Guest post – Marja Lubeck – Labour list candidate

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, August 19th, 2017 - 44 comments
Categories: election 2017, labour - Tags:

I arrived in NZ in 1989 emigrating from Holland and quickly fell in love with the NZ way of live and I fell in love with a kiwi. More than 25 years later I’m still married to that same kiwi, and we have a son who is turning 16 on 23 September.

My work story really starts at Air NZ in 1996. I joined the union of Flight Attendants, became an active delegate and was elected as FARSA’s President in 2009.

That same year I started studying law. Not with the intention of becoming a lawyer, but it was the time of the global financial crisis and my members and their working conditions were under attack from the airlines. 100 crew were made redundant that year and as their president I felt responsible witnessing the devastating personal effects on people, of losing their jobs.

I was determined that I would learn and know about the law and use that knowledge in my union role, started studying part time and graduated with a law degree in 2014.

It has been extremely valuable to get an appreciation of law, how laws are made and the impact on for example the work we do in the unions. And it made me realise that you can work very hard at grassroots level to improve people’s working conditions and lives, but if legislation cuts across all that good work, you aren’t really improving much long term. (A current example is the Pay Equity and Equal Pay Bill being debated right now. Kristine Barlett and the unions fought for years to get a settlement, only to now have the government forcing through contentious legislation with a one vote majority. If they’re successful it will result in continuing discriminating against women in low paid wages).

I believe that you keep learning through your entire life and I have always worked hard, so I decided I wanted to use my experience, knowledge, and the skills I developed over the years, to make a real difference. I joined the Labour party, had the honour to be elected as the Rodney candidate, and here I am now finding myself juggling a very busy fulltime job as the Head of Aviation in E tū, with running a campaign.

An important driver for me is a Labour value as well as a union value. I learned about Manaakitanga while having the privilege to serve as a member of the board of E tū, New Zealand’s largest private sector with 54,000 members.
Manaakitanga, taking care of people, supporting each other. Helen Kelly used to say: “if people were just kinder to each other…”. When I repeat her words, and think of her, I reflect on the fact that society has become so much about individuals, how far up the ladder one can go… never mind about anyone else. Inequality just grows and grows, and the gap between those that have, and those that do not, just widens.

Of course there are always people who could have made different decisions, avoided certain situations, tried harder, do something different. But for every one of those, there are many that are in situations that they could not have foreseen, maybe had a bad start to life, or just encountered bumps in the road on the way.

In my union work particularly during my time at E tū, I have seen many people that cannot make ends meet no matter how many hours they put in. I’ve spoken to good people who through no fault of their own end up working all hours, sometimes on three split shifts, husband also on shift work, both on minimum wages and not able to provide for their family of 2 children. That’s not good for these kids and their family. About 65,000 people work multiple jobs, can’t make ends meet and we see the social harm. The stats on child poverty are appalling. And it’s disgraceful that in New Zealand, we have people sleeping rough in garages, in cars and under bridges.

It’s not the kiwi dream and not how we want families to live in New Zealand. It certainly is not the New Zealand I fell in love with 27 years ago.

I feel that it’s time that we as a country get our priorities right and at the moment, that does not include tax cuts.

This election is about priorities. We need to deal with inequality, the housing crisis and the under-funding in crucial areas like health, education, infrastructure. We need policies around fair taxation, regional development, cleaning up the waterways. And policies that invest in the next generation, they should have opportunities to be the best they can be. I get very passionate about Labour’s Working Futures and Ready for Work policies, three years fees free education, providing opportunities to unemployed young people doing work of public value, subsidising employers to take on young people for on the job training.

So there is a clear choice for voters. A choice between fairness and inclusion or increasing inequality and division.
I am proud to stand with Labour, the party that will look out for those in need and with the aspiration to give the next generation a fair go. I am proud to stand with Labour as the party committed to creating a fairer society.

