vino

                Piffle. However great your self-esteem, you are not empowered to change the English language. Collins Concise Dictionary: ‘Theft – the taking of another person’s property for oneself…’ Refusing to collect the fares is not taking the fares for themselves: it is a form of striking (industrial action as I said) and the company is entitled to dock pay when such limited strike-actions are taken. Get your definitions right, and stop using your own wishful thinking to vilify unions. Such behaviour is both academically and morally bankrupt on your part.

  6. Yes well I’m not a fan of this bullshit.

    First Union divisional secretary Jared Abbott said it was time for Go Bus’ owners, Tainui and Ngāi Tahu to get involved in the dispute.

    “In an industrial dispute like this that escalates to this level, it’s time for the owners to step in and take some responsibility for what is going on.”

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/108692358/tensions-escalate-in-bus-driver-wage-wrestle-affecting-buses-across-hamilton

    Pity the union is going this way. Good to see you’re trotting out the lines – solidarity

    • Tiger Mountain 6.1

      a bad boss, is a bad boss, the timeline of this low pay and disrespect issue is appalling enough in itself, not sure what offence you have taken here marty mars

      • marty mars 6.1.1

        Iwi are shareholders – they aren’t management. Sure go after shareholders but please, dressing it up as bad Māori is not needed. That is my issue.

        E.g. “We tend to go easy on iwi owned enterprises, however the reality is that they are capitalist businesses who will happily rip off their workers. Ironically, Ngai Tahu claim to be in favour of paying the Living Wage, though that is clearly bullshit. What they actually are in favour of is using economic violence against workers.”

        • WeTheBleeple 6.1.1.1

          Hi Marty

          I am here to learn. Forgive my ignorance where I’m ill informed feel free to inform. I have a question:

          I learned of the bottom up decision making at the Marae, often a lengthy and laborious process in which all voices get to be heard. And then each Marae is heard, and so on up – This is impressive. This, alongside of Kaitiakitanga (was deeply touched learning about this) seems to me to be a way to govern both sustainably and inclusively.

          Do iwi work with these overarching principles now?

          • marty mars 6.1.1.1.1

            Iwi organisations often have a combo. Western and Māori approach but I think they stive to follow their tikanga in alignment with traditional values albeit manifested in modern ways sometimes. People get elected to roles, they then elect other roles – pretty much like any organisation imo.

            It’s hard to generalise but where I’ve interacted the kaupapa of trying to represent the people is strong and that led directly to adjustments to get more alignment with what we were trying to do. It is complicated but mostly the hearts as in the right place within iwi organisations which doesn’t preclude maliciousness, corruption, greed and stupidness.

            • WeTheBleeple 6.1.1.1.1.1

              Thanks Marty I appreciate it. With that said I’m tending to think some Iwi have some right wing style leadership in place, but in check. If that is correct, yay, if not, watch closely for snakes.

              They do very well in NZ conditions.

              • Well the snakes aren’t in the iwi. They lurk around outside with attacks and bullshit. Their agenda has nothing to do with Māori or rights it’s just bigotry and pale reflections of mana.

                • WeTheBleeple

                  OK, that sounds like good news for Maori autonomy.

                  Sorry about the bigots. Being raised with racism in rural NZ, it’s also hard not to overstep in the other direction and sound like a patronizing twat.

                  I liked that someone called me on some shit in a marae setting. I call people on theirs. To me it’s a way to grow through strengthening our weaknesses. To (most) euro people I’ve delivered feedback, despite their asking for it, I’m ‘difficult’.

                  I am a bit. I’ve taken that on too 😉

                  I often wonder how much of our viciousness online is the lack of ability to properly address real life issues in our community/family settings. To be heard, but also to hear others so understanding is reached. But the internet is the wild west, not home. It would be nice to have a steam whistle on our heads, to release each morning. Meditation is so boring… 😀

                  The Standard stands apart in some of the debate it generates. The haters can disrupt it, I, and others can be dicks about it, but there’s plenty of hope for this model of discourse where actual debate is encouraged.

                  I digress, again.

                  • The Standard can be a great place full of cool people. I’m just me as I think you are you – if we aren’t pissing someone off it’s probably cos we’re asleep.

                    Kia kaha.

        • Tiger Mountain 6.1.1.2

          as per my post #4, I address that issue, the fact remains that Māori have a class relationship with capitalist society too, in conjunction with their distinct cultural existence

          while TRP has effectively “collectively punished” all members of those overall tribal groupings named, which is not a good thing, there is also a collective responsibility for owners and the individuals on Boards to front up

          • marty mars 6.1.1.2.1

            I agree that the drivers should be paid decently and that the company are scum for what they have done. I even agree that shareholders are accountable. However generalised derogatory statements against a group of people are not on – even at the behest of some union rep. But par for the course and as one of the denigrated ones i’ll just get over it as usual. But just reread the headline and imagine that you are being described that way. It’s fucken bullshit.

