If Wong stays an MP will she be welcome in National?

Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, November 17th, 2010 - 79 comments
Categories: accountability, corruption, john key, national - Tags:

The latest revelation in the Pansy Wong saga is a Chinese newspaper article where she, as Minister, endorses her husband’s company’s product. John Key says that it would be a sacking offence were she a minister but its up to her if she resigns from Parliament. Here’s a question then: is he going to let this corrupt MP remain in his party’s caucus?

Update: Whaleoil says Wong wanted to resign from Parliament last week but Key told her not to. Apparently, they don’t want her to go yet because the by-election would have to be over the summer break. I’m surprised they haven’t just changed the law under Urgency to let a minister appoint the new MP for Botany, it’s how they tackle every other problem.

79 comments on “If Wong stays an MP will she be welcome in National? ”

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  1. Nick K 1
    17 November 2010 at 8:51 am

    Corrupt?

    • freedom 1.1
      17 November 2010 at 8:53 am

      what would you call it Nick?
      Creative administration? Flexible role application? Serial tasking errors?

    • Eddie 1.2
      17 November 2010 at 8:54 am

      That’s what it’s called when a person in public office uses public funds and the privileges of office for private gain and in breach of the rules.

      • burt 1.2.1
        17 November 2010 at 2:19 pm

        That’s not corrupt – that’s justification to retrospectively validate and move on.

        • Colonial Viper 1.2.1.1
          17 November 2010 at 2:28 pm

          ‘Retrospectively validate’ = Dictatorial rubber stamp after the fact then forget about it?

          Looks like that is where NAT is taking us.

    • felix 1.3
      17 November 2010 at 9:40 am

      Poor Nick, he’s been reading Kiwiblog so long he’s forgotten that the word actually has a definition.

  2. toad 2
    17 November 2010 at 9:04 am

    Eddie, Gerry can already appoint a replacement under the CERRA.

    • ianmac 2.1
      17 November 2010 at 10:32 am

      Can toad but he wouldn’t dare. Would he? But maybe McCulley would under RWC stability.

    • Lanthanide 2.2
      17 November 2010 at 10:33 am

      CERRA excludes the electoral act, which I’d imagine is what covers this sort of thing. Also, the actions under CERRA are required to be to do with the Canterbury recovery, it’s hard to swing this for an electoral seat in Auckland. Now if it were Jim Anderton, that might be another story.

    • Vicky32 2.3
      17 November 2010 at 1:56 pm

      Please, tell me you’re kidding. No, you’re not kidding are you? Yikes!
      Deb

  3. Craig Glen Eden 3
    17 November 2010 at 9:06 am

    Oh Gee when your a Tory that’s your birth right to rule and rip of the masses. Corruption heck that’s not very nice “true” but not nice,wrecks the taste of the cucumber sandwich old fella.

  4. freedom 4
    17 November 2010 at 9:07 am

    and another bs headline from TVNZ,

    wow i mean the story is almost a week old, must be tough being a journo in TV land

  5. Fisiani 5
    17 November 2010 at 9:24 am

    In the last parliament the only MP to be proven in court to be corrupt was Philip Field and he was never expelled from the Labour Party for this. Labour never even apologised for his abuse.

    • Kaplan 5.1
      17 November 2010 at 9:37 am

      Fisiani, here is a direct question for you. What would you like John Key to do about Pansy?

      • Tigger 5.1.1
        17 November 2010 at 9:49 am

        Clearly expel Wong from National and apologise for her abuse.

        Not sure why the party should apologise for the actions of one person though…but if Fisi wants it then National better jump.

        • Craig Glen Eden 5.1.1.1
          17 November 2010 at 10:46 am

          Fisiani we all know you don’t like the facts to get in the way of National Party spin, however just to remind you Field was not re-elected by Labour and he left the Party so they didn’t have to expel him.

          Wong however according to some in the media put out a press release saying she had resigned from Parliament, then subsequently she had only resigned from cabinet. While I am only speculating it may will be that Key doesn’t want a By-election in Botany and so has asked Wong not to resign until it is within six months of a general election in which case he could avoid a potentially embarrassing defeat.

