How to make medicinal cannabis laws based on the needs of ill and disabled people

Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, June 12th, 2017 - 124 comments
Categories: greens, health - Tags: , ,

The purpose of this bill is to make it legal for New Zealanders who are suffering from terminal illness or any debilitating condition to use cannabis or cannabis products with the support of a registered medical practitioner.

Last week Julie-Anne Genter’s private member’s bill on medicinal cannabis was drawn from the ballot for consideration by parliament. The Greens have aimed the bill at making medicinal cannabis accessible to all eligible people, not just those with good cash flow or physical ability to grow a limited supply.

The bill is an amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 and would enable medically supported people to grow their own or have someone grow it for them as well as being able to buy regulated commercial product.

It looks well designed for people who are ill and need access and support rather than structural or financial hoops to jump through. This is a marked difference from other proposals which seek to hand cannabis to commerce for production and regulatory containment and to limit use with higher minimum pricing. All of which would make access harder for many. Needless to say, people who are terminally ill or have serious pain and disability need things to be easy.

The rules would be,

  • people that are terminally ill or have a debilitating illness
  • can use cannabis or cannabis product for therapeutic reasons
  • with the support of a registered medical practitioner
  • they can grow their own or nominate someone to grow for them
  • non-psychoactive cannabis will not be a controlled substance (including CBD)

The definition of which illnesses would be approved is sufficiently broad as to allow usage for a wide range of people in need, and would essentially be leaving the discretion to GPs. Again, this is well designed for people managing chronic health issues. Russell Brown points out that GPs would provide a doctor’s note not a prescription for cannabis, and that while many would be willing to do this, some GPs might be reluctant and see this as de facto prescribing of an untested drug.

The day of the bill’s drawing Brown wrote about the legislative process in the context of the already scheduled rewrite of the Misuse of Drugs Act (due to start later in the year). He suggests that this would not be a fast process and that drug policy would be an election issue this year.

The amendment Bill sits within the Green Party’s general Drug Law Reform Policy principles,

The Green Party recognises that:

  • Drug policy should be rational and based on credible and scientifically-valid evidence.
  • There can be adverse health, social and economic consequences from the use of drugs for both individuals and society.
  • Not all drug use is problematic.
  • Some individuals in society will choose to use drugs, regardless of their legal status.
  • Prohibition of drugs can cause more harm that it prevents.
  • Drug policy should have a primary focus on improving public health instead of trying to punish users.

Green Party Drug Law Reform Policy

124 comments on “How to make medicinal cannabis laws based on the needs of ill and disabled people ”

  1. Ad 1

    How will these products be regulated?
    Presumably by Medsafe?
    I’m guessing there’s specific effective components that need pretty close control over their levels.

    Also, is it proposed that purchase is made directly by Pharmac and available through registered pharmacies?

    • weka 1.1

      Depends what you mean by product. As far as I can tell the intention is to make it easier for small/medium businesses to manufacture, and I assume that would be regulated via the rest of the Act.

      Homegrown processing (or whole cannabis) wouldn’t be regulated. So someone with the skills to extract cannabis oil would be able to do so for own use, or nominate someone to do it for them. This is on par with people who home-brew alcohol, although obviously in this case it’s still being restricted to people with a medical exemption. In other words it’s not difficult nor is it dangerous (manufacture or use).

      • David C 1.1.1

        weka.

        To have someone make oil for you? You see this as a simple thing?

        You are suggesting that the Govt allows private individuals to manufacture and presumably get paid for making a pharmaceutical?

        • weka 1.1.1.1

          Depends on what you mean by simple but there are already plenty of people making product from raw cannabis at home and using it themselves or sharing with people in need.

          The thing about allowing someone else to make it for you is so the legislation is written in a way that discriminates against people with disabilities e.g. someone who doesn’t have the physical ability to handle the equipment needed. That’s huge in terms of disability rights.

          I think technically it wouldn’t be a pharmaceutical because pharmaceuticals are defined by law. But other than that, I don’t think it’s really that different than being able to make alcohol at home. We do restrict people from selling home-brew, but this law also has restrictions on it. You need a valid medical condition, written support from a medical practitioner and the person you nominate for supply has to be named to that practitioner (there will be some issues there in terms of National’s push for big data and gutting privacy laws).

          • David C 1.1.1.1.1

            If its medicinal cannabis I cant see how its not going to come under the pharmaceutical umbrella of rules. Strength purity additives etc.
            Yes access to this for the disabled goes without saying but access is not the same as the right to manufacture or the right to have someone manufacture for you.
            We already have systems in place to dispense medicine at heavily subsidized cost, why would we move away from that? surely that just complicates the issue.
            I would have pharmac contract it out. NZ grown organic green.

            and sell it to the world by the boat load too.

            • weka 1.1.1.1.1.1

              At the moment I can make herbal medicines at home. I can brew beer or distill spirits. How is that any different?

              All those things need skill.

              We already have systems in place to dispense medicine at heavily subsidized cost, why would we move away from that? surely that just complicates the issue.

              Lots of people in NZ can’t afford their prescriptions. People on benefits have to do significant hoop jumping to get Disability Allowance, and that is capped, so if they’re already at the upper limit they can’t get anymore. This is not an uncomplicated situation currently. Decriminalising for personal use is far less complicated.

              “I would have pharmac contract it out. NZ grown organic green.”

