Greenpeace’s Green Covid Response

Written By: - Date published: 10:34 am, April 12th, 2020 - 77 comments
Categories: climate change, covid-19, Environment - Tags: , , , ,

A press release from Greenpeace NZ on the last of the oil giants to leave NZ,

Austrian oil giant OMV has announced that it’s indefinitely postponing its last remaining oil and gas exploration plans in the Taranaki Basin.

Greenpeace is claiming “a win of generational significance” that signals an end to offshore oil exploration in New Zealand.

This one is easier than other examples of how covid brings an opportunity to make the changes that we’ve been desperately needing to make. An end to oil exploration has been high on the activist agenda for a while, because it makes our immediate environment safer, but also because it opens the door for NZ to transition to a post-carbon society.

If we are saying no more oil, then it’s on us to walk our talk and reduce our dependence on oil imports now. We can’t really say no oil exploration here but we’re ok with other countries taking the risks.

So how can we do this?

Greenpeace again, pointing out that we can make fast change and adapt when we have to,

“Now is the time to reimagine and rebuild the world we want so that when we come out the other end of this crisis, we are living in a more resilient Aotearoa. This starts with a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, and towards a society powered by clean, renewable energy.”

In light of the Government’s post-Covid economic recovery plan, Greenpeace has produced a Green Covid Response package and presented it to Government Ministers.

We can sign the petition to government here.

From the Green Covid Response,

We currently face three simultaneous crises in Aotearoa New Zealand: the Covid-19 pandemic and an associated economic downturn, rising inequality, and a worsening climate and ecological crisis. As the Government turns its attention towards the long-term project of economic recovery, we urge you to plan a response that protects us from the impacts of climate change and lifts up workers and vulnerable communities.

Greenpeace talks about the unprecedented opportunity to prevent catastrophic climate change, make New Zealand more resilient to extreme weather events, and transition society to a regenerative model for ecological,  and social/economic well being.

In this paper, we outline a collection of solutions that fall under the banner of a “green stimulus”, providing jobs and boosting economic activity whilst fast-tracking much-needed projects to restore the natural world we depend on. These include:

Immediate shovel-ready projects to prioritise

  1. Providing finance and support for home insulation and heat pumps.
  2. Fast-tracking fencing and planting of on-farm waterways with Government finance.
  3. Attaching strict, science-aligned decarbonisation, biodiversity enhancement and workers’ rights conditions to corporate bailouts.
  4. Introducing a Universal Basic Income.

Priority investments for the long-term wellbeing of Aotearoa

  1. Unprecedented investment in public transport, cycling and rail infrastructure to accelerate our mobility into the 21st century.
  2. Billions in finance for distributed solar and wind, alongside upgrades to the power grid.
  3. A billion-dollar regenerative farming fund to support farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture.
  4. A sizable boost in finance for DOC to employ a “conservation corps” of people to eradicate pests, plant native trees and restore critical habitats.
  5. Constructing new, affordable homes that meet the highest energy-efficiency standards.
  6. Put millions into ocean restoration projects to restore critical marine ecosystems

Good stuff. Full details of the Green Covid Response and petition to sign are here.

To which I would add a few things from further out on the regen/sustainability/resiliency edge,

  1. In addition to heat pumps, for the colder parts of the country, push NZ to up its game on ultra efficient wood stoves, alongside regenerative forestry that provides firewood and creates a net carbon sink. This is zero carbon space, water and cooking heating.
  2. I’m not yet convinced fast-tracking a UBI is better than mending welfare, or that a NZ UBI is in fact shovel ready. I’m open to it, but I’m not yet seeing the convincing arguments beyond the surface appeal. My concern is that doing a UBI too fast will give us a system that isn’t tory-proof and doesn’t centre the most vulnerable people in NZ. I’m still not seeing emerging models of how to do a UBI in  NZ in a useful way. Hope that happens soon.
  3. Do a stocktake of housing in NZ, and look first at extensive, sustainably designed, retrofitting of existing housing to make it healthy and energy efficient (this is beyond simply insulating).
  4. Regulate the building industry to make owner/builder housing more accessible and affordable. Create interim regulations to allow people to live in mobile tiny homes. Look at currently unused housing, and rentals about to be put on the market that the government could buy. I suspect we need to build less houses than most are thinking. Building new homes needs to be done along side industry reform to urgently address the ecological, environmental and climate damage being done.
  5. As part of the incentives to farmers to transition to regenag, put the support into developing localised food supply chains.

Greenpeace ends by acknowledging they don’t have all the answers and encouraging the bringing of all good ideas to the table. So have at it Standardistas. Check out the Green Covid Response, pick out your areas of interest and bring your good ideas to the table.

77 comments on “Greenpeace’s Green Covid Response ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Dean Reynolds 1
    12 April 2020 at 10:48 am

    Let's hope that Greenpeace's initiatives will give the Green Party a kick up the arse & get them enthusiastically supporting Greenpeace's program

    • weka 1.1
      12 April 2020 at 10:51 am

      Perhaps you could explain your thinking there Dean, because as far as I can see the Greens and Greenpeace have similar positions on these things.

