Hello 2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:12 am, January 1st, 2018 - 34 comments
Categories: The Standard - Tags: ,

Ngā mihi o te tau hou, wishing us all the best for 2018. Perhaps we could try and be a bit kinder to each other. Here are some New Year twitter gems from the middle of the night. Would love to hear about what we (the left, progressives, NZ) got right last year and what the Standardistas are thinking about politics and life for the coming year.

https://twitter.com/ArrestJK/status/947420903406673920

https://twitter.com/landpsychology/status/947446782681808899

 

34 comments on “Hello 2018 ”

  1. One Anonymous Bloke 1

    Happy new year!

    Political wishes for this year, same as last year: that Parliament reverses the trends of the last thirty years.

  2. dv 2

    The biological evolution time line really put things in perspective.

  3. James 3

    Happy new year to you as well Weka hope 2018 treats you wel.

  4. cleangreen 4

    TO Weka;

    Here’s a wish for you’ – from a very warm and wonderful morning in Matawai in the Ruakumara mountains welcoming you to 2018.

    In 2018 we join together to guide this new era of a Government that promises to be a warmer kinder, inclussive, and caring administration to carry us forward to regain our county’s past recognition of one of the best countries to live and bring up a family in a clean safe healhy environment, where one and all share equally in our commonwealth of many treasured riches to carefully conserve for all our futures.

  5. Carolyn_Nth 5

    Tēnā rawa atu koe , weka.

    New Year: same struggles continue. May this year bring more out of poverty, more people leading fruitful lives, and more power to the people.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxR5rWkkHJY

  6. greywarshark 6

    Perhaps we could try to be balanced in 2018 as well as kind. I treasure this blog as a debating place about what is good for us. what is bad for us, for NZ, the environment and the peoples distant and near on the planet. If there are any on other planets they can worry about themselves, I don’t believe in space exploration having billions poured into it.

    We have millenium worries, they need to be looked at clearly; personal ones too but not harped on with attention constantly drawn by the personal from the wider, from the local as well as the universal. Sentimentality and compassion can be applied too thickly, kindness also. Kindness first, moving onto the problem and how best to ameliorate it next, and then an understanding of how it fits into the universal problem and how to ameliorate that. Some seem to get stuck into the compassion and never can arise from the soggy mess.

    I can’t promise to be kind. I notice that sometimes I am kind when others aren’t noticeably being so. Perhaps we should all advocate for our own position of kindness and rein ourselves in from the undeserved cutting remark or criticism, and limit the extent of the profanity even in general rants which can be so therapeutic. That would be a good aim I think and which I will try to apply.

    But let us be honest for goodness sake, not be weasly PC people. I have been involved with some apparently PC people recently and when you get to know them, they are hollow, talkers and posers, with not much decency and kindness underneath.

    The kindest thing we can do is to keep watching and alert like meercats or prairie dogs, caring for each other and guarding against snakes in the grass to protect the health of the culture of the whole locality, country, world. Some snakes in the grass come from within our own kind and kindness in such a situation shows in using wisdom, understanding, self-control and bravery to discriminate who the dangerous ones are, avoiding simple prejudice or paranoia. Quite tricky really.
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fouH5TMJFRI

    • cleangreen 6.1

      Well said Greywarshark;

      Life is a balancing act and so are every soul living in our sphere of life.

      I think civility is the way to go forward, as we need to also see others views without acting like the grim reaper hitting back with ‘the undeserved cutting remark or criticism’ as you prointed out that some use against others.

      I come here to offer my experience of life as most do.

      I also offer the added knowleadge of being chemically posioned in 1992 and still stuggle the after effects so it is hitting to help others not to find themselves in my place after a workplace injury.

      If I save only just one other life during my ‘expose’ of chemcals, then I feel it a worthwhile effort made. The last nine years these issues were not taken seriously by Government.

    • I don’t believe in space exploration having billions poured into it.

      Why not?

      If we want to continue living after the Earth can no longer support life then we’re going to need somewhere else to go. And sitting on our hands isn’t going to get us there.

      And, no, the money spent on can’t be better spent on eliminating poverty. We have poverty because capitalism requires it.

      • greywarshark 6.2.1

        If we can’t make it on Earth I don’t agree we should have used up the last of our resources that could have been made available to humans to help them downgrade their expectations and manage on the smell of an oily rag (name of a book by RW couple in NZ with advice for you and I, though perhaps not you).