              That can happen too. But once you commercialise it, you make access harder for some people. I also think that many of the experts in medicinal cannabis in NZ (growing and use) are not going to be employed by the state. And the state will want to make pharmaceuticals. I don’t think the state should be involved in growing weed or selling joints, there’s not need and I just don’t think they’d be that good at it.

            • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.1.1.2

              I would have pharmac contract it out. NZ grown organic green.

              and sell it to the world by the boat load too.

              I wouldn’t have Pharmac contract it out but have them actually producing it. Removes the dead-weight loss of profit then.

              • David C

                Draco.
                You would have a bunch of shiny arsed cost accountants become farmers?
                Not a lot of green space in their 9th floor offices I suspect.

                Odd, but certainly not the oddest thing you have said.

                • Draco T Bastard

                  You would have a bunch of shiny arsed cost accountants become farmers?

                  Nope. I’d probably have Landcorp growing the marijuana and passing it along to Pharmac for the research, development and production of the actual drugs. Probably look at buying some from private farmers as well.

                  Basically, I’d be extending Pharmac from just being a buyer to an government department that produces many of the drugs that we need.

                  Odd, but certainly not the oddest thing you have said.

                  What”s odd is that we continue to follow a delusional socio-economic system that is inherently unsustainable.

                  • Stunned Mullet

                    “Basically, I’d be extending Pharmac from just being a buyer to an government department that produces many of the drugs that we need.”

                    I doubt we could produce many of the medicines we use in NZ at the prices we currently get them for let alone factoring in the cost of the facilities that would be required to manufacture them.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      We can. In real terms it costs no more to produce things in NZ than elsewhere and then when it is produced elsewhere it’s got the costs of transport added on as well.

                      The problem is our delusional financial system that makes it look cheaper to buy offshore.

                    • Stunned Mullet

                      The set up costs to produce the many pharmaceuticals that are relied upon in NZ would be very large, similarly all of the active ingredients and intermediaries that are required for their production.

                      Also our relatively small population would mean producing pharmaceuticals for very small patient groups with rare disorders would likely be uneconomic.

                      There is a problem with delusion but I’m not sure it’s our financial system in this case.

                    • David C

                      Stunned.

                      Someone like Draco just refuses to acknowledge basics like cost of production.

                      NZ just isnt big enough to make some things worthwhile.

                    • Stuart Munro

                      Right – but processing weed needn’t cost much at all – so we should not do it because other medicines are more expensive to manufacture? = rwnj spurious logic.

                      The ones we can manufacture economically we should.

                    • Stunned Mullet

                      @SMunro – I have no problem with NZ growing and processing forms of Cannabis, I would’ve thought it would be the kind of thing we would be particularly good at.

                      Draco’s fantasies of NZ producing the bulk of it’s own various pharmaceutical needs are another matter completely.

                    • David C

                      SMunro
                      Having a NZ based facility process a bulky plant based, NZ grown crop into a refined low volume high value pharmaceutical Vs NZ stamping pills after buying the immensely expensive patent controlled active ingredient from an overseas company?

                      No I dont see any difference. //

                    • Stuart Munro

                      It’s interesting to find how firmly the rwnj community reject the possibility of high tech low impact industries like pharmaceuticals – the kind of thing which our relatively educated population can do more readily than third world competitors.

                      For Pharmac to undertake this would be a natural direction for vertical integration – I guess we must assume Dave C and the Mullet have private concerns that conflict with this public interest proposal.

                      Full points for distracting from Ms Genter’s bill however.

                    • All this anguish over a “major new industry” – how much of this stuff do you think we’ll actually need and if we are that sick as a society, shouldn’t we be looking at the causes, rather than the easements? The bulk industry opportunity looking us in the face with regard cannabis is fibre and oil; easy to set up post-harvest production plants and the market is dry for a wetting. Different variety, yes, but let’s do both. Begone, silver fern!

                    • Perhaps, Stuart, if the production process involved turning the raw material into powder using giant coal-fired drying towers then shipping it off to China in BULK, as we do milk, the righties objecting here would be soothed of their concerns.

                    • Plus…lacto-pharmaceuticals – Rod Oram was promoting these years ago as a clever marketing option, but Fonterra was whistling Dixie at the time.

                    • Stunned Mullet

                      @Smunro – 🙄

                    • Stunned Mullet

                      Robert – As I have stated I have no issue with NZ growing and manufacturing cannabis based products it is something we would likely be very good at.

                      For some reason Draco and Stuart Munro seem to believe the only reason one could have serious doubts about NZs ability to manufacture the majority of our pharmaceutical requirements locally rather than source them from existing supply chains is that one must have a private conflict of interest.

                      IMO the only reason Stuart would think that would be his propensity to interfere with goats.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      Someone like Draco just refuses to acknowledge basics like cost of production.

                      Wrong.

                      Now stop lying about me.

                      NZ just isnt big enough to make some things worthwhile.

                      That’s the problem – there are no economies of scale. A small factory is just as efficient as a large factory.

                      And that’s the delusion that economists and politicians keep coming up with and that’s based in calculations that are simply wrong. This is because the manufacturing process doesn’t use human input. All automated factories, no matter the size, have a near equal efficiency.

                      Large factories lose out on the increased transportation costs.

                      It’s not the population of China that makes them the engine of the world but the fact that they’re bothering to actually make stuff whereas the Western world seems to have decided that it’s simply too expensive to do so.

                    • David C

                      Robert Guyton

                      Wow you are really so stupid I hardly know where to begin.

                      Pouring milk into a drying tower and reducing its weight and bulk by 80% before shipping it to China? is that what you mean? or you would have us ship the couple of million tonnes of water extracted as well?

