Gutting Southern health care is wrong

Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, July 17th, 2015 - 75 comments
Categories: class war, health - Tags: , , ,

Last month the Southern DHB were sacked – scapegoats for systematic underfunding of the health sector. A commissioner has been appointed to cut spending. Cuts don’t apply to the commissioner of course:

Southern DHB commissioner called in to cut costs gets pay increase – to $1400 a day

That’s a lot of hip relacements, as the saying goes. But it’s not even the most interesting part:

The Government-appointed commissioner at the Southern District Health Board has had her pay boosted to $1400 a day because the cost-cutting measures she’ll embark on put her personal and professional reputation at risk.

If taking certain actions is putting your personal and professional reputation at risk, isn’t that a pretty clear indication that those actions are – you know – completely and utterly wrong?

75 comments on “Gutting Southern health care is wrong ”

  1. cogito 1

    Blood money…. in the health sector.

    • AmaKiwi 1.1

      We are Greece.

      Key is Merkel.

    • Save NZ 1.2

      Lets take away money to help the sick to enrich commissioners. My what a strategy being seen taken by the Nats across all sectors. Cronyism and privatisation by stealth yet again.

  2. vto 2

    living in la la land

  3. red-blooded 3

    The SDHB covers the largest, most sparsely populated area and has to find a way to provide accessible services to a population who don’t all live conveniently clustered around Dunedin but who may have to travel 3-4 hours to access care. They’ve already merged with the Southland board, gutted services in Invercargil and smaller towns and made significant cuts across the board. They operate out of an old, poorly designed building and maintain a high level teaching programme alongside their ordinary programme of care. They deserve support but are going to get more of the same old slash-and-burn. That this woman is being established with the acknowledgment that her actions will damage her professional reputation is appalling. Here’s an idea: how about giving her the resources to help the Board to meet their obligations to the community they serve? Then her precious reputation would be safe (& so would the population of Otago and Southland).

    • cogito 3.1

      And it’s an ageing population as well.

    • dukeofurl 3.2

      Is that the answer, get rid of the medical school and its overheads drop

      • David H 3.2.1

        And who’s going to teach the Medical staff? Or do you reckon we should go back to the 1300’s where there were fuck all doctors, and a disease bourne on the Fleas, riding on a Rat, could wipe out up to 75% of the population. Or the early 1900’s where the Flu had a devastating impact on the world population.

        Maybe it’s the Rich pricks medical version of “Let them eat cake”

        http://www.historytoday.com/ole-j-benedictow/black-death-greatest-catastrophe-ever
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic

        Imagine trying to deal with things like this, with a depressed health sector. You Can’t.

        You need the Medical Schools!

        • dukeofurl 3.2.1.1

          Obviously they identify the overhead due to medical training and ask the university to ‘pay for it’

          Many years ago up in Auckland, I was surprised how much time was spent by regular staff in ‘research’. These werent medical staff who were both professors and surgeons but run of the mill registrars and consultants.

          Even nurses are onto the research bandwagon

          Future research is obviously good but this was for the most part ‘file and forget’ research.

          For me , I would restrict research to clinical staff who were good at it, and was had some real benefit to NZ and wasn’t being done elsewhere. There are certain areas that would be unique to NZ.

          • McFlock 3.2.1.1.1

            yeah, lots of staff wear multiple “hats”, even down to 0.2EFTE – not just between uni vs DHB, but to between departments within either organisation (e.g. 0.4 clinician, 0.4 teaching, 0.2 uni research project).

            It actually makes it worthwhile to bring some staff down – the DHB gets a clinician, the university gets an academic, and the person gets a decent whack of varied work.

            And some of them work insane hours, because the HR department for each organisation have plausible deniability so let them work 60/80 hours per week even after their time as a registrar. Fucked if I could be bothered with that, but I’ve never been cursed with ambition or self-discipline.

      • NZJester 3.2.2

        Actually get rid of the medical school and they will not have as many cheap student doctors on call to cover all the shifts. Having to employ fully qualified doctors would very likely mean costs would go up by quite a lot.

    • Ergo Robertina 3.3

      What services have been withdrawn from Invercargill?