        We had a wonderful place here, if we kill this off then I think we are a desperately demented species and should die out not go to another Planet to continue our madness.

        • Draco T Bastard 6.2.1.1

          If we can’t make it on Earth I don’t agree we should have used up the last of our resources that could have been made available to humans to help them downgrade their expectations and manage on the smell of an oily rag

          It doesn’t take away resources to do that as it uses a completely different set of resources.

          Then there’s the fact that the space programs of the are actually fairly minimal. Little more than a mere $100 billion per year combined.

          We had a wonderful place here, if we kill this off then I think we are a desperately demented species and should die out not go to another Planet to continue our madness.

          Yes. We should protect the place we have. That’s a given. If we don’t we’re likely to wipe ourselves out before we can leave.

      • rod 6.2.2

        @DTB. How about Planet Key?

        • Whispering Kate 6.2.2.1

          Hell’s teeth, I want to sleep tonight, not be plagued with nightmares.

        • cleangreen 6.2.2.2

          Hey Rod we should send this reminder to john Key to give him nightmares like he gave us all.

          Happy new year for 2018 folks.

          This is a good read/watch to get all National trolls to get used to the change of government, now that MMP has chosen a “Labour coalition Government.

          http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/346875/2017-mmp-comes-of-age
          2017: MMP comes of age
          1:25 pm on 23 December 2017
          Finlay Macdonald, Contributor
          @MacFinlay news@radionz.co.nz
          Opinion – As my personal contribution to the smooth functioning of parliamentary democracy, I’d like to suggest the National Party caucus be made to watch all three series of the lauded Danish TV drama Borgen.

          If you haven’t seen it, https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2013/nov/16/borgen-recap-season-three-episodes-one-two

          the programme follows the rapid rise of a young, charismatic female politician to leader of a minority government, requiring skilful coalition negotiations and the constant management of compromise and competing agendas.

          Big issues such as immigration, environmental standards, health care and state pensions force the various parties to balance their political ideals with the pragmatic solutions required to govern and stay in power.

          Sound familiar?

          Denmark is not a mirror of New Zealand, but the core ingredients of proportional politics in the two countries are broadly similar. Which is why a good old binge-watch of Borgen might be just what certain National MPs and their cheerleaders need to help them adapt to the realities of a new era.

          Put simply, 2017 was the year MMP came of age. Yet, like ageing duffers exasperated by new-fangled technology.

          The National Party has blamed everything and everyone except itself for the system not working to its liking.

      • Andre 6.2.3

        Uhh, the resources and effort required to send a few people off to make a self-sufficient colony somewhere else in the solar system is vastly greater than what would be required to maintain habitability on the one planet we know of that is capable of sustaining life. Let alone what would be required to send humans somewhere beyond the solar system.

        • Draco T Bastard 6.2.3.1

          Uhh, the resources and effort required to send a few people off to make a self-sufficient colony somewhere else in the solar system is vastly greater than what would be required to maintain habitability on the one planet we know of that is capable of sustaining life.

          Different set of resources and so having a decent space program makes no difference to the resources available for protecting life here.

          And the resources are tiny for the space program compared to the costs involved in protecting life on Earth. To protect life on Earth we have to change our entire infrastructure which is measured in hundreds of billions of dollars per year spent over decades. We needed to start doing that decades ago but the oil industry didn’t like that idea.

      • Matthew Whitehead 6.2.4

        Building on that…

        There are good reasons even if we want to live in a more sustainable way on Earth that we’d still want to have human outposts elsewhere in the solar system. (ie. extinction-proofing ourselves from large asteroids, etc…)

        Also, it’s conceivable that with just a little research development work we could start buliding self-assembling solar satellites that collect solar power in space and beam it back down to earth, making energy ridiculously cheap.

        I think it’s also important that once we’ve handled climate change and so on, we’ll want to have goals that we can peacefully co-operate on. Advancing science and exploring our solar system are reasonable reasons to have a space program, so long as it’s worth its budget. By and large, we don’t actually spend very much on space programs. They are incredibly cheap and have numerous indirect benefits. The tricky thing will be going into space in a net-negative or net-zero carbon future, which will probably mean licking that whole space elevator thing.

