Green alternative budget

Written By: - Date published: 9:12 am, May 18th, 2010 - 53 comments
Categories: budget 2010, class war, greens - Tags: , ,

The Greens do good policy work. They confront the real challenges and try to offer real solutions. Policy is generally adequately detailed, it’s costed, it’s plausible, it offers a clear way forward. It’s the kind of thing I hope to see Labour doing well before the next election.

Most of this policy is collected and presented in the Green New Deal which “tackles the economic crisis, the environmental crisis and the climate crisis at the same time”. The New Deal is a portfolio in three parts, all accessible from the previous link: a green stimulus package (we covered it here), a second stimulus and environmental package (covered here), and now a Green alternative budget.

The alternative budget was released by Metiria Turei. Called “Mind the Gap”, it focuses on the inequality between rich and poor in NZ. Such inequality is rightly called “the scourge of modern societies”, and it’s great to see the Greens tackling it head on:

This package contains eight simple solutions in four areas to take us towards greater equality and to reduce the gap between rich and poor in Aotearoa New Zealand. These are not intended as a comprehensive solution to the problem of growing inequality, but as eight simple, practical initiatives that can be implemented immediately.

Fair tax
Solution 1: A tax-free $10,000
Solution 2: A comprehensive capital gains tax (except on family homes)

Addressing energy poverty
Solution 3: Progressive electricity prices

Income support
Solution 4: In-Work Tax Credits for all low income families with dependent kids
Solution 5: Reinstate a discretionary Special Benefit

Housing
Solution 6: 6,000 new state houses in the next three years
Solution 7: Investment in community housing
Solution 8: Secure long-term rental tenure

Media coverage of Mind The Gap includes here, here, here, here, and even the National Business review here.

Labour’s Phil Twyford wrote on inequality in a post (also titled “Mind the gap” – anyone who has used the London Underground will get the joke) here. Phil wrote: “For my money the challenge for Labour is to get inequality back on the political agenda”. Well I’d say the Greens have just done that! Come on Labour, what’s next after The Many not The Few?

As a postscript, on the subject of alternative budgets, a post by Bernard Hickey summarises an interesting competition: “The Productive Economy Council and the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA) have launched an inaugural Alternative Budget Competition for all university students”. Hey students, can you do better than the double dipping Minster of Finance?

53 comments on “Green alternative budget ”

  1. r0b 1

    Before we need to repeat an argument from another thread, the gap between rich and poor was narrowing under Labour. All that is at risk now.

    Gap between rich and poor shrinks, Maori and Pacific make gains
    28 August 2008
    For the first time in 20 years the gap between the rich and poor is closing.

    Figures released today in the Ministry of Social Development’s 2008 Social Report revealed income inequality between the top 20 percent of earners and the lowest 20 percent has dropped – the first decrease since 1988.

    The report also found there are fewer people living on low incomes with 13 percent of the population living in households with low incomes compared with 22 percent in 1997.

    From 2004 to 2007 incomes for households in the low to middle income range grew more strongly than incomes for the top 40 percent of households.

    • Andrew 1.1

      Most likely to do with strong labour demands and close to full employment pushing up wages and less people on welfare. Nothing much to do with labour, they just happened to be at the helm at the time. Unfortunately due to the worldwide and domestic recession for the last 18 months unemployment has risen, wages have stagnated, and so on. As the economy improves so will those on lower incomes due to the demand in skilled and unskilled labour.

      In a nutshell that’s about it, you will all be queueing now up to let me know how off the mark i am and how i have lost touch with reality, but ask most economists and they will tell you the same story.

      • Clarke 1.1.1

        I think you’ve just made an argument that Labour are much better economic managers than National, as they managed to achieve something close to full employment where National can’t be bothered. It’s a valid point that better employment opportunities create greater equality, which is pretty much an ipso facto argument that National don’t even have equality on their radar.

        • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.1

          Actually, Jonkey said that he wanted wages to drop, ergo, he and National wants inequality to increase. So, not so much that they can’t be bothered to achieve full employment but that they work against it.

          • Andrew 1.1.1.1.1

            He wanted Australian wages to drop, not ours … Queue howls of outrage from those that actually believe there is a secret hidden agenda to drop wages in NZ to satisfy his greedy business owning elite.

            • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.1.1.1

              And/or he was joking…

              Yeah, right.