    • Blighty 5.2
      17 November 2010 at 10:09 am

      Field was expelled from the Labour Party. He spent most of last terms as an independent.

      Do you think the same standard, or a higher standard, should be applied from your hero, John Key?

    • bbfloyd 5.3
      17 November 2010 at 10:17 am

      fisi… just a small point…knowingly making claims that can be easily countered by perusing public records, and indeed having read those same records yourself, is LYING!

      what part of your reptilian brain doesn’t register that your obnoxious attempts at political discourse are, at best, disgraceful and dishonest… if you are what national can rely on for support, then we are in serious trouble indeed!

    • Bunji 5.4
      17 November 2010 at 11:03 am

      The old NACT tactic of ‘if I repeat a lie often enough it will become true’.

      Philip Field was expelled from the Labour Party caucus on 14 February 2007. The wider Party moved to expel him as well the next day, but Field resigned before they could have a formal hearing to expel him. Much like Zimbabwe left the Commonwealth – ‘you can’t fire me, I quit!’

      captcha: nonsense.

      • Ari 5.4.1
        17 November 2010 at 2:01 pm

        Which is annoying, because if he hadn’t quit the party, they could have pressured him to resign from parliament.

    • David Lester 5.5
      17 November 2010 at 5:29 pm

      Fisiani – Field was expelled from the Labour caucus for his conduct and was facing expulsion from the party itself when he quit the party. National should apply the same high standards to Pansy Wong.

  6. dave 6
    17 November 2010 at 9:41 am

    Kaplan here’s a direct question for you,. What would you have liked Labour to do about Taito Philip Field?

    • Kaplan 6.1
      17 November 2010 at 9:49 am

      Dave, this post is very clearly about Pansy Wong and the fact Key has said these new revelations mean should would be sacked as a minister if she had not resigned. Now it is up to Pansy to resign from Parliament but National could expel her from caucus. The question posed is whether JK has the balls to do that.
      In reply Fisiani has predictably bought up the ‘but they did it’ argument so I am asking if what ‘they’ did was not palatable what would you like this lot to do. That is what is pertinent.
      If you want to contribute some substance then please, tell us what YOU think JK should do, given you clearly think he is better than your impression of that ‘last lot’. That’s the issue at hand.
      I’ll not hold my breath.

      • Blighty 6.1.1
        17 November 2010 at 10:11 am

        well put old boy.

        It’s very strange to see these righties damning the standards of the last government (as they see them) and then claiming that those same standards justify the behaviour of this government.

        • M 6.1.1.1
          17 November 2010 at 10:50 am

          What’s that spume around all the righties?

          Oh, just their autopilot reaction at being caught out again. They’ll need some serious wet weather gear to afford some protection before the next election or they’ll end up looking their usual wet selves.

      • ianmac 6.1.2
        17 November 2010 at 10:41 am

        In Field’s case it was not clear cut immediately that he was guilty. It took a long court case to establish the facts.
        It is right now pretty clear that Pansy Wong made mistakes though it might take police action to establish the extent of her problems. There is probably enough now or will be by the end of November for the Parliamentary action.

        • Jim Nald 6.1.2.1
          17 November 2010 at 11:12 am

          There is at least one thing I would like to see Jonkey do –
          that is to announce whether he is relaxed and comfortable about Pansy, with his and the National Party’s support, continuing to draw on taxpayer’s money while going on leave in order to disappear from the House .

  7. mickysavage 7
    17 November 2010 at 11:22 am

    Gee wizz supporters of the party which was meant to bring us better standards are trying to defend Key’s failure to do anything about Wong because Labour expelled Field but apparently for a different reason.

    If Key does not act to expel Wong his teflon coating will be well and truely under serious threat.

