Government Control at Air New Zealand

Written By: - Date published: 7:12 am, April 14th, 2021 - 67 comments
Categories: capitalism, Economy, treasury, uncategorized - Tags:

The New Zealand government has just increased its loan to Air New Zealand to a $1.5 billion total, and there’s a catch.

Air New Zealand are of course our face-to-face lifeline to the world in so many ways; they carry families, refugees, friends, vaccines, tourists, freight, and pet dogs. They connect the New Zealand realm of Pacific islands together. You can walk through all the now-dying towns in Otago and Bay of Plenty and see this simple fact: other than tax itself, Air New Zealand is our single largest economic instrument.

Air New Zealand is one of our strongest single CO2 producers, and also one of the longest and clearest in expressing the extra you should pay in carbon credits to offset every flight.

Air New Zealand is also a further $185 million in the hole, so with that loan comes the payback.

The new Ministerial Letter of Expectation is very clear that the government has had your back, so they now expect Air New Zealand:

  • To be a ‘national airline’ continuing in operation to support economic development, including access to international markets for our exporters and international tourism linkages, once international borders re-open;
  • To maintain a comprehensive domestic route network that allows people and goods to move across New Zealand in a timely fashion at a reasonable cost;
  • To demonstrate its commitment to environmental sustainability, including engaging with the development of new aviation fuels for New Zealand;
  • To enhance its role as a leader for best practice workplace relations given that it is one of New Zealand’s largest employers;
  • To continue acting as a responsible corporate citizen; and
  • To achieve these objectives while operating as a commercially sustainable and capital efficient business.

National, and Fran O’Sullivan in the NZ Herald of course, hate this degree of specificity in a Letter of Expectation.

The degree of specificity in the LoE will relate to both the vulnerability of a massive part of our economy to our airline, but also to union expectation to ‘build back better” after making multiple hundreds of people redundant, and also that Air New Zealand is about to be a standout feature in the Government’s carbon reporting.

Air New Zealand is certainly a glaring omission in Minister Shaw’s list of little projects designed for carbon neutrality.

I am sure there is more to come once the Government finally makes its whole-of-government response to the Climate Commission’s recommendations on May 31st, but right now this is one of the very few times they have really stepped beyond the strict New Public Management divisions of Management, up to Board, and only annually up to the Shareholder.

It would have been great, midway through its second term, for this government to take other public entities to take to task the corporate nasties such as Ports of Auckland – who is run by a genuine anti-union shit.

Or the electricity generators over which it has majority control. Or … well there’s a long list isn’t there.

In fact the degree of control Minister Robertson is exercising is in stark contrast to the dangerously ineffective governance exercised by Auckland’s Phil Goff in transport, water, stormwater, or indeed much else.

We could also complain reasonably that there just isn’t the experience within this Cabinet to take on the oligopolies that actually control this country. Love him or loathe him but Shane Jones made major corporates quake as he roasted them (Air NZ et al), or purr as he fed them (Kiwirail, construction companies, provincial corporate iwi). This 2020 government are content with slightly stronger cartel legislation – and a few meaningless reports into petrol and electricity that will go utterly nowhere. And this same degree of Ministerial control is particularly lacking in both Ministry of Transport and NZTA.

But we’ve got what we’ve got, there’s few votes to gain in governance, so there’s no point getting all carried away with what other companies the government could exercise strong influence over.

But Air New Zealand and Auckland Airport are a binary star system that pulls in and controls our largest economic sector: tourism.

So that is reason enough to really hold as tight a rein as possible over the Air New Zealand board.

Minister, keep going.

67 comments on “Government Control at Air New Zealand ”

  1. Sabine 1

    Well we can nationalise it under Labour and sell it off again under National.

    rinse repeat, cause that is the only business in NZ that needs a bail out every Labour government to make some cash for the rich and connected under National.

    We might as well allow a foreign carrier in and simply have an excellent airport.

    • Ad 1.1

      Clearly debt is the more politically sustainable control mechanism.

      • Pat 1.1.1

        historically (recent)

      • Sabine 1.1.2

        honestly i don't care at this point.

        this air company has been living of the tit of government since pretty much for ever, almost no one can actually afford to fly it, and we have needs in this country.