Marja is number 32 on Labour’s list and if the party polls at about 32% she should be a list MP in the next Parliament.

44 comments on “Guest post – Marja Lubeck – Labour list candidate ”

  1. Xanthe 1

    Thank you Maria great to have a personal statement of intent to think on. I can support your platform and i really hope you are influential in our next government

  2. Heather Grimwood 2

    You are obviously a woman of integrity Marja, and not an easy seat. Every good wish.

    • mickysavage 2.1

      On current polling Marja will be a list MP.

    • Marja Lubeck 2.2

      Thanks Heather. I’ve lived in the area since we found this great country school in Tomarata in 2006 and decided Rodney would be a great place for our son Max to grow up. However, Rodney is a big electorate and I’m learning more and more every day about the local issues. I am looking forward to being out campaigning in this safe National seat, to shake the complacency of the National Party candidate over issues that matter to Rodney residents. Some of these have been lingering for years, so you have to ask what if anything has been done to get their concerns heard…

      • Heather Grimwood 2.2.1

        to Marja@ 2.2: I knew the electorate well as worked the Whangaparaoa /Orewa end for Chris Carter long ago, with contact phone in my house. That’s why I said “not an easy seat”.
        And to MS: yes I realise that things are looking good for Marja, and for my good southern friend Liz Craig, one of those I have worked for in recent years. “Go well”

  3. Dot 3

    I agree with you Marja ,
    we certainly do not have the Kiwi dream,
    as the child poverty number is a disgrace.
    If not addressed soon, consequences will be magnified and problems made more difficult and more expensive to deal with .
    I hope that people will vote for our children, especially
    poor children, in the coming election as they deserve much better.

  4. Marja Lubeck 4

    Thank you all for the nice comments and the support. An aspect I forgot to mention is that I could never do this alone and it’s about team work. I am grateful for all the backing and encouragement from the people around me. And my husband and son who make it possible for me to work all hours and who have put up with often having to take a backseat to others’ needs. So I never have to settle for ‘good enough’. Because I believe ‘good enough’ is never good enough. Let’s do this 🙂
    https://www.facebook.com/MarjaLubeck/
    https://twitter.com/MarjaLubeck

  5. Peroxide Blonde 5

    Excellent! My type of girl!
    I saw her in action at the Willie Jackson gig she organised : the Orewa Speech. She was in COMMAND in a most charming way.
    What a contrast with the para military greaser Mark Mitchell who is the incumbent MP in Rodney.

  6. Marja is a fantastic Labour candidate ; it’s really great to have a union organiser from E Tu there. Im looking forward to her being in Parliament.

  7. Her reputation with senior management in Air NZ is telling.
    The Airline has developed a mature and trusting relationship with Etu (and Marja).
    She knows how to play the long game by confidently and respectfully engaging on values and issues.
    Marja will be an excellent minister for Labour.

  8. Armada 8

    Rodney needs a great MP. Marja looks like she could be the business. Mark Mitchell MP is an arms scandle waiting to happen. Rodney is the fastest growing area in NZ and does not need an old fashioned conservative with a shady background.

    Labour needs a Labour Law advocate who cuts through to the wider population. Marja seem to be able to communicate at all levels: human, family, workplace, economic and legal.

    Marja seems to be able to bring Labour’s key messages together into a cohesive listenable narrative. She does this better than many of our front bench.

    Keep it up and we look forward to seeing you at the Cabint table.

  9. Red Blooded 9

    Wishing you all the best Marja, thanks for posting on here. Watching from the Far North so proudly voting for Willow-Jean Prime. Had 35 years with FARSA until 3 years ago so proudly offer a “Legacy” discount for guests. ;-). I hope you are part of the winning team in September.x

  10. eco Maori/kiwi 10

    Marja will a great MP inequality is every were in our country.
    The workers in the dairy industry need some one like her to help them.
    The people work long hours 430 am to 600 pm or longer 3 weeks on 3 days off .
    They work so long and hard on there first day off they just sleep all day and the workers have minimal time for there family’s or a life outside of work

    I no this because I was a farm worker and a manager. The dairy farm bosses like to employ submissive workers which is why they like Filipinos and not kiwis .
    One farm I was working on the hours were 20 hours a day this is true.

