How Russia Loses

Written By: - Date published: 2:05 pm, May 26th, 2022 - 90 comments
Categories: Economy, International, Russia, uncategorized, war - Tags:

Even after just four months it is time count what Russia has lost and will continue to lose.

Yes Russia has effectively captured the east and southern-east of the Ukraine.

Yes Russia has stopped Ukraine sea trade through the Black Sea.

But to the losses.

Russian troops lost the battle for Kiev within the first month. They then lost the entire north.

Russia has lost, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, over 28,000 Russian soldiers and several dozen top military staff. As well as countless armoured vehicles and aircraft. That is on the face of it about 33% of its ground armed forces.

Russia has lost recognition as a competent military power. Since 2013 the US$3.2 billion that Putin’s friend Yevgeny Prigozin was awarded, has provided Russian troops with such meager food supplies that they loot grocery stores. Their convoys have been beset by fuel shortages. Their logistics have drastically slowed their effort. Their tanks are not the once-feared force of the Soviet Bloc.

Russia, its businesses and people, have lost significant access to banking. The G-7 froze the Russian Central Bank’s international currency reserves and removed many Russian banks from SWIFT, the international messaging system for interbank transactions. In a single day Putin wiped out most of the economic gains Russia had made since 1991.

Russia has lost much of its medium-term economic future. Its economy will contract by around 9% in a single year and there is no forecast of major recovery. In August 1998 President Boris Yeltsin had dismissed his entire government for less. Whereas Putin is going to take his tight circle down with him all the way.

Russia has now ceased to publish economic data on banks, oil and debt. This hides the true effect that the economic sanctions are having.

Russia has lost influence in Europe and London. European nations are signing up for their gas elsewhere in Qatar and beyond. Finland and Norway have requested admission to NATO. Most European businesses have withdrawn from Russia and most will not return. Most European oil refineries don’t take Russian oil, though some in Italy and Germany still do.

Russia has lost many key customers, and further narrowed its economy into petroleum and gas exports. Even with over five decades of proven oil reserves left, full Russian decline will occur as reserves decline in the years ahead.

Russia has lost the remainder of Ukraine and its people as a potential ally against Europe and the United States. That is a very different place to 2013.

Russia has lost over 200,000 of its people since the war began. Future flows of emigres are likely to exceed the millions currently streaming out of Ukraine.

What will be lost next? Even if Russian news continues to be censored, the truth will come out. In 10 years of their Afghanistan war 15,000 Soviet soldiers were killed and that failure contributed to the collapse of communist rule. Nearly double that have been killed in the Ukraine to date.

Russia will continue to lose while Putin remains in power. There is no current signal that there is an emerging leadership alternative to Putin. The Presidential Protection Service will shield him well. Russia’s Security Council rarely meets with Putin to guide him on another path. The next Presidential election is March next year.

Russia will face inflation as high as 23% this year, even with its Central Bank going into crisis mode over key rates to stabilise loan rates.

Russian disposable income is dropping extremely fast, even as the Rouble has stabilised.

Russia has lost and is losing far more than it is gaining in this Ukraine invasion.

What Russia is now likely to lose in future years is far worse.

90 comments on “How Russia Loses ”

  1. tsmithfield 1

    I agree with you Advantage.

    It is true that Russia is making some minimal gains at the moment in their rapidly decreasing objective for this operation which seems to involve concentrating masses of their forces on the very minimal objective of encircling Severodonetsk.

    However, the outlook for Russia is not good over the next six months or so due to a number of factors:

    Firstly, the Ukrainians have done something that the Russians have been reluctant to do. That is actually mobilise their population. This is something they have been doing from the beginning of the conflict, and soon will have another 700000 of trained troops. Some of these are being trained right now on the western equipment to come.

    Secondly, over the next several months, equipment from the west will continue to accumulate. At some point in the near future, the Ukrainians are going to be in a very strong position in terms of both soldiers and heavy equipment to drive the Russians out.

    Thirdly, at the moment, any gains the Russians are making are coming at a very high cost as they bash against Ukrainian defensive positions. At the moment, the Russians haven't got any effective way to replace those losses. And they will be well behind the game if they mobilise, as they will need to go through the same process that the Ukrainians have been doing for around three months now.

    Finally, in a couple of months the full effect of western sanctions will be felt in Russia, and it won't be pretty for the Russian public or the Russian military.

  2. Adrian 2

    Good assessments, I feel this may be Putins Vietnam. We have had two young Russian backpackers work for us pre-Covid, bright, intelligent well educated mid 20s who are really very little different to the locals and good luck trying to conscripting our millennials into invading Australia or some such. We are still in touch albeit in a carefully coded way and they are angry. It is already happening in Russia with thousands chanting “ fuck the war “ at a concert in St Petersburg. The young Russians want what our kids want, that is not to be governed by out of touch 70 year old dinosaurs. As a 72 year old dinosaur I sympathise with the kids entirely. Time for 16 to be the new voting age, after all its their world now, not ours.

  3. In Vino 3

    I for one will be pleased if you are right. You do say. "On the face of it," regarding the figures quoted.

    I suspect that the US propaganda machine is working hard behind our news, and they may have learnt nothing since the early stages of the Vietnam war, when the US military made ridiculously optimistic claims regarding body counts of Viet Cong or North Vietnamese. I remember the anti-war senator Wayne Morse doing a count-up of claimed kills using the figures from the US Military, then casting doubts upon them in the Senate by pointing out that to date the entire North Vietnamese army had been killed off more than two times over. (No wonder the Tet Offensive came as a shock.)

    We have been fed stories of Russian corruption, low morale, and heavy losses.