      • Pete George 1.1.1
        12 April 2020 at 11:33 am

        The Green Party has been quite quiet lately. Nothing on anything like this on their website or on their Facebook or Twitter feeds that I can see.

        James Shaw was interviewed on NZ Q+A this morning but nothing stood out (I admit I didn't take much notice of what he said) and I can't see any new item on him yet (an item on Chris Hipkins was quick from 1 News and NZ Herald).

        Is Greenpeace effectively operating as an activist arm of the Green Party?

        • weka 1.1.1.1
          12 April 2020 at 11:54 am

          Both Greenpeace and the Green Party are part of the green movement.

          There's nothing particularly surprising about the Greenpeace proposal from a sustainability pov. You can easily match it to Green Party policy (on their website).

          I'm sure the GP's low public presence is due to be being busy dealing with the pandemic crisis.

          • Pete George 1.1.1.1.1
            12 April 2020 at 12:54 pm

            That may be the case for Shaw and Genter and perhaps Sage. But what about the backbench Green MPs? Hughes seemed to lose interest some time ago. The others are probably not so motivated by green issues?

            • weka 1.1.1.1.1.1
              12 April 2020 at 1:05 pm

              Hughes is leaving parliament this year.

              Read the post Pete. The green movement doesn't separate environmental from social/economic issues. Saying the other MPs are not motivated by green issues is a nonsense from a green perspective.

            • KJT 1.1.1.1.1.2
              12 April 2020 at 2:27 pm

              Just like any party, individual MP's are given specific areas to concentrate on.

              With your, intensive, knowledge of NZ politics, I thought you would know that.

      • Dean Reynolds 1.1.2
        12 April 2020 at 12:10 pm

        Weka, as a Green Party member I've been concerned for some time that the Greens are stuck on 5% (or less) in the polls & have lost focus. When Russell Norman was the GP leader, he strategically decided that the GP would only achieve cut thru if they narrowed their focus down to 2 key themes – climate change & eliminating poverty in NZ. As they changed public opinion in their favour, the GP rose in the polls, but since Russell's departure, they've struggled to find focus & their polling has dropped.

        The best thing the GP can do is to enthusiastically endorse Greenpeace's comprehensive program & adopt it as their manifesto for this year's election. The GP, with these sorts of policies, could be polling at 15% – imagine what that would do for the combined strength of NZ's Left?

        • weka 1.1.2.1
          12 April 2020 at 12:17 pm

          The GP did poll high for a long time after Norman left. Their popularity only dropped after the fall out from Turei's speech and the rise of Ardern at the last election.

          They were in the process of stepping up on green differentiation from Labour when the pandemic hit. I'm expecting them to resume that but there's a timing issue here around electioneering and the lockdown/crisis. I also think it's hard to get MSM coverage for non-covid things right now.

          So, the GP should be more visible, I'm more interested in the how. They're a small party, they still have their various Ministerial responsibilities (more than normal presumably because of covid). I don't know what the solution is for them, because the left is likely to once again adore Ardern and not put their money where their mouth is when it comes to the environment, climate or social justice. I find it really frustrating too, but I'm not sure I blame the Greens for this. NZ has long resisted giving the Greens power and it's disappointing to see lefties still doing that.

        • Incognito 1.1.2.2
          12 April 2020 at 2:21 pm

          A loss of focus combined with a lack of a clear point of/for differentiation between the Green Party and Government/Labour?

          I also wonder if the Green’s idealism has been tempered by/with political realism by virtue of being in Government for the first time.

          • weka 1.1.2.2.1
            12 April 2020 at 3:04 pm

            I think so. It's not like they have all this time to be putting out press releases and doing tours of the country.

            Otoh, I have seen pointed criticism about their social media management.

            • Incognito 1.1.2.2.1.1
              12 April 2020 at 5:58 pm

              I have to admit that I don’t follow the Greens on SM and therefore I can’t comment on that.

              • KJT …
                12 April 2020 at 6:11 pm

                The MP's are followed around on face book by a bunch of right wing nutters, that are so consistent in their comments, I'm almost certain they are paid sock puppets.

                • Incognito …
                  12 April 2020 at 6:15 pm

                  Does FB have effective blocking tools? Or ways to delete crappy stuff? Surely, people have some control as to what appears and stays on their FB page?

                  • KJT …
                    12 April 2020 at 6:18 pm

                    They do. But MP's blocking people, no matter how daft, they are, doesn't look good.

                    Chloe and Co tend to reply patiently and nicely. But they are much nicer people, than me.

                    I’ve been blocked by National MP’s though.

                    • Incognito …
                      12 April 2020 at 6:30 pm

                      True that, leave it to an emotional junior staffer to do the deleting 😉

                      If there’s a way to moderate (or should I say quarantine) before it appears then any deleting won’t be so obvious. Zoom has the so-called Waiting Room and although it’s not the same as FB, the same principle could be used there too.