    He had 80% Filipinos when I got the shed running efficiently the dick of a farm owner sent another herd so I was still working 20 hours a day.
    You see he had 2 80 bail rotary sheds and 38000 cows to milk and no work roster.
    So if he got up set with you he would change things to make your job harder.

    You can not run a large team of workers and large herds when the boss is running
    the operation around his ego and no rosters for workers and no roster for cows.

    Its very un efficient hence the 20 hour days I stayed one month my wife made me leave..
    I was not arguing about that . I heard this farm went under because he was banded from hiring Filipinos by the labour department.

    This is one opperation that needed the kicks system Keep it simple but Its hard to talk to A ego that has the sun revolving around it lol
    This will still be happening some were in the country I like the Filipinos .

    I rebuilt the gear box in my truck with a Filipino 4 years ago they have rights to.
    It is unfair on the local workers if the Filipino are earning 10x what they make at home.
    And will put up with these conditions of work

    • millsy 10.1

      People who support immigration need to remember this.

      A farmer has 2 job applicants:

      Bob live close by and will work for $20 per hour
      Jose lives in Manila and will work for $15 per hour.

      The farmer hires Jose. Farming wages in the area drop from $20 per hour to $15 per hour. New Zealanders dont want to work for $15 per hour because they have high living costs to deal with. Farmers them import Filipinos by the dozen to work for $15 per hour, forcing down wages in farming.

  11. Incognito 11

    Good post and I wish you well with the campaign and don’t be afraid to talk to fellow lefty campaigners in neighbouring electorates such as Helensville – there has to be a much more concerted effort in West-Auckland on a number of big issues such as (public) transport and major infrastructure.

    BTW, I assume you’re now a NZ citizen – you know what recently happened in Oz and in the past Harry Duynhoven had some troubles with his Dutch citizenship here too. I’d hate to see this happen to a good person who stands up for (the rights of) others!

  12. TheBlackKitten 12

    Its interesting that you speak of low wages that do not meet the basic costs of living but don’t address the issues that have created this situation.
    A. Contracts act introduced by the National Party in 1991 that was left almost untouched by a labour government during their 9 years of power. Is there any indication that a new labour government may actually address this issue?
    B. False economy propped up by welfare that subsidises landlords and employers such as WFF and rental subsidies. Why are employers not paying wages that meet the basic cost of living? Why are landlords not charging rent that is affordable for wage earners?
    C. Migration that has allowed thousands of migrants to flood into NZ that are willing to work for low wages and poor conditions because these conditions are far superior to their home countries. NZ kiwis have no choice but to work for the same low appalling wage.
    E. Cost of living – why are kiwis paying such high costs of the basics – food, housing (we kind of know the answer to this one).
    F. Minimum wage – so if jobs are scarce then employers can pay the minimum wage to a highly skilled worker who is desperate for a job. What is being done to ensure kiwis are paid fairly for theskills they bring to an employer?
    G. Slave labour countries and trade agreements that have seen jobs flood out the door by thousands.
    The best cure for low wages is plenty of jobs. The worst situation is an economy with too few jobs, not unions.
    Please don’t get me wrong, I support worker representation but lamenting back to the old days of unions of the 1930s is not going to address any of the issues of today. The Labour Party need to start thinking 21st century style. Here is a hint, How do we get fair pay for Kiwis that meets the cost of living that does not involve welfare prop ups and can survive the threat of jobs being palmed off to low paid overseas countries such as China? Tough I know, but its reality of 21st century living.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 12.1

      Answer: unions: their members get paid more.