        So biff it in the dust bin of companies that did not prepare adequitly for a pandemic and let it die and allow other companies to fly in. And hey, surely the market will regulate the rise of the next Air NZ. Maybe a company that actually serves NZ'lers.

        • Ad 1.1.2.1

          We are all – all – living off that massive mammary. Some citizens and companies more than others.

          Not the moment to stride across the economy bayonetting the wounded.

          • Sabine 1.1.2.1.1

            Tell that to all those that have been told that repeatedly by peers and politians alike.

            Not to beat a dead horse, but that company needs to be properly restructered, and should be nationalised.

            But we shall discuss this again, either when they need another injection to stay afloat or when National is happy to sell it of to the highest bidder. 🙂

    • Patricia Bremner 1.2

      Sabine, then the foreign airline drop the flights, so what do you expect would happen then? Orchids, strawberries left high and dry, not to mention medicines vaccines and needles not coming in. The Government is supporting supply lines.

  2. Muttonbird 2

    Perhaps Air New Zealand could consider Kiwiair instead of marrying itself to high end inflight service.

    Jetstar Airways Pty Ltd, operating as Jetstar, is an Australian low-cost airline headquartered in Melbourne. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas, created in response to the threat posed by airline Virgin Australia.

    The bit that concerns me most about government inaction on utilities is the inability for power generators to build capacity, and the complete failure of the spot market model which has contributed to that.

    The energy sector in NZ shows how free market capitalism and a hands off government approach is a complete fail all round.

    • Ad 2.1

      The only major generation in the last 7 years is Mercury Energy's windfarm above Palmerston North which is under construction.

      Minister Parker has killed off the idea of dams for good.

      • Pat 2.1.1

        Has he?….and would that include pumped hydro storage a la Onslow?

        • Ad 2.1.1.1

          The only 2 people in the industry who think Onslow will happen are Minister Woods and Dr Turner. It has 0% chance of happening.

          • Pat 2.1.1.1.1

            Someone should tell the NZ Battery Project…and ask for the 30 million back then.

            https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/energy-and-natural-resources/low-emissions-economy/nz-battery/

            • Ad 2.1.1.1.1.1

              Its just another report.

              This government currently constructs motorway subgrade out of reports

            • ghostwhowalksnz 2.1.1.1.1.2

              We already have the perfect hydro powered back up generation system

              Its called Manpouri. Even better you dont have use more electricity than it generates to provide the potential energy 'just when you need it'

              850MW and its on demand too. Currently produces 5000GWh or so per year

              It will happily run for weeks, maybe even months without pumping a thing. When not used the water flows down the river like it always did.

              The government should buy it off the generator when Tiwai closes and dedicate it for times of high power costs. That may be once a week over winter , or like now when prices are high because of both the planned natural gas production station upgrade/maintenance and the dry weather in central north island

              • Pat

                That power will be needed in addition.

                • ghostwhowalksnz

                  "That power will be needed in addition."

                  When Tiwai closes in 2-3 years its surplus. Its a once in 50 years chance to get back up generation that saves the cost of a $5 bill 'stored energy' plant in the near future.

                  The extra power for demand growth can come from the existing power companies – if we retain that method of operation.

                  Think of it as 'The Reserve Bank of Generation' – publically owned and dedicated to stability of prices and supply, and one that can 'inject supply' into the system when needed

                  • Pat

                    And we are replacing industrial heat with electricity, are powering our transport with electricity and we have population growth (anticipated)….we will need Manapouri and then some….plus we need the flexibility of battery storage…Onslow provides that and will take years to come online.

              • greywarshark

                That's a thought – Manapouri :

                The government should buy it off the generator when Tiwai closes and dedicate it for times of high power costs.

      • joe90 2.1.2

        The only major generation in the last 7 years

        133MW up and running this year.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waipipi_Wind_Farm

  3. Incognito 3

    With the corporate welfare announcements done the run way is cleared for the feel-good pre-Budget PR campaign to take off.