                      Oh wait, you complain when we export water too!

                    • David C
                      “Wow you are really so stupid I hardly know where to begin.”

                      I really rocked you there, David C, with my stupid’n’all!
                      “Hardly know where to begin”! That’s tough on you but I see you gave it a brave shot anyway, good for you! Yeah, exporting water eh! Stooopid!! Who’d do that???

                    • David C

                      Draco.

                      and here I though RG was kinda special in his stupidity.

                      “That’s the problem – there are no economies of scale. A small factory is just as efficient as a large factory.”

                      So a manufacturing suite that is batching/stamping and packaging pills that can do enough in a morning to supply NZ for a year , has no down time between swapping drugs.

                      Who knew?

                      and yet this same small NZ based facility will produce pills at the same cost as a facility in India producing 200 times as much in a single run.

                      Who knew that either?!

                    • Stuart Munro

                      Let’s just leave your goats out of this Mullet.

                      Naturally one would expect that Pharmac would produce the ones that were cost effective, and leave the ones that weren’t to folk with different competitive advantages. RWNJ are supposed to understand basic stuff like this but I guess you’re a slow learner.

                      Yes Robert – I can see growing demand for what Bierce describes as ‘an article of clothing, often put on after speaking in the open air, which prevents the wearer catching cold’, and ‘an instrument of justice chiefly remarkable for those who escape it’. Quite a few good products NZ never touches – lacquer has great possibilities too.

                      It’s astonishing really that these erstwhile libertarians are so agin private victimless vice – were I to grow a little cannabis between my cabbages the only ones negatively affected would be the white butterflies (and no, that’s not a covert dig at Peter Dunne).

                    • Stuart – I’ve heard the expression, “stone the crows”, but “stone the cabbage whites” is a new one on me!

                    • stunned mullet

                      PHARMAC only supposedly fund pharmaceuticals that are cost effective Stuart – so are you suggesting they magically manufactural the medicines currently funded on the pharmaceutical schedule.

                      Why not admit that you don’t have the foggiest what you are dribbling about.

                    • Stuart Munro

                      It’s astonishing how obtuse the RWNJ are these days – It seems our Mullet is self medicated as well as fundamentally backward.

                      “so are you suggesting they magically manufactural the medicines currently funded on the pharmaceutical schedule”

                      I am suggesting they manufacture those medicines which it is cost effective to manufacture – they might do this by a tender process.

                      All these difficulties you are imagining are no doubt the reason NZ produces property speculators and asset thieves rather than entrepreneurs. Productive activity like manufacturing calls for skills and judgment RWNJ do not possess, nor do they wish to acquire it. A properly graduated tax system would soon persuade them to lift their game.

                    • Stuart Munro

                      @ Robert

                              McPartland, John M. 1997. Cannabis as repellent and pesticide. Journal of the International Hemp Association 4(2): 87-92 Cannabis has been used as a pest repellent and pesticide in a variety of formulations. It has been planted as a companion crop to deter insects, nematodes, fungi, and weedy plants. Dried leaves and flowers have repelled or killed insects, mites, nematodes, and weeds. Plant extracts (either aqueous or polar organic solvent extracts) have killed or repelled insects, mites, nematodes, fungi, weedy plants, bacteria, and protozoans. Pure cannabinoids reportedly inhibit or kill bacteria, fungi, and insects. The validity of some of these reports is debated. Most of the scientific literature describes in vitro experiments, few studies concern field work. Utilizing left-over Cannabis leaves against pests appears to be a possible use for this harvest residue.

                    • stunned mullet

                      “I am suggesting they manufacture those medicines which it is cost effective to manufacture – they might do this by a tender process.”

                      You dopey prick – you really don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.

                      Too much goat worrying has finally driven you over the edge.

                    • Stuart – I’m more a pro-biotic sort of guy and favour plants for their beneficial qualities. For example, hemlock, famous for its anti-hominid properties, creates beautiful, fine soil wherever it grows and should be left to do just that, imo 🙂 Thanks anyway, for the info.

                    • Stuart Munro

                      “Too much goat worrying has finally driven you over the edge.”

                      I think you should probably find another forum for your goat fantasies, Mullet. I’m beginning to suspect your uses of the phrase ‘nanny state’ were Freudian slips.

                      “You dopey prick – you really don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

                      That would be unnecessary abuse.

                      So, we’ve established that you
                      a) know nothing about pharmaceutical manufacturing
                      b) more importantly to you, you do not wish to know.

                      If the Aussies can do it, chances are kiwis can too. Once obstructionists like you are moved out of the way.

                      https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/dec/01/australian-students-recreate-martin-shkreli-price-hike-drug-in-school-lab

                    • Stunned Mullet

                      Stuart you know nothing about pharmaceutical manufacturing, patents or supply in NZ as demonstrated by the pitiful links you use to try and make your point.

                      The vast amount of our off patent medications in NZ are sourced from large volume manufacturers in Asia and Europe who have the facilities, support staff and volumes to be able to manufacture, export and supply into NZ at prices which PHARMAC is more than happy with and which no local manufacturer is able to match even if they did have the facilities or expertise to do so and were willing to go through the lengthy process of setting up the local manufacturing and registering their products with Medsafe.

                      Back to your goat you go..

                    • Stuart Munro

                      And there we have it

                      the RWNJ as exemplified by Mullet are afraid to compete even with Australian highschool students.

                      Except in the matter of abuse.