      You haven’t got a better alternative. That’s not a question.

    • Marja Lubeck 12.2

      I have copied your questions, and put some answers below them. Happy to provide more clarification/context where needed.

      A. Contracts act introduced by the National Party in 1991 that was left almost untouched by a labour government during their 9 years of power. Is there any indication that a new labour government may actually address this issue?
      Answer: Yes, see Worplace Relations Policy for the 2-tier approach. 1). Labour will in its first 100 days: reverse the undermining changes made to the Employment Relations Act by successive National Governments. To name a few: reinstatement as the primary remedy, restore protection for vulnerable workers, restore the right to rest and meal breaks at work, restore the duty to reach an agreement in bargaining, restore the right for new workers to be covered by an existing collective agreement, restore access for unions to the workplace, restore fairness in the 90 day ‘fire at will’ law, restore the right for film and tv workers to bargain collectively (‘Hobbit legislation’), remove employers ability to deduct pay for low level protest action during an industrial dispute, etc. 2). Labour will within the first 12 months: start consultation on improving protections for minimum redundancy if restructuring, address legal rights for ‘contractors’ who effectively are employees but without the legal protections, double the number of labour inspectors to enforce employment law and prosecute breaches, introduce Fair Pay Agreements setting fair, basic employment conditions across an industry (eg the recent equal pay settlement), address job security for casual/seasonal/labour hire workers, etc.
      Plus: introduce 26 weeks paid parental leave.
      B. False economy propped up by welfare that subsidises landlords and employers such as WFF and rental subsidies. Why are employers not paying wages that meet the basic cost of living? Why are landlords not charging rent that is affordable for wage earners?
      Answer: The same policy outlines that Labour will increase minimum wage to $16.50 and work towards lifting the minimum wage to 2/3 of the average wage. As a good employer, Labour will pay public sector employees at least the Living Wage, extending that further over time.
      With the current employment law, we see bad employers undercutting good employers. Most employers want to provide good jobs, decent terms and conditions and fair pay. But an unfair environment created by 9 years of undermining employment legislation often makes this very difficult if the employer wants to remain competitive.
      C. Migration that has allowed thousands of migrants to flood into NZ that are willing to work for low wages and poor conditions because these conditions are far superior to their home countries. NZ kiwis have no choice but to work for the same low appalling wage.
      Answer: see B. Labour’s immigration policy together with the Workplace Relations Policy will start making positive change. It’s not the immigrants fault, but by giving bad employers opportunity to exploit these workers, terms and conditions across the board are eroded. Within the first 100 days Labour will also ensure that NZ employment law applies to all workers in NZ including foreign workers.
      F. Minimum wage – so if jobs are scarce then employers can pay the minimum wage to a highly skilled worker who is desperate for a job. What is being done to ensure kiwis are paid fairly for theskills they bring to an employer?
      Answer: ties in also with the previous answers. Reversing the changes to employment law will help with restoring the inherent imbalance of power between workers and employers. Labour is about good jobs, decent work conditions, fair wages. A high performing economy will deliver these but in the current situation due to the erosion of protections around collective bargaining (allowing bad employers to walk away from bargaining with their employees and picking off the workforce one by one) and undermining of unions, we have seen the opposite.
      G. Slave labour countries and trade agreements that have seen jobs flood out the door by thousands.
      The best cure for low wages is plenty of jobs. The worst situation is an economy with too few jobs, not unions.
      Please don’t get me wrong, I support worker representation but lamenting back to the old days of unions of the 1930s is not going to address any of the issues of today. The Labour Party need to start thinking 21st century style. Here is a hint, How do we get fair pay for Kiwis that meets the cost of living that does not involve welfare prop ups and can survive the threat of jobs being palmed off to low paid overseas countries such as China? Tough I know, but its reality of 21st century living.
      Answer: There are lot of different strands of thinking in your question but here it goes: Labour has for the past two years done a lot of work and research via the Future of Work Commission (led by Grant Robertson). It’s about new ideas, new thinking and new solutions. The working group has been doing great work to be ready for the ‘rise of the robots’ and the end of work as we know it. With the changing nature of work, we need to ensure that people who find themselves needing a change of career, get the support they need. Labour, unlike the current government, is looking ahead to the future. So hugely important to have the opportunity for training and re-training. Learning for life, 3 years fees free education.
      Within the first 100 days Labour will look at ways of employers and unions working together in collaborative models of workplace democracy to lift productivity. That’s workers, the unions, the bosses around the table solving problems together. It is a model that is successfully being used at Air New Zealand. Lifting productivity through worker participation in decision making. Higher wages are then easily offset by the high performance workplace. Everyone wins.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 12.2.1

