How Russia wins

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, February 25th, 2022 - 47 comments
Categories: International, Peace, Russia, war - Tags:

We might recall when Russia stepped into the Syrian civil war mid 2015, President Obama was shocked, and claimed Syria would turn into the kind of quagmire that the United States had faced in Vietnam and Iraq.

It didn’t. Russia changed the course of the war, saved the tyrant torturer President Bashar al-Assad from defeat, and Russia are now the primary international supporter for the Syrian state. There has been no diplomatic settlement.

Russia hasn’t lost an intervention in quite some time, and there have been a few over Putin’s rule: Georgia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Syria. Ukraine is the biggest.

Russia partitioned Ukraine in 2014 taking Crimea, and when the Minsk Agreement timed out this week he took two further regions. With full invasion, there are now  many routes to Putin’s success. It could involve the installation of a compliant government, or further partition. It could be destabilised with civil and guerilla war. Either way Ukraine has been permanently detached from the West. Foreign militaries are not flocking to Ukraine’s side: they’re toast.

There will be fools on the left who will claim that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is all the West’s fault. No: this is Vladimir Putin’s doing.

Russian success in Ukraine will dent a few things. United States primacy in Europe will have been qualified; any sense that the European Union or NATO can ensure peace on the continent will be an artifact of a lost age. Some countries such as Finland and Sweden will want to join – NATO will pause before it further provokes Russia with that.

The EU and NATO will no longer have capacity for ambitious global adventures. That means every single defence compact that New Zealand and Australia are signed up to get a whole bunch more important. Whether massive EU donor money into the poor island nations of the Pacific continues, well I’d put that at risk as well.

This is what Russian success means for New Zealand and every other remaining liberal democracy: pick a side and make it clear because the rule-based order you’ve been relying on just shrank a whole deep measure.

The United States and Europe are also about to step into a very long if not permanent economic war with Russia. That Kiwisaver goal you had just got set back several years. The actual meaning and strength of all those trade deals we’ve signed up to is going to come under scrutiny once China realises everyone can see how much its diplomacy has been fraudulent as it was with Ukraine all along.

We can also step back and better evaluate what the rise of the hard right across northern Europe and the United States has been about: eradicating democracy and free liberal society and enabling rule by military force. Those in the Conservative Party and Republican Party who have appeased the Russian oligarchs for so many years have appeased the invasion of Ukraine. Trump and Fox news and supporters aren’t going to come out too well out of this. Nor are parties of the left who ‘don’t believe’ in military expenditure and military preparedness.

Cold War analogies aren’t helpful in a world with a Russianised Ukraine. Sure the Cold War border had its flashpoints but was primarily stabilised in the Helsinki Final Act of 1975. What we have now is a vast destabilised plan from Estonia to Turkey and it will last for decades.

New Zealand and the Pacific is going to need its own version of NATO, and fast.

The European Union is going to be under extraordinary pressure to deliver dividends from democracy and of stabilised regulated economies that are superior to public anxiety of Russian military force. That’s not easy. It’s not going to generate a pan-European military force, so the dividends of both common trade union and European Union are going to need to be demonstrable. More waves of poor immigrants to absorb. There will be major energy crises out of this every winter. Germany must reverse its demolition of nuclear generation. France is accelerating nuclear, and every other European nation dependent on gas will face similar questions.

We all need to decide and act to defeat Russia.

47 comments on “How Russia wins ”

  1. ghostwhowalksnz 1

    Ukraine along with Belarus and Kazakstan were the residual nuclear states of the USSR breakup. They had the weapons on their territory mostly missile silos but no way to use them as the command a control codes were only operated from Moscow ( US in the 1970s provided technology to provide secure 'locks' on the arming or firing of the weapons)

    The Budapest agreement on security where they gave up posession of the weapons in turn for guarantees ( and $$ billions)

    The US had broken the '3rd' guarantee with Belarus a while back when they sanctioned the Belarus government

    Refrain from using economic pressure on Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine to influence their politics.

    https://www.npr.org/2021/08/09/1026117240/u-s-imposes-sanctions-on-allies-of-belarus-authoritarian-leader

    • Stuart Munro 1.1

      You did notice that Russia was also a signatory, and has broken the agreement every which way prior to the current invasion? Balance, my little cabbage.

  2. RedLogix 2

    Stan Grant writes very well on why both Putin and Xi see this as their moment in the sun

    This is the sort of war the West does not know how to fight.

    It is not just about territory, or borders, or resources, or power. It is existential — it is about identity.