  7. red-blooded 7

    I think one of the big issues for people who write for, read and comment on TS this year will be striking a balance between hope, commitment to our own political values and agendas, loyalty to whichever parties, groupings or organisations we may identify with, idealism and (dare I say it?) realism. We have a new government and they have better values and priorities than the last one, but they still work within the same political paradigm and they won’t be able to fix everything. They’ll be should be going in the general direction that most of us want, on most issues, but they won’t go as far or as fast as many here would like, because they’ll need to keep an eye on the balance book and on the mainstream. While it’s fine to call them out if they act contrary to their announced policies or priorities, or if we disagree on a fundamental level with their decisions or actions, I also think we’ll have to cut them a bit of slack, at times. Parliamentary politics is the art of the possible, and sometimes we need to look at the broader view.

    Most of the time I’ve been commenting here we’ve been in full attack mode on a lot of issues, with a government that’s either ignored, denied, minimised or actively made many of these issues worse. This government is taking action on lots of the things we’ve been concerned about, but they don’t have a magic wand. Poverty, homelessness, climate change, environmental degradation… this problems aren’t just going to evaporate. There’ll be lots of steps needed, to make progress with big, complex issues.

    The current coalition only just won the popular vote in 2017. I really hope they’ll be a positive, progressive government and that they’ll be with us for more than one term (with or without NZF). I’m sure they’ll be criticised on this site at times and that’s fair enough – I guess I’m just saying, let’s try to be constructive and let’s remember the bigger picture. That’s my wish for TS in 2018. Not a cheerleading site, but able to accept and acknowledge progress when we see it.

  8. greywarshark 8

    Good words RB.

    Just thinking. The Left is generally trying for change, improvements, while the Right are conservative, incremental changes that hardly alter the status quo, once it is in a form that suits them. So the Left have to go at things with a head of steam so they have the momentum and mass to make changes. They may then overshoot the mark. They can be rigid – just do it like this, follow the recipe and all will be well. The Right are willing to fast-forward legislation to make things better for themselves, are more flexible as they have less ethical sinew, if any. The Left can be sanctimonious and authoritarian (though supposedly being for the ordinary person) as the Right.

    And in a way the Left are conservative too. That’s why they look for a conservative answer to the rising cost of superannuation, putting the age up to 67. It would be a truly Left innovation to be proud of if they came up with some other alternatives and took them up and down the country for public discussion.

    Could they truly consult every year on all things, both to get feedback and to explain the reasons for certain changes and new laws, what the intention was, how the feedback monitoring and stats are telling them about the outcomes, what the public have noticed that was good or bad? They would go to the enclaves, South Auckland, North Shore, the regions, Southland/Otago where there seems to be a diehard farming one etc. and attempt to get some realism into the hearts and minds, there would be a better informed voter coming forward and an increase in voters by say about 10%.

    It wouldn’t automatically follow that voting from that idea would cause an increase. But making voting day special with bands and balloons and children’s choirs, and kapa haka, coming in every hour or so, that would make all the difference in arousing interest and getting the families involved who you want to start voting and taking an interest in ‘their’ country, not an us and them mentality. There would be food and drink carts also, so feeding the body and the mind and the positive culture.

  9. Incognito 9

    The recent stats regarding the most commented and most popular posts here on TS give food for thought. Given that there are “currently approx 23x lurkers to commenters” (https://thestandard.org.nz/the-standards-most-commented-on-posts-of-2017/#comment-1431122) there seem to be remarkably many one-on-one (or two- or three-on-one) threads here in which the usual culprits active contributors are seemingly oblivious that they are ‘debating’ on a public and widely-read forum. There’s more to TS than just the comment or post you’re directly replying/responding to and the context is more than just (the) perceived ‘adversaries’ on TS.

    As humans we cannot focus on the small picture and on the big picture at the same time. We need to be more flexible and dynamic in dealing with issues and not always act/react from one fixed PoV (i.e. our own one!).

    These days, many people show limited range of movement, physically and mentally, so to speak, and it seems to be getting even less over time. Meanwhile, the world and life are getting more complicated and complex and yet we seem less well equipped to handle things, as individuals but also collectively. And it shows, doesn’t it?

  10. Ad 10

    The left in New Zealand got a lot right last year.

