Huge Nat u-turn on City Rail Link

Written By: - Date published: 12:44 pm, June 26th, 2013 - 64 comments
Categories: transport - Tags:

It’s a massive win for the Greens, for Labour, and Auckland. National has caved to the pressure from local government, from business, and from its political opponents. With the polls so close (recent outlier notwithstanding) National couldn’t afford to go into 2014 opposing the CRL when Aucklanders want it and the opposition is mobilising it as an issue, including the Greens’ ‘re:connect’ campaign.

There’s plenty of outstanding issues. How much funding will the government put up? When will the CRL be built?  Will it be a PPP? Will National try to slip in a Puhoi to Wellsford PPP at the same time? Are they going to stuff around with the alignment of the tunnel? (I suspect they’re going to drop the Warkworth to Wellsford part of that RoNS as part of the trade-off, which would be great)

But this is a win for the Left, no doubt. It’s a huge backdown from a government that has spent years and years saying that rail is dead and we don’t need the City Rail Link. As recently as a few months ago, Gerry Brownlee was dismissing yet another report that said the CRL was the only way to keep Auckland moving.

Key has clearly had to override his numbskull transport minister in the interests of politics – he couldn’t go into the next election arguing that a four lane highway in the middle of nowhere was more important than the CRL that all the Auckland establishment and the opposition is calling for, not if he didn’t want to risk a couple of percent of the party vote by pushing Aucklanders away.

Great work by everyone who has forced National into this u-turn.

64 comments on “Huge Nat u-turn on City Rail Link ”

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  1. Sanctuary 1
    26 June 2013 at 1:13 pm

    Poor John Roughan.

    • Rhinocrates 1.2
      26 June 2013 at 2:32 pm

      Ah, schadenfreude. Love it!

    • xtasy 1.3
      27 June 2013 at 12:37 am

      John Roughan will be busy organising protests now. He may perhaps use his dear NZ Herald to whip up emotions amongst rate payers and those Aucklanders who want to drive their individual cars from cradle to grave.

      We live in a society where you must count yourself lucky to organise a few dozen to protest against draconian, unfair and partly illegal welfare reforms, but where hundreds or thousands march against liquor stores, dairies selling legal highs, against certain substancesbeing put into baked bread or tap water, and to take a stand against crime.

      So get some rate payers and car lovers enraged by telling them they will pay for all this, and you are likely to get a few thousand march up Queen Street, I am afraid.

      Welcome to the “dark side” of NZ.

  2. Cemetery Jones 2
    26 June 2013 at 1:34 pm

    National only brings dessert to the table when they’re about to serve liver for the main course. Does this mean they bullied Brown into trading CRL funding for housing policy?

  3. gobsmacked 3
    26 June 2013 at 1:43 pm

    Beware the details. It’ll be funded by pokies?

    Still, a good win in round one. Many more to go.

  4. Pete 4
    26 June 2013 at 2:13 pm

    Good. They have made the right decision. The Nats do have a stiffy for PPPs, though, but I guess the perfect is the enemy of the good.

    • Colonial Viper 4.1
      26 June 2013 at 2:18 pm

      The good is the enemy of the passable…I think what we are going to get from the NATs is going to fall into the “passable” category.

  5. BM 5
    26 June 2013 at 2:18 pm

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10893094

    Mr Key also suggested the $2.86 billion project could be paid for with proceeds from asset sales.

    Amusing.

    • framu 5.1
      26 June 2013 at 2:29 pm

      i know – its cracks me up watching key and english suggest that they can spend the same money multiple times over 🙂

      how many things have the suggested for asset sales profits now – 4? 5?

      remember that it was already counted before it even sold in the nats very first budget

      (yes i know the that they suggested the future investment fund here – but i think you get my point)

      • Draco T Bastard 5.1.1
        26 June 2013 at 2:55 pm

        It’s BM, a seeming National supporter, so there’s pretty much no chance he gets your point. He’s probably buying what Key said and thinking that those asset sales are such great things.

      • Winston Smith 5.1.2
        26 June 2013 at 3:33 pm

        Oh please Labour and Shearer spent the money for the “holiday highway” numerous times, its what politicians do

        • Colonial Viper 5.1.2.1
          26 June 2013 at 3:53 pm

          How did they do that from Opposition?

        • framu 5.1.2.2
          26 June 2013 at 4:28 pm

          Yeah WS – just how did labour and shearer spend money from a project that was created by the current govt?

          time travel perhaps?

        • Draco T Bastard 5.1.2.3
          26 June 2013 at 4:28 pm

          The holiday highway is part of National’s RoNS. It didn’t even exist as random thought prior to the election of this government. This being true how could Labour and Shearer, who aren’t in government, have spent the money that National have allocated to the delusional RoNS multiple times over?