    I wonder what the truth of it all is. Are the Ukranians as bold and valiant as we are told? Or could they also suffer from corruption, low morale, and heavy losses?

    I hope the figures used are reliable, but I feel rather cynical.. The end of all this could be still far away.

    • Francesca 3.1

      Ukrainian soldiers may not be as enthusiastic as we are led to believe.

      Verkhovna Rada member from President Zelensky’s party “Servant of the People” Maryana Bezuglaya has developed a legislative initiative that could allow Ukrainian officials in a conflict situation to kill soldiers who refuse to comply with commands or leave their deployment area without permission

      https://newsfounded.com/russia/a-bill-authorizing-the-killing-of-ukrainian-soldiers-for-disobedience-was-submitted-to-the-rada/

      • GreenBus 3.1.1

        Anybody still think Ukraine is winning??
        The “West” are bravely hanging on to the narrative, but even with near total media control
        there is no denying what’s happening on the ground. And has always been happening.
        Russia is easily winning. Ukraine is bravely defending, but suicidal courage and low moral
        ain’t gonna win this.
        They are being systematically destroyed.
        All the hype in the world will not change the result.

        Domestically, Russia gives Poots about 80% support for the limited war.
        Inflation is falling!
        Supermarket shelves are loaded with food.
        The Ruble is UP and the US Dollar is in free fall (as is there whole stinking country)
        Russian Gas income of 1 Billion per day is covering the costs in Ukraine.
        Overall, Poots and his Military are in total control, despite the “West”efforts.

        USA hegemony is going out the window and about bloody time.

        China with Russia and possibly India will be the new system.

        So now Ukraine is fucked the yanks turn to a war with China. WTF?
        Good luck with that.

        • Kevin Warburton 3.1.1.1

          So you hate US so much you'd rather have the world dominated by Totalitarian-Authoritarian Fascist Regimes? India will never be on same team as China lol. If you love Russia and China so much go live there.

  4. aj 4

    I think it's too early to judge Russia's losses beyond the immediate costs in personnel and military equipment. And right now should we hold much weight to assessments by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense? Hardly an objective party.

    Aside from that, it will be a number of years before it becomes obvious the degree of 'loss' – to either Russia, the UE, or the world at large.

    The imposition of sanctions is clearly having mixed results, look at the fractures within EU countries. And the global south has not participated.

    • BRICS group (Brazil, India, China, South Africa). 41% of the world population.
    • The countries of OSC (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan).
    • Azerbaijan and Moldova have abandoned anti-Russian restrictions. But the most surprising position is Georgia.
    • Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Guatemala, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Chile, Peru).
    • ASIAN countries minus Singapore
    • The Middle East (Syria, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Iran …..surprisingly also US allies U.A.E and Saudi Arabia,
      (and Pakistan)
    • The Balkans (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina).

    We cannot know yet the full impact of the 'Special Partnership' between China and Russia, as discussed here. If anyone doesn't think Putin gave Xi Jinping a heads up before it all kicked off, I've got a bridge to sell you.

    https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2022/04/14/the-logic-behind-china-and-russias-strategic-alliance-like-partnership/

    The total effect of sanctions is far from clear, not even considering the immediate effects on inflation, which is being blamed on the war but which was already simmering away before it started.

    Is America the Real Victim of Anti-Russia Sanctions?

    https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/is-america-the-real-victim-of-anti-russia-sanctions

    Along with your post there are a number of counterpoints in that article to consider. It's fair to say that this year, the cards have been thrown up in the air and we don't know how they are going to fall. I'd suggest that both sides have probably miscalculated the outcomes. (Despite what some people think there are two sides, it should be very clear by now)

    Let all just hope these miscalculations don't lead us to a nuclear confrontation.

    • SPC 4.1

      Singapore + Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

    • RedLogix 4.2

      That is all well and good. These countries have all given clear signal they have no moral objection to neo-colonialist invasion and destruction And that every pro-Putin monkey here has also signaled their open support for the same.

      And that as the world de-globalises this choice will turn out to have consequences.

    • Kevin Warburton 4.3

      Well there has to be war to settle the question as two opposed systems/philosophies can't co-exist indefinitely. Either a Free Democratic World or a Fascist Totalitarian one. USA is shit but it's the lesser evil by far. I'd rather be a colony of EU/USA than of Russia, China or even India.

  5. SPC 5

    The current military situation, and the wider geo-political strategic environment.

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2022/05/26/guest-blog-ben-morgan-russia-starting-to-play-smart-and-gaining-momentum/

    An emerging issue is food exports out of Ukraine – Russia is saying it will allow them only if sanctions on Russia end.

    Ukraine can be supplied with missiles to take out Russian navy vessels imposing a blockade, but this would not prevent Russian subs (or their missiles) sinking ships carrying the grain out.

  6. UncookedSelachimorpha 6

    It is easy to conflate the interests of Russia (dead soldiers, economy, international standing etc) with the interests of Putin and his gang of thieves and tyrants. People seem to assume that Russia losing is the same thing as Putin losing. But it seems to me that these things have only limited connection.

    Putin and co couldn't care less about dead Russians, impoverished Russia etc – all they need to do is hold on to power and keep ruling. They may be quite capable of continuing to do this, while Russia and Russians (and neighbours!) go to hell in a hand basket.

    • Anne 6.1

      Totally agree. This war is being fought by what I term the Putin Politburo. It is NOT being fought by the Russian people. Sure, there will be many Russians who support the invasion but I suspect there are many more Russians who are vehemently opposed to it. Unlike their parents and grandparents, younger Russians have been able to do what young people in the West have been doing for many decades. They have visited other countries… worked in them… and made friends. They don't want to be cut off from the rest of the world ever again.