  4. vto 4

    self-justification is truly a sight to behold….. the things people, especially politicians like Nick Smith, bring themselves to believe is sometimes so bizarre they become a laughing stock.

    as here

  5. RedLogix 5

    Of course all this does is make matters worse. Before she could have claimed she was implementing unpopular measures that she genuinely believed were nonetheless the right thing to do.

    Now she’s just made it plain that she knows they are wrong and had to be paid to do them.

    And everybody knows.

    • yep – so the framing has made the situation worse and she has backed herself into a corner – I really don’t think anyone is worth that daily amount – no one is that valuable even if they are driving through unpleasant, unwelcome and ultimately unwanted changes.

      • RedLogix 5.1.1

        Of course the construction of this frame may be even darker. After several months on what must be a very unpopular and unpleasant job – perhaps she went back and either demanded more pay or threatened to resign.

        And the framing of this announcement is a public pay-back?

        • marty mars 5.1.1.1

          hmmm yep one must never discount that style of interaction – could be some blowback now the numbers are in the public arena

          • Sacha 5.1.1.1.1

            Isn’t that the same daily rate (outside all state sector remuneration formulas) that Brownlee decided to bestow on Jenny Shipley for her advice on ECan?

  6. Gosman 6

    Once again the solution from the left seems to be throw more money at the issue. That is what led to the problems in Greece as previous governments just spent money without regard to controls and checks.

    • Pat 6.1

      Bollocks…an internal trade imbalance within the Eurozone caused Greeces problem and the powers that be simply looked the other way until circumstances forced them to turn their heads and acknowledge the fact, and even then they deliberately misdiagnosed….somewhat akin to whats happening to the regions within NZ

    • vto 6.2

      ha ha that is very funny

    • dv 6.3

      You mean like throwing $1400 day at the problem?

    • McFlock 6.4

      That is what led to the problems in Greece as previous governments just spent money without regard to collecting taxes from wealthy people and corporations.

      FIFY

      • Gosman 6.4.1

        Not really just wealthy people. Pretty much anybody who could get away with it. However the overspending the Greeks did was as bad. They didn’t keep track of how much they actually spent, only how much they were planning on spending. In that sense they had a situation similar to the Southern DHB as they spent far more than they originally planned to do.

        • vto 6.4.1.1

          You’re obsessed man… and losing sight of shitloads of realities about the situation….. damaging the credibility of your views

        • Chch_chiquita 6.4.1.2

          I really don’t get all these stupid people down south, why do they insist on being sick and in need of more service than the DHB have planned for?

          • McFlock 6.4.1.2.1

            on the contrary, the commissioner is an excellent idea, because the DHB keep planning on providing services it can’t afford, like clinics and leak-free operating theatres. Bad management is the problem!

          • The Chairman 6.4.1.2.2

            Indeed. Hospitals perform far better without patients.

            https://youtu.be/UxGsay6OfFk

        • Tracey 6.4.1.3

          get back on topic gosman.

    • Stuart Munro 6.5

      Once again the tiresome apologist for the fascists delivers his unthinking diatribe. The southern region is very productive – munting it will prove very costly indeed. But when did these wreckers ever care about the damage they do.

    • Once again the solution from the left seems to be throw more money at the issue.

      No, Gosman, that parroted cliche only works if you’re “throwing money” at;

      * CEOs, with their multi-million dollar bloated salaries,

      * tax cuts at the wealthy,

      * corporate welfare to Rio Tinto, Warner Bros, Saudi businessmen, South Canterbury Finance, et al,

      * MoBIE fit-outs

      Spending on healthcare is an investment. Like, you know, preventing people getting sicker and sicker until they drop dead in the streets, or just don’t wake up in their beds.

      It helps if you think through your really stupid comments before opening that mouth of yours. Parrots talk, but haven’t a clue what they’re saying.

      • Gosman 6.6.1

        How would you fix the problems at the Southern DHB then Frank? I don’t even mind if it involves taking money from the Commissioner but there has to be some other place you can find it.

        • Wonderpup 6.6.1.1

          Hold on, I thought we sold a whole lot of assets to build new hospitals. Where are they then?