  8. Russell 8
    17 November 2010 at 11:36 am

    all this attention on Pansy Wong !!! Why doesn’t Labour focus on some REAL issues

    • pollywog 8.1
      17 November 2010 at 11:42 am

      corrupt politicians ripping off the system for their own benefit while the country’s in a funk is about as REAL as it gets.

    • Carol 8.2
      17 November 2010 at 11:54 am

      Why doesn’t Labour focus on some REAL issues

      Do you mean Labour, or The Standard?

      And for the Standard, do you mean topics that can be seen on the blog from recent days, such as :
      Whanau ora, neoliberalism, Maori seats, police chases, peak oil, criminal procedures bill, TransPacific Trade & free trade issues?

      And for Labour:
      http://www.labour.org.nz/news

      Employment relations, broadband, cost of living, putting children first?

      • Lanthanide 8.2.1
        17 November 2010 at 11:58 am

        Clearly he means why isn’t the media focussing on something that makes National look good, instead of National look bad.

      • Blighty 8.2.2
        17 November 2010 at 12:05 pm

        No, what Russell means is:

        ‘whaaa, please stop exposing how corrupt this government is and what a weak leader key is, whaaa’

    • freedom 8.3
      17 November 2010 at 11:59 am

      so private businesses being run from MP offices is not serious enough for you?

    • Bright Red 8.4
      17 November 2010 at 12:11 pm

      Meanwhile, at the home of real issues, Kiwiblog, in the past 24 hours:

      a post cutting and pasting a Herald article on that big Facebook party in North Shore
      a cut and paste job on a reuters article about threats to the life of Tanzania’s first albino MP
      a post on MP’s perks that fails to mention Wong
      general debate
      a post on Prince William’s engagement to Kate Middleton
      an announcement of new ipredict stocks
      a cut and paste job from the Dom on Terry Serepisos

      Gee, I wish The Standard was covering all these REAL issues.

    • Ari 8.5
      17 November 2010 at 2:04 pm

      Pansy Wong not resigning from parliament IS a real issue, genius.

    • David Lester 8.6
      17 November 2010 at 5:32 pm

      Why doesn’t Labour focus on some real issues? One good way of seeing what issues a party focusses on is to see what their leader is asking questions about in the House – and what do we see, cost of living, food prices, hikes in GP costs.
      These seem like real issues.

      • Colonial Viper 8.6.1
        17 November 2010 at 6:19 pm

        Pansy Wong abusing MP and Ministerial privileges while being shielded by the Prime Minister isn’t a ‘real issue’?

  9. Tanz 9
    17 November 2010 at 12:52 pm

    This is a Labour blog, is it not? Now tha’t it’s all gone wrong for Key and Wong, the left is chortling. Trouble is, Key is still in power and is super-coated by super Teflon, he is what the average Kiwi loves and dreams of, and will re elect again and again, because there is not a lot of true interest in politics by every-day New Zealanders. Survival is more important, and Chardonnay with Cheese, times.

    [lprent: You need to read the about. It is a blog of the broad labour movement. ]

    • r0b 9.1
      17 November 2010 at 1:05 pm

      This is a Labour blog, is it not?

      This is a blog of the Labour movement – see the about. It is not a blog of the Labour Party (for that you want Red Alert). The writers here support a range of leftie parties.

      • Tanz 9.1.1
        17 November 2010 at 1:14 pm

        Thanks. Do you support any Rightie parties, such as Act? I am weary of Red Alert, the moderators are rather frightening and rude, except for the personable Phil Twyford. But at least Red Alert is an interesting, honest blog, and does allow comments (unlike the National party blog, whatever its name is).

  10. Jim Nald 10
    17 November 2010 at 1:29 pm

    Act-shually (and this might surprise some readers here) I voted National in 2008.
    And I was an ardent, indeed audacious, supporter of Roger Douglas’ books in the 1980s but the partly baked ideas and implementation showed to be frightening and rather, erm, rude to the interests of the many.