                      There comes a point at which it is clear that replying is pointless and a waste of time.

                      Heh, I’m almost inclined to ask what your crime was because National has a pretty high threshold for all things pretty legal.

                    • KJT []
                      12 April 2020 at 6:46 pm

                      Making a National MP, look like a fool on climate change, pointing out the obvious contradictory statements, was one.

                      The latest one was a picture comparing Simons bubble to David Clarks. LOL. I expected that one though.

                    • Incognito []
                      12 April 2020 at 7:10 pm

                      Ta

                      That’s pretty thin-skinned to block you for, I’d say.

                    • Carolyn_Nth …
                      12 April 2020 at 6:43 pm

                      On FB, it's possible to hide comments, so the poster can still see it, and the FB manager, but the public can't.

        • KJT 1.1.2.3
          12 April 2020 at 2:24 pm

          If you have a look at Greens existing policies, they are not that far apart from the above.

          The party is looking at covid specific policies', but the Green party, unlike others, doesn't work on Dictatorship from the top.

  2. Forget now 2
    12 April 2020 at 11:08 am

    "Shovel ready"? Does that mean; ready for implementation? How did that turn of phrase come about?

    I can only visualise corpses rotting in a hall next to a full cemetery as being "shovel ready". But I am sure that's not what they are going for. A big heap of gravel doesn't make much sense either.

    • weka 2.1
      12 April 2020 at 11:26 am

      It's the projects that could be acted upon now. It's a common enough phrase and many have been using it in their pandemic response. I think it's self-explanatory, but there's a tighter definition here,

      The New Zealand Government is working with the construction sector to identify large infrastructure ‘shovel ready’ projects to kick-start the economy.

      ‘Shovel ready’ is defined as being ready for construction to commence within 180 days of the Lockdown being lifted.

      https://www.tonkintaylor.co.nz/news/2020/4/how-do-you-get-projects-shovel-ready-quickly/

      • RosieLee 2.1.1
        13 April 2020 at 9:35 am

        It may well be a common enough phrase, but it's also a silly piece of jargon which adds nothing to the clarity of the debate whatever the issue is. If I see it again I'll scream.

  3. Carolyn_Nth 3
    12 April 2020 at 11:52 am

    Some are predicting that many "mum and dad" landlords will be selling up after lock down.

    I suspect that many of those rentals will not be in the greatest state of repair. Not sure whether those are the homes that should be bought up for state housing?

  4. Ad 4
    12 April 2020 at 12:27 pm

    Minister Genter has this morning announced that footpath widening to enable social distancing will be a high priority. So she's ahead of Greenpeace there.

    The system is already well advanced on public transport projects. The big public transport projects needing shovels, are already in construction or in procurement. They include: AMETI next stage, Hamilton-Auckland commuter line and double tracking and electrification, and of course City Rail Link. Also the Palmerston-Wellington upgrade. A reasonable question is whether public transport will ever recover its growth? (Personally I think social distancing is best cured from working at home where possible).

    The Conservation Corps is a no-brainer and Minister Jones is already repurposing the forestry teams already.

    Since the Green Party desperately needs some airtime in any media, all the MPs and members should pop down to Mackenzie country and the Remarkables and have a crack at the wilding pines. They're not going to get back to Parliament in September if they keep so deep under the radar.

    That would be good to see Greenpeace members doing something useful besides complaining as well,

    • bwaghorn 4.1
      12 April 2020 at 12:46 pm

      Footpath widening !! Your fucking joking surely.

      How about the think of proper problems like how public transport is going to operate social distancing

      • weka 4.1.1
        12 April 2020 at 1:03 pm

        people need safe transport right now. Popup bike lanes can be done immediately. Putting in a new train or bus service takes much more time (but you know they're working on that too).

      • Ad 4.1.2
        12 April 2020 at 1:14 pm

        Footpaths is a good one – people are finally using them.

        The safest and best social distancing to do in the meantime if you have to commute is, of course, to take your car. That's that thing most of us do already where you get to be by yourself and enjoy life unconstrained by other people.

      • Patricia 2 4.1.3
        13 April 2020 at 1:08 am

        Some footpaths in Auckland CBD are done already ; ready to bet they won't be unwidened any time soon. Main streets only one lane each way now.

      • Graeme 4.1.4
        13 April 2020 at 9:06 am

        Footpath provision and widening was a big part of Muldoons PEP schemes to mop up unemployed in the late 70's. A lot of those paths are the basis of today's cycleways.

        Could put Key’s cycleway project into the same category. That’s been a huge success around Queenstown for commuting and recreation.

    • Pete George 4.2
      12 April 2020 at 12:57 pm

      Oddly though nothing will be done until we drop from Level 4 – in other words, extend footpaths and cycle lanes when people take to their cars again to get back to shopping and work.

      Automobubbles will be safer virus-wise than public transport.

      Not sure many local bodies will see it as a priority.