          • aidan 6.6.1.1.1

            ghost hospitals? ghost schools?oh yeah ghost surplus

          • Tracey 6.6.1.1.2

            plus 1

          • Puckish Rogue 6.6.1.1.3

            Of course we won’t mention the billion that was lost because of the futile attempt by the left to sabotage the sales

            • dukeofurl 6.6.1.1.3.1

              Sabotage ?

              Who but a fool would try and sell 3 power companies in a row ? Thats what depressed the price.

            • NZJester 6.6.1.1.3.2

              Sales that made no real long term economic sense. For a quick money boost to their books to try and make it look like they had a surplus, National sold of assets that made the NZ tax payer a lot of money. Now a lot of money that used to go back into our economy is instead going overseas.

        • aidan 6.6.1.2

          well i don’t know, how bout establishing an appropriate amount of funding to supply adequate services? sdhb has been chronically underfunded for years because of continuous slashing cuts. there hasn’t been any fat to trim for years, but they keep on cuttin’

        • Stuart Munro 6.6.1.3

          The big problem is our Treasury morons never balance their books. You let in foreign workers you lose the money that would’ve been spent in the local economy by local people, nevermind the income tax.

          The staff in Otago are world class, they can double their pay just by crossing the ditch, and most of them can earn 5-10x as much in the States if they choose. But pretending to be a business instead of a government, the kleptocrats send in an overpaid hatchet-wonk. If they collapse the med school they’ll claim it as a victory. It’s rather like the stupid push to seize meals-on-wheels: fuck with the people and the volunteers will withdraw the free delivery.

          I keep hearing that the Gnats are economic experts – well they ought to have plenty of money then. Fact is that they are always broke. Their economic pretensions are as threadbare as Gosman’s arguments.

          Labour are infinitely better economic managers, and Labour are nothing special. These fools really suck.

    • Detrie 6.7

      Indeed. Squandering money away on sick people and medical resources in the provinces (as opposed to lavish pensions, tax avoidance and corruption that got Greece in trouble), is the way to go then? And why not punish the children too… Hold on, we’re on track with that one. And don’t forget the $25m on the flag is really, really critical to our nations health and well being…..

    • Tracey 6.8

      its cheaper to let people die and suffer from disease gosman?

    • red-blooded 6.9

      Actually, the way I understand it, Gosman, the SDHB has lost a lot of funding due to the stringent application of the “population-based funding” model, and that has seen resources sent up North to more densely-populated areas. At first glance, that seems logical (put the resources where most people can benefit from them), but it ignores the special challenges of operating within such a large and challenging geographical area, with such run-down facilities. While the formula claims to be adjusted for “rural populations” the fact is that this doesn’t account for the needs of people in Invercargill (for example), who aren’t “rural” but are still more than 3 hours away from Dunedin. I also seem to recall that when the two previous health boards merged, there were debts from the Southland Health Board (originally a stand-alone body) that were then imposed on the new Southern District Health Board. Unsurprisingly, they have never been able to free themselves of the burden of this debt.

      I have dealings with multiple hospital departments on an all-too-regular basis, and I can tell you that we’re not living lives of luxury down here.

      I don’t mind the idea of a commissioner, if it’s a truly independent person with trusted expertise in a problem-solving role and if there’s a commitment from government to front up with more funds or forgive some debt if the commissioner deems it necessary. We always knew that it was unlikely that the commissioner would actually have this status or function, though, and the latest announcements have made that very obvious.

      Once again the solution from the Right seems to be to suck more money away from the needy. ‘Cos it’s not like THAT’S ever caused any problems in NZ or the wider world, is it..?

      • Sacha 6.9.1

        Population-based funding adjusts for proven health determinants like poverty, ethnicity and age – not density.

        Given that some other DHBs around the country manage with dispersed populations, I still have not seen any reasoning why SDHB is so unable to meet its budget compared with all other similar organisations.

        • Ergo Robertina 6.9.1.1

          Can you name a DHB in a similar situation Sacha?
          Bear in mind a geographically large DHB like Waikato serves a massive number of inter-district patients, which increases revenue.
          Southern does seem to have some unique challenges. Do you dispute that?