    • Colonial Viper 10.1
      17 November 2010 at 1:42 pm

      Well we all get older and hopefully wiser huh 🙄

      • Jim Nald 10.1.1
        17 November 2010 at 1:55 pm

        I’m a bit slow but, thanks to key’s mantra about transparency, he has been helping me SEE THROUGH their modus operandi. The nacts keep taking us up the same path: 80s re Rogernomics, 90s re Ruthanasia and Shipley’s swanky wanky administration, and now their stealthy double standards, double face, double-dipping and double-speak methods.

        They haven’t changed; I am changing.

  11. randal 11
    17 November 2010 at 1:35 pm

    anyone who invests money in hoverceraft has to be a bit strange anyway.
    costly inefficient and noisy.
    put on a big show and back in the shed.
    you dont even have to deflect them.

  12. freedom 12
    17 November 2010 at 2:12 pm

    “Would it be easier to just give MPs a full wage and let them pay for their own travel costs?”

    I saw this on a newstalkzb comment tag and it struck me, on two fronts, as a particularly bizarre perspective of a MP’s income .

    Firstly, they do get paid quite a lot of money and to suggest there is something lacking in their renumeration, only highlights how surreal things have gotten. Most of the travel is unquestioned and let’s face it, not all of the domestic travel is strictly on MP business, especially that of the spouses. It is the international travel that people really wanted a clamp down on.

    Secondly, the subject of MPs abusing travel perks is a question of purpose not payment. The distinction between Official and Private business is quite simple, if it is unclear then we must question the suitability of the individual for the position of MP

  13. grumpy 13
    17 November 2010 at 2:12 pm

    Trouble is, with all parties struggling for the ethnic vote and putting up anyone who even vaguely looks electable, they finish up with the cultural baggage (in the form of corruption) that goes with them. Labour got tarnished in the Auckland local body elections and now National.

    At least we are not hearing the “cultural differences” excuse.

    • Colonial Viper 13.1
      17 November 2010 at 2:23 pm

      Not hearing about the cultural baggage excuse, except for you mentioning it that is?

      Ah, I do long for the clean green and non corrupt western civilisation who gave us Enron and the US Congress.

      Seriously where are the parallels here? An unelected no-body non-office holder with tenuous and recent links to the Labour Party gets found out in AKL local body elections vs an elected multi term MP and National Minister of the Crown whom appears to have exercised very bad judgement vis a vis tax payers resources over a long period of time with the PM still shielding her. Hmmm.

  14. Treetop 14
    17 November 2010 at 2:23 pm

    The PM is handling Wong rather differently to Worth’s resignation. PM could have done a Worth on this one and accepted Wongs resignation as both a minister and an MP. But PM cannot afford to be seen as not allowing due process to occur, this was inevitable with Field and needs to occur with Wong.

    • Colonial Viper 14.1
      17 November 2010 at 2:26 pm

      The PM believes in due process for Wong but not for Richard Worth?

      I don’t think so – the most likely explanation is that Key is doing what is politically expedient. Either that or he loves practicing his double standards.

      • Treetop 14.1.1
        17 November 2010 at 2:38 pm

        Worth too is entitled to due process. I do not disagree with the politically expedient either. A lot more ground needs to be covered in revamping parliamentary spending and were Wong’s full resignation accepted by the PM there would be no shutting up the Wong resignation issue due to it involving inappropriate parliamentary spending.

      • Pascal's bookie 14.1.2
        17 November 2010 at 3:00 pm

        Look JK is relaxed mate. He was a wall st banker at Merrily Fucking Lynch for chrissake (warning You tube link soundtrack quite possibly not safe for work). The PM is comfortable as with 99.9 of whatever petty-assed provincial lame dick excuse for vice or pissant financial scandal this country can produce.

        Richard Worth however? Well it clearly aint pretty my droogles. Clearly not. I fear, in fact, to speculate. And the bookie ain’t no vestal nuthin. He’s had his salad days and seen all sorts of dressings that go with I can tell you that much. As long as it’s consensual, you go for it has been my rule, and for me it was mostly about the drugs to be honest. I am just saying I’m no shrinking violet afeared of facing what people get up to.