      • Ad 4.2.1
        12 April 2020 at 1:16 pm

        All local bodies in New Zealand view roading as a priority and it's where they put most of their money.

        The only exception to that at the moment is Auckland. And a little bit of WRC.

        • Pete George 4.2.1.1
          12 April 2020 at 1:20 pm

          Most local body money does go into roads because a huge majority of people usually use the roads.

          However Dunedin is putting quite a bit into cycle paths and they keep removing car parks from around the CBD, which pleases some and annoys others.

          Increasingly people don't shop in Dunedin's CBD due to congestion and lack of parking.

          • Ad 4.2.1.1.1
            12 April 2020 at 1:28 pm

            I'm not sure what the Dunedin Council contribution is to the cycleways as they are almost all on state highways – and hence NZTA projects.

            The project at risk is the George Street rebuild which would turn it into a single lane. That petition going around is going to carry some weight when so many "Out Of Business" signs go up.

            I see the surrounding settlements getting hit harder than George Street. Portobello, Waitati, St Clair, Maori Hill, bits of South Dunedin – so many restaurants and cafes will die. Actually the place that I see as really at risk is Port Chalmers. No cruise ships, no one going to go out to cafes. Potentially George Street and the Princes Street bulk retail shops could do really well out of all those closures.

            And most thankfully, Dunedin is one of the only cities in New Zealand which still has a strong functioning main street where the life isn't being actively drained out of it by malls.

            • Pete George 4.2.1.1.1.1
              12 April 2020 at 1:43 pm

              A lot of the cruise ship business is in Dunedin's CBD, so that will be hit hard by what's likely to be a big drop in visits.

  5. Sabine 5
    12 April 2020 at 12:36 pm

    and this has nothing to do with the fact that oil at the moment has no buyers?

    https://twitter.com/robinenergy/status/1248554667291955200

  6. Bazza64 6
    12 April 2020 at 1:11 pm

    Good luck for Greenpeace trying to bring in a UBI when we will have to deal with the debt taxpayers have incurred to cover the Covid 19 shutdown.

    Thats a bit like telling a millennial “winner” who has maxed out their credit card not to worry about the debt, let’s go buy something and put it on afterpay.

    • pat 6.1
      12 April 2020 at 1:14 pm

      "Good luck for Greenpeace trying to bring in a UBI when we will have to deal with the debt taxpayers have incurred to cover the Covid 19 shutdow(n)"

      the gov debt since covid isnt the main problem….but the debt thats fueled the economy these past decades is….one way or another it will be defaulted

    • KJT 6.2
      12 April 2020 at 1:59 pm

      Because "Austerity" to get out of a recession, works so well. Eh?

  7. RedLogix 7
    12 April 2020 at 1:45 pm

    All interesting and worthwhile initiatives. Without quibbling for the sake of it, I'd be inclined to consider the international perspective associated with them. Here's my quick take:

    Unprecedented investment in public transport, cycling and rail infrastructure to accelerate our mobility into the 21st century.

    Once NZ eradicates CV19 (and I'm sure we will) public transport will return with a rush. But PT alone is not the whole story, we need to address the critical vulnerability we have to imported oil. The current oil price war is going to end badly, Saudi will crush their OPEC competitors and combined with an almost certain conflict and disruption in the ME, the price and supply of refined products is going to be very uncertain.

    Aus/NZ/Singapore should be thinking about a combined project to build a 100% locally sourced EV project and accelerate the replacement of the ICE fleet as rapidly as possible. While not quite a shovel ready project, it's one that's well within our capacity.

    Billions in finance for distributed solar and wind, alongside upgrades to the power grid.

    While from a global perspective renewables have some serious limitations, Australia and NZ are remarkably fortunate in our solar and wind power potential. But we are going to need to think through exactly where we are going to get the equipment from and the security of the supply chains.

    A billion-dollar regenerative farming fund to support farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture.

    The big carrot for farmers would be the opportunity to access state backed, low interest mortgage finance linked to transition support AND market development. So much of our farming practice at present is constrained by the bloody mortgage … get that off the farmers backs and focus on improving their margin and cash flow, and everything will change.

    A sizable boost in finance for DOC to employ a “conservation corps” of people to eradicate pests, plant native trees and restore critical habitats.

    Good idea in principle, but I'd be very keen to see it linked to a strong educational program for the participants. Just using otherwise idle backs to grub weeds is a dead end.

    Constructing new, affordable homes that meet the highest energy-efficiency standards.

    Major can of worms. I have a low opinion of the NZ building industry, low innovation, low trust and poor value on the whole. Essentially I'd be looking to demolish the bottom 30% of our housing stock and start from scratch. But finding an organic process to get to an outcome that we can be proud as a society, is a daunting challenge. A very focused industry educational process would have to happen first, drawing on successful models that have worked globally. We need a coherent vision of what we want before we charge into digging dirt.

    Put millions into ocean restoration projects to restore critical marine ecosystems

    An inherently global problem.