          • Sacha 6.9.1.1.1

            I haven’t seen anyone describe what those unique challenges are. Links welcome. I do know inter-district flows were certainly not regarded as a bonus by Auckland DHB, which has most of them.

            • Ergo Robertina 6.9.1.1.1.2

              Well perhaps you aren’t conversant with the DHB’s characteristics, but they aren’t a big secret. They include a land mass of more than 60,000sqkm, two base hospitals, a high-volume tourist area, multiple rural hospitals, a tertiary hospital with low inter-district in-flows but high out-flows, and PBF adjusters that yield less for its rural and aged aspects than other rural-based DHBs with older populations.
              Can you please give examples of the DHBs you claimed were doing well with dispersed populations?
              Maybe your poster child of a dispersed population is West Coast DHB – it certainly is dispersed. It’s also a long-time basket case that’s now under the wing of Canterbury.

              • Sacha

                I was thinking more of MidCentral and Tairawhiti, but they don’t have the same hospitals configuration I guess.

                • Ergo Robertina

                  Yeah, they’re not the same – especially Tairawhiti – it only serves 46,000 people.
                  You also compared Southern with Auckland, in that the latter didn’t look favourably on inter-district flows. You can’t really compare them.
                  In Southern, the extra patients might spell the difference between a specialty being able to sustain a clinically safe level of staffing (3 specialists) compared with a clinically unsafe level (2).
                  Obviously AK doesn’t have specialties at risk in that way. But the key point is that if it did – it’s a stone’s throw away from a number of other DHBs on its doorstep.

      • Ergo Robertina 6.9.2

        You’re right on PBF. Areas with rapidly growing pops accrue funding regardless of their actual costs, while DHBs with stagnant pops face a vicious circle — stagnant funding + consistent overheads (and quite possibly growing demand despite pop numbers).
        It’s not like the community suddenly expect fewer services because there are fewer people!
        Sacha’s repeating the political spin deployed by National and Labour (except when either of them are in Opposition).

        • Sacha 6.9.2.1

          The CTU has released projections showing the whole health system has been underfunded year after year. I believe that is not OK.

          • Ergo Robertina 6.9.2.1.1

            What’s your point?
            Are you suggesting all DHBs are faring equally because of the underlying under-funding?

            • Sacha 6.9.2.1.1.1

              Other DHBs are managing restricted budgets. I do not believe any of them should be under that much pressure. That’s where my own view might diverge from the political parties you cite.

              • Ergo Robertina

                You’d probably be surprised by how much DHB spending is set by things like national employment agreements – there’s not that much you can change without withdrawing services. I doubt southerners are wildly over-treated – but then I guess we’ll know more next year when the new ‘unmet need’ figures they’re collecting start to filter out.
                No-one can say any area is fairly funded compared with the others, because the Ministry of Health won’t release the workings of the PBF formula, which seems to have weird anomalies between regions.
                Otago University researchers even went to great pains to clarify it and failed, and their report would be worth reading (this is a press release, couldn’t find the full report: http://www.otago.ac.nz/news/news/otago033152.html

  7. millsy 7

    When National was last in power (back in the dark days), they sacked every AHB in the country and installed commissioners who proceeded to embark on slash and burn programs.

    I think Mackasy (sp?) posted a news clipping a week or so ago from 1990/91 about how the commissioner that replaced Auckland’s board was shifting elderly patients from public geriatric wards into private rest homes.

    Im guessing we will see more privatisation in the SDHB.

    • dukeofurl 7.1

      That was the ‘corporatisation’ of the public health service.

      It cost hundreds of millions as in some cases a regional based hospital service with small offsite head office overhead was replaced with each large hospital having its own management structure and staff.

      Then on top of that there was 3 separate health service ‘funders’ covering large parts of the country, all with expensive managers and consultants to dish out the money.

      They implemented a ‘cash registers in wards’ program as the funding shortfalls were to me made up by patients as they left hospital ( much like you would pay for car parking). It was stopped by public outrage.

  8. Aidan 8

    Um. She’s only been on the job, what, couple of months? Already a pay rise? 1400 a day? RIP SDHB

    • weka 8.1

      I’m not sure if $1400/day is the amoutn of the increase or the total amount she gets.