            • te reo putake 6.1.1.2.1.1

              If you don’t like being described that way, then do something about it, Marty. If you’re a shareholder, you’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. Who have you contacted to voice your concerns?

  7. Morrissey 7

    Hardly surprising that the leadership of iwi are hostile to workers’ rights. They’re National Party activists, and not representative of the people they purport to represent. Ngati Tuwharetoa is also dominated by a National Party clique.

    Back in January 2014 we had a real argument on this forum about the National Party-dominated Ngai Tahu leadership….

    https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06012014/#comment-754069

    • DJ Ward 7.1

      Don’t iwi make there own decisions about leadership. Maybe they understand going with policy of profitable business must take precedent over socialism. Without profitability assets are eroded and socialism is impossible. The assets get squandered with trying to please everybody.

      Hence Buisiness minded iwi leadership.

      • mauī 7.1.1

        Profiteers are experts in asset squandering. No wonder the socialists have to step in and build things like state housing and rail back into a viable business.

  8. Ed 8

    Class war is about economics.

    • DJ Ward 8.1

      Is it?
      It was about rights. Landowners could vote while the serfs couldn’t. The upper class could get loans, the serfs couldn’t. The upper class controlled law enforcement, the serfs were subject to it.

      Anyway NZ doesn’t have a class system. Anybody can start a Buisiness, get educated, by property, and the poor can go to the same schools as millionaires children.

      • Kevin 8.1.1

        Can’t all have degrees bro. Someone still has to do the shit jobs but I think it’s a fair expectation the they won’t be treated like shit in the process.

  9. DJ Ward 9

    What’s not being provided is the figures for the profitability of the buses. Is it already a subsidised service.

    If the service the bus company provides in its own right is profitable then movement in improving pay to a living wage is appropriate.
    If it’s a subsidised service then more subsidy would be required to provide the living wage.
    Or you force the closing of the bus service due to inevitable backruptcy from losses. Then nobody has a job.
    Socialism is not exempt from the reality of capitalism as it requires other people’s money to work.

    Who pays for the pay rise.

    • In Vino 9.1

      ‘Other people’s money’… What rubbish. Capitalism exploits other people’s labour, and regards underpayment for that labour as a virtue for the benefit of greedy shareholders.

    • gsays 9.2

      Maybe, just maybe, that thinking- “If the service the bus company provides in its own right is profitable then movement in improving pay to a living wage is appropriate” is around the wrong way.
      For a century or more, the way to profit was cut and suppress wages and conditions.
      Turn it around, pay a living wage and perhaps productivity increases, less sick days, less ‘churn’, happy employees in the community.
      You know, stuff that doesn’t show up immediately on a balance sheet.

      • DJ Ward 9.2.1

        That’s inherent to successful capitalism.
        Bad bosses get bad outcomes more often.
        Good bosses get good outcomes more often.

        In this case it appears the bus company is not profitable.
        Therefore there is nothing to offer the owners or workers.

        If you went back a century I would suggest behavour towards workers has vastly improved over time.
        Most poverty is being caused by the rental market.

  10. SHG 10

    Shareholders in a business don’t get to make management decisions. However I, as a member of the iwi, will request an explanation from my Runaka rep.

    • Jum 10.1

      That depends on how powerful the shareholder is, SHG.

    • Thanks, SHG. This attack on workers is being done in your name, even if it is done without your knowledge or consent. I hope others will also question whether a lockout truly reflects the values of your iwi.

  11. Jum 11

    If a business can’t pay a living wage, it shouldn’t be in business.
    If a business wants to start up and has a limited budget, but can help workers get a job, then that business needs to offer them something like shares in the company and bonuses from any result, for taking a chance on that business.

  12. Ad 12

    TRP in your view what’s the chances the union will win this one?

    • Well, they all get settled in the end. The last big lockout was Talleys AFFCO and the company lost that (in court, and after some time). Prior to that, I recall Woolworths locked out their distribution workers across the country. That ended with a total humiliation for the Aussie owned company after six weeks on the picket line. The CEO had to quit.

      I suspect the GoBus drivers will get solid financial support from unions and the public, so the plan to starve them into submission isn’t likely to work. So I guess it’ll go on until the management get told by their shareholders to pull their heads in.

      • Ad 12.1.1

        I would just love to see you do a post on some of these war stories, particularly about how the workers won and the bosses lost.

        I’m sure I don’t get enough of them through the mainstream media.

        It would sure be encouraging to hear of recent wins.

        Maybe:

        The Worker: A Year In Review.

        • te reo putake 12.1.1.1

          Excellent idea, Ad! I’ll see what can be done. I also think we should look at some TS reader awards (book tokens or the like) for best contributions over the year, funniest comment etc. It’s good to celebrate!

          I was mulling over a couple of the comments on this post this morning and it occurred to me that solidarity was a defining characteristic of being left, in a similar way to looking after No 1 is for the right. It’s solidarity internally (in a workplace) and externally (among the wider population) that wins. The external pressure is vital, as economic pressure is what forces bosses to compromise. And nothing sends alarm bells ringing in a board room faster than losing market share, which was the key to winning the Progressive (Woolworth’s) blue a decade ago.