    • Poission 7.1
      12 April 2020 at 1:58 pm

      The big carrot for farmers would be the opportunity to access state backed, low interest mortgage finance linked to transition support AND market development. So much of our farming practice at present is constrained by the bloody mortgage … get that off the farmers backs and focus on improving their margin and cash flow, and everything will change.

      The first priority is to ban foreign ownership of nz land completely.

      • RedLogix 7.1.1
        12 April 2020 at 2:00 pm

        As many other nations around the world head back into isolationism then yes NZ is likely to follow suit.

        The trick is … when overseas owners are forced to sell, who is going to be in a position to buy?

        • Incognito 7.1.1.1
          12 April 2020 at 2:26 pm

          The trick is … when overseas owners are forced to sell, who is going to be in a position to buy?

          Oooh, that’s a tricky one 😉

      • Wayne 7.1.2
        12 April 2020 at 2:03 pm

        No, banning foreign ownership is not the first priority. Supporting existing farms to keep exports flowing is the priority. For the next few years, they will be by far and way New Zealand's most important source of foreign exchange.

        • Poission 7.1.2.1
          12 April 2020 at 2:14 pm

          In Canterbury where cropping and seed production is still a large industry( they produce 70% of the worlds carrot seed) one of the largest constraints on growth has been the pricing out of local ownership of land.

          No one has ever been able to provide a significant argument on why foreign ownership of nz land is good for NZ.

        • bwaghorn 7.1.2.2
          12 April 2020 at 5:34 pm

          Do you support the growing call to stop the clean water work this government is doing .

          The polite our way out of debt voices will get loud in the near future

      • bwaghorn 7.1.3
        12 April 2020 at 5:31 pm

        Na the best way to fix farming is for land Corp to become a leasing company . Then set rules around stocking rates and fertilizer use .

  8. Wayne 8
    12 April 2020 at 2:01 pm

    A lot of the GreenPeace platform makes sense , and I am sure will happen.

    The big debate will be on the transport choices. The government has recently just announced a big roading programme. I don't see them backtracking on that. If anything it will be accelerated, and quite likely expanded. There will be a lot of debate on the prospect of expansion.

    How much rail and public transport makes sense in New Zealand? In my view, way less than the Greens think. Clearly New Zealand's existing rail network could be substantially improved. At least Auckland to Christchurch could be fully electrified. Obviously the northern railway to Marsden Port should be done, and could also be electrified.

    But I would also say we should be planning and building a four lane highway from Whangarei to Christchurch, with a side road to Tauranga. I can't imagine the Greens would favour this, but it could also be part of electrifying heavy trucking, at least on this road. Electric trucks are coming, and will be in volume production by 2030.

    The covid crisis has shown the importance of the private car. And the public won't forget that. Not that the Greens will recognise that.

    It makes no sense for New Zealand to build electric cars. they are way too complex for an industry base as small as New Zealand. Even Australia, with five times our population could not retain local car manufacturing. It was not economically efficient and the Australian cars were not sufficiently technically advanced. The technical gap was increasing with each passing year.

    • KJT 8.1
      12 April 2020 at 2:09 pm

      Agree on electrifying rail.

      However.

      There are very good reasons for not supporting long haul electric trucks. And wasting money on more roads for long haul trucks.

      Julie Ann Gentor is well up with the play in this area.

      Firstly, compared with electric trains, they are still a very inefficient use of energy.

      Secondly. Battery capacity to do so is years, if not decades, away.

      I've been following developments in this area, and it looks like Hydrogen will be viable long before we have long range high energy density, batteries.

      And Greens have been throwing ideas around, about future electric cars for some time now. I’ve mentioned some on this blog. Including commuter cars which are no more complex than golf carts, and can be easily built cheaply and locally.
      You are making the oft made assumption, that new technology will mirror the old, in exact form and function.

      • weka 8.1.1
        12 April 2020 at 2:19 pm

        Nice one.

        Even if the truck fleet is electrified, it we had more public transport, why would the trucks need more roads?

      • Wayne 8.1.2
        12 April 2020 at 3:40 pm

        KJT

        I am making the assumption that electric cars will be similar to the Nissan Leaf and Golf E in complexity. There is no way that a golf cart type of vehicle could ever be as safe as a modern car, even as a commuter limited to say 70 kph.

        As a student, I had a Fiat Bambina, 500 cc two cylinder engine. It could do 85 kph absolute max speed. To use your analogy, it was about as complicated as a Golf cart. But it was way less safe than a modern car, without any of the accepted safety features and convienences (no ABS, no crumple zones, no electric windows, no aircon, seats about as comfortable as a plastic chair, etc). It was not really suitable for the open road. In Auckland, how many people would never take their car on the motorway or a regional road?

        In India, the Tata Nano never succeeded because it was too small and basic. Conceptually the Nano, with a 624 cc engine, was a modern version of a Bambina. The Indian middle class who could afford such a a car wanted something better. For instance the modern Mini has been vastly more successful than the modern Fiat 500 (875 cc). Largely because BMW were inspired by the idea of the old Mini, they didn't try to recreate it.