            • Pascal's bookie 1.1.1.1.1.2

              Andrew. The question he answered made it quite clear. He was responding to an employer struggling with wage pressure coming from the low unemployment and increasing inflation. His response was that he’d love to see wages drop; that inflation shouldn’t be used as a reason to raise wages, only productivity should.

              This makes perfect sense, if you think that the cost of inflation should be borne primarily by wage earners. It also means that in real terms, in times of inflation, he thinks the answer is to see wages drop. He wasnae being secret about it, he just denied it afterwards and put pressure on the paper to ‘clarify’ his comments.

              • Andrew

                no he wasn’t, well that was discussed in the same conversation, but that quote was in reference to people jumping across the ditch to Australia and the like because wages were much higher. Well that’s the way i saw it anyway. the red side will all see it your way and the blue side will all see it my way. No side will ever be able to convince the other they are wrong.

              • Armchair Critic

                Andrew – Yours will be the second of two things in comments today where JK has said one thing and meant another.
                At best, he’s not much of a communicator.

              • felix

                Andrew you’re the first of the “blue” side I’ve seen actually come out and say that they really think Key was talking about Australian wages.

                Mind you most of the righties around here are more of the “yellow & blue” variety and they tend to be very open about what they ‘d like to see wages do. And they’re not talking about Australian wages either.

              • Draco T Bastard

                Well that’s the way i saw it anyway. the red side will all see it your way and the blue side will all see it my way.

                And yet there is only one way to see it and that is that Jonkey and National want to see wages drop because that’s what he said.

    • B 1.2

      “Before we need to repeat an argument from another thread, the gap between rich and poor was narrowing under Labour. All that is at risk now.”

      Its not just at risk- it has already widened under national.

  2. 350ppm 2

    “It’s the kind of thing I hope to see Labour doing well before the next election.”

    Why? Just vote Green.

    • r0b 2.1

      The Greens can’t deliver anything without Labour, hence Labour needs to be strong and well organised. And sometimes I do vote Green – I really don’t care much about specific parties, I care about good policy and good results.

    • Draco T Bastard 2.2

      I’m not going to vote Green because of their MoU with National.

      • outofbed 2.2.1

        I’m not going to vote Green because of their MoU with National.

        So the choice is therefore
        National
        Act
        Labour
        NZF
        Maori Party
        UF

        Hm Which way you going to go Eh?

        I am voting for the party with the most progressive of social justice policies in spite of a MOU with National 🙂

        • nzfp 2.2.1.1

          Well there is still New Zealand Democrats for Social Credit and the Progressives and Alliance.

        • Draco T Bastard 2.2.1.2

          Good policies combined with sheer stupidity…

          Yeah, not the best option.

        • Rich 2.2.1.3

          Don’t Labour also have an understanding with National? Produce no decent alternative policies, keep Goff as leader, and generally act as the most pisspoor opposition since English was National leader.

          It’s an effective partnership.

          (Where *is* Labour’s budget alternative? Is it just going to consist of: “you should have done that sooner”, “we wouldn’t have done it it quite like that” and “I suppose that’s a reasonable idea”?)

      • toad 2.2.2

        FFS, Draco – the MoU has almost no substance, concedes nothing from Green policy, and is essentially a PR tool to convince people that the Greens are not ultra-left and can cooperate with all parties where there is an issue in common.

        Labour have voted with the Nats far more often than the Greens have since the last election. They are not the answer – we will probably get more of the same, with just a wee bit more of a social justice perspective and probably no more of an environmental perspective.

        Surely, Green has to be your vote of you want to make a real difference. And remember that Green MPs are bound by policy made by the membership – they can’t just make it up on the hoof as P.Goff and J.Kannibal do.

        • Draco T Bastard 2.2.2.1

          the MoU has almost no substance, concedes nothing from Green policy, and is essentially a PR tool to convince people that the Greens are not ultra-left and can cooperate with all parties where there is an issue in common.

          Propaganda isn’t the best way to sell yourself especially when it’s not actually correct. If your policies are the best then be prepared to back them and don’t try to hide behind a substanceless MoU with a hard-right authoritarian party.

          Labour have voted with the Nats far more often than the Greens have since the last election. They are not the answer we will probably get more of the same, with just a wee bit more of a social justice perspective and probably no more of an environmental perspective.