    • Tiger Mountain 3.1

      Like other neo liberals before her–this PM “is not for turning”. So really the 2021 Budget will likely signal the start of the 2023 General Election campaign. A, gasp, MMP majority Labour Govt. both too timid tactically, and too hooked up strategically to the monetarist machine to deliver substantially for the 50% that own 2% of the wealth, (down from around 6% in 2015).

      It is the last chance for meaningful moves on implementing the WEAG Report in full, and signalling a social housing mega build.

  4. Stuart Munro 4

    This is probably the bare minimum of rigour that ministers should exercise when they appoint quasi-corporate entities to serve the public interest – small wonder most are delinquent in their duties.

    A shame though, to be subsidizing a twilight industry like this. AirNZ should be cut back to the consistently profitable part – domestic flights (which should in turn be giving way to high speed rail) – and a carbon tenable alternative developed based around upteched shipping or lighter than air freight.

    The subsidy probably has to do the union that best survived the wanton wrecking of the Rogergnomic era – but high spec engineers can prosper supporting other things than conventional aircraft.

    • Healing the sick, raising the dead*

      In the wake of the pandemic, the government are making heroic efforts to rejuvenate the ailing airline industry.

      There are now calls to resuscitate the dead cruise ship industry.

      * killing the climate.

      Miracles never cease

  5. Graeme 5

    The company that needs to be brought to heel to reform New Zealand tourism isn’t Air New Zealand but Auckland Airport. Anything ANZ does to meet the minister’s expectations will be countered by AIA as they seek to preserve their profits.

    ANZ tries to be ‘responsible’, AIA will encourage a competitor to undercut, and clip the ticket handsomely.

    The thing should never have been privatised.

    • Ad 5.1

      That would be excellent. The airlines association last too AIAL to the Commerce Commission in 2016 re landing charges. They've never been successful.

      Beggars belief that Auckland Council are just a passive shareholder and don't use their leverage to drive growth outcomes and transport network design.

      AIAL are currently beholden to no-one. Definitely the other part of the binary gravitational system.

  6. Tricledrown 6

    Banks have been given $billions at very low interest rates to keep our economy afloat.Air New Zealand is only getting a small loan by comparison .if Air NZ went bankrupt our economy would be damaged far worse than any of the negative commentators would have you believe.

    Govt's need to bail out strategic industries during economic crisis ,otherwise it takes to long to re establish that infrastructure making recoveries longer and deeper.

    The govt being a 50% investor would loose billions in value and tourism income nzers would loose connectivity to families local businesses would be damaged etc.

    It easy to kick a company when they are down but we need Air NZ to be ready to be up and running as our borders reopen.

    Every other major National airline is being bailed out by their govt's . They know the value to their respective economies.

    Corporate welfare is a fact of life in every economy otherwise we would have a free fall 1929 style.

    • Stuart Munro 6.1

      $1.5 billion equates to $30k per head across the team of five million. It represents a much less effective stimulus, and it will never return a fraction of the stimulus value of a direct payment.

      But hey, rugged individualism for the poor and hot and cold running money for the corporate welfare queens. Neoliberal orthodoxy outweighs the public interest – always.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 6.1.1

        Agree with the general thrust, but best to keep AirNZ flying in some form, imho.

        $1.5 billion equates to $30k $300 per head across the team of five million?

        • greywarshark 6.1.1.1

          DMK Agree, lose our planes and we cut options to pipelines for people and influence and interaction with the far off world. We don't want to be dependent upon Australia as our major contact with the 'developed' world.

          Does anyone keep an eye on shipping and our relation-ship! with the rest of the world, use of cruise ships for alternative purposes, options for limited passages with container ships etc. also what growth in coastal shipping here? Usin wind and motor-assisted systems – new technology?

          • Gosman 6.1.1.1.1

            Planes are not infrastructure. There is multiple suppliers of planes that can easily service NZ at a drop of a hat.

            • ghostwhowalksnz 6.1.1.1.1.1

              Airlines and the planes they operate and maintain are done 'at the drop of a hat'

              Sure australian airlines like Qantas can pick up the very profitable routes and even buy more planes if their liquidity allows, but dont rely on it. THey wouldnt be interested in the competitive prices part

              • McFlock

                And allowing routes to atrophy becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as airports lower capacity to service only the routes that operate.