                      Poor backward bastards.

                      No wonder our balance of payments is in the toilet.

                    • Stunned Mullet

                      ‘No wonder our balance of payments is in the toilet.’

                      No wonder your goat has a higher i.q. than you. If you can’t figure out why a group of students creating a small amount of a single API in a lab is somewhat short of ..

                      “Basically, I’d be extending Pharmac from just being a buyer to an government department that produces many of the drugs that we need.”

                      …there is very little hope for you.

                    • Stuart Munro

                      There is indeed no hope for me Mullet.

                      I have the great misfortune to live in a country administered by backward creatures.

                      But my students build ships, and create successful microeconomic interventions, and merchant banks, and learning neural networks, they live in a world of possibility denied to New Zealanders by useless vermin like you.

                    • Stunned Mullet

                      Good for them.

                      I wonder if they realise their tutor is a nutter who hangs out on blogs and makes regular calls for the implementation of violence against those he disagrees with.

                    • Stuart Munro

                      In fact they rather approve – coming from cultures well aware of the endpoints of political corruption – they recognize the duty to overthrow it.

                  • David C

                    So after saying you didnt want Pharmac to contract it out you then say you want Pharmac to contract it out to a bunch of sheep farmers?

                    You know we used to produce drugs in New Zealand that that got binned because it was wayyyyyyyyy more expensive that buying from overseas?

                    WTF are you smoking?

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      So after saying you didnt want Pharmac to contract it out you then say you want Pharmac to contract it out to a bunch of sheep farmers?

                      All I said at the beginning was that I’d have Pharmac produce the drugs. I didn’t say anything about it growing the marijuana.

                      I said the same thing the second time. Pharmac produces the drugs.

                      You seem to have comprehension problems.

                      You know we used to produce drugs in New Zealand that that got binned because it was wayyyyyyyyy more expensive that buying from overseas?
                      We have multiple drug development and production companies in NZ so obviously not that expensive.

                    • David C

                      Draco, I dont have comprehension problems but you certainly have honesty problems.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      Where have I lied?

                    • Stunned Mullet

                      You do know that most of those companies in your link don’t manufacture in NZ ?

                      Do your realise that those that do only manufacture a very very small range of intermediates or finished goods ?

          • Pete George 1.1.1.1.2

            Somehow though there must be protection against misrepresented products and safety of products, important wit cannabis due to different components with different effects, particularly THC versus CBD. And even with the best of intent home made drugs are at risk contamination.

            • weka 1.1.1.1.2.1

              “And even with the best of intent home made drugs are at risk contamination.”

              No more so than brewing alcohol, or preparing food that has risk of contamination e.g. chicken. You need skills to do all those things but they’re not inherently dangerous unless you do stupid things. Can’t really legislation against stupid at that level, but you can educate.

              “Somehow though there must be protection against misrepresented products and safety of products, important wit cannabis due to different components with different effects, particularly THC versus CBD”

              This bill isn’t about that though. Once you get to making claims and selling product, there is other legislation that will cover that.

              • I think that contamination problems with alcohol are rare. Not so with cannabis products.

                UC Davis study finds mold, bacterial contaminants in medical marijuana samples

                Investigators Find Contaminated Weed In California Medical Marijuana Supply

                Understanding dabs: contamination concerns of cannabis concentrates and cannabinoid transfer during the act of dabbing.

                Fifty seven (57) concentrate samples were screened for cannabinoid content and the presence of residual solvents or pesticides. Considerable residual solvent and pesticide contamination were found in these concentrates. Over 80% of the concentrate samples were contaminated in some form.

                That last one is a research paper from US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.

                • weka

                  Compare cannabis contamination with food poisoning from chicken. Where there are issues, you educate people to do things safely, or where appropriate to avoid.

                  I agree that solvent and pesticide contamination needs to be looked at, but the point again is that people are growing and processing already. It will get safer when people can do it legally and share information about best practice.

                  • Johan

                    Hawks Bay council poisoned thousands of people when they were carefree with their water controls. Do you trust this gov’t enough to keep products free of contamination?

                    • weka

                      I trust small growers who sell to people they know. Same as with buying raw milk. Put some govt regulations in place and support practice that is safer. There comes a time when big is not best.

                      But, some people will need a highly refined product, no reason why that can’t be done safely by registered manufacturers. No I don’t trust the current govt, which is why I don’t vote for them 🙂

                    • David C

                      Johan.
                      This Govt? HDC or HBRC? pick one or conflate all three?

                      Private enterprise drug dealers poison thousands of people each and every day, year in year out. What is your point?

                • Stuart Munro

                  Historically alcohol was often adulterated with anything from methanol to sugar of lead. The reason home spirits are no longer in that risk zone is largely that we have a more educated population now.

                  The most likely failure of home cannabis preparations would be that they were understrength or spoiled. Neither represent massive threats to public health, any more than bad cooking does.

        • joe90 1.1.1.2

          You see this as a simple thing?

          Actually, making extracts is a simple thing.

      • Ad 1.1.2

        Not sure if the alcohol comparison is a good idea, unless drinking really is medicine!

        Is there a defined level at which the products are safe to use, and unsafe to use?
        What I am trying to get to is: is this proposed as a medicine?
        If so, why should it not be subject to the same regulatory hurdles as any medicine?
        http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/1984/0143/latest/DLM95668.html

        Or is it a threapeutic products, subject to this regulatory regime:
        http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/regulatory/guidelines.asp

        I’m not particularly worried about those who grow a few plants for their own use. Anything a person does in the privacy of their own home …

        What I’m worried about firstly is that, faster than you can say “Tetrahydrocannabinol”, some massive multinational will be in there mass-manufacturing it, diluting it, cutting it with other stuff, and making it very difficult to trust that it’s actually healthy to use. And then some Indian copy-company finds it cheaper to manufacture the cheaper alternative with substitute ingredients, as they do.

