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Hunt for the real John Key proves fruitless

Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, July 28th, 2008 - 83 comments
Categories: john key, slippery - Tags:

So, what have we learnt from the 18,000 words on John Key the Herald published with so much fanfare over the last two weekends?

We’ve learnt that, even if you devote a good portion of three senior journalists’ time to study the matter for six months, it’s still bloody hard to get any clear idea of what the man stands for. That in itself speaks volumes. It means he and his minders do not want his underlying beliefs to be public knowledge.

This makes sense for several reasons. First, when Key talked about differing only in ‘tone’ from Brash. Secondly,  early in his career when he was less tightly controlled by himself and Crosby-Textor he said things like “DPB mothers are breeding for a business”, “we’re missing in action in Iraq”, “climate change is a hoax” “we would love to see wages drop” and comments about the labour market being too tight and wage inflation too high (= unemployment is too low and wage increases too high). Thirdly, this quote from the second part of the Herald coverage:

Key admits to being more cautious about the phrases he now uses …he likens it to being a magician with a magic wand. “You know, you don’t quite realise how powerful it is until you get to pick the wand up and you realise very small movements have quite strong and far reaching reverberations,” Key explains. “My underlying philosophies remain the same.” So his beliefs remain the same, the difference is in the language? “Yeah, I think that’s largely correct.” This is a startling admission which suggests that the real John Key is actually the John Key who originally entered Parliament, not the version we see today.

The magician’s cloak under which Key hides his true beliefs is akin to National’s under the radar policy releases. There’s only one reason why you would purposely keep voters ignorant of your policies and political principles – you think they won’t vote for you if they know about them.

83 comments on “Hunt for the real John Key proves fruitless ”

  1. sdm 1

    Why should they announce anything before the election campaign itself? The PM holds the cards of setting the date, why should National be forced to move early.

    I would personally support a system in which the election date was set in advance – say the first Saturday in November. Or maybe a system which required the PM to announce the date on say, 1 Jan of election year. Then the race is fair.

    Obviously the governor general could step in if a government was to fall, but the concept of taking the politics out of election date setting is an attractive one to me.

    Thoughts?

  2. Surely it can’t be that hard to ferret out the real Key when he’s brazenly admitting to saying whatever it takes, whilst not changing his views on anything? Whatever Crosby-Textor are getting paid, they’ve earned it. The Herald should be ashamed of themselves.

    As a commenter on my blog put it, “I think jafa is crying out for an insightful, passionate tell-all biography type thing – ‘The Audacity of a-non-particulary-alarming-centrist-view’ maybe ” Okay, but even that would be better than the drivel in the Weekend Herald.

  3. Anita 3

    sdm,

    If National is proud of their policies, if they believe they are great policies that will make NZ better, if they believe they are attractive policies which will attract voters, they should want to release them and get the good word out there.

    They should be shouting their wonderful policies from the rooftops.

  4. sdm. because there is only one conclusion to make when a politican doesn’t want you to know about their beliefs and policies, and that’s that they believe you’re more likely to support them in ignorance than out of informed opinion. You might support a political system where voter ignorance is prized. I don’t.

    And don’t fool yourself – apart from the tax package announcment – the press releases over the last few weeks are all we are going to get from national on policy.

  5. mike 5

    “There’s only one reason why you would purposely keep voters ignorant of your policies and political principles – you think they won’t vote for you if they know about them.”

    Or that an election has not yet been announced

  6. Anita 6

    SP,

    Do you really think we’ll get nothing else?

    I’m expecting to see both
    * Health – hip replacements for grannies, plus a nod towards private hospitals and insurance, perhaps even funding boost for pharmaceuticals.
    * Law-and-Order aka crime-and-punishment.

    Um… there have to be some other obvious candidates.

  7. Positive and ambitious 7

    The only interesting thing in the bio was the advance warning of Key’s banking mates being lined up to advise on infrastructure….they must be drooling.
    …. and being described as having the memory of an elephant (not a south african elephant obviously)

  8. Higherstandard 8

    Anita

    You are joking I suspect – there is no private hospital lobby group that I know of in NZ and as for the pharmaceutical companies they have pretty much given up on NZ and regardless we are too tiny for them to really give a damn and the chance of new pharmaceuticals being funded here are slim to non-existent. (I don’t expect that will change one iota under National either sadly as PHARMAC has broad support from both Labour and National)

    SP that may be the conclusion you want to make, however, it is pretty clear that the advice Key and National have taken is that they should not release certain policies prior to a certain time prior to the election.

  9. Anita 9

    HS,

    Private hospitals – exist and are a reasonably weighty lobby. In particular they have always been interested in doing more publicly funded elective surgery. So, for example, using private hospitals to do some or all publicly funded hip replacements.

    Pharmaceuticals – there’s an ongoing debate about the split between primary health services, hospital health services and pharmaceuticals. Big pharma have always argued for increasing pharmaceutical availability for some diseases on the basis that it will reduce costs in other parts of the health system.

  10. gobsmacked 10

    John Key is only concerned with getting elected and doesn’t give a shit about doing what is right

    National is becoming a joke.

    Blue on the outside, red on the inside and a bit of a girl

    John Key is a major disappointment, he has bloody well sold out

    The left have officially won people!
    The “right’ are too freakin scared to upset the hysterical left and have just given into their policies.

    I am growing a little tired of hearing Nationals announcements that it keep almost everything Labour does.

    This a huge disappointment and a flip-flop of the highest order. John Key and the Tories have shown again their jelly-fish spine, and their lack of principles and conviction.

    Key has dropped the ball totally.

    The above 8 comments were brought to you courtesy of Kiwiblog, a small sampling from just one thread this morning, each opinion from a different commenter.

    And you thought the Standard didn’t like John Key!

  11. r0b 11

    You had me worried there for a minute gobsmacked! Nice summary, thanks (from one who doesn’t read KB)

  12. mike 12

    GS – the Act boys are predictably miffed that JK has adopted WFF but the reality is that Labours welfare policy has reached well past the ones who actually need it is too messy for the Nats to unravel parts of it.

  13. Matthew Pilott 13

    mike, stop covering for Key’s lack of vision and spine. He said that he’s realised people need WfF and he won’t change it, so either he thinks it is targeted just right, or he’s too lazy to improve the system. It wouldn’t be hard to change if he wanted to, he’s just too scared to do so.