          Not yet they aren’t but they could become so although I’m not holding my breath – they still believe in the delusion that is capitalism. Besides, I didn’t say I was going to vote Labour.

          Surely, Green has to be your vote of you want to make a real difference.

          And which party I did vote for – I just won’t be doing so again.

          …they can’t just make it up on the hoof as P.Goff and J.Kannibal do.

          http://blog.labour.org.nz/index.php/2010/04/29/openlabournz-a-new-way-of-doing-things/

  3. nzfp 3

    Due to time constraints I don’t have time to read the budget but I do have a couple of questions for anyone who has and may be able to respond:

    1. How are the Greens proposing to finance this budget?
    2. Have the Greens addressed the privatisation of money?
    3. Have the Greens addressed privatisation in general.

    • Bill 3.1

      The answer to your first question was in one of the very short links. I notice that most of the links don’t mention this and so leave the impression that the Greens want to produce money from thin air or whatever.

      “The Green Party says if it was in Government, it would introduce a capital gains tax, except on family homes, that would raise up to $4.5 billion per year.

      It says the money raised would cover the cost of its other proposals, including making the first $10,000 of income tax-free and building 6000 state homes.”

      • frustrated 3.1.1

        Can you point me to the data on a capital gains tax raising 4.5 billion per year as it sounds a bit like pie in the sky to me.

        • frog 3.1.1.1

          Pie in the sky? Get real. We don’t make this stuff up. Treasury does. Go to page 46 of this background paper from the Tax Working Group that recently reported to Bill English. It also appears in the official final report, I’m just too lazy to dig up that link as well.

          http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sacl/cagtr/twg/Publications/3-taxation-of-capital-gains-ird_treasury.pdf

          The Mind the Gap package could be fully funded via one of the options put on the table by the government’s own Tax Working Group. I reckon we just cancel a handful of John Key’s new roads, and that alone would pay for it all.

          That’s not pie in the sky. that’s common sense. When equality improves, every member of society benefits, including the rich. That’s a fact.

          • frustrated 3.1.1.1.1

            Thanks for that Frog – but I do note that the Green’s webpage states that

            “Australia has a comprehensive capital gains tax that exempts the “family home”. A rough estimate of the revenue from applying this model to New Zealand suggests that a CGT similar to the Australian system would raise around $500m per year in New Zealand.”

            http://www.greens.org.nz/misc-documents/capital-gains-tax

            I’m all for a CGT but we need to be realistic about how much it will raise.

        • nzfp 3.1.1.2

          Hi frustrated,
          I can’t speak for Bill but here is a link to a comprehensive study done by Australian economist and Brian Kavanaugh who asserts that an appropriately applied land tax would result in the potential gain in GDP of “Au$35,000 per year for every man, woman and child in the country”.

          You can find Kavanaugh’s report here

          This report collates Australia’s real estate sales since 1972 to create ‘The Barometer of the Economy’. As the barometer demonstrates a delayed inverse relationship between property bubbles and the economy, we investigate the extent of Australia’s publicly-generated natural resource rent in order to assess the scope for ‘Unlocking the Riches of Oz’ currently suppressed by the deadweight costs of taxation. Re-calculating GDP on the assumption of the notional public capture of one half of Australia’s resource rent since 1972, we show the benefits that would flow to all Australians, the environment, housing affordability and industrial relations by reducing taxes in favour of greater reliance on resource rents to be substantial.

          As an aside, property bubbles are funded by the creation of money by private commercial banks – not by the Australian government or by the Australian citizens. This report clearly demonstrates a correlation between the bursting of property bubbles and each recession. While it is unfair to assert that the clear correlation demonstrates cause and effect without further review it does leave much to question about the role of commercial banks left with the power to create money and the occilation of business cycles.

          • frustrated 3.1.1.2.1

            …potential gain in GDP of “Au$35,000 per year for every man, woman and child in the country’.”

            hmmmm yes but this is pretty meaningless unless we expect the capital gains on properties to show the same growth from now for the next forty years and regardless no large political party will campaign on a land tax so it’s a moot point.

            • nzfp 3.1.1.2.1.1

              “no large political party will campaign on a land tax” then don’t vote for a large political party. Economics is the center of every division within our society – get the economics right and the rest will fall into place.