    • Ad 6.2

      It's a sweet thought but so untrue as to be something out of Jane Austen.

      President Putin has been elected and re-elected 6 times (either President or PM). With comfortable majorities.

      He is still wildly popular with his people.

      Putin has the mandate of the Russian people and he is fully in accord with a very strong majority of them.

      • Anne 6.2.1

        " He is still wildly popular with his people."

        Many are too afraid to stand up and openly oppose him perhaps?

        • Nic the NZer 6.2.1.1

          Russian politics still carries the memory of 90s economic reforms in it. Putin was a significant part of ending the excesses of western neo-liberal economic reforms shifting more Russian nationalist. This is a big part of his popularity.

  7. Entirely agree – except for

    Finland and Norway have requested admission to NATO.

    Finland and Sweden. Norway has been a NATO member for yonks.

  8. Joe90 8

    Nearly double that have been killed in the Ukraine to date.

    Thread on who's doing the dying and their efforts to avoid doing the dying.

    https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1529584132728270849

    […]

    What does the story of the DPR army unrest teach us? Well, first of all that many in the DPR army are unwilling to fight any further. They were forcibly mobilised and now their discontent reached the point when they dared to show an open disobedience. Fighting is too risky

    In fact, fighting may b way riskier for the DPR troops than for the Russian regulars. Russian government is way more comfortable with using them as the cannon fodder than with using the Russian citizens. After all, DPR and LPR casualties are not even counted as "Russian" ones

    Since DPR casualties are not counted as "Russian" , you'll mobilise in Donetsk everyone you can catch and then send them to attack the massive Ukrainian fortifications. You run out of the Donetsk males of course, but on the bright side you keep official Russian casualties low

    It sucks being an DPR recruit sent to assault the Azovstal with only an ancient Mosinka rifle. And yet, those recruits absolutely can try to avoid being used as the cannon fodder if they understand the nature of the Russian regime. Which is – procedural. Like very procedural

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1529605574274568192.html

    • joe90 8.1

      More noise about the treatment of DNR and LNR servicemen press-ganged by Russia.

      (Girkin/Strelkovin claims to be responsible for the war in Eastern Ukraine)

      Some pro-Russian milbloggers on Telegram continued to criticize the Kremlin for appalling treatment of forcefully mobilized Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR) servicemen–contradicting Russian information campaigns about progress of the Russian special military operation. Former Russian Federal Security Service officer Igor Girkin (also known by the alias Igor Strelkov) amplified a critique to his 360,000 followers from a smaller milblogger discussing a video wherein a DNR battalion appealed to DNR Head Denis Pushilin about maltreatment of forcefully mobilized forces.[1] The milblogger blamed Russian leadership, not Pushilin, for beginning the invasion with insufficient reserves and unprepared, forcefully mobilized forces. The milblogger added that Russia did not provide the soldiers of its proxy republics with new weapons, despite claiming that Ukrainian forces prepared to attack occupied Donbas areas for a year prior to Russian invasion. The milblogger also claimed that the Kremlin failed to mobilize and adequately prepare the next batch of reserves, while Ukrainian forces are successfully preparing their troops for counteroffensives. Girkin also criticized the Kremlin for failing to pay the DNR battalion for three months. Some milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces staged the video, but the video still gathered attention of pro-Russian Telegram users.[2]

      The incident highlights a continuing shift in the Russian-language milblogger information space regardless of the video’s authenticity. Milbloggers would likely have either attacked or dismissed such a video loudly and in near-unison earlier in the war, when they all generally focused on presenting optimistic pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian narratives. The response to this video in the Russian-language milblogger space demonstrates the strong resonance anti-Kremlin narratives can now have. It is impossible to know what effect this change in this information space might have on general perceptions of the war in Russia, but it is one of the most visible and noteworthy inflections in the attitudes of previously strongly pro-Kremlin ostensibly independent Russian voices speaking to Russians that we have yet seen.

      https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-25

  9. joe90 9

    Short on cannon fodder?

    Off ya go, dad.

    May 25 (Reuters) – Russia's parliament approved a law on Wednesday in double-quick time removing the upper age limit for contractual service in the military, amid heavy casualties in Ukraine.

    https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-lawmakers-vote-scrap-upper-age-limit-military-2022-05-25/

    • tsmithfield 9.1

      Yep. It won't be long before the Russians are kitting out their APCs to carry mobility scooters and walking frames.

  10. Stuart Munro 10

    Putin has the mandate of the Russian people and he is fully in accord with a very strong majority of them.

    As is the case with most despotic regimes, it's very hard to tell. He's not flavour of the month in St Petersburg, but until he loses coercive power most Russians are as helpless to resist him as New Zealanders were to resist the egregious asset thefts of Roger Douglas.

    The casualties are high, probably significantly higher than most estimates, and supposedly elite forces have not fared much better. But Russia has a history of horrific casualties, and of whipping ethnic populations into battle. The Belarussians got it from both directions in WWII, and the same kinds of demands for forlorn hope counterattacks are coming from Putin as once came from Stalin. It's reasonable to expect that it will take higher losses to curb Putin than it might have to curb a US invasion.

    The economics will take a while to create meaningful pressure on the decision makers. Most countries pay little attention to their poor. In kleptocracies it's even worse.

    The best hope for a rapid end to the war is a Ukrainian breakthrough. Fatigued, ill-supplied, demoralized Russian conscripts struggle to hold their lines. Let them be outflanked and they won't stick around.