  9. weka 9

    That’s fairly rage inducing news. Time to get back out on the streets Otago and Southland. Remember what happened with neurology?

  10. Malconz 10

    There’s a doco about rural health care scheduled on TV3 at 9.30pm on August 13 . It covers a year in the life of a rural Otago hospital, and shows how staff work ever longer hours to paper over the cracks created by under-funding… at precisely the time that the SDHB was being pressured to cut budgets even more!

  11. Aidan 11

    Also, Gosman why try and tie everything to Greece? Are you stupid?sdhb NEEDS money to serve the public, what’s with the right always trying to steal money and cut public services? I’d hardly call providing adequate funding ” throwing money at it”

  12. Aidan 12

    Weka, the fight for neurology merely postponed the inevitable. Watch as the “commissioner” cuts this and plenty more. Sets the stage for privatisation wouldn’t you say

    • weka 12.1

      The fight for neurology showed the mainstream what happens when they mobilise. This govt won’t ignore another 10,000 people marching through the middle of Dunedin (bearing mind we’re talking about a SDHB rohe that includes some big National electorates). Of course they’ll try and get away with whatever they can, that’s what Key’s govt does. Doesn’t mean we have to let them.

      • aidan 12.1.1

        i wish i shared your optimism weka, but i think the role of this commissioner is to do as she’s instructed despite any public outcry, hence the pay hike. also along these lines watch the ttp go through despite what is going to be overwhelming opposition from the public. reminds me a little of asset sales?

  13. Aidan 13

    From the post I,d say 1400 is the total, but oh my gosh! Funny how the right hate “throwing money” at services yet are comfortable with obscene pay checks for the lackeys and lickspittles of the powerfull

  14. Colonial Viper 14

    The government can simply issue (or borrow, or tax) the money it needs any time it wants, to pay for anything it deems to be a high enough priority.

    Meanwhile, there must be a yacht team out there who needs another $30M.

    • NZJester 14.1

      This government is to busy spending money on a flag change we can not afford.
      The referendums are only the tip of the iceberg of money that will need to be spent. If to many vote to change the flag in the second referendum we are going to be in for a big cash drain as all the flags at our government buildings and embassies are changed. The shoulder patches on our soldiers uniforms are pulled off and new ones put on. Brand new textbooks printed for schools. Some government forms changed as well as new passports issued. Expensive international advertising to let people in other countries know we have changed our flag.
      Then there will be the money that most international trading NZ companies will also have to spend. Any that use the NZ flag in advertising material or packaging will need to spend a lot of money changing it all.
      All that money wasted would be far better spent on boosting the funding to our hospitals.

      • cogito 14.1.1

        I agree. The whole flag thing is just a cynical Key ego trip. It absolutely stinks.

        • NZJester 14.1.1.1

          I actually don’t think it is a Key ego trip. It is more of a smoke and mirrors to make it look like National is doing something and to give their right wing pet so called journalists something to fill the papers with so they can hide all the important stories away from the public eye.
          Why print stories about the gutting of the Southern DHB when you can print a story about the flag referendum and what flags are available to pick from.
          Hide the stories about the important stuff about Nationals bungling and cutting of services away from the public.
          We should all do a write in vote for a red fish on a white background as it is all just one big red herring.

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    It seems even our transport agencies don’t want Labour’s harbour crossing plans. In August the previous government and Waka Kotahi announced their absurd preferred option the new harbour crossing that at the time was estimated to cost $35-45 billion. It included both road tunnels and a wiggly light rail tunnel ...
    3 days ago
  • Webworm Presents: Jurassic Park on 35mm
    Hi,Paying Webworm members such as yourself keep this thing running, so as 2023 draws to close, I wanted to do two things to say a giant, loud “THANKS”. Firstly — I’m giving away 10 Mister Organ blu-rays in New Zealand, and another 10 in America. More details down below.Secondly — ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • The Prime Minister's Dream.
    Yesterday saw the State Opening of Parliament, the Speech from the Throne, and then Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s dream for Aotearoa in his first address. But first the pomp and ceremony, the arrival of the Governor General.Dame Cindy Kiro arrived on the forecourt outside of parliament to a Māori welcome. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • National’s new MP; the proud part-Maori boy raised in a state house
    Probably not since 1975 have we seen a government take office up against such a wall of protest and complaint. That was highlighted yesterday, the day that the new Parliament was sworn in, with news that King Tuheitia has called a national hui for late January to develop a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Climate Adam: Battlefield Earth – How War Fuels Climate Catastrophe
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). War, conflict and climate change are tearing apart lives across the world. But these aren't separate harms - they're intricately connected. ...
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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 ...
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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 ...
    4 days 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    5 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 ...
    5 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 ...
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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 ...
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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 ...
    6 days ago
  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    7 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 ...
    7 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
    7 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
    7 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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 ...
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week ago