    Do you honestly think it would be too hard for National to readjust the thresholds? I’ll tell you the real reason mike, the one the tories don’t want to admit. The upper end of WfF probably exists only in theory. How many households earn over $120k or whatever it is, and also have six+ children? I’d guess it’s fewer than seven. So why bother to ‘fix’ a system when to problem with it is so minimal as to be a non-problem in the first place?

    I’m happy to say I’m not comfortable with the higher limits of WfF because I think it’s irresponsible to encourage such rampant reproduction, but if such a system is implemented, it would be worse to punish the children of families with many children. But I support the system in principle, National should not. Hell, maybe I should be generous and suggest Key at least knows a good thing when he sees it (and in this case, you’d argue that the good thing is the Labour Government in its entirety – what are they changing again?).

    What I’d love to see is Key coming out and saying what he believes, I’ll use the employment market as an example. Why can’t he just say “I, John Key, think wages are too high and too many of us have jobs”? He can then explain why this is a bad thing, what National would do to ‘fix’ it, and what benefits we can expect.

    If the man had a bit of backbone he would do this, but I very much doubt that what he would like to do will be for the benefit of many New Zealanders, so I guess he’ll keep it to himself, election date or no.

  14. Felix 14

    Yeah mike – god forbid a government should have any ability to… I don’t know, govern?

    If they don’t believe in it and don’t think it should be kept they should say so and let the people vote accordingly. Same goes for everything else they’ve caved in on.

    It’s just all too messy really isn’t it?

  15. Vanilla Eis 15

    mike: I agree completely. People on 80k+ don’t need any income relief at all. Down with tax cuts!

  16. Felix 16

    Oh that’s right mike – as you indicated above, policies are for elections not for governing. They’re strategies to win votes and they only have relevance to the big race.

  17. randal 17

    ashly its john keys prerogive (sic) to be as feeble as he likes

  18. Pretty pathetic effort at a beat up there Clinton. I found that the article gave a good in-depth look at Key’s background.

    It seems that those on the left want to manufacture ‘beliefs’ for Key so that they can then attack Key on those same beliefs. Tell me if Trotters beliefs allow him to hold those vile views that he expressed a couple of weeks ago?

    On policies, it seems that the Nats are making good progress in releasing policies. It obviously disappoints you that they do not show a radical shift from the current policies of Teh Party. That doesn’t stop Mallard cranking up the hysteria though.

    I’m wondering why Teh Party didn’t announce the interest free student loan policy at the start of 2005 instead of a couple of weeks before the election that year – why would spring that at the last minute?

  19. Rob 19

    Classic move by National and John Key must have been designed by Crosby Textor. Totally takes the wind out of Labours sails again and makes him look like the Statesman prepared to listen.

    This is great because we haven’t had this with the Labour Governement they dont listen.

    I must admit its so entertaining to see Clark and Labour so frustrated as they don’t know how to attack him and whenever they do they generally fall flat on their face its better than any comedy show.

    Thank you Crosby Textor you’ve done it again money well spent!!

  20. randal 20

    rob it escapes no one that keys is a pretender and a usurper with a back office in new york and sydney which is why his utterances are so jerkey!

  21. gobsmacked 21

    Rob

    Do you support the Working for Families policy?

  22. Matthew Pilott 22

    The Double Standard, the reason Labour didn’t announce the Student Loan policy at the start of 2005 was that they were busy releasing other policy. unfortunately that’s an excuse National can’t use!

    I ask you – firstly – why is it that you think people are manufacturing ‘beliefs’ for Key – give me a few examples. Secondly, if this is happening, then either Key has no beliefs or has not expressed any of them. If you were to make up ‘beliefs’ about Clark, for example, things she’s actually said and opinions she’s expressed, would contradict a ‘manufactured belief’ if it was not accurate. Key is too scared to speak his mind, and so his position on virtually any policy is indefensible because you’d have to manufacture your own belief upon his behalf!

    Rob – so you think it’s a good move? Aren’t you dying inside though, just a little, that Key has shown once again that he won’t act for what he considers to be in our country’s interests, because he’s too scared to rock the boat? Aren’t you disappointed by his mediocrity? I mean he said that WfF was turning NZ into a welfare-dependant state – don’t you care that someone you presumably support has shown himself to be so shallow?

    I get the drift that you think it is a politically astute move – we’ll see about that. What I’m trying to see, Rob, is if you are as weak and spineless as Key, or if you’ll have the balls he’s lacking and say you think it was a smart tactic, but a true cop-out..

    What is truly funny Rob, and quite insightful (into your thought process or lack thereof) is that you think Key is listening because he is keeping policies that are popular – ones that Labour implemented! Do you think all these popular policies were implemented by chance, Rob? Are you truly as stupid as that, or did you just not think before writing “This is great because we haven’t had this with the Labour Governement they dont listen.“?

  23. Rob 23

    I think Labour could have kept the Prisons under a State / Private partnership but no they had to drag them back and assume control. That hasn’t been a stunning success lets look at the corrections department a cot case.

    They could have kept ACC going the way it was but no they had to drag it back and assume control.

    They could have gone into roading infrastructure much earlier with private funding and tolls ETC they came out strongly against this suggestion, but what do you know later on they do it because they realised they couldn’t do it alone.

    Mathew as far as my thoughts on Working for Families I believe it should be much more specifically targeted for the really needy because if you are giving it to people up to $50k a year with families that tells you the tax system is wrong and we are being taxed to much in the first place. So in that respect I disagree with Key.

    I use to vote Labour believe it or not but what really pissed me off most about this Government is the feeling they want to put people on welfare from the cot to the grave in the optimistic hope that they might vote for them in the future.

    I believe there is nothing better than to have a welfare system that is there as a saftey net not as a all in compassing beast that is soley being used to buy votes.

    To me financial freedom not Welfare dependancy is the best thing that everyone can strive for whilst recognising that for some they will have to always have it. Labour keep increasing the number that will become welfare dependant and that is wrong.

  24. Rob. Working for Families is tax credits, not a benefit.

  25. Matthew Pilott 25

    Rob, a few points.