      • James N 5.1.3
        26 June 2013 at 4:27 pm

        Mighty River Power down 10% on issue price already… Who mentioned schadenfreude?

    • Chris 5.2
      26 June 2013 at 3:36 pm

      Key would be referring to Auckland Council assets?

      • insider 5.2.1
        26 June 2013 at 4:28 pm

        Watercare, airport, Wynyard wharf, vector, POA. there’s lots of cash tied up there

        • QoT 5.2.1.1
          26 June 2013 at 6:19 pm

          lots of cash tied up there

          Yes, we call them public assets. I presume you haven’t been so foolhardy as to “tie up cash” in a mortgage, a car, appliances? Rent your work shoes from Hannahs, do you?

    • the pigman 5.3
      26 June 2013 at 7:00 pm

      But I thought the proceeds of asset sales were going towards hospitals, the children, ensuring the welfare of fluffy animals and the rainbow unicorn protection league?

  6. Tim 6
    26 June 2013 at 2:18 pm

    Onward!
    Now for the Gisborne resurrection, and a heap of other possibilities – Christchurch included
    It’s taken a while for them (gNats) to see the bleeding obvious though.

  7. WILDSTYLE 7
    26 June 2013 at 2:18 pm

    Nats won’t build it before 2020 though. Knew there would be a catch.

  8. Ad 8
    26 June 2013 at 2:55 pm

    2021 is a bit of a way off.

    Be interesting to see what links the PM makes between it and the second harbour crossing tunnel option.

    Bringing CRL forward will depend quite substantially on whether Auckland’s construction, finance, and local government sectors can come to arrangements that enable acceleration within procurement.

    If they can accelerate Clifford Bay (good grief), they can certainly accelerate CRL.

  9. valid point 9
    26 June 2013 at 3:07 pm

    A disappointing result. The CRL will be NZ’s most expensive ever vanity piece. The real irony though is that the rates to pay for it will be so expensive, the Auckland CBD will be inaccessible for the working class to go near there.

    • Rob 9.1
      26 June 2013 at 4:03 pm

      But its a huge boost to Auckland Manufacturing …..

    • framu 9.2
      26 June 2013 at 4:30 pm

      i wouldnt call a near halving of travel time and an increase of trains per day vanity

    • Draco T Bastard 9.3
      26 June 2013 at 4:38 pm

      The CRL will be NZ’s most expensive ever vanity piece.

      Actually, that would be the RoNS ($10b+) that don’t even break even on a cost/benefit ratio which the CRL (~$3b) does do.

    • Lloyd 9.4
      26 June 2013 at 11:33 pm

      Is it vain to produce an efficient transport system that will not produce carbon dioxide to move people, when even the United States president has said that we have to do things about global warming, NOW?

      Anything that makes Auckland a more efficient city, gets people out of their cars AND out of buses cannot be called a ‘vanity piece’.

      If you want to look for a vanity piece take a look at tax cuts for the rich, selling off assets that make more in dividends than costs of paying interest on borrowings of the same value or a lack of capital gains tax.

  10. scotty 10
    26 June 2013 at 3:40 pm

    Duncan Garner is flat out on Radio Live ,spinning this as a win for John Key and National , ‘so pragmatic and sensible’, can hardly contain his glee that his JK has trumped Labour again.

    • Ad 10.1
      26 June 2013 at 5:20 pm

      Which is true. National have pulled the transport centrepiece off both Labour and Greens, and simultaneously made it their own and dumped into the lap of Mayor Brown, two weeks out from nominations for Auckland’s elections.

      It will now be the central contest of the election: if Auckland wants it so bad, how are they going to pay for their share? It’s not yet obvious.

      • Lloyd 10.1.1
        26 June 2013 at 11:42 pm

        Since any construction starting 2020 will almost certainly not be under a Gnats government, the gnats have done the trick of eating their cake and having it too.

        Gnat politicians will now be able to stand up and say “aren’t we wonderful, we are giving you a wonderful rail link”, whilst at the same time it will cost them nothing.

        If they were really in favour of the link they would fund works starting next week.

    • Hayden 10.2
      26 June 2013 at 5:20 pm

      The transition from “the CRL is a loony-left pipe-dream” to “the CRL is an inspired National initiative, all praise to John Key!” (without even a hint of cognitive dissonance) is going to be beautiful.

    • Paul 10.3
      27 June 2013 at 5:50 am

      Duncan Garner…further evidence of our ‘fair and balanced’ media.