                If we rely on QANTAS to keep our regional airports viable enterprises, there will be no regional air travel because the airports got subdivided due to lack of aircraft.

          • I agree grey, we need to keep our 'pipelines' (a rather unfortunate turn of phrase) and interactions and influence with the outside world.
            And we do have influence. Our world leading example with the pandemic shows this.

            I also agree with you that if we are going to invest this eye watering amount of money to keep this 'pipeline' open we should look to surface travel,, electrify and expand the passenger rail network, and yes invest it in coastal and trans Tasman passenger shipping service.

            But I don't think converting 'cruise ships' or modifying 'container ships' to carry passengers will cut it.

            A Tasmanian built high speed Incat vessel is cheaper, (and less polluting), than a new Dreamliner and can carry more people and freight.

            https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2021/04/11/guest-blog-patrick-john-odea-meet-the-bullet-trains-of-the-sea/#comment-550634

          • Jenny How to get there 6.1.1.1.3

            Disaster movies like, 'The Day After Tomorrow' take an accepted disaster scenario, like climate change and ramp it up for dramatic affect.
            The disaster movie '2012' does the same with an overly dramatic sea level rise.

            The main protagonists are saved from drowning along with the rest of the world, and you probably guessed it long before the end of the movie, by massive purpose built ships.

            2012 (2009) ending scene – YouTube

        • Gosman 6.1.1.2

          Why? Air travel is harmful to the environment as it is a leading cause of GHG emissions. Other companies can come in to the market at any time to take up the slack if Air NZ disappears tomorrow.

      • Tricledrown 6.1.2

        This is a loan.Letting AirNZ go bust would cost more In the short term and long-term a overseas owned company say an Australian company is Jetstar would pay no taxes in NZ.

        Every country including the US where all airlines are privately owned have bailed out their airlines.It goes against free market theory which left wing commentators seem to suggest they should be allowed.

        Economic history has shown bailing out strategic companies during recessions and economic shocks keeps economies bouyant while selling off during times of economic growth helps sustain steadier economies .

        Leaving economies in a stronger position to weather future economic storms.

    • Gosman 6.2

      Ummm… where is the infrastructure going if the businesses go broke?

      • Tricledrown 6.2.1

        AirNZ has many different parts with huge knowledge all that knowledge and infrastructure even though some of it is mobile.would be damaging to the NZ economy if it went bust.

        Given virtually every other airline is getting bailed out by their respective govt's it would plain stupid to ruin a business which has taken decades to build up and deliver huge profits for NZ not only directly but for fresh food cut flowers etc that no other airline has the ability as was seen in the previous bailout.Since the previous bailout AirNZ has returned$100s of millions in profit and taxes to the govt and even under National's partial float it has been a big money spinner for NZ as a Whole.

        Gosman your purist ideological silo thinking prevents you seeing the facts.

        • Gosman 6.2.1.1

          Knowledge is not infrastructure. You can easily replace knowledge especially in something like an airline.

          • Tiger Mountain 6.2.1.1.1

            Have you discovered a “Chicago Boys” comment generator app, or something similar?

          • McFlock 6.2.1.1.2

            …and that was a party political broadcast from the Philistines.

          • Tricledrown 6.2.1.1.3

            Soft infrastructure Gosman in the early 2,000's when Labour bailed out AirNZ exporters of high value fish,fruit,cut flowers worth 100's of millions of dollars no other airlines had the infrastructure to deliver to markets fresh and on time.

            Thatcherite destroy everything that doesn't turn a profit in the short term is very short sighted other trading blocks made sure they kept strategic industries afloat during rough times it's virtually impossible to start from Zero again especially when every other country or trading block is protecting their industry .

            Putting your economy into an economic straight jacket is dumb as the silo thinkers who think everybody should play by their purist rules which none of your trading partners bother with.

        • Sacha 6.2.1.2

          Sovereignty also applies. Legal rights to overfly and land in other nations are held by each airline. If NZ does not have one of our own, we are subject to the vagaries of other countries' behaviour towards one another. And their priorities being aligned with ours.