        Is it proposed to be something like a Healtheries vitamin pill bottle, with no direct medical claims ? Or something with a specific prescribable effect that is part of my GP’s treatment? How would that be defined? What kinds of warning would it have on the side?

        And probably after that, is is proposed to be available for public subsidy?

        • weka 1.1.2.1

          “What I am trying to get to is: is this proposed as a medicine?”

          No, it’s not. Which is why it is such a good law from a disability perspective. I would expect alongside it that there would also be a push for more research, but it’s basically saying that people are already using cannabis medicinally, others are in need and can’t access it, so let’s stop making all that a criminal issue. And when we do that, make it affordable and easy to access.

          “I’m not particularly worried about those who grow a few plants for their own use. Anything a person does in the privacy of their own home …”

          Yes, and my reading is that this law basically allows home use and opens up the way for commercial production that is properly regulated. So the person nominated to supply is unlikely to be a large company (haven’t read it that closely and I’d guess people will try and work around that, but that stuff would be sorted via the select committee process and subsequent reviews).

          Full scale commercial production is different. Once you start producing something that you are labelling, making claims for, and selling to people you don’t know or wholesaling to retailers, then sure, regulate that like normal. What remains to be seen is where cannabis products would be placed within that range of normal.

          At the moment, even with the recent dispensation for prescription from a GP, there are very tight regulations on manufacture and supply so basically it’s incredibly expensive (and has to be imported I think). That’s Dunne wanting to make sure that products are safe. Which is fine, but there is no good reason to not make lower level products accessible now. e.g. a joint is very different than an oil that has been standardised to have x amount of cannabinoids in it. Plant to drug spectrum with lots of grey areas in between. The products at the very drug end should be regulated like other pharmaceuticals IMO and be available on prescription (so yes, a subsidy). But there will be other products that are less drug like (compare beer to spirits), that probably don’t need that degree of regulation.

          There is a cross over here with how the law would be written and systems implemented once we start moving to full legalisation or decriminalisation. e.g. I think that manufacture and import of cannabis products that look like lollies should be banned because once we get to full legal status we don’t want the lines blurred between adult drug use and things that kids like to eat.

          I also don’t want to see us setting ourselves up for small expert growers not being able to jump regulatory hoops that are designed around big commercial producers. The comparison here would be with the local food economy, where the gap between what one can do at home and what one can do commercially is way too big. The US is attempting to solve this via Cottage Food bills if you want to look it up. It’s a good middle ground and compromise that allows small producers but still attends to safety.

          • Draco T Bastard 1.1.2.1.1

            At the moment, even with the recent dispensation for prescription from a GP, there are very tight regulations on manufacture and supply so basically it’s incredibly expensive (and has to be imported I think). That’s Dunne wanting to make sure that products are safe.

            From what I can make out that’s Dunne making sure that large corporations can make a profit from it which they won’t be able to do if everyone and their cat can make it.

  2. Peter Dunne, David Seymour and Te Ururoa Flavell on Genter’s bill”

    The other private member’s bill that was drawn this week was the medicinal cannabis, Julie-Anne Genter’s bill. It goes further than what you have done in terms of medicinal cannabis. Will you support that bill of hers?

    Dunne: At this stage, I’m still in discussion with Julie-Anne about some provisions in her bill. I think that the bill, in one sense, is unworkable. I think, in another sense, it actually changes the whole ball game in a way that’s not what was intended. But I need to talk more with her about that.

    So what’s that? Probably a no?

    Dunne: Well, what she’s saying, effectively—

    No, is that probably a no, Mr Dunne?

    Dunne: No, I’m going to answer the question this way. What she’s saying is that she’s effectively going to decriminalise cannabis across the board. That’s not the position of a number of other political parties. I don’t think it’s where the public is at. To be fair to her, I don’t get the sense from her that that’s necessarily where she’s even heading, so I need to sit down and talk with her about precisely what she’s—

    Yes or no on Julie Anne Genter’s bill?

    Seymour: I’ve told Julie Anne I’m going to support the bill.

    Mr Flavell?

    Flavell: I haven’t seen the detail of it, but generally we support these sorts of bills, in particular around this issue, to first reading, to allow people to have their say and then make our decision from there.

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1706/S00135/the-nation-david-seymour-peter-dunne-and-te-ururoa-flavell.htm

    I think that Genter is likely to talk to other parties to see what can be done to make progress on her bill – but it seems that even a First reading vote is unlikely before the election. This means some changes in MPs (possibly including Dunne), with the likelihood that Parliament will keep moving towards the majority public view of liberalisation of cannabis and drug laws.

    • weka 2.1

      “What she’s saying is that she’s effectively going to decriminalise cannabis across the board.”

      Not really. She’s suggesting decriminalising for valid medicinal use. This law could stay in perpetuity with no further move towards decriminalising across then board.

      Dunne is right though, the bill changes the whole ball game, which is the point. It’s written with people’s needs in mind.