        About addressing the fact that people who lose their jobs also lose their human rights?

        Is Labour going to do anything to atone for its behaviour towards Metiria Turei, and by extension, the people to whom she gave a voice?

        • Marja Lubeck 12.2.1.1

          Agreed on the importance of jobs. Decent work provides not only an income, in turn providing people with choices, but it also provides a sense of dignity in work, autonomy, skills gained, relationships. That’s why Labour will address insecure, undervalued and poorly paid work and why Labour believes that support for training and re-training is crucial where people see their work situation change. Three years fees free post-school education, lifelong learning.
          Labour’s Family Package is aimed at low and middle income families; delivers more money to families with children not the wealthier households, and reduces child poverty freeing up money to make the overdue investments into housing, healthcare, education. We need to have laws that incentivise people to stick by them, not break them.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 12.2.1.1.1

            So people who are unemployed/”underemployed” will still lose their human rights. Thanks for clarifying that.

          • Incognito 12.2.1.1.2

            We need to have laws that incentivise people to stick by them, not break them.

            I’m intrigued; can you give any examples and/or elaborate?

        • TheBlackKitten 12.2.1.2

          What people did she give a voice to? People that rip off the welfare system? Tell me, do you also agree that a small business owner who is steuggeling to meet his or her wage costs and decides to fudge their tax returns to pay for it is also in the right? No I didn’t think so. Funny how people seem to only have sympathy for their interests and lack any ability to think on a broader scale. See I don’t see any difference between he two. You ither agree with it or you don’t.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 12.2.1.2.1

            “Sympathy”

            🙄

            You cannot articulate the argument I’m employing to save your life, and you think you know about sympathy.

            No, I’m not going to spell it out for you. Metiria Turei and Marama Davidson already did that, and you’re still utterly clueless.

      • TheBlackKitten 12.2.2

        Thank you for your reply however I still have concerns.
        You list a lot of rights that employees have lost due to not only the contracts act but also to high levels of unemployment that see employers having the upper hand due to the old supply and demand equation. When employees negotiate their contract, they are automatically at the disadvantage when unemployment is high. More jobs is the real answer. Good to see labour are going to address those issues re the contracts act but it will only result in job loss without having plenty of jobs available to support it. Why would employers put up with that when they can get it done in India for half the cost?
        Re the Hobbits situation (which is a good example to use). The issue with that situation was that you had many people that wanted to gain experience and who were prepared to work for crap wages and conditions to get it. The problem with the union approach to getting a fair days pay for a fair days work for those people was that the movie industry had the option to pack up and head to Eastern Europe where people are even more desperate for a job, and will work for even less that what the movie industry was offering people in NZ, hence those wanting the work experience missed out. And that is a classic example of where unions no longer work in today’s workplace. The same issues we faced with the Hobbits situation are the same ones we face with jobs flowing out of this country due to trade agreements and cheap offshore labour. As I said before, you need lots of jobs for wages and working conditions to improve. unions alone will not fix that. Trade agreements also need addressing. Stop trading with countries that have appalling labour conditions.
        We now live in a global economy with high levels of unemployment in developed countries and corporate dominance. These issues will not be cured by the union movement as they were back in the 30s. I think that the left wing movemement better start thinking along these lines if their intent is really to help working people.
        Hiking up the minimum wage will not address the issue of lack of disposal income. So you put the minimum wage up to 16.50 an hour, the person who gets 16.50 an hr now will need to get more too. So you are really increasing the wage costs in the labour market overall. The employer will simply increase the cost of their goods or services to meet the higher wage bill. If they just don’t just shut down and go to China. Do not delusion yourself by thinking they might actually take a cut in their profits to pay for this. Answer is lots of jobs and addressing the issues of the high costs of living in NZ. Why do we pay high food costs? What are the costs for putting a bottle of milk in the supermarket fridge compared to what the consumer pays for it? I bet the percentage markup is astronomical. Perhaps if we could get these basic costs to be more realistic we would not such high wages to live. Disposal income is what needs to be looked at rather than just higher wages. WFF and rental subsidies only make this situation worse as they prop up low wages and high rents, yet the Labour Party introduced and support these.