        • KJT 8.1.2.1
          12 April 2020 at 4:48 pm

          Already many cities overseas are keeping cars away from city centres.

          Not much of a stretch to limit speed and size of cars allowed into cities.

          70k. Have you ever commuted from West Auckland in the rush hour?

    • weka 8.2
      12 April 2020 at 2:18 pm

      There are still the significant issues of how to transition the whole NZ car/van/truck fleet to electric fast, then the GHG emissions from that, as well as ongoing pollution/resource use including in maintenance, and then the extra demand on the national grid and the GHG emissions and pollution/resource use in upping power generation. I'd be interested to see an analysis of what will be needed in various scenarios.

      Public transport and local walking/biking/ebiking are better solutions from a sustainability pov than everyone in NZ owning an EV and driving BAU like they do with their FF vehicle. This doesn't mean the end of personal cars, it means we don't start with that and we use sustainability design rather than BAU thinking. Sustainability design requires whole systems thinking.

    • pat 8.3
      12 April 2020 at 2:22 pm

      "Electric trucks are coming, and will be in volume production by 2030."

      assumptions…a lot of which will be being revisited in light of events

    • RedLogix 8.4
      12 April 2020 at 2:57 pm

      It makes no sense for New Zealand to build electric cars. they are way too complex for an industry base as small as New Zealand. Even Australia, with five times our population could not retain local car manufacturing.

      Electric cars actually have far fewer moving parts and in many ways are a lot simpler to manufacture. Moreover they're highly adapted to automated manufacturing.

      EV's are sophisticated electronically, but they're a lot simpler mechanically. Just drawing parallels with the old ICE manufacturing paradigm because both have four wheels, misses most of the important differences.

      And Aus has quite enough lithium and rare earths to support a regional industry.

      • KJT 8.4.1
        12 April 2020 at 3:02 pm

        Good old lead acid works for short ranges..

        We used to make them.

        Had to laugh, when the Tesla saleslady said the only moving part that required annual maintenance, was the windscreen wipers.

  9. joe90 9
    12 April 2020 at 3:10 pm

    So how can we do this?

    I've no idea. And this is the kind of shit the world is up against.

    After the fossil fuel industry spent hundreds of millions of dollars undermining climate science, it’s easy to see how epidemiology came next.

    […]

    Decades of climate denial now appear to have paved the way for denial of Covid-19 by many on the right, according to experts on climate politics. After the fossil fuel industry spent hundreds of millions of dollars attacking climate scientists and accentuating the supposed uncertainty of climate science, it isn't hard to understand how that happened.

    https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08042020/science-denial-coronavirus-covid-climate-change

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    10 hours ago

  • They do not speak for us, and they do not speak for the future
    These dire woeful and intolerant people have been so determinedly going about their small and petulant business, it’s hard to keep up. At the end of the new government’s first woeful week, Audrey Young took the time to count off its various acts of denigration of Te Ao Māori:Review the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    14 hours ago

  • Another attack on te reo
    The new white supremacist government made attacking te reo a key part of its platform, promising to rename government agencies and force them to "communicate primarily in English" (which they already do). But today they've gone further, by trying to cut the pay of public servants who speak te reo: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    14 hours ago

  • For the record, the Beehive buzz can now be regarded as “official”
    Buzz from the Beehive The biggest buzz we bring you from the Beehive today is that the government’s official website is up and going after being out of action for more than a week. The latest press statement came  from  Education Minister  Eric Stanford, who seized on the 2022 PISA ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    16 hours ago

  • Climate Change: Failed again
    There was another ETS auction this morning. and like all the other ones this year, it failed to clear - meaning that 23 million tons of carbon (15 million ordinary units plus 8 million in the cost containment reserve) went up in smoke. Or rather, they didn't. Being unsold at ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    16 hours ago

  • Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Assault On Maori
    This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Even so, Christopher Luxon has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. In the NZ Herald, Audrey Young has compiled a useful list of the many, many ways that ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    17 hours ago

  • Rising costs hit farmers hard, but  there’s more  positive news  for  them this  week 
    New Zealand’s dairy industry, the mainstay of the country’s export trade, has  been under  pressure  from rising  costs. Down on the  farm, this  has  been  hitting  hard. But there  was more positive news this week,  first   from the latest Fonterra GDT auction where  prices  rose,  and  then from  a  report ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    17 hours ago

  • ROB MacCULLOCH:  Newshub and NZ Herald report misleading garbage about ACT’s van Veldon not follo...
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  In their rush to discredit the new government (which our MainStream Media regard as illegitimate and having no right to enact the democratic will of voters) the NZ Herald and Newshub are arguing ACT’s Deputy Leader Brooke van Veldon is not following Treasury advice ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    19 hours ago

  • Top 10 for Wednesday, December 6
    Even many young people who smoke support smokefree policies, fitting in with previous research showing the large majority of people who smoke regret starting and most want to quit. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Wednesday, December ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    21 hours ago