          With GoBus, I would say pressure from the Waikato bus using community, combined with disquiet from iwi members about the thuggery of their business leaders will tip the balance. I certainly hope so, anyway.

  13. peterlepaysan 13

    Most bus companies, large or small, servicing regular routes work shifts, both short and split.

    A very large cohort of these drivers have another income source, usually superannuation.

    If all the superannuitant drivers working for commercial bus companies struck the country woul be in in deep strife.

    Go Bus has the cheek to ask for a subsidy from regional or central govt. They already get a subsidy via superannuation which allows the bus companies to pay crap wages to superannuitant drivers.

    Time for a WSU, Working Superannuitants Union.

    Central govt could get involved by abolishing secondary income tax on employed superannuitants.

    I do not hear any noises from NZ 1st or age concern. They will blame immigrants for low wages. Greedy management always have clean hands. Yeah right!

  14. Bill 14

    The drivers should never have stated (read elsewhere) that they would not collect fares. You do that shit? (It’s a legitimate act.) Don’t state it as an intent. Just do it.

    • They’re stuck with having to let the company know, Bill. The ERA currently requires all strike action to be advised and detailed in advance. If the union didn’t give that notice and the drivers refused to take fares, I would say sackings and prosecutions would swiftly follow.

  15. patricia bremner 15

    Lockouts should be illegal, or at least liable for the same notice terms as strikes.

    The government needs to issue warnings requiring businesses to repay any government subsidy for the period of deliberate interruption of the service. ie lockout.

    It is classic ‘do as I say not as I do.’

    Semantics about shareholders or iwi are red herrings. It is about fairness.

    Workers should be paid a living wage…. end of.

  16. David Mac 16

    To win the contract to operate a bus network the winning tender would need to be cut to the bone. Operating costs calculated with pittance wages and stretched maintenance schedules.

    In a heavily subsidised sector the situation doesn’t rest with the brand names over the door, it needs to rest with those that decided ‘Yep, lets go with this company’tribe/entity that can only realistically pay it’s drivers $15.00 per hour’.

  17. millsy 17

    Time for a return to buses being run and owned directly by the council methinks.

  18. Philj 18

    ‘Not offering a living wage’ … Does that make it a non living wage, or a dieing wage?

  19. UncookedSelachimorpha 19

    Good post, thanks TRP.

  20. Delia 20

    Well they are profiting off paying wages of $17.90 an hour, it is as simple as that.

  21. Takere 21

    “I shall fashion my own house. The support posts shall be of maahoe, patatee. The ridgepole of hinau. The inhabitants shall be raised on rengarenga and nurtured on kawariki.”
    Kiingi Taawhiao

    Maybe now is the time for another interpretation of what he meant by the whakatauki? Because, at the moment. I dont see any protection, sustenance, care, comfort & nuturing from the elitist establishment.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    16 mins ago
  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 hours ago
  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats why they introduced the Recently Deleted folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Heres how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the Recents tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on Edit. Select Show Recently Deleted. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose Recover to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    3 hours ago
  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    10 hours ago
  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    11 hours ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    11 hours ago
  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    11 hours ago
  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    11 hours ago
  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    11 hours ago
  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    12 hours ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    12 hours ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    13 hours ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    14 hours ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    14 hours ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    14 hours ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    14 hours ago
  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    14 hours ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    15 hours ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    18 hours ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    18 hours ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    18 hours ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    19 hours ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    20 hours ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    21 hours ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    21 hours ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    21 hours ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    22 hours ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    1 day ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    3 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    3 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    4 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    4 days ago
  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    5 days ago
  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    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 in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    5 days ago
  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    6 days ago
  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago
  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    6 days ago
  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Auckland faces 25% water inflation shock
    Three Waters became a focus of anti-Government protests under Labour, but its dumping by the new Government hasn’t solved councils’ funding problems and will eventually hit the back pockets of everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 8:06 am today are:The Government ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Small accomplishments and large ironies
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VII
    In order to catch up to the actual progress of the D&D campaign, I present you with another couple of sessions. These were actually held back to back, on a Monday and Tuesday evening. Session XV Alas, Goatslayer had another lycanthropic transformation… though this time, he ran off into the ...
    6 days ago
  • Accelerating the Growth Rate?
    There is a constant theme from the economic commentariat that New Zealand needs to lift its economic growth rate, coupled with policies which they are certain will attain that objective. Their prescriptions are usually characterised by two features. First, they tend to be in their advocate’s self-interest. Second, they are ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Fast Track Projects advisory group named
    The coalition Government has today announced the expert advisory group who will provide independent recommendations to Ministers on projects to be included in the Fast Track Approvals Bill, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones. “Our Fast Track Approval process will make it easier and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-18T18:36:51+00:00