              Australia is heading in this direction. The recent Australian Henry Tax review recommends Resource Rent tax. This is one step away from a significant land tax.

              TheAge January 22 2010 Henry review recommends resource rent tax

              THE Henry tax review has recommended scrapping the state-based royalty taxes that apply to mining projects and replacing them with a uniform national resource rent tax that would raise billions more.

    • Ari 3.2

      It’s an alternative budget… they’re not proposing any privatisation, so what exactly are you talking about?

    • nzfp 3.3

      Thanks Bill and Ari
      Bear in mind however that ALL money in New Zealand is created out of thin air, whether it is the 1.7% of notes and coins created by the Government (out of thin air) or the 98.3% created by the private mainly Australian commercial banks in the form of loans via the monetization of promises to repay – on primarily private and commercial mortgages. This practice is inherently inflationary and results in the the mainly Australian private banks controlling the money supply and more importantly who gets to use the money.

      My second question is fundamental to the Greens or any political parties budget . If our money supply has been – as it is currently – privatiszed, then the Greens – or any other political party – can only finance their budget through either tax, or borrowing from private banks that create the money out of thin air. The Greens could borrow the money from the RBNZ who, just like the National Australia Bank or Westpac, could create the money out of thin air – or even better the Greens (et al) could instruct the Treasury to creat the money themselves. Either way the Greens (et al – National, Labour, Maori, United, Act etc…) either by the Treasury or RBNZ could fund the budget without the added interest load on loans to private banks or via tax (as we are all – except the rich – taxed too much).

      Until changes to the manner in which our money has been privatized have been made then it is irrelevant who the Government du jour is. The real power lies with who controls the money, 98.3% of our money is created and controlled by private banks – ergo private banks control our economy and consequently our nation.

      If the Greens are not going to tackle this problem then their budget is rhetoric and nothing else.

      Don’t get me wrong – I belive in environmental sustainability, I believe we borrow the land from our children. I would like to see a New Zealand with guaranteed equal rights for all citizens and an economy that encourages entrepreneurial activity and allows citizens to benefit from the fruits of their labour. However, until we have a truly democratic system, a system that does not kow tow to the financial whims of the banks that control alomost ALL of our money, it is irrelevant who is in power.

      Neither Labour nor National address this issue. The media doesn’t address this issue and to date no major political party beyond Social Credit or the Progressives have ever addressed this issue. I believe this should have been central to the Greens policy as it dictates all aspects of our economy including environmentally responsible business practices. I would welcome correction on my assertion, so if you know another party that does address monetary policy and economic democracy let me know.

      • Clarke 3.3.1

        Your analysis isn’t quite right at the technical level, so it’s skewing your outlook on how economic policy actually works.

        The RBNZ – not the commercial trading banks – creates money by government authority, and then controls how it enters the economy. The government doesn’t need to “borrow” from the markets as it can create as much or as little money as it needs; however the current prevailing economic meme is that borrowing forces some discipline on the government, and the interest it pays (by simply printing more money) acts as a form of corporate welfare.

        The government can control the amount of money in circulation via the banks quite tightly, by adjusting capital adequacy ratios, overnight deposit rates and the like. If they wanted to fully nationalise the banking system they could do so in a heartbeat, so it’s not true that our money has been privatised – if it was, we’d probably be using “ANZ OzBucks” or somesuch, instead of NZ dollars.

        • nzfp 3.3.1.1

          Hi Clarke,
          According to the New Zealand Banking Association (NZBA)

          4. THE CREATION OF MONEY AND CREDIT
          Constraints on the Process (page 20 of 50)

          2. The government’s fiscal policy influences the level of money and credit. If the government runs a fiscal deficit by spending more than it earns in taxes, it can have an impact on the amount of money in the economy. If it finances its excess of spending over revenue using new cash provided by the Reserve Bank, it increases the amount of cash in the economy. This provides the basis for banks to create a great deal more money and credit. At the other extreme, if it finances the fiscal deficit by borrowing from the public, no additional cash is created.

          Clearly the Banks still create and control who gets first use of the new money. Not only that, the system is admittedly inflationary as any money created by the government (interest free as credit) is used as the bases for more commercial bank money creation, at interest as debt.