  • Eleven years of work.
    Well it didn’t take six months, but the leaks have begun. Yes the good ship Coalition has inadvertently released a confidential cabinet paper into the public domain, discussing their axing of Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs).Oops.Just when you were admiring how smoothly things were going for the new government, they’ve had ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago

  • Why we're missing out on sharply lower inflation
    A wave of new and higher fees, rates and charges will ripple out over the economy in the next 18 months as mayors, councillors, heads of department and price-setters for utilities such as gas, electricity, water and parking ramp up charges. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Just when most ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • How Did We Get Here?
    Hi,Kiwis — keep the evening of December 22nd free. I have a meetup planned, and will send out an invite over the next day or so. This sounds sort of crazy to write, but today will be Tony Stamp’s final Totally Normal column of 2023. Somehow we’ve made it to ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • At a glance – Has the greenhouse effect been falsified?
    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
    1 day ago

  • New Zealaders  have  high expectations of  new  government:  now let’s see if it can deliver?
    The electorate has high expectations of the  new  government.  The question is: can  it  deliver?    Some  might  say  the  signs are not  promising. Protestors   are  already marching in the streets. The  new  Prime Minister has had  little experience of managing  very diverse politicians  in coalition. The economy he  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    2 days ago

  • You won't believe some of the numbers you have to pull when you're a Finance Minister
    Nicola of Marsden:Yo, normies! We will fix your cost of living worries by giving you a tax cut of 150 dollars. 150! Cash money! Vote National.Various people who can read and count:Actually that's 150 over a fortnight. Not a week, which is how you usually express these things.And actually, it looks ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Pushback
    When this government came to power, it did so on an explicitly white supremacist platform. Undermining the Waitangi Tribunal, removing Māori representation in local government, over-riding the courts which had tried to make their foreshore and seabed legislation work, eradicating te reo from public life, and ultimately trying to repudiate ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Defence ministerial meeting meant Collins missed the Maori Party’s mischief-making capers in Parli...
    Buzz from the Beehive Maybe this is not the best time for our Minister of Defence to have gone overseas. Not when the Maori Party is inviting (or should that be inciting?) its followers to join a revolution in a post which promoted its protest plans with a picture of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Threats of war have been followed by an invitation to join the revolution – now let’s see how th...
     A Maori Party post on Instagram invited party followers to ….  Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Join the REVOLUTION! & make a stand!  Nationwide Action Day, All details in tiles swipe to see locations.  • This is our 1st hit out and tomorrow Tuesday the 5th is the opening ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Top 10 for Tuesday, December 4
    The RBNZ governor is citing high net migration and profit-led inflation as factors in the bank’s hawkish stance. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, including:Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says high net migration and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Nicola Willis' 'show me the money' moment
    Willis has accused labour of “economic vandalism’, while Robertson described her comments as a “desperate diversion from somebody who can't make their tax package add up”. There will now be an intense focus on December 20 to see whether her hyperbole is backed up by true surprises. Photo montage: Lynn ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
    The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    2 days ago

  • And I don't want the world to see us.
    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes – The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    3 days ago

  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume III
    Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    4 days ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 thru Dec 2, 2023. Story of the Week CO2 readings from Mauna Loa show failure to combat climate change Daily atmospheric carbon dioxide data from Hawaiian volcano more ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Affirmative Action.
    Affirmative Action was a key theme at this election, although I don’t recall anyone using those particular words during the campaign.They’re positive words, and the way the topic was talked about was anything but. It certainly wasn’t a campaign of saying that Affirmative Action was a good thing, but that, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 100 days of something
    It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Look who’s stepped up to champion Winston
    There’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today  – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • What's The Story?
    Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • The longest of weeks
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts to
    Like earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Under New Management
    1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • While we wait patiently, our new Minister of Education is up and going with a 100-day action plan
    Sorry to say, the government’s official website is still out of action. When Point of Order paid its daily visit, the message was the same as it has been for the past week: Site under maintenance Beehive.govt.nz is currently under maintenance. We will be back shortly. Thank you for your ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • DAVID FARRAR: Hysterical bullshit
    Radio NZ reports: Te Pāti Māori’s co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has accused the new government of “deliberate .. systemic genocide” over its policies to roll back the smokefree policy and the Māori Health Authority. The left love hysterical language. If you oppose racial quotas in laws, you are a racist. And now if you sack ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #48 2023
    Open access notables From this week's government/NGO section, longitudinal data is gold and Leisorowitz, Maibachi et al. continue to mine ore from the US public with Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Fall 2023: Drawing on a representative sample of the U.S. adult population, the authors describe how registered ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • ELE LUDEMANN: It wasn’t just $55 million
    Ele Ludemann writes –  Winston Peters reckons media outlets were bribed by the $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund. He is not the first to make such an accusation. Last year, the Platform outlined conditions media signed up to in return for funds from the PJIF: . . . ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 1-December-2023
    Wow, it’s December already, and it’s a Friday. So here are few things that caught our attention recently. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt covered the new government’s coalition agreements and what they mean for transport. On Tuesday Matt looked at AT’s plans for fare increases ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    6 days ago