        But a thing that a wall st merril lyncher finds too literally unspeakable?

        That has got to be sick sick shit. It’s just gotta be.

        I don’t want to know what Worth got up to

      • grumpy 14.1.3
        17 November 2010 at 3:03 pm

        Somehow I don’t think Wong will be found out to have demanded a blow job for a government position.

  15. KJT 15
    17 November 2010 at 2:56 pm

    This is a sideshow from the corruption that is really going on. The sellout of New Zealand to bankers, speculators, cronies and financiers which is being extended by their mate JK after it was started by Labour in 1984.

    Why is Douglas not in jail along with all the insider traders who made a killing in the fire sale.

    It was comical to see the dismay when their careful crafting of the attempt to burgle Auckland of public assets was upset when Auckland voted for Len Brown.

    Only trouble is Key will get his revenge by starving Auckland of funding until they toe the line.

  16. Jeremy Harris 16
    17 November 2010 at 3:27 pm

    There’s no way she can stay, they might as well take their medicine…

  17. Irascible 17
    17 November 2010 at 4:24 pm

    The revelations are stacking up against Pansy every day and the problem for Key is that as his permanent residence is in Hawaii rather than Helensville he is persistently out of touch with reality and the need to be more than “perfectly relaxed” about the behaviour of his “department managers” (Cabinet Ministers) and the rest of the company he uses to support his lifestyle.
    His excuse that he cannot act on the Wong case, that she is no longer a “Departmental Manager” so the issue is to be dealt with by a minion somewhat further down the line is what one can expect from someone who treats NZ as a small business rather than a nation state, treats Parliament as though it was a subsiduary that can be hocked off to a bigger conglomerate rather than a serious forum that legislates for the good of the state and typical of those who are creations of the glossed up CV and shonkey credentials.
    The Wong case is an illustration of all that is wrong with the Key NACT government.

  18. felix 18
    17 November 2010 at 4:51 pm

    Key was on RNZ the other morning talking about this. Audio (Key comes on about half way through I think).

    This is the sound of a man out of his depth with a poor grasp of the issues fumbling, mumbling and fudging his “performance”.

    His babysitters must’ve been pretty upset with him after that.

    • Lanthanide 18.1
      17 November 2010 at 4:58 pm

      He didn’t front this morning to talk about the housing expenses rort. Neither did English or whoever their chief whip is – so Pete Hodgson did.

    • Jim Nald 18.2
      17 November 2010 at 6:01 pm

      John Key – O. M . G.
      I don’t know whether to weep or medicate myself.
      Still collecting myself to try to post a comment.

      I’ll have to step away from the computer to recover my composure.

  19. Herodotus 19
    17 November 2010 at 5:13 pm

    Fotr my sake, how late can Pansy remain as an MP and resign and there be no by-election? and if Botany has no MP( Basing on PW resigning) who represents the interest of this electorate. Or do we have 40k voters not represtened in parliament.
    Just some Q of interest to me 😉

    • gobsmacked 19.1
      17 November 2010 at 5:32 pm

      By law, if Wong resigns from Parliament, there has to be a by-election. Or the PM has to commit to a general election.

      Key wanted Worth out, because he was a list MP. i.e. no by-election needed.

      At that time, I asked Key’s cheerleaders on here, if the PM would have shown the same “leadership’ (as they called it) if Worth had been an electorate MP. I didn’t get an answer.

      We’re getting an answer now. It’s revealing.

      • Herodotus 19.1.1
        17 November 2010 at 5:44 pm

        List MP’s are expendable, that is why when Lab refreashed themselves only the list MP’s retired early (or were gifted jobs), and why some think that Field was granted greater room. The power of having a strong electorate support you. Mana and Mt Albert are safe seats and have no bearing on any change that the public has towards Nat, Botany is very different and personnally it would be great if Pansy decided to board the hovercraft to distance shores, even if she would still be elidgible for legit use of travel until the day she ceases to be.

