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 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Sabine 1
    14 April 2021 at 7:39 am

    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
      14 April 2021 at 7:55 am

      Clearly debt is the more politically sustainable control mechanism.

      • Pat 1.1.1
        14 April 2021 at 7:56 am

        historically (recent)

      • Sabine 1.1.2
        14 April 2021 at 8:05 am

        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
          14 April 2021 at 8:37 am

          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
            14 April 2021 at 11:15 am

            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
      14 April 2021 at 12:50 pm

      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
    14 April 2021 at 7:57 am

    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
      14 April 2021 at 8:03 am

      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
        14 April 2021 at 8:06 am

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

        • Ad 2.1.1.1
          14 April 2021 at 8:33 am

          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
            14 April 2021 at 8:38 am

            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
              14 April 2021 at 9:39 am

              Its just another report.

              This government currently constructs motorway subgrade out of reports

            • ghostwhowalksnz 2.1.1.1.1.2
              14 April 2021 at 12:28 pm

              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 …
                14 April 2021 at 12:35 pm

                That power will be needed in addition.

                • ghostwhowalksnz …
                  14 April 2021 at 3:53 pm

                  "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 …
                    14 April 2021 at 6:45 pm

                    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 …
                14 April 2021 at 2:03 pm

                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
        14 April 2021 at 9:57 am

        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
    14 April 2021 at 8:23 am

    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
      14 April 2021 at 3:08 pm

      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
    14 April 2021 at 9:47 am

    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.

    • Jenny how to get there 4.1
      14 April 2021 at 8:55 pm

      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
    14 April 2021 at 10:38 am

    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
      14 April 2021 at 5:52 pm

      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
    14 April 2021 at 11:03 am

    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
      14 April 2021 at 12:20 pm

      $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
        14 April 2021 at 12:50 pm

        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
          14 April 2021 at 1:59 pm

          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
            14 April 2021 at 3:16 pm

            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
              14 April 2021 at 3:56 pm

              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 …
                14 April 2021 at 4:08 pm

                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.

          • Jenny how to get there 6.1.1.1.2
            15 April 2021 at 4:34 am

            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
            15 April 2021 at 5:44 am

            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
          14 April 2021 at 3:17 pm

          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
        14 April 2021 at 3:30 pm

        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
      14 April 2021 at 3:14 pm

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

      • Tricledrown 6.2.1
        14 April 2021 at 3:47 pm

        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
          14 April 2021 at 3:55 pm

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

          • Tiger Mountain 6.2.1.1.1
            14 April 2021 at 4:10 pm

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

          • McFlock 6.2.1.1.2
            14 April 2021 at 4:40 pm

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

          • Tricledrown 6.2.1.1.3
            14 April 2021 at 11:01 pm

            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
          15 April 2021 at 8:15 am

          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
    14 April 2021 at 8:33 pm

    at 52 % they are the controlling shareholder.

  8. Jenny How to get there 8
    15 April 2021 at 5:13 am

    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
    15 April 2021 at 9:03 pm

    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
    16 April 2021 at 4:25 am

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

  11. Jenny How to get there 11
    16 April 2021 at 4:54 am

    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
    16 April 2021 at 5:19 am

    Evil succeeds when good people do nothing.

  13. Jenny How to get there 13
    16 April 2021 at 6:01 am

    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
    16 April 2021 at 11:24 am

    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.

    • Jenny how to get there 14.1
      18 April 2021 at 10:02 am

      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
        18 April 2021 at 10:06 am

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

        • Jenny how to get there 14.1.1.1
          18 April 2021 at 3:42 pm

          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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    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    18 hours ago

  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    18 hours ago

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – 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’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    21 hours ago

  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    23 hours ago

  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 day ago

  • 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
    1 day 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
    1 day ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step 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 third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s 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. Here‘s 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. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen 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 Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    41 mins ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours 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
    1 day 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
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