    Prison escapes – these are down significantly under Labour. One tangible of the prison system, I’m sure there are other measures out there that are better than your biased opinion.

    There’s no evidence that ACC was doing well when accounts were opened for competition, and there’s evidence it’s a bad idea. PWC seem to think so.

    Vast amounts have been spent on roading infrastructure. Some would argue not enough, others argue far too much. Still, there are a lot of big things underway – have you taken a look at road funding under the last National government to this Labour government? Doubt it.

    I generally don’t call people liars, Rob, but I just don’t believe you when you say you voted Labour. If you did, you clearly didn’t give it much thought at all. Your comments strike me as being from someone fundamentally oppposed to the welfare system at anything above the level where it stops poor people from dying.

    To state that something such as WfF (which gives you your own tax back) is welfare is disingenuous.

    To then say it’s merely a reflection of an unfair tax system further illustrates your abhorrence of a functioning welfare system. It is a targeted tax credit, targeted to help children, and their families. It is a reflection of the economic cost of having a child. Chaging the tax system wouldn’t have that effect at all.

    But to suggest Labour encourages welfare dependancy in order to garner votes is truly pathetic – if you ever voted for Labour, you sure ticked the wrong box – you clearly have no idea what Labour is about, not by a mile. You might want to consider that welfare numbers have dropped significantly under Labour (despite your patently false comment to the contrary), so either you’re wrong, or they don’t know how to keep us poor suckers on the benefit. I doubt it’s the latter.

    You’re literally clueless, you don’t even know what the welfare system is!

  26. Anita 26

    Rob,

    Let’s say I am single, earn $60k, and have no dependants. And my colleague Robin earns $60k which is the sole income in their two adult three child house.

    Robin’s family clearly needs money far more than me. What is wrong with a system that takes some of my $60k and gives some of it to them?

    We can call it welfare, we can call it a tax credit, we can call it an investment in the future of Robin’s children, we can call it insurance against the kids turning out badly, we can call it whatever we like – but fundamentally it’s fairness.

  27. Pascal's bookie 27

    I generally don’t call people liars, Rob, but I just don’t believe you when you say you voted Labour. If you did, you clearly didn’t give it much thought at all.

    Bloody Eustabee’s.

    I can’t remember where I read it, but an American blogger has had great fun at the expense of the…

    “I used to be a Liberal Democrat, but 9/11 changed everything, so now I’m pissed off about Chappaquiddick”

    …brigade.

  28. Rob 28

    Anita fine if there is some incentive to get ahead but there is none people want to stay on certain income brackets so they don’t get punished with tax.

    If you work another job whats the tax take then about 70 or 80 cents in the dollar. So there is no incentive for those that want to work harder or be industrious because they get the sh## taxed out of them by this Labour Government.

    What signal do you think it sends to the young educated better head off over seas so you don’t pay so much tax.

    Then we end up filling our country up another 10000 Indian service station workers and Cab drivers.

    At the end of the day its not a crime to earn good money people aren’t all bad or rich pricks if they do most of them actually keep the country going pay a substantial amount of tax more than should.

    We cant afford to lose them at the rate we are or we wont even have a welfare system or anyone to pay for it. That is where Labour has the balance wrong and its ideologically driven so it wont change.

  29. Anita 29

    Rob,

    I think Labour could have kept the Prisons under a State / Private partnership but no they had to drag them back and assume control. That hasn’t been a stunning success lets look at the corrections department a cot case.

    Actually there was only ever one privately run prison and it remained privately run until 2005. It was no more of a success (or less of a cot case) than equivalent publicly run prisons; it was, however, more expensive.

    I can give you all the ideological reasons why private prisons are bad, but it wasn’t a practical success either.

  30. Quoth the Raven 30

    Who would have guessed you’re a racist as well Rob?

  31. Anita 31

    Rob,

    So you’re saying you’re fine with WFF in principle (whether it’s called a tax credit or welfare); your only problem is that the clawback is too steep?

    As an aside, does anyone have a good source for tables/graphs of the clawback rates? Fiddling with the calculators I’ve never managed to find a 70-80% tax-plus-WFF-clawback rate, which may just mean I’m looking at the wrong part of the scale.

  32. Rob 32

    Anita

    Did anyone escape from that Prison using sheets during that time period? Or was anyone murdered on the way to that prison or seriously assaulted at that prison.

    There is no incentive for anyone to work harder and get ahead I believe you will find if you get a second income and go above the threshold rates the claw-back is horrendous

  33. Anita. Wikipedia and my memory tell me it’s 20 cents in the dollar over $35K. It’s true that can amount to a high effective tax rate if you’re earning over $60K (for every dolalr earned – 20 cents of your WfF and 39 cents off your income), but only because you’re starting with a net tax rate of close to zero at $35K for a large family.

    And it applies to a small group of people – those who have large families, meet the work conditions for WfF and have a big disparity in incomes so one of the parents is earning over $60K but their combined income is not so high that they get no WfF at all.

  34. Matthew Pilott 34

    Rob, I agree with you there actually, about a second job. i’m not sure of teh rationale behine a higher tax rate for a second job but they seem to be taxed at a fairly high rate.

    One thing to consider is that your primary job is taxed at the marginal rate, taking into account the lower tax rates. So if you have one job earning, say, $50,000, the effective tax rate is around 23%. If you got another job, you would have to pay the full 33% on that job, because you have already had your first incomes taxed at the lower levels.

    Same thing happens with a bonus payment – it is all taxed at the highest marginal rate because your paye tax on your salary has taken th elower tax brackets into account, and teh bonus is on top of that, hence it is all taxed at the highest rate you are earning at.

    If a secondary job is taxed at a higher rate then there’s something about the system I don’t understand, or is perhaps not fair. However, I very much doubt secondary tax is 70 or 80 percent as you suggest.

    Just like to point out to you that National hasn’t said anything about addressing this point.

    I also think people are more ‘industrious’ than you give them credit for. Would you like to earn $60,000, have a top tax rate of 33% and take home about $45,000, or earn $100,000, have a top tax rate of 39% and take home about 70,000? No-brainer – unless your brain happens to be filled with muddy misperceptions about how the tax system works.