    The Kerch Strait bridge, that should have been cut the day hostilities commenced, is still in place. The Black Sea is temporarily a Russian lake. Turkey has some explaining to do – but will likely resile from tacit support of Russia as the consequences become more obvious.

  11. weston 11

    Just more Russia bashing seems to me ad wake me up when you,ve done a piece on the lunatics in the EU and the US who seem hell bent to drag us all to the brink !!

    The link to the month old fragment referring to Russian disposable income was interesting though since i hadn,t looked at the Moscow Times before and a quick scim looked like any other MSM even a bit cheeky to Putin reading between the lines .Links from there to the Russian twitter feed made me think golly these people are just like us ,who'd have thought ?

  12. RedLogix 12

    It does not really matter what happens on the ground in Ukraine in the short term, other than of course a great deal of loss and grief to account for. Russia will be hated in Europe and much of the rest of the world for many generations. Over time their isolation will grow more intense as governments, institutions, corporations and individuals find more ways to shun the Russians.

    As a massively armed nuclear nation no-one ever proposed being a direct threat to Russia and those who suggest otherwise are fooling themselves. There will be no NATO troops crossing over the Russian border – even if that would bring a political resolution. Instead we must settle for containment and a long grinding conflict of wills.

  13. adam 13

    Ad you may want to look at some independent media, rather than just the media you seem to rely on.

    The Russian military are actually doing OK, and Air Superiority is a hell of an advantage.

    The cream of the youth is leaving, it has been that way for a long time now. Feels a lot like NZ in that way.

    All that is happening economically is a what always happens, a transfer of wealth up.

    Sanctions are a joke, like bombing of civilian targets in WW2 it having the opposite effect. People are blaming the west and digging in. Also the so called targeted sanctions are a complete and utter failure. As most of the hoods who run the place have their money hidden in off shore trust funds. Imagine if Donkey had had his way, those war pigs would be stashing their money here.

    Russians are adept at suffering, what some more, shrug, oh well.

    Elections, do you think Russia is anything apart from a totalitarian state? Putin is a dictator pure and simple.

    • lprent 13.1

      The Russian military are actually doing OK, and Air Superiority is a hell of an advantage.

      Only local air superiority over their current battlefields in the east in the Donbas theatre as far as I am aware from military and intelligence sites. Everywhere else they're taking casualties – mostly from missile defences. The number of airstrikes outside the Donbas theatre has dropped markedly over time.

      They're using their limited supply of long and medium range missiles to target mostly civilian and the occasional military targets in the last month instead.

      The reason that they have gained a local air superiority appears to be because their ground forces have been effective at taking out local anti-air missiles in the Donbas theatre. Their replacements are coming in slower than the attrition.

      But Russia haven't been doing a lot of close quarter air attacks because there are a lot of short anti-air range missiles in the theatre. So few helicopters or ground attack that would actually support ground advances. Which means your comment reads as being pretty silly.

      That means they're limited to bombing missions from altitude – which are generally pretty useless against entrenched ground troops. I'd suspect that most of their bombing missions have been against civilian targets or transport. Great for levelling cities and killing civilians. Not particularly militarily useful.

      You should really learn a bit more about modern warfare rather than how it was during WW2 before commenting on it. It just sounds kind of dumb

      • Adrian Thornton 13.1.1

        "They're using their limited supply of long and medium range missiles to target mostly civilian and the occasional military targets in the last month instead."

        Could you provide us a link as to who exactly is asserting that piece of highly suspect bit of information….It just sounds kind of dumb.

        • Jenny how to get there 13.1.1.1

          The the thing about destroyed cities Adrian is that they are hard to deny, or dismiss.

          • Adrian Thornton 13.1.1.1.1

            Like I said..serious links please…"They're using their limited supply of long and medium range missiles to target mostly civilian….targets"

            • Jenny how to get there 13.1.1.1.1.1

              Adrian Thornton

              28 May 2022 at 8:20 am

              Like I said..serious links please…

              There are so many You-tube videos of burnt out apartment buildings and housing complexes destroyed by Russian rockets and artillery it would be hard to pick one.

              And don't you dare tell me some disgusting lie that Ukraine did this to themselves to discredit the Russian invader.

              Adrian you can deny and obfuscate and use misdirection and every possible colour of dirty lie you like. But the facts are undeniable. Russian shelling has reduced Mariupol to rubble.
              The Ukraine cities like Kiev and Kharkiv and Odessa that the Russian Federation artillery can no longer reach after being driven back by the defenders, the Russian forces have resorted to firing medium and long range rockets to smash into these civilian centres.

              You have asked for links.
              I really don't know why I bother.
              You know you will ignore them.
              Believe whatever you want. Here they are anyway.

              'Kharkiv now out of Russian artillery range': Military analyst

              https://www.dw.com/en/kharkiv-now-out-of-russian-artillery-range-military-analyst/av-61715873

              Russia-Teenage Boy Killed In Russian Missile Strike On Ukraine's Odessa

              Ukraine War: "As a result of a missile strike in Odessa, a residential building which had five people in it at the time of the attack, was damaged. A 15-year-old boy died," Odessa city council said.

              WorldAgence France-Presse Updated: May 03, 2022 7:08 am

              https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/teenage-boy-killed-in-russian-missile-strike-on-ukraines-odessa-2941118

        • lprent 13.1.1.2

          This is from early in the Russian invasion – hard to see that they were aiming at anything apart from a apartment building.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybOMEjs-jmE

          This is one of the more recent "War Crimes Watch: Targeting schools, Russia bombs the future" looking at some quite deliberate targeting of schools, which are also often used as civilian shelters – "60 believed killed after school attack by Russia in east Ukraine".