      • David C 2.1.1

        “Not really. She’s suggesting decriminalising for valid medicinal use. This law could stay in perpetuity with no further move towards decriminalising across then board.”

        and yet you say its not a pharmaceutical product. In my view you need to get your message sorted. Either its medicine (for pain etc) and will be controlled by govt in usual way OR its a recreational drug and its a freeforall.

        • weka 2.1.1.1

          I think you are confusing ‘drug’ with ‘pharmaceutical’.

          Cannabis is a plant. In it’s raw state it’s not a pharmaceutical. Someone wants to cook up some heads in butter, that’s not a pharmaceutical. Someone wants to extract oil via an alcohol solvent at home, getting closer to a medical drug, but still not needing to be legislated as a such unless one is producing commercially. Doing high technology extraction that also standardises certain constituents, makes the product highly concentrated etc, by all means legislated that as a pharmaceutical.

          “Either its medicine (for pain etc) and will be controlled by govt in usual way”

          People can use non-medical substances for pain already and the govt doesn’t control that. e.g. herbal tinctures or acupuncture.

          “OR its a recreational drug and its a freeforall.”

          Nothing about this bill is relating to recreational use.

          • David C 2.1.1.1.1

            weka.

            You are confusing what you “know” and what voters “know”

            “Nothing about this bill is relating to recreational use.”

            and yet you want the law to change to allow people to manufacture and sell a B class DRUG ?

            • weka 2.1.1.1.1.1

              No. I want the law to give an exemption to people who have valid medical need. In order to do that without discrimination many of those people will need help. I really don’t see the difference between someone growing for their own use, or having someone else they know grow it for them. Ditto processing.

              Again, nothing about recreational use. Maybe you could clarify what you are thinking.

      • Pete George 2.1.2

        “She’s suggesting decriminalising for valid medicinal use.”

        Some see that as following what has happened in California. All you need is a doctor willing to find a “valid medicinal use” – unless you think an honesty system be used.

        I’m very pleased to see that this bill drawn, but I think it will only succeed if it is carefully managed and defined, otherwise it will be to easy to oppose.

        • David C 2.1.2.1

          PG.

          I agree. Unless the message is very clear that this is for medicinal use only and not for sitting about to get baked on i think this bill (or any like it) will fail

          personally I would love medicinal use to be legal (my father could use it now) and I could live with decriminalization for personal use.

          Also , I would be keen to see “E” legal and govt controlled. If the govt wants to stop P users then give them something safe and cheap as an alternative.

          • weka 2.1.2.1.1

            What about the bill do you think enables recreational use? I’m just not seeing it. Bear in mind that many people who want to use cannabis medicinally don’t want to get high.

        • weka 2.1.2.2

          I guess it depends on how much you trust doctors in NZ. My experience with having to get medical support for Disability Allowance for WINZ is that doctors want to be supportive but aren’t pushovers. You need valid reasons for what you are asking for.

          If in that process there are small numbers of people scamming the system so they get better recreational use, I don’t care. Likewise people with medical need who end up using recreationally.

  3. Gosman 3

    Do people here think people should be able to make their own opioids as well or is Cannabis the only home made pain relief allowed ?

    [as is clearly stated in both the post and the bill, the issue is about cannabis not opiates. I suggest you take care in how you frame your questions so as to avoid the appearance of trolling – weka]

    • I’m for home-grown opiates. In fact, Papaver somniferum is commonly grown throughout the country by the sweetest of flowery-patterned smock-wearing straw-hatted grannies and corduroy-swathed, pipe-smoking grandfathers who love the blooms of those plants that lined the yellow brick road into the Emerald City.

      • Plus, willow bark is an ancient, time tested pain reliever. There are other sources of pain relief growing with gay abandon out their in our gardens and around our duck ponds. Hope no one’s planning a round up. Big job.

        • Robert Guyton 3.1.1.1

          Tooth ache? Try cloves.

          • Gosman 3.1.1.1.1

            Do you think we should ditch any medicinal safety checks?

            • Robert Guyton 3.1.1.1.1.1

              Around which plant? Willows?

              • Gosman

                All home made medicines. Do you think there should be any safety standards and/or testing performed?

                • weka

                  I think we should regulate chicken soup immediately! No more garlic sales in the supermarket too, only on prescription.

                • Safety checks around all home made medicines?
                  Good heavens! Whatever happened to personal responsibility, Gosman? I’d be offended if someone suggested I wasn’t capable of making a comfrey poultice or a tray of horehound throat lozenges – I’d need someone to perform a safety check on my home made medicines?! Perish the thought. I know what I’m doing, as do many, many other “home-bakers”. When my 2-year old son was running a fever, ought I to have rung an authority before stewing up some yarrow to bring his temperature down? Ought I to have got a sign-off before applying crushed plantain leaf to the nettle sting on my grandson’s leg?
                  I read weka’s note to you and guess from that you are trying to skew the argument un helpfully. I hope I was useful in helping you avoid further censure from the mod.

                  • Gosman

                    I haven’t stated an opinion one way or the other on the subject of safety of home made medicines. I’m merely trying to establish if the proposal on offer is one where there are no checks or if people believe a safety regime should be put in place.

                    • Yeah, and you have one of those mouths in which butter can safely sit for hours un-melted.

                    • weka

                      Butter with other fat-soluble substances in it perhaps.

                    • McFlock

                      If you’re trying to establish something about Genter’s bill that is not evident from this post or the bill itself, maybe you should ask her?

                      If you think people might accidentally grow poppies and cook heroin when they actually just totally intended to grow some MJ and make some oil, then obviously you’re ahead of the pack when it comes to synthesizing “home made medicines”.