    Finally, your basic premise that people are taxed too much is the equivalent of a three year-old not wanting to go to bed. The least you could do is point to where all this money is being wasted, but I suspect this would be a frutiless excercise.

  35. Rob. escapes from prisons have fallen dramatically since Labour came to power from 100 a year to 20 http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Debates/QOA/a/f/6/48HansQ_20080318_00000596-9-Prison-Inmates.htm

  36. Rob 36

    Steve I am aware they have and I know that Labour has invested or blown budgets to pieces in prisons I was talking about that particular prison

  37. Anita 37

    My memory is that secondary jobs are 39% PAYE but in truth only taxed at the normal rate, so you can expect to get a refund at the end of the year unless you’re on 39% in your first job.

    This is a function of the PAYE system. Your primary employer calculates your PAYE as if it was the only job you did. Secondary employers can’t see how much you’re being paid by your primary employer so don’t know how much the right amount of tax is, so they tax at the highest possible rate and you get it back as a refund.

    If they didn’t do that either you’d have to tell all but one of your employers how much you’re earning from all your other employers, or almost everyone with a secondary job would end up with a tax liability at the end of the year.

    The PAYE system is designed to make sure you pay at least what you owe each pay so you never end up owing the government. They try to keep it as close to accurate as possible but err on the side of taking too much and refunding.

    This is the purpose of that silly flowchart on the back of the IRD form you fill in for each new employer.

  38. Matthew Pilott 38

    Anita – cheers for that (I didn’t think 80% sounded right). It makes sense to overcharge, imagine the problems if people were consistently under-charged and had to pay a tax bill at the end of each financial…

  39. Anita 39

    Rob,

    During the period ACRP was in private management at least one person escaped.

    The media coverage is old (May-Sept 2003) so a bit patchy. It looks like Nilesh Chandra was remanded in prison on one set of sex charges and a separate rape charge. He “slipped his handcuff and fled guards” and turned up in a shipping container in Fiji three months later.

    I don’t know whether it matters that a sheet doesn’t seem to have been involved.

  40. Rob. You’re only taxed at a higher rate on a second job in your PAYE. Your actual tax due for any year (ignoring rebates etc) is simply your total taxable income * by the appropriate tax rate. If you’ve paid too much because of the high rate on second jobs, you get a rebate.

    The reason that second jobs are taxed at a higher rate is that PAYE doesn’t know your total income stream as it is being earned, so it’s impossible to know what the correct PAYE rate for your earnings should be across all streams. So, instead, your primary job is taxed as if it’s your only income and a second job (and interest, and dividends) are automatically taxed as if they fall in a higher bracket. Why? Well, the alternative is for PAYE for your second job to also tax that job as if it’s your only income – but since it’s actually added to the income from your first job, the tax due will be higher than would be collected that way – so anyone working a second job would end up needing to pay tax at the end of the year. Pragmatically, IRD knows it’s easier to collect some extra tax and pay it back then collect too little and chase taxpayers for it later.

  41. Quoth the Raven 41

    Steve I am aware they have and I know that Labour has invested or blown budgets to pieces in prisons I was talking about that particular prison

    So you must be unhappy with National’s promise to build a new prison. Generally I agree with you though. The higher prison population has come about because of tougher sentences that labour introduced. I would have preferred a focus on rehabilitation not the lock em up and throw away the key attitude that some people have and which labour seems to have acceded to.

  42. Rob 42

    Quoth the Raven

    Not a racist just a realist Quoth have you been into any Garage in Auckland at the moment without an Indian employee?

    Have you seen any cab rank in Auckland without an Indian cab driver.

    I am told we have the best educated Cab Drivers in the World. I don’t see stating facts as being racists

    Quoth here is one you probably don’t know though check this out.

    When Labour paid back the $850,000 last year after they caught ripping the tax payer off at the last Election.

    Where do you think all that money came from??

    How much do you think came from the Indian Business community in New Zealand?? Y

    ou may be surprised how much came from them ask Mike William’s there are a few people in the know about it.
    Do you think they might want anything for that donation Quoth or was it just given for love.

  43. Matthew Pilott 43

    Rob, you are an (un)interesting mix of lies, untruths and false premises. Over $670,00 was raised from Labour MPs, as a proportion of their parliamentary salaries. Have you said one thing on this thread that wasn’t bigoted, uninformed or just plain wrong? Don’t think so.

    [lprent: I think you’re right. He does appear to be some kind of boring fart with little real knowledge. You also notice that he avoids debating all corrections to errors in his comments.]

  44. Reassuring to see that your debating tactics are following the usual model Matthew – personal abuse does seem to be a characteristic of this place.

    “Too busy” to release the student loans bribe – come on, do you really expect anyone to believe that line?

    Also, It is pretty obvious that few here actually need to have more than one job – I guess those govt and union jobs pay enough already eh?

    The secondary tax rates are variable depending on expected income

    ‘S’ tax code is taxed at 22.4% (21% tax and 1.4% earners’ levy)
    ‘SH’ tax code is taxed at 34.4% (33% tax and 1.4% earner’s levy)
    ‘ST’ tax code is taxed at 40.4% (39% tax and 1.4% earners’ levy)

    and are not automatically at 39%. Sheesh!

  45. You’re a fine one to complain about abuse wee man given your history of commenting here tds/santa

    National on free speech

    Oh and TDS, considering you’re pulling $70k in the Nat’s research unit I’m guessing you should be the last one to talk of well paid jobs.

    Say hello to Francis for me.

    X

  46. Quoth the Raven 46

    Rob – You never adress the issue you just move along to something else. This time you jump topic to some crack pot conspiracy theory. So the stupidly tough immigration laws labours come up with recently are evidence of some Indian invasion conspiracy. If not a racist you’re a xenophobe then. Are you at all concerned about your own party of choice’s donors? Righties like you always accuse people here of being overly partisan here but when I try to get you to be non-partisan for a moment you decide not to even address it but come out with some outlandish accusation. You either agree with the tougher sentences (which I don’t agree with) that have been introduced under this government or you don’t. With longer sentences you need more prisons which costs lots of money. You seem to take issue with that spending so what of National’s plan to build a new prison, which would cost hundreds of millions of dollars? Or does that not bother you because you’re just a partisan hack as I suspect?