        I

        • One Anonymous Bloke 12.2.2.1

          head to Eastern Europe

          So all the businesses will move overseas, no-one will ever make a movie here again (is this before or after the sky falls on your head?), and no-one in New Zealand will do anything to fill the gap in the market?

          Reality isn’t your strong point, eh.

          • TheBlackKitten 12.2.2.1.1

            It’s not yours ither. Are you telling me that was not an option for the Hobbits situation? Are you telling me that if the movie people had done that that those workers would not have missed out on work experience (that they wanted and were desperate for) and a job?
            Tell me, anonymous bloke, what is your answer to this situation? If you were the PM, how would you saved these peoples jobs and got them good working conditions and at the same time stopped the movie people from heading offshore to cheaper labour pastures?

            • One Anonymous Bloke 12.2.2.1.1.1

              I note that the internal emails on the subject released under the OIA make a mockery of “your” narrative. I suggest you read them so as to avoid further displays of ignorance and credulity.

              If cheap labour is all NZ can offer film-makers, then the solution is to smash the National Party into the ground and restore some dignity to the community.

              • TheBlackKitten

                Yet you still fail to answer my question. What would you do if you were the PM? Try not to get so nasty about this as it only shows your frustration when dealing with reality.
                Eastern Europe was a viable option for the movie set and no I don’t know anything about any emails released under the OIA act. Perhaps you may want to actually provide some proof on that one.

                • One Anonymous Bloke

                  What would I do about industry lobbyists looking for ways to change employment laws in their favour?

                  Are you for real? How about “nothing”? Question their access to Parliament, maybe…

                  As for proof of the OIA release, the word “mockery” in my comment is a link. Try following it.

            • Stuart Munro 12.2.2.1.1.2

              Making new businesses in Eastern Europe is not always as straightforward as it might appear. There are reasons Hollywood doesn’t go there.

              • TheBlackKitten

                I have also been told that doing business in China is also difficult, but it still does not stop the many thousands of corporates from sending their business over there due to the low labour costs. If the cost of labour is less then trust me, corporates will be prepared to jump through all sorts of hoops to do business there. More money for the old boys club bonuses will take pirioity over anything.

                • Stuart Munro

                  I’ve worked for a business in China and for a Primoryan industrialist – in China you need your own people – in former soviet territory you need security and a friendly local FSB chief – who must be paid for. If you don’t have them your business will be stolen out from under you. NZ businesses contemplating China should read the story of Golden Cat Cement – $200 million disappears into thin air.

                  Movies are somewhat vulnerable because they probably aren’t prepared to establish a long term presence.

                  • millsy

                    I remember at work it was announced that the company I worked for had hired a Russian migrant as in-house company lawyer. My first thought was “they had lawyers and courts in Russia”?