          Perhaps you could off up your justification for this targeting profile? I would be delighted to hear whatever nonsense you sprout? I will have fun tearing it apart.

          I have a a list of instances, that I where I can point out reporting of specific instances of precision munitions targeting schools.

          Targeting cultural centres like this notorious instance "Russia attacks theatre sheltering civilians, Ukraine says". Predictably the Russian government tried to lie about it. Despite the remains of bomb remnants being pretty obvious to news screws. It appears that putting the word "children" next to a public shelter was just a targeting instruction.

          There is also a study that got published a few days ago looking at the bombardment strategy as evidenced by where long-range missiles, bombing, and long-range artillery were landing. About a third was landing on resupply, infrastructure, and defence industries. The majority was landing on civilians. I'll look that up after I finish working.

      • adam 13.1.2

        "Only local air superiority over their current battlefields in the east in the Donbas theatre"

        Yeah and that's were the Russians are winning the fight at the moment.

        I'll leave it there, as you seem to know everything. Good luck with that.

        • lprent 13.1.2.1

          It means that at present they are able to advance a few kilometres a week very slowly. At this rate it will take the Russians most of the year to grab the Donetsk, leaving it as a wasteland devoid of people behind them, and at a high casualty rate.

          I'm not sure that could be described as 'winning'. Just as WW1 never had a military victory and no-one 'won'. Just a series of exhausted states dropping out of the war as their populations rose against their idiotic leadership – starting with Russia I think.

          I’ll leave it there, as you seem to know everything.

          Nope. Just a lot more than you, and I have a retentive long-term memory.

          It appears that I think about what I learn more than you can be bothered doing. Except for silly slogans – you definitely beat me with those.

  14. Another Russian loss is its ability to subvert elections and buy politicians around the world. Russian spycraft and straight out bribes will be hamstrung. Its termite like infestation of British politics is slowly being dragged out in public.

    The present regime does enjoy widespread support among the people but that will change in the face of a doubled cost of living, and no more fancy goods from the developed world. According to youtuber "Inside Russia" (and others) perhaps 25% of the people are against the Ukraine "special operation". Probably the educated middle classes who have a wider view than Putin’s (Duginist) bigoted nationalism

    https://youtu.be/1vQgx28vNsg

  15. Lindsay A 15

    Its Ukraine that is losing, even if Ukraine win, Ukraine loses. Despite being in a civil war for 8 years, notions of join NATO they made little effort to meet basic critera to join, instead imported weapons and trainers.

    Russia is not losing, that are gaining ground each and everyday and if those chose to use nuclear weapons, they would have taken Kyiv in days. They even retreated from Kyiv under lies of peace treaties.

    Russia was not defeated in those areas, they pulled out and while i would admit their military command is suffering, you have to consider what they are up against and the limitations put upon them to fight this war.

    I think in the grand scheme of things, USA has lost crediability as a military power, running out of Afghanistan, failing in Iraq against ISIS, piggy backing off the YPG in Syria. America doesn't have the ability to fight a war, to fight ANY WAR because the moment those body bags start to come home their entire war effort gets undermined.

    You have to consider who Russia is killing, young woke Russians influenced by western ideologies. I think you will see the birth of a stronger Russia in the aftermath not a weaker one and more importantly ongoing failures coming from Western block, who not only can't fight a war with their own people, but is terming more socilist communist by the day with appointments of extreme minoirties to poistions of power.

    I do hope Russia wins, because i see no future for Ukraine. Not when your letting war criminals out of jail to fight the Russias, giving out AKs willingly to anyone that wants one. Ukraine will be a hotbed of crime, of black market arms sales and ultimately of rival gangs and armed conflict for years. Look at Libya, i bet you can purchase a Ukrainian slave already.

    • lprent 15.1

      Your whole comment just reads like stupid propaganda bullshit to me. Probably why you didn't manage to add a single link, give a source, or even a coherent argument. For instance…

      You have to consider who Russia is killing, young woke Russians influenced by western ideologies. I think you will see the birth of a stronger Russia in the aftermath not a weaker one…

      For instance causing a flood of skilled younger demographics offshore to avoid conscription or killing the young on battlefields is that it really doesn't work well in a situation of falling birth rates. Russia was facing a falling population before this dumb-arse invasion. I'd hate to see what it is looking like now with the exodus of their best and brightest, and the deaths of a generation of soldiers.

      So I guess your 'stronger' nation will be one increasingly made up of old farts with limited skills and limited abilities to gain them.

      Basically your ideas are more a case of pious wishing than anything rational. I'd have to say that you win the the award of the most stupid comment on this post (so far).

      • lprent 15.2.1

        It is more that they aren't winning. Almost all of their gains were in the first week or two. Then they had to pull back and drop most of those gains because they were unable to hold them..

        They're finally having some wins on the ground now that they have concentrated their forces, especially the artillery, and have sufficient local superiority to push back the defenders.

        But from a military perspective it looks like a defence mincer grinding up the attackers

        • RedLogix 15.2.1.1

          For the past few weeks it looks like Russia is slowly conquering empty fields or small towns and villages – and taking heavy losses to do so. That is not winning.

          As many people have pointed out this looks like Ukraine swapping low value terrain for high value time.

          • lprent 15.2.1.1.1

            They might win a couple of larger towns as well as Izym (pop 2021 of 45,844) that they finally captured on the 1st April and Rubihne (pop 2021 of 56,066) that they captured about month ago.