    Vladimir Putin has made it clear Ukraine is part of the soul of Russia. And he is prepared to crush the souls of Ukrainians to achieve his ends.

    Short a dramatic turn of events within NATO, Ukraine is almost certainly lost, there will be minimal military support for the moment – but in the long run Putin has made Russia a pariah state:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeW9PMlDwRg

    • Sanctuary 2.1

      I don't know if it is as cut and dried as everyone assumes. The Ukrainian army is outnumbered, but not by the decisive margins that would allow for a blitzkrieg. The size of Russian army means they won't be able to maintain a continuous front leaving plenty of holes for irregulars equipped with crew served weapons to slip through and conduct ambush operations against logistical and follow-up formations – and any prolonged street fighting between Russian troops and militia will certainly see plenty of brave Ukrainian volunteers killed but equally their lopsided sacrifice will still apply a ruinous attrition on the Russians.

      If I were the Ukrainians my immediate war aim would be to bog down the Russian attack, force them into slow and set-piece assaults and let the war degenerate into an attritional battle between a dwindling Russian army and an Ukrainian army being well supplied with Western crew served weapons and willing to trade lives for time, then let the grieving babuskas of Russia do the rest.

      • georgecom 2.1.1

        Afghanistan is a very good example with the USSR fighting a bloody occupation they poured billions into, for nothing in the end. The US found similar 2 decades later. Different territory and history, but Ukraine may remain an ongoing sore for Putin the longer he keeps forces in there. And he will have significantly crippled his economy doing so if the west follows through with sanctions. Longer term not necessarily a smart move on his part.

      • RedLogix 2.1.2

        I cannot really quibble with that perspective either Sanctuary.

        The Russians are an admirable peoples in many respects; the prospect of them being our enemies is dismal and tragic.

    • Obtrectator 2.2

      "Vladimir Putin has made it clear Ukraine is part of the soul of Russia. And he is prepared to crush the souls of Ukrainians to achieve his ends."

      In other words: he has to destroy the country in order to save it.

  3. Puckish Rogue 3

    First thing that needs to happen is for the USA to deal with Nord Stream and start up Keystone

    Energy independence is key

    Second thing is to shore up Taiwan, doesn't take a genius to work out whats going to happen there

  4. Sanctuary 4

    Looking at all the feeds at this point in time there seems to still be heavy fighting in Sumy and Mariupol, no sign Kharkiv has fallen or been invested, the Russians have only just secured Chernobyl after a ferocious battle and (conflicting) reports say the Ukrainians have inflicted a definite reverse on the Russians by defeating the Russian airborne coup-de-main on the airport at Horenka and driving off the remnants of the Russian forces. We are now 20 hours into this war and so far the Russians appear stalled trying to secure their first objectives. It also appears the Ukrainian AF is in at least limited action, indicating the initial Russian IRBM and cruise missile barrage cannot be maintained at a level to permanently put airfields out of action.

    If Sumy is the site of heavy fighting then I would guess the objective of this particular thrust is the major communications hub of Poltava.

    If these first objectives are still in Ukrainian hands or being fiercely contested this time tomorrow then we can start to suspect the Russian blitzkrieg has failed.

  5. joe90 5

    The fix was in when Trump lost the election and unilaterally withdrew the US from the Open Skies Treaty.

    https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/527056-us-withdraws-from-open-skies-treaty-with-russia

  6. adam 6

    There will be fools on the left who will claim that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is all the West’s fault. No: this is Vladimir Putin’s doing.

    I'm calling bullshit. It takes two to tango and NATO and Russia have been in this tango for a while. If you think Russia has not been dicks about NATO expansion for the last 30 years, what rock have you been living under?

    I'm not saying Russia are justified, and I think they are wrong to start a war. But all sides in this conflict are to blame. It's not helpful to blame one side and run around going "how good are we" – when we let this shit happen. We sat on our collective asses whilst a nuclear power felt more and more insecure about it's boarders. WE sat on our asses.

    Mind you, when you turned into a jingoistic dog at the end of your piece. I'm done. That's me for today, can't argue with warmongers – your just not rational.

  7. Tiger Mountain 7

    “We all need to decide and act to defeat Russia.” Er, it is 2022, climate disaster and COVID and less than 30 squillionaires owning more wealth than the worlds poorest 50% according to various surveys since 2019.

    Lets disregard you Ad, and the Humvee you rode in on! Toadying up to US Imperialism has never had a good outcome for the majority of ordinary humans.