    – We co-operated as Labour and the Greens sufficiently enough to attract New Zealand First, and as a result of that government forming tens of thousands of people will get pulled out of poverty.

    – We have seen shifts in the mainstream media that make it impossible for commentators to deny climate change.

    – We saw a further positive shift in representations of historical sex crimes.

    – In Auckland we saw a lot more co-operation at ground level between the Greens and Labour activists.

    – We saw one really large dam killed off in Hawkes Bay, and as a result the Forest and Bird society got real respect in Wellington as not to be messed with even as the RMA was gutted.

    – We saw the debate turn about water and irrigation, thanks to whole bunches of activists.

    Quite a lot of really good stuff.

    • weka 10.1

      Nice one, thanks Ad.

    • red-blooded 10.2

      That’s true, Ad, and we should celebrate the things we got right. On this site, there was a lot of factionalism, though. I think we have to try to acknowledge the range of left opinion and activism, without claiming that there’s only one way to be “true left”. I know I spent a lot of my time leading up to the election defending Labour as a party of the left. Instead of attacking each other, we need to keep our eyes on the bigger issues.

      At national level, the Greens and Labour signed the MOU and I think the coalition agreement is a pretty good attempt to allow for occasional differences of opinion while still working together and sharing responsibility. I’d like to think we can operate in a similar way here – accepting that we’ll sometimes disagree about priorities or tactics but not trying to tear each other down on that basis.

      There’ll always be debate on TS, and that’s good and fine. There doesn’t have to be factionalism, though.

      • Ad 10.2.1

        Red, it’s pretty obvious how TS is viewed by Labour’s caucus. That caucus has been riven by factions and is having to be root-and-branched to calm it. Can’t really expect the same here.

        But it’s also not unreasonable for a fair volume of febrile contest to occur in 2017 given how low Labour and the Greens sank.

        Also, lefties get nervous on TS when across the world most of their parliamentary movements are in rapid decline, punctuated only by occasional pentecostal arm waving from minor movements that rapidly go nowhere.

        There was also no bigger issue this year than getting elected, and being competitive in debate is a fact of life in that.

        So no-one is trying to get elected in 2018, and the big redistributions that this government will be making at the start of the 2018 financial year will shut a fair bit of complaining up.

        It’s not quite like The Lorax here in NZ, but the outbursts of grumpy idealism have a reasonable basis.

        • Carolyn_Nth 10.2.1.1

          I strongly disagree. Left wing movements overseas are still going, but maybe just don’t get that much mainstream coverage.

          There’s an international economic storm coming, which will be very unsettling. We have a government with a late 20th century 3rd way approach, which is not what will be needed for the coming challenges.

          The NZ Greens’ left was knee capped during the election. Either that needs to be re-built – and probably needs leadership from Marama Davidson to do that – or I will be looking for a new or revitalised grass roots left in NZ, and possibly the start of a new left wing party (as suggested by Sue Bradford) – needs to be started this year.

          I’m not that excited by our current government, but it is a relief to get a break from the NACT government. I expect some good legislation to come, but nowhere near as game-changing as will be needed.

          • SPC 10.2.1.1.1

            The Greens were a little knee-capped by the Labourites in the former co-leaders family sure, but the leftist policy is intact and not going anywhere.

            There was the same idea that the Greens rejected the left when Turei was selected as leader over Bradford. Not so.

            If Labour and Greens are to succeed then the constant promotion of a new left wing party as per Harre/Dotcom needs to die – for all means build a genuine left wing activism new pressure group to build promotional campaigns for the cause, but don’t contribute to political division. That just waste votes. Be disciplined.

            • Carolyn_Nth 10.2.1.1.1.1

              The left didn’t die in the GP because Turei showed leadership on anti-poverty and economic and social justice. Davidson could probably re-build such a leadership.

              The Mana Party and movement was building before the the Mana-Internet Party debacle. There are no shortcuts to building a new party.

              At the moment there is no truly left wing party. There is a small constituency for a strong left party in NZ – one that strongly supports the precariat,beneficiaries, and all those struggling in the margins. And there should be room for that in an MMP set up.

              Solidarity for solidarity’s sake when it’s headed in the wrong direction, or just to protect a comfortable centrism, is pointless.

  11. SPC 12

    Times Up.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42534124

    A legal fund available to women who are subjected to harassment in the workplace.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-29T00:51:25+00:00