                    • Gosman

                      That is not what I am trying to establish. I am looking to understand the principles behind the bill. It seems a little unclear. Is Medicinal cannabis going to be treated as a natural medicine or as a prescription only one that can be grown at home but only under strict rules?

                      [neither. Cannabis will remain an illegal drug, under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. You can look up what ‘drug’ means in that context. Genter’s bill will create exemptions for some people based on medical need and support from a doctor. At that point it doesn’t matter what one calls it, its legal. It’s actually very simple.

                      I’m starting to wonder if you bothered to read the post, and you can guess how that might make me feel as a moderator. I’d now like an acknowledgement of this moderation note, and a further acknowledgement that you have read the whole post if you want to continue commenting here. Putting you in moderation until I get an answer to both – weka]

                    • http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/member/2017/0270/latest/DLM7287003.html

                      There ya go, Gosman, knock your self out. Let us know what you learn, if anything.

                    • Gosman

                      I understand where you come from Weka and have read the post. However I have been to a talk from Peter Dunnevon this very issue. He is sympathetic to medicinal use if cannabis but under the same terms as for other drugs. The proposed legislation seems a little vague whether it will be treated as a medical drug (i.e. be subject to trials) or can be used as pain relief under a similar arrangement to other natural medicines but requiring a prescription. Hence my line if questions.

                    • weka

                      Thanks for responding, it’s always better if you explain what you are thinking.

                      “The proposed legislation seems a little vague whether it will be treated as a medical drug (i.e. be subject to trials) or can be used as pain relief under a similar arrangement to other natural medicines but requiring a prescription.”

                      Actually it’s not vague at all. It’s saying that cannabis at the level that can be processed at home shouldn’t be a prescription drug. Yes, trials are done and will be done, and at some point there will be better products available, but in the meantime let people get on with it. There is no reason to read cannabis as a prescription medicine and from what I understand it’s Dunne’s position on this that has prevented use. Doctors won’t prescribe because the trials haven’t been done, but you can’t do the trials while the drug is still illegal.

                    • Gosman

                      Am I still in moderation?

                      [r0b: yes you are, will ask weka about this]

                    • weka

                      sorry, my bad, have amending the mod list now.

            • weka 3.1.1.1.1.2

              “Do you think we should ditch any medicinal safety checks?”

              See my moderator note above.

              • Gosman

                Why are you making a distinction between different types of home made medicine?

                • Are they all the same? Should they be treated as if they were?
                  Koromiko leaves relieved the dysentery of our soldiers during the war – fadge after fadge was shipped overseas to cure what the conventional medicines had no effect on – is the use of those leaves, which grow in many NZ gardens and throughout our native forests, to be regulated for home use, Gosman? Is this the ridiculous proposal you are making?

                  • Gosman

                    I’m not sure. But I don’t see why we are making a special case for home made Cannabis based medicines and not for other types. There may well be a reason.

                    • You’re not sure if there’s a difference between various plant extracts?
                      I hope you’re not going to self-medicate from your own garden, Gosman. You seem to have no commonsense at all!
                      Think, Camelia sinensis.

                • weka

                  “Why are you making a distinction between different types of home made medicine?”

                  You’d have to be more specific Gosman. And I’d suggest you do that shortly, because repeatedly filling the thread with the same paraphrased but unclear question is likely to annoy my moderation nerves. You have a keyboard and a brain, why not use them.

                  • Gosman

                    I believe the objection to home made cannabis medicine would be the same for any type of home grown medicine. There are no quality controls or safety checks made. Dunne has already signalled his concerns in this area. He has spoken to people (including me) about this in the recent past. He regards medicine as medicine and it should be treated the same.

                    • Dunne “regards medicine as medicine”?

                      He’s a genius, a towering intellectual giant! It’s as I’ve always suspected, despite the disguise.

                    • Gosman

                      Actual medicine has to meet certain standards before it is allowed to be prescribed. I believe that is what Dunne wants for Cannabis.

                    • weka

                      What makes something a medicine? Is it the chemical composition? The way it gets used?

                      Why does cannabis need to be prescribed?

                    • Gosman

                      That’s Dunne’s objection it seems to this Bill. It doesnt seek to treat Cannabis as a medicine and is essentially trying to legalise it by the back door. Now I have no objections if the bill does do that but it us less a medicinal use bill then

            • Kay 3.1.1.1.1.3

              Well this has been cleared by Medsafe for prescribing in NZ:
              http://medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datasheet/c/Clopinetaboralsuspen.pdf

              “Officially” safe because it’s been through all the testing but one of the most deadly prescription drugs around. Have a read of the side effect list. Slightly off topic I know, but my point is, a bit of home made CBD that might have slight contamination is not lethal like clozapine is, yet for some reason the anti-drugs brigade don’t have any sort of problem with these highly dangerous prescription drugs being in circulation. Hell, the anti-convulsant drugs I take are likely to kill me in the end- extremely toxic but I guess since they’ve been made in a safe factory and not contaminated then that’s ok? I wish CBD were a viable alternative for me 🙁

              (Clozapine is on the verge of killing my best friend and I know someone who’s died from it, so not exaggerating.)

              • Gosman

                Can you make this drug in your home or does it have to be made under strict controls and prescribed by a doctor ?

                • Kay describes Clozapine as “toxic”, Gosman. Are you claiming home-grown cannabis is toxic?

                  • Gosman

                    Toxic is not really a scientific term. Tap water is ‘toxic’ if used incorrectly.