  • Shane MacGowan Is Gone.
    Late 1996, The Dogs Bollix, Tamaki Makaurau.I’m at the front of the bar yelling my order to the bartender, jostling with other thirsty punters on a Friday night, keen to piss their wages up against a wall letting loose. The black stuff, long luscious pints of creamy goodness. Back down ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 1
    Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop and other National, ACT and NZ First MPs applaud the signing of the coalition agreements, which included the reversal of anti-smoking measures while accelerating tax cuts for landlords. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • 2023 More Reading: November (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for November: A Modern Utopia, by H.G. Wells The Vampire (poem), by Heinrich August Ossenfelder The Corpus Hermeticum The Corpus Hermeticum is Mead’s translation. Now, this is indeed a very quiet month for reading. But there is a reason for that… You see, ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies.The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. They also describe the processes of the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago

  • Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
    First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
    First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Finally
    Henry Kissinger is finally dead. Good fucking riddance. While Americans loved him, he was a war criminal, responsible for most of the atrocities of the final quarter of the twentieth century. Cambodia. Bangladesh. Chile. East Timor. All Kissinger. Because of these crimes, Americans revere him as a "statesman" (which says ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • Government in a hurry – Luxon lists 49 priorities in 100-day plan while Peters pledges to strength...
    Buzz from the Beehive Yes, ministers in the new government are delivering speeches and releasing press statements. But the message on the government’s official website was the same as it has been for the past several days, when Point of Order went looking for news from the Beehive that had ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • DAVID FARRAR: Luxon is absolutely right
    David Farrar writes  –  1 News reports: Christopher Luxon says he was told by some Kiwis on the campaign trail they “didn’t know” the difference between Waka Kotahi, Te Pūkenga and Te Whatu Ora. Speaking to Breakfast, the incoming prime minister said having English first on government agencies will “make sure” ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Top 10 at 10 am for Thursday, Nov 30
    There are fears that mooted changes to building consent liability could end up driving the building industry into an uninsured hole. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Thursday, November 30, including:The new Government’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on how climate change threatens cricket‘s future
    Well that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, M Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else, and complaining that he has inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” – which is how most of us are ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    7 days ago

  • We need to talk about Tory.
    The first I knew of the news about Tory Whanau was when a tweet came up in my feed.The sort of tweet that makes you question humanity, or at least why you bother with Twitter. Which is increasingly a cesspit of vile inhabitants who lurk spreading negativity, hate, and every ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • Dangling Transport Solutions
    Cable Cars, Gondolas, Ropeways and Aerial Trams are all names for essentially the same technology and the world’s biggest maker of them are here to sell them as an public transport solution. Stuff reports: Austrian cable car company Doppelmayr has launched its case for adding aerial cable cars to New ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago

  • November AMA
    Hi,It’s been awhile since I’ve done an Ask-Me-Anything on here, so today’s the day. Ask anything you like in the comments section, and I’ll be checking in today and tomorrow to answer.Leave a commentNext week I’ll be giving away a bunch of these Mister Organ blu-rays for readers in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • National’s early moves adding to cost of living pressure
    The cost of living grind continues, and the economic and inflation honeymoon is over before it began. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: PM Christopher Luxon unveiled his 100 day plan yesterday with an avowed focus of reducing cost-of-living pressures, but his Government’s initial moves and promises are actually elevating ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Backwards to the future
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed that it will be back to the future on planning legislation. This will be just one of a number of moves which will see the new government go backwards as it repeals and cost-cuts its way into power. They will completely repeal one ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • New initiatives in science and technology could point the way ahead for Luxon government
    As the new government settles into the Beehive, expectations are high that it can sort out some  of  the  economic issues  confronting  New Zealand. It may take time for some new  ministers to get to grips with the range of their portfolio work and responsibilities before they can launch the  changes that  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    1 week ago

  • Treaty pledge to secure funding is contentious – but is Peters being pursued by a lynch mob after ...
    TV3 political editor Jenna Lynch was among the corps of political reporters who bridled, when Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told them what he thinks of them (which is not much). She was unabashed about letting her audience know she had bridled. More usefully, she drew attention to something which ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • How long does this last?
    I have a clear memory of every election since 1969 in this plucky little nation of ours. I swear I cannot recall a single one where the question being asked repeatedly in the first week of the new government was: how long do you reckon they’ll last? And that includes all ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • National’s giveaway politics
    We already know that national plans to boost smoking rates to collect more tobacco tax so they can give huge tax-cuts to mega-landlords. But this morning that policy got even more obscene - because it turns out that the tax cut is retrospective: Residential landlords will be able to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago

  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme scrapped
    The Government has axed the $16 billion Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme championed by the previous government, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “This hugely wasteful project was pouring money down the drain at a time when we need to be reining in spending and focussing on rebuilding the economy and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
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  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
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