  20. gobsmacked 20
    17 November 2010 at 6:19 pm

    On the choice between a by-election versus general election, the relevant law is here:

    http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1993/0087/latest/DLM309461.html

    Key (sic) number: 75%

    That’s why Key is stalling on Pansy Wong fronting up. He doesn’t want to have to ask Labour for “permission” to call the election, and he doesn’t want to cut six months off National’s term.

    Eventually the press gallery will work this all out! They’re a bit slow on the uptake, bless ’em.

    • felix 20.1
      17 November 2010 at 7:09 pm

      The press gallery don’t want to cause a scene so close to the end of the year. They don’t want Key to cancel the xmas piss-up or anything now, do they?

    • Herodotus 20.2
      17 November 2010 at 7:30 pm

      So all that has to occur is for the Christmas recess then Parliament will not resume until mid Feb(?) + 6 months we enter the tradional Sept-Nov time span + there will not be an election during the RWC. Imagine party political broadcasts at the same time as the A.Bs playing a 1/4 final scenario or an election on the semis or final !!!

  21. Shazzadude 21
    17 November 2010 at 6:32 pm

    Hmmm, there’s another question, what chances would an Asian party have of getting 5%?

  22. The Voice of Reason 22
    17 November 2010 at 7:17 pm

    About the same as a Polynesian party, I’d say. Too many different identities (cultural, ethnic and political) to get the unity needed to get to 5% with the current population. An electorate seat is possible, I guess. Just need the candidate and the issue.

    • ianmac 22.1
      17 November 2010 at 10:59 pm

      And the word Asian covers a very wide range of ethnicity. Chinese is only one of them.

      • Colonial Viper 22.1.1
        17 November 2010 at 11:20 pm

        And worse than that, ‘Asians’ frequently have deep seated cultural biases, historical grudges and suspicions of each other. Chinese vs Japanese, Pakistani vs Indian,…

  23. Drakula 23
    17 November 2010 at 10:52 pm

    I tell you that they (NAT/ACT) have all got their snouts in the trough.

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  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    3 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    3 days ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    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 from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: James Shaw’s legacy keeps paying off

    One of the central planks of the previous Labour-Green government's emissions reduction policy was GIDI (Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry). This was basically using ETS revenue to pay polluters to clean up production, reducing emissions while protecting jobs. Corporate welfare, but it got the job done, and was often a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Gravity

    Oh twice as much ain't twice as goodAnd can't sustain like one half couldIt's wanting moreThat's gonna send me to my kneesSong: John MayerSome ups and downs from the last week of August ‘24. The good and bad, happy and sad, funny and mad, heroes and cads. The week that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Ditch the climate double speak and get real

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The Government announced changes to the Fast-Track Approvals Bill on Sunday, backing off from the contentious proposal to give ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to August 30

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest science of changing sea temperatures and which emissions policies actually work; on the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • This Govt’s infrastructure strategy depends on capital gains taxes & new road taxes

    Billions of dollars in value uplift was identified around the Transmission Gully project, but that was captured 100% by landowners and not shared to pay for the project. Now National is saying value capture should be used for similar projects. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/ Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 30-August-2024

    Kia ora and welcome to the end of another week. Here’s our regular Friday roundup of things that caught our eye, in the realm of cities and transport. If you enjoy these roundups, feel free to join our growing ranks of supporters by making a recurring donation to keep the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Table Talk: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.

    “That’s the sort of constitutional reform he favours: conceived in secret; revolutionary in intent; implemented incrementally without fanfare; and under no circumstances to be placed before the electorate for democratic ratification.”TO SAY IT WAS RAINING would have understated seriously the meteorological conditions. Simply put, it was pissing down. One of ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Big Norm and Chris Hipkins

    It’s 50 years ago today that “Big Norm” Kirk died of a heart attack in Wellington’s Home of Compassion. Home of Compassion. Although he was Prime Minister for only 623 days, he has an iconic place in New Zealand history, particularly Labour history. When Labour leaders like Jacinda Ardern recite ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

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