          As far as the Government “controlling” the money supply, they only do this through monetarism using the OCR. However the process of increasing the OCR to cool domestic lending creates an opportunity for money market arbitrage (Ask Currency Trader John Key what that is and how it hurts economies) which results in New Zealand tax payers paying foreign private bank profits and destabilieses NZ exports and imports as the NZ dollar value is affected which in turn affects local and domestic prices of NZ manufactured goods whch is not good for NZ manufacturers. The increase in interest rates results in an increase in the requirement for money creation (whether domestic or through foreign investment or cut-throat international trade practices) to service the increase in debt due to interest which is again inflationary.

          [lprent: Fixed the link. Use </a> to end an anchor. Your <a> started a new anchor. ]

        • nzfp 3.3.1.2

          Very interesting point Clarke “If they wanted to fully nationalise the banking system they could do so in a heartbeat” then why haven’t they? I’m not advocating nationalising the banks – not at all. I am advocating control of money creation.

          It isn’t nationalising the banks that is the issue – it is who creates the money. Money is a public utility like water, or air or land, or libraries, or police, or fireman (etc…) and should be controlled by the public. Do you suppose we should privatise libraries and police and the army and the firemen? If not then why should we privatise the creation of our money?

          Money – as shown by both the RBNZ and the NZBA – has been privatized, that is why 98.3% of our money is created by commercial banks and not the RBNZ. It is this private creation and control of who gets access to new money that is the problem. Until this issue is addressed then the respective governments budgets are irrelevant.

          Here is a link showing the M3 aggregates – you can work out for yourself the total money pool created by Australian banks (by law, as debt to NZ citizens, at interest).

          • Clarke 3.3.1.2.1

            It’s an interesting quote from the NZ Banking Association, but remember they’re an industry lobby group as well as a source of information!

            There are many more controls than simply the OCR available to the RBNZ, including capital adequacy ratios which govern the amount of credit that can be created from a given capital base. However given the neo-liberal proclivities of our times, these controls are only used infrequently. In fact, many of the issues you mention – from the abdication of credit creation to the privatised and offshore owned commercial banking sector – are the result of political and policy decisions, not any structural issues with the banking system.

            So to go to your original point, there’s no inherent reason why the Greens (or Labour, or any other party winning government) couldn’t reset the policy approaches to stop rewarding Australian banks and start running a more Kiwi-centric banking system.

            • nzfp 3.3.1.2.1.1

              Hi Clarke,
              I see I don’t disagree with you at all. What frustrates me about the money creation issue – as highlighted by the NZBA – is that any Government that attempts to monetize public infrastructure or services as they should in my opinion – immediately leave themselves open to inflation as the money finds its way back into the commercial banks who immediately create loans for speculation on asset bubbles (primarily property). These asset bubbles could be anything, from tulips to property to the latest disgusting banking scam, an asset bubble in personal life insurance, with collateralised life insurance policies. The point being that the Government is frozen into inaction or worse poor action (tax increases, GST hikes, foreign borrowing) so as not to ignite the torch of inflation by creating money themselves that serves as the basis for further credit creation by the commercial banks.

              Take away the power to create money from the commercial banks and leave it with the treasury and the Government can create and spend directly into the economy without tax or inflation or interest all of the funds that the nation needs for public services and infrastructure. As far as growing the money supply as per the needs of a growing economy, that could be done with the Government creating and spending more as necessary – how much more can be worked out by the treasury, that’s what they’re there for and that’s why we have over paid economists. If we need to “deflate” the money supply the government could pull it back into the public coffers and destroyed by taxation.

              The banks can still operate, but without the power to create the money they would need to borrow it from the Treasury or loan out deposits which is what most New Zealanders think they do anyway.

              But in short you are 100% correct, monetary policy is just trhat – policy, which should be controlled by a democratically elected Government and not an appointed Govenor on a board of economists with private banking histories – hence economic democracy. Where is Don Brash now?

  4. freedom 4

    The first $10,000 of income being tax free is a fundamental necessity in any attempt for fair taxation. Regardles of your level of income, the first $10,000 spent is injected directly into the economy through basic living costs. For many this is accommodation, or a portion thereof, for some it will also include part of their spending on food or utilities.

    I bring this question up in as many discussions as i can, with as many different people as i can and the unanimous answer is a tax free base of $10,000 is a welcome, and in too many cases, a desperately needed solution to rising costs.