    The Double Standard – Student loan bribe aye; I suppose you’re unhappy with National keeping it then.

  47. Felix 47

    Quoth the Raven:

    Who would have guessed you’re a racist as well Rob?

    Ooh ooh I did. I didn’t say anything but I totally guessed – like, ages ago. I remembered reading somewhere that racists tend to have a preternaturally flimsy grasp of punctuation. Weird huh?

  48. Matthew Pilott 48

    TDS, tell me that last comment of mine wasn’t justified… Unlike your little dig about where people work – keep the personal stuff out of it will you.

    Anyway, Labour had a sustained period of policy release – National sure can’t use that excuse can they? Or do you know a little more than the rest of us about how long it takes Key and English to write up an A4 page of vague bullet points (or in the case of Key’s $50 murder, rape and pillage fee, scribble a half-baked idea on the back of a napkin)? I suppose there is an art to it, putting so little information out.

  49. Paul Robeson 49

    The other possibillity is that John Key doesn’t have any real underlying moral values, and likes money, acquisition and status.

    For these reasons is the perfect representative of the National Party.

    He is a former currency trader dedicated to winning the status of NZ prime minister. He will take whatever route is necessary to achieve this but really has no values that aren’t negotiable for the end.

    He dislikes Labour as it has a clear value platform of looking after the most vunerable in society and of supporting New Zealand wealth staying in New Zealand.

  50. MP: Justified? Who knows. Probably about as well justified as the one Mr Porton linked to. After all, he is the one who leads the abuse register around here still I guess?

    Mickey Porton: Wow, you can use google search now eh? I’d go dig up some of your vile filth, but I really can’t be bothered, and it makes Tane grumpy for some reason.

    Paul R: See, you prove my point about rabid lefties wanting to assign a set of values to Key so that they can then attack those values. If the best epithet you can come up with is ‘Currency Trader’ then you probably need to read the posts and comments here a little more often. Click on my linked website if you need some help.

    TDS.

  51. Hey TDS – get with the play – it’s Dylan now. Mike Porton is soooo 2007.

    Oh and no TDS/Santa, I’m not the most abusive here. Alas I could never compete with the deranged chimps that wash up here from KB every so often. Especially after they started cracking down here. You should feel free to comment on my blog if you want a taste of the good ol’ days Santa but then again trolling my site probably isn’t covered in your job description…

  52. Felix 52

    MP

    I suppose there is an art to it, putting so little information out.

    Policy as haiku, perhaps?

  53. We will change nothing

    except those things we will change

    look! We’re ambitious!

  54. Pascal's bookie 54

    When cold winds do blow

    Some must be fed to the fire

    We’ll be alright, Jack.

  55. here: some bullet points

    yes, they are ambiguous

    it’s called “small target”

  56. Pascal's bookie 56

    Keep it under wraps

    best not frighten the horses

    Spokesmen! Do Not Speak.

  57. Rob 57

    Great Herald Digi Poll for National and John Key today. Shows how popular John Key is with New Zealand

    70 seats in the House would be a great result for National. Helen will be ruing the Truckies Protest. The anti spend time with the kids comments against John Key and the whole Winston saga.

    Doesn’t that Labour trend line look so ugly!! for Labour

    Maybe now Labour will come out with the Student universal allowance Election bribe. Just another $750 mil on bribes

  58. max 58

    Labour just keep shooting their mouths and feet off.

    Ain’t no cure for unbridled arrogance, eh Labour? .. !

  59. Anita 59

    Robinsod & Pascal’s Bookie,

    You guys are awesome! 🙂

  60. max 60

    They clock up double digit IQ’s between them all right

  61. Pascal's bookie 61

    a max shows min wit

    and inserts his only joke:

    “Get a brain, moran’s..!”

  62. Rob 62

    I figure you Labourites need some humour to cheer up what otherwise will be a depressing day for you keep up the Jokes Pascall & Robinsod

  63. Quoth the Raven 63

    Still refusing to take me up on the prison issue aye Rob. I see you haven’t even bothered to defend your little conspiracy theory either. I think you’re the one in need of cheering up since National has decided to keep so many Labour policies of late. And I’ll ask you again since you seem to forget the questions people ask, like your party leader forgetting his party’s principles in his race for power: Are you not at all concerned about National’s donors?

  64. Rob 64

    Great move today by Lianne Dalzell see front page of the Herald Business Section. She has just appointed someone to the Board of the Commerce Commission who is being investigated on Fraud charges. Now that is really bright!!
    Just goes to show again that most Labour mps don’t have a business brain in their head. At the end of the day its just par for thoe course on the way trhis Government is tracking.
    Ps this news didnt come from Crosby Textor either

  65. Phil 65

    Labour rants and moans;

    “John Key stole our teflon suit

    Helen used to wear!”

  66. Phil. you used to have intelligent contributions to make, now you’re sounding like dad4justice.

    Here’s why I think that is. Every time you come here, you can see a graph or an argument that exposes something you don’t want to believe – National is bad for ordinary Kiwis because it is the bosses’ party, the Left has done well, and could do better, for ordinary Kiwis. You’re unable to refute the evidence in front of you, so you’re falling into denial at an emotional, rather than intellectual level.

    You’re a smart guy – rather than becoming d4j why not examine whether the reason the evidence you see doesn’t match your premises is because your premises are at fault?

  67. Anita 67

    Rob,

    Great move today by Lianne Dalzell see front page of the Herald Business Section. She has just appointed someone to the Board of the Commerce Commission who is being investigated on Fraud charges. Now that is really bright!!

    Reference please.

    I have looked and I can’t find that on either the NBR site or any other news website.

  68. Anita 68

    Phil,

    You’re now up there with Robinsod and Pascal’s bookie in my political haiku ranking 🙂

    I reckon we need more haiku – they make me smile (and that’s something I need today 🙂

  69. Rob 69

    Anita

    Read New job slap in the face for investors re Don Curtain its in the paper so is no secret just seems very dumb thing to by Lianne Dalzell cant really believe she did it

  70. Anita 70

    Rob,

    Found it.

    According to the Herald, Curtin was – until last week when the ownership changed – chair of the investment board of Vestar. A group of investors in Vestar are said to preparing a case against Vestar, its directors and its investment board. The case is said to be about the quality of the advice and investment decisions. There is no mention of any regulator, SFO or Police interest, nor any mention of fraud.