                    • I offered you a pin head and you couldn’t help but pull on your dancing shoes. This is getting a little easy, and therefore a bit dull.

                    • weka

                      Good point. Just like with water, you need to learn what the optimal dose of cannabis is without making you ill. It’s going to vary from person to person.

                • Kay

                  If we ignore you will you go away?
                  Please excuse my delayed reply- I’m currently severely zonked out from increasing one of those lovely safety checked drugs made under strict controls and prescribed by a doctor, dozed off for a bit. You should try it sometime. At least I can be confident the factory in Switzerland it’s made in isn’t contaminated….they’re pretty good with their safety standards.

                  Gos, what you really need is an illness that CBD either can, or has the potential to be a treatment for. Then you might develop this thing called empathy and quit with the moronic comments.

              • Stunned Mullet

                @Kay – because Medsafe registers a medicine it does not in any way mean that the medicine is safe. This is why prescription medicines can only be prescribed by a registered medical professional so that the benefit for the person being prescribed the medicine in question outweighs the risks.

            • adam 3.1.1.1.1.4

              Your an idiot Gosman, we have regulation around natural medicine and it’s been in place for years. We even have provisions for what is safe and unsafe, including the native fauna. Way back in 1981 the act was updated, and as recent as 2016 Tony Ryall has added to it.

              So when you get half a brain back and get that the adults have already had this discussion come back, ah.

              • Gosman

                You think Medicinal cannabis should be treated the same as other natural medicines do you?

                • adam

                  Are you really that dumb, obtuse, or just down right lazy?

                  I’ll going with lazy because if you took 5 minuets to even briefly look at the act, a simply solution would have come into even your peanut size brain.

                  Medicinal cannabis should be covered by the 1981 Act, like all other medicinal products.

                  Mountain, mole hill. For a so called libertarian, you seem hell bent on creating a lot of new laws.

        • Bill 3.1.1.2

          Willow bark. Found in the jaw of neanderthal remains. Seems the poor bugger had an abscess. And that was from 45 000 years back? Longer? 😉

          • Robert Guyton 3.1.1.2.1

            I wonder if it was the abscess that killed Mr Neanderthal, ’cause they can, you know, kill ya.
            Otoh, it may have been the un regulated use of willow bark that did the big fella in. The willy-nilly use of self-selected and applied plant medicines is a VERY DANGEROUS thing, don’tcha know! (just ask Gosman! He’s all a-twitter with worry)

      • David C 3.1.2

        Ha. I know a bloke who does a fair bit of covert lets say ‘freedom farming” of said poppy. For very recreational purposes , but he is a very fit smart 60 something, good luck to him.

  4. RRM 4

    Doesn’t go far enough.

    NZ citizens should be free to smoke / drink / imbibe what they like in the privacy of their own homes.

    Employers should be free to require that you turn up to work sober.

    Hurting each other should remain illegal, intoxication of whatever form should be no excuse.

    • bwaghorn 4.1

      yep i had a beer with a logging guy the other day , the boss decided to do a drug test so 5 of the crew left rather than fail and get fired , it needs to be about impairment not recreational use,.

      • David C 4.1.1

        It becomes about impairment when one of the logging crew dies on the job thru an error and when testing is done post mortem is found to have been smoking at work, then worksafe destroys the employers business and tries to imprison the employer.

        My deal with staff was dont smoke on Thursday night and I wont drug test. Friday and Saturday they could do as they please and by Sunday the recreational budget was blown so it wasnt an issue 🙂

        I knew if I tested I would make a problem. You only test if you want to carry thru with sanctions and/or treatment (neither of which the staff want)

  5. Good on the greens for this. I hope it goes through.

Recent Posts

  • What is the Hardest Sport in the World?
    Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
    59 mins ago
  • What is the Most Expensive Sport?
    The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
    1 hour ago
  • Pickleball On the Cusp of Olympic Glory
    Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
    1 hour ago
  • The Origin and Evolution of Soccer Unveiling the Genius Behind the World’s Most Popular Sport
    Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
    1 hour ago
  • How Much to Tint Car Windows A Comprehensive Guide
    Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
    1 hour ago
  • Why Does My Car Smell Like Gas? A Comprehensive Guide to Diagnosing and Fixing the Issue
    The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
    1 hour ago
  • How to Remove Tree Sap from Car A Comprehensive Guide
    Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
    1 hour ago
  • How Much Paint Do You Need to Paint a Car?
    The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
    1 hour ago
  • Can You Jump a Car in the Rain? Safety Precautions and Essential Steps
    Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
    1 hour ago
  • Can taxpayers be confident PIJF cash was spent wisely?
    Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    7 hours ago
  • EGU2024 – An intense week of joining sessions virtually
    Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
    9 hours ago
  • Submission on “Fast Track Approvals Bill”
    The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    10 hours ago
  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    11 hours ago
  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    13 hours ago
  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    14 hours ago
  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    15 hours ago
  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    18 hours ago
  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    19 hours ago
  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    19 hours ago
  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    20 hours ago
  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    20 hours ago
  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    21 hours ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    22 hours ago
  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    23 hours ago
  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats why they introduced the Recently Deleted folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Heres how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the Recents tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on Edit. Select Show Recently Deleted. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose Recover to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    1 day ago
  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    1 day ago
  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    1 day ago
  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    1 day ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    1 day ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    2 days ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    2 days ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    2 days ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    2 days ago
  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    2 days ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    2 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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 ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    4 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    4 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-19T17:49:42+00:00