    With climbing inflation, increased g.s.t., and the approaching shadows of financial meltdowns, the security this move provides to the housing and retail environments shows it is possibly a question of can we afford not to do it?

    • nzfp 4.1

      A solid land tax doesn’t hurt either. Well it will hurt land owners and the rentier class who will argue that the costs will be passed to the renters, but I’ve got 11 economists including the classical economists Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Professor James E Thorold Rogers, ERA Seligman, David Ricardo and Henry George who agree with me.

      here and here

  5. prism 5

    I have made the point before, about having a tax-free bracket, that it is unwise from a sociological point of view. We pay tax as part of a community. Those who don’t pay tax, or get special advantages such as Working for Families, to balance their extra costs and needs as parents, are criticised sometimes despised. Everyone should be able to say they pay income tax say 10%, otherwise there is a perception that they are freeloaders. Income tax is seen as a personal input. GST is seen as a universal government levy.

    It seems difficult for some people while thinking about the shape of an economic system to consider how it impacts on individuals. When an individual explains, that will be called an anecdote which can’t be given any credence.

    There are some burdensome taxes on lower income people – secondary tax, the low earning level allowed for beneficiaries before reduction in payments, the practice of counting wages as income triggers, instead of the after-tax net income figure received.

    But to do something about such matters is to waste time on the people to whom every small change would have the most effect. However it is considered that such people are low income because they aren’t very bright or high-rating in society, thinking about them doesn’t make for a prestigious study.

    • nzfp 5.1

      Why should we pay tax at all? I prefer a solution where no one other then the absolutely filthy rich like John Key and his tax credit best mates, pays taxes at all. When I say tax I mean an income tax on labour. There are many mechanisms within our control that could provide us with all our nations needs without the need for income, value-add, GST taxes including, Resource Rent Taxes, Land Taxes (essentially a special class of Resource Rent taxes), company taxes and Financial Transaction Taxes. Alongside this our Government could create and spend the money needed for our infrastructure directly into the economy.

    • prism 5.2

      Reply to my own reply. What a hope to try for some practical thinking about making things better here and now. What I hear is pie in the sky – lovely theoretical arguments. What a bunch of dreamers, visionaries looking into the blue distance.

      If the intensity of thought that goes into utopian ideas and stating dogma went into applied solutions now we would improve the present, and get policies continuing to improve into the future and provide continuing lines of productive ideas coming forward. Idealistic pragmatism. It is not an oxymoron.

  6. clandestino 6

    I agree nzfp. A land value tax is a great way of taxing wealth without negative impacts on productivity. I disagree on GST though, as it is a good way of encouraging saving and investing, you could exclude all unprepared food though. Raise GST to 18-20% and make income taxes go 0% to 26k (min wage) and low thereafter. Cue howls of outrage from wingnut landlords

    • nzfp 6.1

      Hey clandestino,
      GST represents a tax on the products of labour which is passed to labour and is detrimental to the productive economy. The tax on labour results in a less purchasing power for labour and ultimately less capital available to labour to purchase the products and services within the economy, consequently the manufacturers and businesses within the economy suffer.

      A tax on labour of any kind results in capital redirected away from the productive economy and into the unearned income (free lunch of the neo-liberal free market) of the land owning class. If the Government needs tax revenue it should be taken from the land owners in the form of a resource rent instead of labour in the form of GST.

      A land resource tax cannot be passed to the renters as the market dictates the price the renters will pay to rent the land. Instead the landowners will be forced to pay less to the banks in interest as the interest on the mortgage loans represents capitalised rental payments. It is entirely feasible to create a zero sum gain of tax revenue by shifting the tax revenue of GST off labour and onto the banks in the form of land resource rents.

      The positive gain of such a step (in conjunction with other regulations) would be the reduction or even the eradication of land speculation and consequently land asset bubbles in the form of housing booms, lower mortgages for all New Zealanders and zero GST. A land resource tax correctly applied could also result in the removal or reduction of other taxes such as income tax.

      Here is a list of 11 economists including the classical economists Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Professor James E Thorold Rogers, ERA Seligman, David Ricardo and Henry George who agree with me.

      Here is an article detailing why land tax cannot be passed to the renters.

      Pero, este es me opinion solo clandestino.

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    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 day ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    2 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    3 days ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    4 days ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    5 days ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

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

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

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

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

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

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
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