  8. barry 8

    The west is not completely blameless. Expanding NATO beyond what was agreed gives Putin cover at home. The coup in 2014 which initiated the whole partition was at least supported, if not initiated, from outside. – Which of course does not excuse Putin's aggression.

    Now it depends on what Putin's goal is.

    Clearly he will not accept less that the whole Donbas region being under Russian domination. He can probably achieve this pretty quickly, if he can deny Ukraine any air cover. The Ukraine troops in Donbas will not be able to rely on 100% support from the locals. The majority probably support the government, but there are still a sizeable minority that consider themselves Russian and feel like second class citizens. Would Ukraine accept a cease-fire on those old Oblast lines?

    If he wants all of Ukraine it could be really horrible. Ukraine will fight and the people will resist. as you say the Ukraine military is outmatched, but it will not be all one-sided. Ukraine is almost surrounded by Russian-backed territories and can probably not expect any actual military support.

    • lprent 8.1

      Expanding NATO beyond what was agreed gives Putin cover at home.

      There is the problem with unwritten agreements though. It makes a good tale, however it simply isn’t written down anywhere in any of the agreements.

      I just tried looking it up. All I got was endless repeats of Russians saying it, parrots repeating it, and no corroboration. Sure it may have been said during negotiations. Although again only anecdotal.

      Doing an invasion and killing citizens of a 3rd party country, seems like an extreme response for something that wasn’t part of any actual documented agreement.

      If he wants all of Ukraine it could be really horrible. Ukraine will fight and the people will resist. as you say the Ukraine military is outmatched, but it will not be all one-sided.

      It will be horrible even if he wants just the Donbas region.Any puppet state or annexation will not be recognised internationally.

      Sanctions against Russia will go in regardless and will persist. Russia will become a state that will wind up getting stretched economically amd militarily. It wouldn’t surprise me if they wind up as a client state of China over decades. Having to pull troops all the way from the far east to attack Ukraine is not a good sign for Russia.

      Europe will rearm and move their deployments forward. NATO will expand.

      What was Putin’s game plan….. It seems like a miscalculation.

      • aj 8.1.1

        I just tried looking it up. All I got was endless repeats of Russians saying it, parrots repeating it, and no corroboration. Sure it may have been said during negotiations. Although again only anecdotal.

        Der Spiegel: Official document confirms that NATO promised not to expand eastwards

        https://ac.news/der-spiegel-official-document-confirms-that-nato-promised-not-to-expand-eastwards/

        • barry 8.1.1.1

          In any case, the majority of Russians believe it, and it gives Putin cover.

          And "horrible" is all relative. I could conceive a "horror" which stops at the Oblast borders, but it looks like what Putin wants is a big step up in level of "horror".

          Maybe it will turn out to be a miscalculation. Pretty much the only thing that will stop him is large numbers of Russian soldiers in body bags, which is what ended the Afghanistan adventure for the Soviet Union. Of course that also means unimaginable casualties for Ukraine.

  9. TeWhareWhero 9

    There are some strange harmonies in the Russia- bad, NATO-good chorus.There’s a definite smell of old skool patriarchy on the wind more widely and it’s almost like some men feel out-testosteroned by Putin. I keep bumping into blokes who I assume to be middle aged or older right-leaning keyboard warriors who are indulging in a weird sort of macho rhetoric to score dick-points against the so-called woke left. I put all appeals to militarism in the same ball park: “my missile’s bigger than your missile.”

    Most people don't want war and especially not the sort of war that has been ushered in during the US century – increasingly aimed at civilians – euphemistically referred to by warmongers as collateral damage.

    The only people who do want war are psychopaths and people whose amygdala is in a permanent state of excitation from a surfeit of nationalism, jingoism, and/or testosterone. So I include a significant number of the ruling elites in all countries in those two categories.

    (Fun fact: the word jingo came from a song calling for the British fleet into be sent into into Turkish waters in 1878 to resist, yes, Russia.! “We don't want to fight, yet by Jingo! if we do, We've got the ships, we've got the men, and got the money too”. What changes?)

    Also – we all sleep walked into this global domination by a rapacious corporate capitalism which allows liberal democracies to flourish pretty much on its terms, and which thinks it can manipulate and control the far right to its own ends.

    In my simple view, unless you've always been and are now a critic of NLism, which is the main problem here, you've no right to now be elbowing your way into the moral high ground and especially not to bang the war drum.