  11. xtasy 11
    26 June 2013 at 5:51 pm

    “There’s plenty of outstanding issues. How much funding will the government put up? When will the CRL be built? Will it be a PPP? Will National try to slip in a Puhoi to Wellsford PPP at the same time? Are they going to stuff around with the alignment of the tunnel?”

    It may seem to be welcome news for those supporting the inner city rail loop, but I would be extremely cautious on this one. Wait and see what the details will look like. I suspect that the Nats and the government have not just by accident chosen a Friday to announce details.

    In car mad Auckland and New Zealand most will be busy with their weekend activities and planning of those, while and after the announcement will be made. Also will politicians be off home for the weekend.

    Fear perhaps that with some offered funding there will be some very unsavoury parts coming with it, for all to swallow.

    NEVER trust John Key and the Nats!

    • AmaKiwi 11.1
      26 June 2013 at 9:44 pm

      The devil is in the detail and the detail we’ve seen sucks.

      Auckland wants to start construction 2015 / 2016.

      Nats want to start 2020 . . . . . until they develop their excuse to delay it longer.

      My fantasy: Auckland deteriorates into (further) gridlock and a top Nat politician dies of a heart attack or stroke because St. Johns couldn’t get through the traffic jam.

      Am I too cynical?

    • Mary 11.2
      26 June 2013 at 11:44 pm

      I like how Key and Joyce say it won’t fix traffic congestion, almost as if they’ve decided to fund a dead duck. Makes the political expediency blatant.

      • Lloyd 11.2.1
        27 June 2013 at 8:57 pm

        You never hear from the gnats that all their roads of national significance won’t reduce road congestion. Anyone who looks at new roads knows ‘build it and they will come’ – the new roads will also cause congestion. That doesn’t happen with trains (unless they stop across a railway crossing…..

  12. Chooky 12
    26 June 2013 at 6:38 pm

    They are sure to have shares in it somewhere along the line.

  13. Dv 13
    26 June 2013 at 6:55 pm

    AND
    who will now pay for chch hospital
    the modern schools
    the irrigation schemes
    pay down debt

    • AmaKiwi 13.1
      26 June 2013 at 9:46 pm

      This is National, you fool. You don’t pay down debt, you increase it. That’s our legacy for future generations. Let them learn how to struggle.

  14. millsy 14
    26 June 2013 at 7:32 pm

    I knew Auckland would get its rail loop. All along. It was really only a matter of time. You have to remember that this was first proposed in the 1920’s and supported by those hard core green lefties Gordon Coates and Dove-myer Robinson.

  15. Rosetinted 15
    26 June 2013 at 8:47 pm

    On radionz this evening -Bryab Crump show – about transport in Sao Paolo. This is a place so jammed with cars that traffic queues of 200 kilometres have occurred. They are working on this big problem. There is a series of 6 on cities from Windows on the World from the BBC.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/windowsontheworld/

    This was the info for tonight’s.
    Wednesday 26 June: A Route 66 of the Future – Sao Paulo (Part 3 of 6)
    A Route 66 of the Future is about travel and transport, real and virtual. In Part 3, Gary Duffy investigates Sao Paulo’s transport issues and its attempt to become a ‘smart city’. It is the nature of modern life that populations, especially in the developing world, move from the countryside to ever-growing urban conurbations. More and more of us are moving to megacities and megalopolises. Such is the case with Brazil’s Sao Paulo with its myriad downtowns, favelas and urban sprawls accommodating 11 million people. But how do you move such a huge population around and ensure relatively pain-free travel?

  16. BrucetheMoose 16
    26 June 2013 at 9:25 pm

    In other words- Here’s a big lolly for Aucklanders – on a long stick.

    • Rosetinted 16.1
      27 June 2013 at 12:10 pm

      BrutheMoose
      I think there is more meat to it than that – could well be a sav on a long stick, nicely warmed up and welcome on a cold day.

  17. Yes 17
    26 June 2013 at 10:29 pm

    Gaurantee there is a back room deal…why did Len give up…what assets has Len decided to sell…national control Len…Len supports sky city deal????

  18. unicus 18
    27 June 2013 at 3:25 am

    To think these bloody fools tried to wind back the clock when they scuppered the AK fuel tax for the sake of some imaginary ideology makes my flesh crawl – and to those in ”the rest” of NZ who are now paying for ‘our’ rail network thanks but we were quite willing and able to pay for it ourselves and would have been four years further on in or network development but for these deluded hicks

  19. Tom Gould 19
    27 June 2013 at 8:49 am

    Interesting that this post neglects to even mention the one person who was by far the most instrumental in getting consensus on the CRL, Len Brown, who has worked away doggedly over nearly three years putting together a powerful lobby that in the end, Key simply could no longer ignore. Even if it meant humiliating Joyce and Brownlee. By my reckoning, around 80% of the credit goes to Len Brown, about 10% to Labour and the Greens, and about 10% to the fellow travellers.