    So nothing at all like what you said. In fact I think what you said may well be defamatory as well as horribly inaccurate.

    Can I point out that every fact you’ve asserted in the last two days that I’ve checked has turned out to be bogus. If your constant inaccuracy is accidental perhaps you should start fact checking yourself.

    If not… *sigh*

  71. Rob 71

    Anita

    Why do you think Don and Lianne weren’t available for comment

    It states he was Chairman of the Vestar group which is being investigated for the possible loss of 250 million of investors funds.
    The case is likely to include breaches of the fair trading act which is monitored by the commerce commission (wouldn’t this be a conflict of interest)

    I ask Anita does this seem a very wise appointment at this time in anyone’s right mind.As its been published I’m sure there will more comment on this has already hit the airwaves on Talk back this morning

  72. gobsmacked 72

    SP, I think Phil was giving us a haiku. Don’t discourage the poets.

    Winter verse warms us
    But to pay for those tax cuts,
    freeze the Arts budget.

  73. Anita 73

    Rob,

    It states he was Chairman of the Vestar group

    No, chairman of the investment committee – a very different thing.

    which is being investigated

    No, there is no mention of it being investigated. A group of clients are preparing a case – again a very different thing

    for the possible loss of 250 million of investors funds.

    No, the case is about advice and investment strategy.

    So you have
    1) been inaccurate
    2) had that pointed out to you
    3) replied without acknowledging your inaccuracy
    4) introduced new inaccuracies

    It is not hard to fact check, it is not hard to make sure you accurately reflect a newspaper story, it is not hard to avoid making groundless assertions, it is completely normal to acknowledge when you get things wrong.

    P.S. If I cared about the appointment, the thing I would be interested in would be the pointer about election date.

  74. Rob 74

    Anita

    You obviously think that Lianne can do no wrong has made a wise choice. That there will be no conflict of interest when and if a case arises which looks likely from Newspaper reports. We will watch with interest.

    I take it from you that you would make the same appointment knowing the facts.

  75. Anita 75

    Rob,

    1) You said a whole bunch of untrue stuff
    2) That was pointed out to you
    3) You said a whole bunch more of untrue stuff
    4) That was pointed out to you
    5) You said some untrue and unfounded stuff about my beliefs.

    This is me pointing it out to you.

    Have you considered sticking with the truth?

  76. Rob 76

    Anita

    You haven’t answered my question is it a wise choice how would you feel if you were an investor like the one that came on talk back?

    Don’t you believe if a person who is appointed to the commerce commission on the board may face a conflict of interest if the company they previously worked for is being investigated. Please answer the questions

  77. Anita 77

    Rob,

    If I were a Vestar investor I might be grumpy. I (this me, not the hypothetical me) am, however, unable to judge whether than grumpiness would be reasonable.

    I believe that the Commerce Commission investigating a company a board member has been involved in may create a conflict of interest. There are really good guidelines as to how that conflict would be managed, I have no reason to believe the guidelines wouldn’t be followed.

    Your turn…

    Can you please

    1) Acknowledge that you have made plenty of factual errors here and in many other comments.

    2) Commit to being truthful and accurate in future.

  78. Alas, Anita, Rob is a cock and as such you will get no such response from him. Apparently it is incurable although, unfortunately, not terminal.

    And now let me express this in the ancient art form of haiku:


    Rob you are a cock

    As your every word confirms

    Ineluctably

  79. Anita 79

    ‘sod

    Facts tumble between
    fingers busy in debate.
    Or dishonesty.

  80. Very nice. Probably a little metaphorical for our right-leaning friends, though…

  81. Anita 81

    *sigh* there’s a better four syllable word for that last line, but I have a reputation to uphold 🙂

  82. Quoth the Raven 82

    Haiku is one comparison to draw with National policy. To me it reminds of this scene: American Psycho: Business Card Scene.