            • millsy 12.2.2.1.1.3

              That is the thing about the creative and entertainment industry. If you dont like the pay and conditions, there are literally thousands of people lined outside the door to take your place, seeking the glitz and glamour of working on a movie set (or in a studio).

              • TheBlackKitten

                True. And there you have your demand and. supply equation. More people wanting the job than jobs for the people so pay and conditions will be crap and there is nothing a union can do to change that. Add the threat of moving the business to Eastern Europe and people desperate for a job will openly despise any unions that want to get them better pay and conditions.

                • millsy

                  The Hobbit was never going to be filmed in Easten Europe. The scenery is what drives Jackson’s middle earth movies. A Hobbit series with a Eastern Europe backdrop would have tanked at the box office and everyone knew that.

                • One Anonymous Bloke

                  Obviously no country with strong actors unions could ever have a successful movie industry. It stands to reason. Your logic is superb and very very convincing.

                  What’s that you say?

    • eco Maori/kiwi 12.3

      9 Years ago When labour were in power the employers could not use the 90 day clause to sack workers. At that time the employers would have there backsides kicked in the employment courts and have to pay out at least $5000 to the employee so the employers treated workers with more respect . The disputes were mostly sorted out
      by labour department neutral reps.

      It was National that made the 90 day clause law and O 90 days is as long as calving lasts on a diary farm some people are sacked on day 89 with no written notice needed
      try and fight that in the employment court with just verbal evidence the employer
      will lie his ass off so the employee is stuffed

      As for the Filipino workers yes we have to stop the flow of these 3 world workers.
      But we should not kick the workers that are here out they should be payed fair and treated with respect

      Yes there needs to be a dairy union that will keep the dairy employer honest
      I thought about trying to set one up but we are just keeping a float our selves
      may be one day

      • TheBlackKitten 12.3.1

        Are you also referring to the days when a small business owner could also be penalised for firing someone who stole from the company for failing to meet the many complex and long winded rules that employment law has become today. Yet a big corporate who could afford fancy employment lawyers could treat their staff like rubbish and get away with it.
        The Philippino workers are only there because they accept the crap wages and conditions because they are, believe or not, more superior to what they get in their homeland. The issue is, when they do that, we all have to do that. Answer, don’t let cheap labour into the country.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 12.3.1.1

          a small business owner could also be penalised for firing someone who stole from the company for failing to meet the many complex and long winded rules that employment law has become today

          1. Small business owners have no authority to determine guilt in cases of theft. Suspicion is not proof.
          2. If the law is too complex for you to obey, perhaps you should just get some personal responsibility.
          3. And stop whinging.

          I note that you have no problem with the unemployed being subjected to “complex and long-winded rules”. Raise the double standard.

          • TheBlackKitten 12.3.1.1.1

            I was right. You lack any ability to think of situations that don’t apply to you personally.
            Just as a last thought. No 2 could also apply to welfare fraud but I guess you willl only understand that if you have the ability to think outside of what suits you personally.
            Oh and no 3 definitely applies to all welfare fraudsters.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 12.3.1.1.1.1

              You were wrong. You have no idea what situations apply to me personally. I’m just telling you how I feel about your scenario.

              I’ve seen far too many in-house accusations proved wrong to have any time for it.

              I see that you are attempting to show moral equivalence between actions motivated by greed and those motivated by need. Good luck with that.

  13. Ad 13

    Pretty impressive seeing a candidate take the time to engage in long form on this site.
    Thankyou Marja for fronting and engaging.

    If a Labour-led government does get in and there really is a strengthened hand to worker organization, tat will be a massive signal to everyone on a wage that the government really backs them.

    I think the effect of that would be pretty astounding.

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    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    8 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    10 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
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    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
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    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
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    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
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    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
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    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
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    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
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    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
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    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
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    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
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    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
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    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
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    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
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    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
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    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
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    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
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    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
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    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
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    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
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    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
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    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
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    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
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    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
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    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
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    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
    This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti.  Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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