            Sievierodonetsk (pop 2021 of 101,135) and across the river Lysychansk (pop 2021 of 95,031) are the current Russian targets that they seem to be concentrating on. It looks like they're trying to create a pocket.

            The Russians have been shelling Sievierodonetsk since 28th Feb. Have been repelled a couple of times. The current battle started about May 6th, they've been slowly grinding their way to try to encircle the city.

            Of course the population has largely left. It sounds like the main reason for a Ukrainian orderly withdrawal to prepared positions will be to put the river in as a defensive position – they're heavily outgunned.

            The population numbers come from wikipedia entries on the cities. What is noticeable is thet these aren't large centres.

            In NZ Rotorua has a 2021 estimated population of 58,400. Dunedin has 105,000. That may seem largish in a population of ~5 million, and to me they have always seemed like towns – I have lived in both – but grew up in Auckland.

            Ukraine had a population of about 45 million. In other words 9x our population. It isn't just that they're capturing fields. They're also flattening the small urban centres as they go creating low value terrain in the process. And running the Russian forces through a defensive grinder of assaults on well defended defenders.

            It is very weird military behaviour.

            BBC is doing accessible map
            https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60506682

            • RedLogix 15.2.1.1.1.1

              Fair point – by small towns I had in mind anything other than the larger cities. I was a bit imprecise in my language.

              Still given the Russians are expending a great deal of national blood and treasure to finish up capturing is a wasteland that few can live in and will never be regarded as legitimately part of Russia by the wider world – it is very hard to call it winning.

              For what it is worth I have found this Ukrainian ex-pilot presents a reasonably fair analysis on a daily basis:

              https://www.youtube.com/c/RoadHomeMotorcycleVlogs

    • SPC 15.3

      Despite being in a civil war for 8 years, notions of join NATO they made little effort to meet basic critera to join

      There was little chance of Ukraine becoming a member of NATO.

      The idea of Russia not using nuclear weapons, as restraint, is nonsense. The Duginites regard Ukraine as part of its homeland.

      And they retreated from Kiev and Kharkiv because they faced counter-attack.

  16. Adrian Thornton 16

    Russia will get exactly what it wants from this war…the longer it goes on, the more land Ukraine will lose to Russia.

    Unfortunately for the Ukraine and Ukrainians their leader has chosen to side with the World’s most brutal and sadistic mafia superpower..the USA..which in turn has chosen to finally fight it's long coming proxy war with Russia with the blood of Ukrainians…what many people don’t seem to understand is that the USA doesn’t give even one fuck about the Ukraine or it’s people..for the war hawks in the USA (now containing as many Liberals as Conservatives, maybe more) the Ukraine is the least important component in this conflict.

    Want to see what is one of the main drivers of this conflict….why negotiations and peace are never discussed and have never been an option entertained by the West or on MSM news….Watch this compilation of clips for US MSM to get a feel of where the foreign policy of the USA originates…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3pnFR7DeZA&t=6s

    • RedLogix 16.1

      And all the Russian weapons are made by altruistic Leninist Marxist pixies who work very hard in secret caverns under the Antarctic Ice Sheet – for free.

      • Populuxe1 16.1.1

        How dare you! The Kalashnikov is as American as Mom and home made apple pie!

    • SPC 16.2

      the Ukraine, you mean Ukraine, a member nation state of the UN.

      The term is supposed to diminish the area of the nation state into a frontier region of Russia.

  17. Garry Kasparov explains why the 'peace' proposed by Kissinger (and surrender.monkeys in this thread) is a despicable position to take

    https://twitter.com/kasparov63/status/1529875012106199044?s=21&t=PEShHVUxGTUWzXMhgCrv2w

    • Nic the NZer 17.1

      Kissinger finally says something worthy of his Nobel peace prize and this is the response?

      • Populuxe1 17.1.1

        You mean the evil old reptile says something that appears to support your position and all is forgiven.

        • Nic the NZer 17.1.1.1

          Hardly, but Kissinger does have a point. Putting more weapons into Ukraine makes as much sense as a conflict resolution initiative as putting more firearms in the US makes as a gun reform measure.

          • Populuxe1 17.1.1.1.1

            I'm not entirely sure how you can compare a sovereign country defending itself from an unprovoked military invasion by a superpower with the United States' civilian issues with the second amendment and the NRA, but fill your boots I guess.

  18. aj 18

    You mean the evil old reptile says something that appears to support your position and all is forgiven.

    He is an evil old reptile. No, it means other individuals have different positions than yours and only one of them is likely to bring an end to this madness.

    Meanwhile, in an act of state censorship that you no doubt approve of, to keep the narrative 'correct', another article of truth is erased. But it will still be all over Rumble.
    This is the one from 2014 where Nuland selects the new PM for Ukraine and says fuck the EU.

    https://twitter.com/Consortiumnews/status/1529507690921308162

    • Populuxe1 18.1

      It amuses me that you can't even comprehend why or what Ukraine is fighting for.

      I can only assume that you don't know many people from former Warsaw Pact countries that have always been forced into one empire or another and any time they get independence or try to they are invaded or punished in horrific ways.

      You simply can't get your head around what resistance means and why they don't want to compromise on a conditional peace. You can't imagine it because the privilege of living in a peaceful country at the end of the world no one else is particularly interested in means you have absolutely no skin in the game. It's just an abstraction to you.

      You don't get it. You can't get it. Ukraine has already been there, done that, got the t-shirt multiple times in their history. You do not understand the stakes because you don't understand Ukraine.

      I mean, Māori compromised and look how well it turned out for them.

  19. aj 19

    You can't imagine it because the privilege of living in a peaceful country at the end of the world no one else is particularly interested in means you have absolutely no skin in the game. It's just an abstraction to you.