    You can create phoney divisions and promote ethnocentrism by calling (bad) Russian billionaires "oligarchs" to differentiate them from the (less-bad) western trillionaires who pretty much control the global economy. You can conveniently forget the role the west played in allowing the gutting of the old soviet economy and the rise of that billionaire class in Russia. You can dredge up the old spectre of Russian imperialism and aggression but we all surely know that whilst Putin is indulging in his own nationalistic brand of chest-thumping and empire building, and needs to back off – the arch meddler, the empire that has driven us to the brink of global disaster, is the US.

    We surely also know that NATO always was/still is, its proxy in Europe, and the UK is its aircraft carrier; albeit one that’s under the command of arguably its most shambolic captain ever so it could very easily run aground somewhere.

    As for sanctions, if the Russian computer techies can’t strike back against a completely digital-dependent west, won’t that rather undermine the “blame Russian bots for Trump” narrative? And sanctions will bite both ways – and hard. Why? Well, here’s one tiny example of the in-built absurdity and complete interdependence of global corporate capitalism: raw merino wool from Australia is sent to Italy to be spun into yarn which, along with yarn made from recovered polyester waste sourced from Asia, is sent to Poland to be woven into a fabric which is sent to China for cutting and sewing into garments for distribution world wide.

  10. Jenny how to get there 10

    "…every single defence compact that New Zealand and Australia are signed up to get a whole bunch more important"

    "We all need to decide and act to defeat Russia."

    Really?

    The taste of victory will be like ashes in our mouths.

    Every single defence compact that New Zealand and Australia are signed up to will seem more and more insane.

    Expel the Russian ambassador, definitely.

    And the US ambassador as well.

    Say no to war.

    No ties to either super power.

    New Zealand may not be a nuclear super-power but we are a moral super power.

    We expel both warring parties, it will be world news and encouragement to the world anti-war movement both sides of the new iron curtain.

    “There is no justification for war! No to war!” the comedian and TV presenter Maxim Galkin wrote on Instagram.

    Among Russia’s political and media establishment, President Vladimir Putin has been hailed as a savior for invading Ukraine.

    Whether the rest of the country believes it is another matter….

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russians-torn-putins-invasion-ukraine-thousands-protest-rcna17542

  11. Stuart Munro 11

    Those of us who have followed Putin's career from funding the Red Brigade terrorists in Germany, through the Moscow bombings and the Chechen genocide are not surprised by his invasion of Ukraine. Putin is distinctly 19th century, if not paleolithic, and invasion and genocide of foreign populations is as natural to him as soymilk lattes are to his social media dupes.

    The Poles know what Putin is. They are doubling the size of their military. Putin will keep rolling until someone takes his toys away.

  12. Sanctuary 12

    You know, US intelligence has been bang on predicting the Russian moves. Everyone has been focused on the Russians but we've heard nothing really on the movements of Ukrainian units.

    Who would wager the United States gave perfect warning of the attack, and gave the Ukrainians the opportunity to disperse their forces so the initial assault was much less effective than the Russians expected it to be?

  13. joe90 13

    How Russia wins

    By holding the world to ransom with the escalate to deescalate doctrine.

  14. joe90 14

    Turkey joins the party.

    Ankara confirms Kiev's request to restrict the movement of Russian military ships in the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits #العربية_عاجل

    https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Brk/status/1497086019564449795

  15. Adrian Thornton 15

    "Russia changed the course of the war, saved the tyrant torturer President Bashar al-Assad from defeat"….of course not mentioning that Russia and Iran were saving Syria from extremists often partially US/Western back ones like ISIS…shouldn't be surprised at the low rent level of your propaganda though, after seeing that disgusting heading image you chose to use.

    The Russians lost 27 million humans during WW2 and you use that image…what a tool.

  16. Ad 16

    Russian military seem to be making quick inroads in the north:

    2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine – Russo-Ukrainian War – Wikipedia

    • Poission 16.1

      They also appeared to make large inroads in the south,however this meant the detachments became more spread out,and allowed attacks on isolated columns.

      https://twitter.com/memagram/status/1497122161047138318

    • SPC 16.2

      Putin’s next move might be to coerce Lithuania and Estonia and Latvia into leaving NATO (allowing them to remain independent and within the EU if they agree).

      The provocation would be a demand for land bridge to Kaliningrad (via Lithuanian territory).

      Then his remaining goal would be to demand no NATO forces remain in former Warsaw Pact nations (leaving them with national armies but no networking within NATO). Hold NATO to its 1990 promise not to expand east.

      The best response is to disband NATO and incorporate Warsaw Pact nations within a EU defence force which has a defence treaty with Russia.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

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

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T11:35:57+00:00