  7. RP Mcmurphy 7

    at 52 % they are the controlling shareholder.

  8. Jenny How to get there 8

    The world is changing.

    New Zealand can be at the forefront of change, or as John Key wanted New Zealand to be a "Fast Follower".

    Talking of John Key, his administration invested just over a quarter $billion in bailing out another failing sunset industry, Solid Energy.

    In the end, this massive public investment, loan, bailout, call it what you will, of Solid Energy had to be written off.

    The same I fear will happen with the bulk of this massive advance to Air New Zealand. Mass tourism does not look like it is going to bounce back to pre pandemic levels any time soon.

  9. Jenny How to get there 9

    Fly to New Zealand subsidised by the NZ taxpayer.

    Burn a ton of jet fuel.

    Get to see some amazing shrinking glaciers.

  10. Jenny How to get there 10

    Simply put;
    This huge act of corporate welfare;
    Is a monstrous betrayal of future generations

  11. Jenny How to get there 11

    If there ever is a Nuremburg type trial held for crimes against the climate, this will one of those crimes recounted in the dock.

  12. Jenny How to get there 12

    Evil succeeds when good people do nothing.

  13. Jenny How to get there 13

    The cost of BAU

    “World’s corals will be wiped out”.

    Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its corals since 1995 – BBC News

    “we will be lucky for seas to rise only; 8ft by 2100”

    Sea levels are going to rise by at least 20ft. We can do something about it | Climate change | The Guardian

    (two feet by 2040, three feet by 2050),

    Some of these outcomes occur early enough, that the politicians responsible for making these decisions and the bureaucrats responsible for implementing \decisions made, like the one in this post, may find themselves in the dock facing retrospective charges of crimes against the climate.

    Such criminal charges are not on the statute books yet. But as things get much worse they could well be.

    I can well imagine a time, in the not too distant future, where the representatives of the Pacific Island nations take our nation to the international criminal court for decisions we are making now.

    https://www.voanews.com/archive/rising-sea-levels-threaten-island-nations

  14. Weasel 14

    I don't understand why the government has been so soft on Air NZ's minority shareholders. If the airline needs propping up, and all shareholders are not prepared to come to the party, then the minorities should take was is known in business as a "haircut", The $1.5b should not be a loan but quasi equity — ie convertible notes. These notes should issued at a heavy discount to the current price. The company is currently capitalised at $2b but the extra $1.5b should give the government far more than 75% of the re-capitalised airline.

    • Good point.

      Wealthy private investors and investment funds are getting baled out again by the taxpayers.

      There are no consequences for bad or unlucky investments by these private shareholders in Air NZ, their financial losses are covered by us, and in return we still let them keep their controlling share of Air New Zealand?

      Really?

      No haircuts or even loss of control for them.

      Total haircut and total loss of control for the public.

      The worst thing is that to get any return at all for the taxpayer, we will have to lock in this environmentally damaging sunset industry, way into a climate ravaged future.

      • Pat 14.1.1

        There is only one rule…the bubble must not be burst!

        • Unfortunately for the airline industry the bubble has burst.

          The government are trying to reinflate and unburst this burst bubble, with a $1.5 billion cash advance.

          This is not a wise investment of tax payer funds.

          ….Flying for business meetings burns up time and money, as well as our climate,” said Alethea Warrington, campaigner at climate action charity Possible, when speaking to Reuters. “This polling shows that after a year of quick and easy virtual meetings, travellers aren’t planning to go back to business as usual.”

          The UK’s aviation sector has been decimated by the pandemic, with Heathrow – the UK’s largest airport – seeing its passenger numbers slide by 72.2 per cent in 2020 from the year before.

          International Air Transport Association analysts have forecasted that despite the Covid-19 vaccines and testing procedures rolling out worldwide, the recovery of demand for air travel may not reach pre-crisis levels until 2024.

          While this estimate would imply that the aviation sector just needs to hold on for a few years until it can return to growth, the attitudes presented in the latest survey suggests a full recovery could take longer.

          https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2021/04/business-flyers-could-stick-to-video-calls-even-after-covid-19-pandemic-survey-suggests/

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  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    2 days ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
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  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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