    This must just be an abstraction to you then. I have skin in the game, my kids and grand-kids have skin in the game, every living creature on this planet has skin in the game.

    The impact of a nuclear war

    The possibility of nuclear war is the greatest for many decades, and the effects outlined above must be avoided at all cost.

    As the crisis in Ukraine escalates, and the risk of nuclear war comes ever closer, the need for diplomacy is more urgent than ever. Political leaders must actually understand what the use of just a single nuclear weapon would mean. The catastrophic human and environmental destruction, the incineration of cities and populations, and the appalling deaths from radiation poisoning, should be remembered at all times. A nuclear exchange would be catastrophic, and nuclear war between NATO and Russia would present an existential threat with the possibility of the destruction of humanity. Only dialogue will make a difference.

    https://cnduk.org/resources/the-impact-of-a-nuclear-war/

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219185/

    • SPC 19.1

      Oh come on, the idea of Russia uses nukes within Duginite Eastern Europe is absurd.

    • Populuxe1 19.2

      If Russia uses nuclear weapons it won't be from any commensurate Ukraine action. If Putin is that crazy he'll do it anyway, which he is very unlikely to do. He would gain nothing from it. So calm down, stop your catastrophising and have a cup of tea.

  20. aj 20

    I'm just worried about the Russians! it can't be an absurd prospect people who advocate the use of battlefield nukes. The word absurd has no meaning to a madman, or the people who may commit a series of moves that lead to nukes being used by accident or miscalculation.

    • SPC 20.1

      It's only mentioned as a deterrent to NATO intervention – and they have not considered getting involved.

      As things are going Russia will get the Donbass (and annex it) and also hold an area there besides Kharkiv in the north and probably create some south north and east west expansion so Ukraine is occupied in the effort of retaking back this area over the summer. Short version lesser nova russia annexed and greater nova russia fought for over the summer.

      Whether Ukraine can prevent greater nova russia being held by Russia is not yet known.

    • SPC 20.2

      Russian diplomat offers reassurance, no use of tactical nukes is likely in Ukraine conflict.

      https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61618902

  21. Adrian Thornton 21

    Ad, I do appreciate the time that you obviously put into writing articles for TS, however by starting a piece on the Ukraine War like this “Russia has lost, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence”, the validity of any message or theme you wished to get across in your piece immediately becomes suspect which is a shame.

    After all this isn’t The Washington Post or RNZ or some other MSM Liberal outlet (or twitter), some people who read TS are still critical thinkers thank goodness, so need more evidence than readers of those sources seem to demand.

    You really need to be citing serious sources on such a serious subject to be taken seriously.

    [Authors of TS write opinion pieces for robust debate – TS is indeed not “The Washington Post or RNZ or some other MSM Liberal outlet (or twitter)” and it is completely free of advertising and revenue gathering and completely free for people to comment and join the debates. They don’t have to write balanced pieces like university essays ‘citing serious sources’, whatever they are – I assume sources that you approve of.

    I counted 7 links in Ad’s Post and you complain that more evidence is needed!?

    You have not provided a single counter-argument and made not a single political point that we could debate. As usual, all you do is snipe, criticise and moan. And you have the gall to tell an Author how he should write his Posts.

    You are yet again breaking the rules of this site: https://thestandard.org.nz/about/#who_are_you, https://thestandard.org.nz/about/#you_must, and https://thestandard.org.nz/policy/.

    • Abusing the sysop or post writers on their own site – including telling us how to run our site or what we should write. This is viewed as self-evident stupidity, and should be added as a category to the Darwin Awards.

    Looks like you needed yet another warning about this recidivist behaviour of yours. How many more do you want? – Incognito]

    • GreenBus 21.1

      Just watch the Ukraine army fall apart. It is already starting to happen.

      Ukraine troops are near mutiny.

      Some are rightly refusing to fight with no chance at all.

      Defence positions are being given up without a fight.

      I actually feel sorry for Ukraine army, they are being destroyed.

      Zelinski needs to stop the slaughter of his country, but I think

      that being the utter rat he is, will run away with all the money.

      • SPC 21.1.1

        No more falling apart (or leaving without a fight) than the Russian army leaving Kiev after counter-attacks began. The Ukrainians are losing the Donbass region and will have to withdraw (however reluctant Kiev maybe to do so, this makes little difference as to reality on the ground and this is first appreciated by those there).

        However what that means for the summer is not yet known, the Russians won't want to over-egg an advance that they cannot sustain.

        Zelinski has survived assassinations attempts, I doubt fleeing the scene with money is his ambition in life.

      • Adrian Thornton 21.1.2

        I think Zelinski is now in a no win situation, if he does the right thing and pursue a diplomatic end to the war with Moscow, he will now have to lose territories within the Ukraine, he will then be regarded as a traitor by the extremist Nationalists (and probably by many nutters on this site) and would probably be lucky to survive..however if he keeps Ukraine fighting..Ukraine lose even more territory along with the pointless death and destruction that goes along with that action.

        His only way out that I can see is if the West (ie; the USA) came on board with negotiations with Moscow and stopped supplying weapons…but of course we all know that this will never happen, the USA are happy to bleed the Ukraine dry, as has been said out in the open by crazed warmongering nutters like this top shelf maniac…

        "United States Aids Ukraine And Her People So That We Can Fight Russia Over There And We Don't Have To Fight Russia Here" – Adam Schiff

        https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=690898798759583

        • joe90 21.1.2.1

          as has been said out in the open by crazed warmongering nutters like this top shelf maniac…

          Why do you make shit up?