    • Yes 19.1
      27 June 2013 at 10:12 am

      Well done len I say – sky convention centre the trade off?

    • Rosetinted 19.2
      27 June 2013 at 12:12 pm

      Tom Gould
      Did Mike Lee try for something like this too? He worked on transport for Auckland in a robust way for years.

    • unicus 19.3
      27 June 2013 at 2:43 pm

      Just to set the record straight TG – your percentages are a bit haywire –

      Len probably referenced the Regional Land Transport strategy to access the ” powerful lobby ” in existence long before he became Mayor . Cam Pitches at Better Transport AK -the joint Councils and ancillary ‘ fellow travellers’ on the RLTC Mike Lee ( Green/ Lab ?) and his Councils who led the charge against Wellingtons intransigence over the fuel tax signed off the electrification and rolling stock contracts – and built 15 new stations – double tracking on the western line (Labour ) . So Ive got the breakdown thus – 50% Labour /Green 30% fellow travellers 15% to the people of Auckland who have grown patronage 30% a year since 08 and 5% to Len for having the nouse to jump on board – after all he wasn’t even on a council before he became Mayor

  20. Draco T Bastard 20
    27 June 2013 at 10:49 am

    And here’s why the U-Turn:

    Nearly 47 out of 100 Aucklanders rated the Government’s performance on the Central Rail Link project as poor in the fortnight before it announced it would support a 2020 start date for the project.

    46.9% rated performance on the issue has poor to very poor and 19.9% said it was good to very good. Others were neutral or not sure, according to a June 13 to 26 Horizon Research poll of 1026 Aucklanders aged 18+. Weighted to represent the Auckland adult population the poll has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1%.

    It seems that most of Auckland is starting to get pissed with National and their ways.

    • karol 20.1
      27 June 2013 at 10:57 am

      But don’t expect slippery National won’t add some benefits to them as part of the deal:

      Good for SkyCity because the CRL will bring more gambling addicts to their doorstep?

      Will Len and the elite, undemocratic “Committee for Auckland” sell the ports to pay for the CRL?

      And what else will Key, Brownlee & Joyce include with the CRL deal when they make the full announcement tomorrow?

      New roads across Auckland? The “East-West link”, from Onehunga or Mangere to Highbrook? The eastern highway? An extra Waitemata Harbour crossing?

      • Draco T Bastard 20.1.1
        27 June 2013 at 11:38 am

        But don’t expect slippery National won’t add some benefits to them as part of the deal:

        Oh, I’m sure that they’ll try something and I’m sure that it’ll be negative for them as people look at the corruption that’s inherent in any deal that National does.

    • lprent 20.2
      27 June 2013 at 11:01 am

      Yes. It is quite noticeable amongst the centre-right people I know (and I know a lot of them). Irritated more than “pissed” would be the best way to describe them. But you see that they are in the process of sitting in judgement and not liking what they are seeing.

  21. One Anonymous Knucklehead 21
    27 June 2013 at 11:51 am

    What happened? Did some large construction company donate a whole lot of cash to the National Party or something?

  22. red rattler 22
    27 June 2013 at 11:58 am

    The whole ideas is nuts. Just as Britomart was. All that is needed is electric buses on dedicated bus lanes feeding off the main stations on the existing rail network. Flexible, clean, with a view as you go of the cones and no need to go up and down deep escalators into the nether world. No need for a rail connection between Mt Eden and Britomart, but a light rail connection could be built in a couple of years that loops around Symonds, Anzac, Customs, Ponsonby, K Road in both directions.

    • Draco T Bastard 22.1
      27 June 2013 at 2:19 pm

      All that is needed is electric buses on dedicated bus lanes feeding off the main stations on the existing rail network.

      Won’t work as the existing rail network wouldn’t be able to carry the capacity.

  23. Rosetinted 23
    27 June 2013 at 12:15 pm

    red rattler
    I used to travel by tram from the burbs to Newmarket when I was a nipper. Good old rattlers, and proceeded in a stately but speedy fashion on what was a freeway most of the time down the middle of the road.

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    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
    20 hours 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
    21 hours 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
    23 hours 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
    23 hours 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
    24 hours 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
    1 day 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 ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 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
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days 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
    2 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
    14 hours 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
    19 hours 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
    20 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    23 hours 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    7 days 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
    7 days 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
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