  • Ministers visit Hawke’s Bay to grasp recovery needs
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Cyclone Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, to meet leaders of cyclone and flood-affected regions in the Hawke’s Bay. The visit reinforced the coalition Government’s commitment to support the region and better understand its ongoing requirements, Mr Mitchell says.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity
    New Zealand has joined the UK and other partners in condemning malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government, Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau Judith Collins says. The statement follows the UK’s attribution today of malicious cyber activity impacting its domestic democratic institutions and processes, as well ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Disestablishment of Te Pūkenga begins
    The Government has begun the process of disestablishing Te Pūkenga as part of its 100-day plan, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds says.  “I have started putting that plan into action and have met with the chair and chief Executive of Te Pūkenga to advise them of my ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend COP28 in Dubai
    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will be leaving for Dubai today to attend COP28, the 28th annual UN climate summit, this week. Simon Watts says he will push for accelerated action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, deliver New Zealand’s national statement and connect with partner countries, private sector leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand to host 2024 Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM). “Having just returned from this year’s meeting in Nouméa, I witnessed first-hand the value of meeting with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security and defence matters. I welcome the opportunity to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Study shows need to remove distractions in class
    The Government is committed to lifting school achievement in the basics and that starts with removing distractions so young people can focus on their learning, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.   The 2022 PISA results released this week found that Kiwi kids ranked 5th in the world for being distracted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    4 days 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
    5 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
    5 days ago
  • Post-Cabinet press conference
    Most weeks, following Cabinet, the Prime Minister holds a press conference for members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. This page contains the transcripts from those press conferences, which are supplied by Hansard to the Office of the Prime Minister. It is important to note that the transcripts have not been edited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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
    7 days ago
  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
    New Zealand welcomes the further one-day extension of the pause in fighting, which will allow the delivery of more urgently-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of more hostages, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “The human cost of the conflict is horrific, and New Zealand wants to see the violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government his condolences to the family of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut. “While opinions on his legacy are varied, Secretary Kissinger was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Backing our kids to learn the basics
    Every child deserves a world-leading education, and the Coalition Government is making that a priority as part of its 100-day plan. Education Minister Erica Stanford says that will start with banning cellphone use at school and ensuring all primary students spend one hour on reading, writing, and maths each day. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • US Business Summit Speech – Regional stability through trade
    I would like to begin by echoing the Prime Minister’s thanks to the organisers of this Summit, Fran O’Sullivan and the Auckland Business Chamber.  I want to also acknowledge the many leading exporters, sector representatives, diplomats, and other leaders we have joining us in the room. In particular, I would like ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Keynote Address to the United States Business Summit, Auckland
    Good morning. Thank you, Rosemary, for your warm introduction, and to Fran and Simon for this opportunity to make some brief comments about New Zealand’s relationship with the United States.  This is also a chance to acknowledge my colleague, Minister for Trade Todd McClay, Ambassador Tom Udall, Secretary of Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • India New Zealand Business Council Speech, India as a Strategic Priority
    Good morning, tēnā koutou and namaskar. Many thanks, Michael, for your warm welcome. I would like to acknowledge the work of the India New Zealand Business Council in facilitating today’s event and for the Council’s broader work in supporting a coordinated approach for lifting New Zealand-India relations. I want to also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Coalition Government unveils 100-day plan
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has laid out the Coalition Government’s plan for its first 100 days from today. “The last few years have been incredibly tough for so many New Zealanders. People have put their trust in National, ACT and NZ First to steer them towards a better, more prosperous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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