          /

          Moreover, as one witness put it during our impeachment inquiry: “The United States aids Ukraine and her people so that they can fight Russia over there, and we don’t have to fight Russia here.”

          https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/22/adam-schiff-opening-argument-trump-impeachment-trial-102202

          • Adrian Thornton 21.1.2.1.1

            Make shit..mate you have been regurgitating conspiracies, propaganda and straight out lies on this site since forever..the only thing I can't fault you on is your consistency.

            • joe90 21.1.2.1.1.1

              Well, put up or shut up.

            • RedLogix 21.1.2.1.1.2

              joe90 and I have not always seen eye to eye on many things – but the one thing he is absolutely consistent on is referencing what he is talking about. Making shit up is just not his thing.

            • Incognito 21.1.2.1.1.3

              You have been caught out again and keep waving your typical banner around “Whoever I disagree with is a nutter!”.

        • RedLogix 21.1.2.2

          And if the Ukranian's had rolled over and surrendered to the invasion as you so obviously wish they had – Poots would now control the whole of the country and complaining that NATO was still right on his border.

          • Adrian Thornton 21.1.2.2.1

            "And if the Ukranian's had rolled over and surrendered to the invasion as you so obviously wish they had"…no you are quite wrong, I have always said, and have been since 2014, that Ukraine should be neutral, along with the majority of the population of Ukraine who voted Zelinsk into power to implement just that policy…unfortunately he either never intended to carrying through that election promise, or he was railroaded into not doing so by the USA and/or the extremist Nationalists within the Ukraine..who (though I know you don't/won't believe it) carry far more political power than their numbers might suggest.

            That Zelinsk let is country be used as a pawn by either or both of those two fractions is unfathomable.

            • RedLogix 21.1.2.2.1.1

              Utter bullshit – Poots repeatedly said that there was no such country as Ukraine and rolled his army in to fully retake and recolonise it as part of a Russian empire.

              There was never going to be an independent neutral Ukraine.

      • Cantabrian 21.1.3

        GreenBus, you are seriously deluded. It is the Russian Army that are refusing to fight particularly the conscripts who are not supposed to be in Ukraine at all.

    • Incognito 21.2

      Mod note

  22. aj 22

    When the NY Times leads out with this, it's clear that a little careful and rational thought is taking place. They are placing themselves with the realists.

    On May 19, the editorial board, the full Magisterium of the Times, moved from hints to a clarion call for a change in direction, declaring that “total victory” over Russia is not possible and that Ukraine will have to negotiate a peace in a way that reflects a “realistic assessment” and the “limits” of U.S. commitment.

    The Times serves as one the main shapers of public opinion for the elite and so its pronouncements are not to be taken lightly.

    https://consortiumnews.com/2022/05/27/the-new-york-times-shift-on-victory-in-ukraine/

    No more falling apart (or leaving without a fight) than the Russian army leaving Kiev after counter-attacks began.

    Accepted by many to be a decoy move.

    • joe90 22.1

      There's nothing careful or rational about appeasing or surrendering to genocidal imperialism.

      /

      A veiled manifesto of appeasement from a newspaper known for its stellar coverage of Russia’s horrific invasion has disappointed many.

      In the editorial, the New York Times editorial board argues that it’s too dangerous to assume that Ukraine can win the war. It says “Russia is too strong,” that Ukraine should make a “painful compromise” and give up some territories to Russia. The U.S. must understand the futility and stop “taunting” Russia, the editorial says. Meaning: Ukraine will lose anyway, stop helping it so it’s over faster.

      In short, the editorial attempts to pass off appeasement and betrayal of the free world’s values as pragmatic reasoning.

      […]

      Appeasement isn’t the voice of reason. It’s fear and short-sightedness that will only make things worse, something we’ve all seen too many times in the past.

      Allowing Russia to annex Crimea emboldened Russia to try to swallow the Donbas. When it invaded in 2014, carving up a sovereign state and killing civilians, the other world leaders’ tepid response made Russia’s bloody dictator feel empowered to do more.

      It’s obvious that he’s been planning the full-scale invasion of Ukraine ever since. It’s often been said by world leaders and analysts that one of Vladimir Putin’s main miscalculations was assuming that the West would let him take Ukraine easily. It didn’t.

      Now the New York Times is calling for the West to do what Putin expected and give up.

      […]

      After seeing the atrocities committed by Russian troops in Borodyanka, Bucha and Mariupol, the Ukrainian people see very clearly that this is a war for survival against a fascist regime that denies Ukrainians the right to exist. Concessions would be a swift death sentence for thousands of Ukrainians. This fact apparently escapes the New York Times editorial board.

      https://kyivindependent.com/opinion/editorial-the-kyiv-independents-response-to-the-new-york-times-editorial-board/

  23. Jon Liddle 23

    What a load of unsubstantiated, drivel.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • At a glance – Does CO2 always correlate with temperature?
    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 ...
    36 mins ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 hours ago
  • Relentlessly negative
    Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 hours ago
  • Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    Bryce Edwards writes –  It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 hours ago
  • Promiscuous Empathy: Chris Trotter Replies To His Critics.
    Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played. “Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
    4 hours ago
  • Don’t run your business like a criminal enterprise
    The Detail this morning highlights the police's asset forfeiture case against convicted business criminal Ron Salter, who stands to have his business confiscated for systemic violations of health and safety law. Business are crying foul - but not for the reason you'd think. Instead of opposing the post-conviction punishment and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 hours ago
  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    5 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    9 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    9 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    10 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    10 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    11 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    12 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    14 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T06:59:22+00:00