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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • This sounds familiar…
    RNZ this morning has the first story another investigative series by Guyon Espiner, this time into political lobbying. The first story focuses on lobbying by government agencies, specifically transpower, Pharmac, and assorted universities, and how they use lobbyists to manipulate public opinion and gather intelligence on the Ministers who oversee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Letter to the NZ Herald: NCEA pseudoscience – “Mauri is present in all matter”
    Nick Matzke writes –   Dear NZ Herald, I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland. I teach evolutionary biology, but I also have long experience in science education and (especially) political attempts to insert pseudoscience into science curricula in ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • So what would be the point of a Green vote again?
    James Shaw has again said the Greens would be better ‘in the tent’ with Labour than out, despite Labour’s policy bonfire last week torching much of what the Government was doing to reduce emissions. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Green Party has never been more popular than in some ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Gas stoves pose health risks. Are gas furnaces and other appliances safe to use?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler Poor air quality is a long-standing problem in Los Angeles, where the first major outbreak of smog during World War II was so intense that some residents thought the city had been attacked by chemical weapons. Cars were eventually discovered ...
    6 days ago
  • Genetic Heritage and Co Governance
    Yesterday I was reading an excellent newsletter from David Slack, and I started writing a comment “Sounds like some excellent genetic heritage…” and then I stopped.There was something about the phrase genetic heritage that stopped me in tracks. Is that a phrase I want to be saying? It’s kind of ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON: Radical Uncertainty
    Brian Easton writes – Two senior economists challenge some of the foundations of current economics. It is easy to criticise economic science by misrepresenting it, by selective quotations, and by ignoring that it progresses, like all sciences, by improving and abandoning old theories. The critics may go ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s Middle East strategy, 20 years after the Iraq War
    This week marks the twentieth anniversary of the Iraq War. While it strongly opposed the US-led invasion, New Zealand’s then Labour-led government led by Prime Minister Helen Clark did deploy military engineers to try to help rebuild Iraq in mid-2003. With violence soaring, their 12-month deployment ended without being renewed ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    6 days ago
  • The motorways are finished
    After seventy years, Auckland’s motorway network is finally finished. In July 1953 the first section of motorway in Auckland was opened between Ellerslie-Panmure Highway and Mt Wellington Highway. The final stage opens to traffic this week with the completion of the motorway part of the Northern Corridor Improvements project. Aucklanders ...
    6 days ago
  • Kicking National’s tyres
    National’s appointment of Todd McClay as Agriculture spokesperson clearly signals that the party is in trouble with the farming vote. McClay was not an obvious choice, but he does have a record as a political scrapper. The party needs that because sources say it has been shedding farming votes ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • As long as there is cricket, the world is somehow okay.
    Rays of white light come flooding into my lounge, into my face from over the top of my neighbour’s hedge. I have to look away as the window of the conservatory is awash in light, as if you were driving towards the sun after a rain shower and suddenly blinded. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • So much of what was there remains
    The columnists in Private Eye take pen names, so I have not the least idea who any of them are. But I greatly appreciate their expert insight, especially MD, who writes the medical column, offering informed and often damning critique of the UK health system and the politicians who keep ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Mar 12, 2023 thru Sat, Mar 18, 2023. Story of the Week Guest post: What 13,500 citations reveal about the IPCC’s climate science report   IPCC WG1 AR6 SPM Report Cover - Changing ...
    7 days ago
  • Financial capability services are being bucked up, but Stuart Nash shouldn’t have to see if they c...
    Buzz from the Beehive  The building of financial capability was brought into our considerations when Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced she had dipped into the government’s coffers for $3 million for “providers” to help people and families access community-based Building Financial Capability services. That wording suggests some ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago
  • Things that make you go Hmmmm.
    Do you ever come across something that makes you go Hmmmm?You mean like the song?No, I wasn’t thinking of the song, but I am now - thanks for that. I was thinking of things you read or hear that make you stop and go Hmmmm.Yeah, I know what you mean, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The hoon for the week that was to March 19
    By the end of the week, the dramas over Stuart Nash overshadowed Hipkins’ policy bonfire. File photo: Lynn GrieveasonTLDR: This week’s news in geopolitics and the political economy covered on The Kākā included:PM Chris Hipkins’ announcement of the rest of a policy bonfire to save a combined $1.7 billion, but ...
    The KakaBy Peter Bale
    1 week ago
  • Saving Stuart Nash: Explaining Chris Hipkins' unexpected political calculation
    When word went out that Prime Minister Chris Hipkins would be making an announcement about Stuart Nash on the tiles at parliament at 2:45pm yesterday, the assumption was that it was over. That we had reached tipping point for Nash’s time as minister. But by 3pm - when, coincidentally, the ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    1 week ago
  • Radical Uncertainty
    Two senior economists challenge some of the foundations of current economics. It is easy to criticise economic science by misrepresenting it, by selective quotations, and by ignoring that it progresses, like all sciences, by improving and abandoning old theories. The critics may go on to attack physics by citing Newton.So ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • Jump onto the weekly hoon on Riverside at 5pm
    Photo by Walker Fenton on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week again when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kaka for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on Riverside (we’ve moved from Zoom) for our chat about the week’s news with ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Dream of Florian Neame: Accepted
    In a nice bit of news, my 2550-word deindustrial science-fiction piece, The Dream of Florian Neame, has been accepted for publication at New Maps Magazine (https://www.new-maps.com/). I have published there before, of course, with Of Tin and Tintagel coming out last year. While I still await the ...
    1 week ago

  • Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua
    Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little has delivered the Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua for its historic breaches of Te Tiriti of Waitangi today. The ceremony was held at Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, hosted by Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, with several hundred ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs meets with Chinese counterpart
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has concluded her visit to China, the first by a New Zealand Foreign Minister since 2018. The Minister met her counterpart, newly appointed State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Gang, who also hosted a working dinner. This was the first engagement between the two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Government delivering world-class satellite positioning services
    World-class satellite positioning services that will support much safer search and rescue, boost precision farming, and help safety on construction sites through greater accuracy are a significant step closer today, says Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor. Damien O’Connor marked the start of construction on New Zealand’s first uplink centre for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • District Court Judges appointed
    Attorney-General David Parker has announced the appointment of Christopher John Dellabarca of Wellington, Dr Katie Jane Elkin of Wellington, Caroline Mary Hickman of Napier, Ngaroma Tahana of Rotorua, Tania Rose Williams Blyth of Hamilton and Nicola Jan Wills of Wellington as District Court Judges.  Chris Dellabarca Mr Dellabarca commenced his ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New project set to supercharge ocean economy in Nelson Tasman
    A new Government-backed project will help ocean-related businesses in the Nelson Tasman region to accelerate their growth and boost jobs. “The Nelson Tasman region is home to more than 400 blue economy businesses, accounting for more than 30 percent of New Zealand’s economic activity in fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • National’s education policy: where’s the funding?
    After three years of COVID-19 disruptions schools are finally settling down and National want to throw that all in the air with major disruption to learning and underinvestment.  “National’s education policy lacks the very thing teachers, parents and students need after a tough couple of years, certainty and stability,” Education ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Free programme to help older entrepreneurs and inventors
    People aged over 50 with innovative business ideas will now be able to receive support to advance their ideas to the next stage of development, Minister for Seniors Ginny Andersen said today. “Seniors have some great entrepreneurial ideas, and this programme will give them the support to take that next ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government target increased to keep powering up the Māori economy
    A cross government target for relevant government procurement contracts for goods and services to be awarded to Māori businesses annually will increase to 8%, after the initial 5% target was exceeded. The progressive procurement policy was introduced in 2020 to increase supplier diversity, starting with Māori businesses, for the estimated ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Continued progress on reducing poverty in challenging times
    77,000 fewer children living in low income households on the after-housing-costs primary measure since Labour took office Eight of the nine child poverty measures have seen a statistically significant reduction since 2018. All nine have reduced 28,700 fewer children experiencing material hardship since 2018 Measures taken by the Government during ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech at Fiji Investment and Trade Business Forum
    Deputy Prime Minister Kamikamica; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Tēnā koutou katoa, ni sa bula vinaka saka, namaste. Deputy Prime Minister, a very warm welcome to Aotearoa. I trust you have been enjoying your time here and thank you for joining us here today. To all delegates who have travelled to be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government investments boost and diversify local economies in lower South Island
    $2.9 million convertible loan for Scapegrace Distillery to meet growing national and international demand $4.5m underwrite to support Silverlight Studios’ project to establish a film studio in Wanaka Gore’s James Cumming Community Centre and Library to be official opened tomorrow with support of $3m from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government future-proofs EV charging
    Transport Minister Michael Wood has today launched the first national EV (electric vehicle) charging strategy, Charging Our Future, which includes plans to provide EV charging stations in almost every town in New Zealand. “Our vision is for Aotearoa New Zealand to have world-class EV charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • World-leading family harm prevention campaign supports young NZers
    Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention. Love Better will initially support young people through their experience of break-ups, developing positive and life-long attitudes to dealing with hurt. “Over 1,200 young kiwis told ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • First Chief Clinical Advisor welcomed into Coroners Court
    Hon Rino Tirikatene, Minister for Courts, welcomes the Ministry of Justice’s appointment of Dr Garry Clearwater as New Zealand’s first Chief Clinical Advisor working with the Coroners Court. “This appointment is significant for the Coroners Court and New Zealand’s wider coronial system.” Minister Tirikatene said. Through Budget 2022, the Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Next steps for affected properties post Cyclone and floods
    The Government via the Cyclone Taskforce is working with local government and insurance companies to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. “The Taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, has been working with insurance companies to undertake an assessment of high-risk areas so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New appointment to Māori Land Court bench
    E te huia kaimanawa, ko Ngāpuhi e whakahari ana i tau aupikinga ki te tihi o te maunga. Ko te Ao Māori hoki e whakanui ana i a koe te whakaihu waka o te reo Māori i roto i te Ao Ture. (To the prized treasure, it is Ngāpuhi who ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government focus on jobs sees record number of New Zealanders move from Benefits into work
    113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Vertical farming partnership has upward momentum
    The Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Conference of Pacific Education Ministers – Keynote Address
    E nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New $13m renal unit supports Taranaki patients
    The new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupō received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Second Poseidon aircraft on home soil
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Further humanitarian aid for Türkiye and Syria
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Community voice to help shape immigration policy
    Migrant communities across New Zealand are represented in the new Migrant Community Reference Group that will help shape immigration policy going forward, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced today.  “Since becoming Minister, a reoccurring message I have heard from migrants is the feeling their voice has often been missing around policy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • State Highway 3 project to deliver safer journeys, better travel connections for Taranaki
    Construction has begun on major works that will deliver significant safety improvements on State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan announced today. “This is an important route for communities, freight and visitors to Taranaki but too many people have lost their lives or ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ginny Andersen appointed as Minister of Police
    Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government confirms vital roading reconnections
    Six further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Foreign Minister Mahuta to meet with China’s new Foreign Minister
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for China tomorrow, where she will meet with her counterpart, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in Beijing. This will be the first visit by a New Zealand Minister to China since 2019, and follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions between New Zealand and China. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Education Ministers from across the Pacific gather in Aotearoa
    Education Ministers from across the Pacific will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau this week to share their collective knowledge and strategic vision, for the benefit of ākonga across the region. New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti will host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) for three days from today, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • State Highway 5 reopens between Napier and Taupō following Cyclone Gabrielle
    A vital transport link for communities and local businesses has been restored following Cyclone Gabrielle with the reopening of State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupō, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan says. SH5 reopened to all traffic between 7am and 7pm from today, with closure points at SH2 (Kaimata ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Special Lotto draw raises $11.7 million for Cyclone Gabrielle recovery
    Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds has thanked generous New Zealanders who took part in the special Lotto draw for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Held on Saturday night, the draw raised $11.7 million with half of all ticket sales going towards recovery efforts. “In a time of need, New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government delivers a $3 million funding boost for Building Financial Capability services
    The Government has announced funding of $3 million for providers to help people, and whānau access community-based Building Financial Capability services. “Demand for Financial Capability Services is growing as people face cost of living pressures. Those pressures are increasing further in areas affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle,” Minister for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao – new Chair and member
    Minister of Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, has announced appointments to the Board of Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao. Tracey Bridges is joining the Board as the new Chair and Dr Therese Arseneau will be a new member. Current members Dr Linda Sissons CNZM and Daniel Wilson have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Scholarships honouring Ngarimu VC and the 28th (Māori) Battalion announced
    Fifteen ākonga Māori from across Aotearoa have been awarded the prestigious Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships and Awards for 2023, Associate Education Minister and Ngarimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today.  The recipients include doctoral, masters’ and undergraduate students. Three vocational training students and five wharekura students, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Appointment of Judge of the Court of Appeal and Judge of the High Court
    High Court Judge Jillian Maree Mallon has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and District Court Judge Andrew John Becroft QSO has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Mallon graduated from Otago University in 1988 with an LLB (Hons), and with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ still well placed to meet global challenges
    The economy has continued to show its resilience despite today’s GDP figures showing a modest decline in the December quarter, leaving the Government well positioned to help New Zealanders face cost of living pressures in a challenging global environment. “The economy had grown strongly in the two quarters before this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Western Ring Route Complete
    Aucklanders now have more ways to get around as Transport Minister Michael Wood opened the direct State Highway 1 (SH1) to State Highway 18 (SH18) underpass today, marking the completion of the 48-kilometre Western Ring Route (WRR). “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Briefings to Incoming Ministers
    This section contains briefings received by incoming ministers following changes to Cabinet in January. Some information may have been withheld in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982. Where information has been withheld that is indicated within the document. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Teaming up for a stronger, more resilient Fiji
    Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta reaffirmed her commitment to working together with the new Government of Fiji on issues of shared importance, including on the prioritisation of climate change and sustainability, at a meeting today, in Nadi. Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand’s close relationship is underpinned by the Duavata ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Investment in blue highway a lifeline for regional economies and cyclone recovery
    The Government is delivering a coastal shipping lifeline for businesses, residents and the primary sector in the cyclone-stricken regions of Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced today. The Rangitata vessel has been chartered for an emergency coastal shipping route between Gisborne and Napier, with potential for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Next steps developing clean energy for NZ
    The Government will progress to the next stage of the NZ Battery Project, looking at the viability of pumped hydro as well as an alternative, multi-technology approach as part of the Government’s long term-plan to build a resilient, affordable, secure and decarbonised energy system in New Zealand, Energy and Resources ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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