Is New Zealand or the United States the Covid cot case?

Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, August 22nd, 2020 - 28 comments
Categories: covid-19, Donald Trump, Gerry Brownlee, health, immigration, International, jacinda ardern, Judith Collins, labour, national, same old national, uncategorized, us politics - Tags:

It has been an interesting week in Aotearoean politics.

Instead of smashing through a political advantage Jacinda Ardern chose to delay the election for a month.  Judith Collins and the National Party were given a breather to actually come out with some policy and to make sure that they had candidates in each seat.  Although time will tell if they have succeeded.

And the President of the United States chose to diss Aotearoa’s Covid response and suggested that there was some sort of similarity in the respective countries’ performances.

There was one basic problem with his comments.  He was wrong.

Being wrong has not stopped Trump from saying or doing stupid things in the past.  But there is this problem otherwise known as regular elections which could present him with problems.

What is interesting is what New Zealand’s right wing parties are doing.  When you look at National it is essentially saying similar things to Trump.  Dissing the country’s Covid response, even though compared to every nation in the world apart from Taiwan it has been phenomenal, is pretty strange.  And the relentless negativity dished up by the Herald, by Newstalk ZB and by National MPs still on the country’s payroll appearing on guest slots on Magic Radio is pretty galling.

Perspective is important.  The country’s quarantine system is performing pretty well, remarkably well compared to almost every other advanced nation.  Analysis of the breaches bears this out.

One of the community transmission cases is a poor maintenance worker who apparently pressed an elevator button shortly after it had been pressed by a returning resident who had covid.  Experts all agree that it is exceedingly unlikely that the virus would be transmitted this way but you can bet that after this the hygiene standards in the Covid hotels were just wound up a few notches more.

The second case, which has spread parts of the Auckland community, is still being investigated.  Genome analysis suggests that it did not come from anyone in quarantine.  Although the scientific consensus is skeptical to the idea the best explanation still is that it came in through imported food.

Jacinda Ardern is right.  This is a really tricky virus.  Responses have to be quick and decisive.  And defensive systems have to be multilayered and ever evolving as we learn more about the virus’s capabilities.  Now is not the time for retrospective naval gazing unless and only if it improves our defensive systems.

This week National announced its border policy.  The two headlines from the policy was a new organisation, the NZ Border Protection Agency, to “provide comprehensive oversight and management of COVID-19 at the border”.  Just what we need.  Six months of uncertainty, getting people to apply for new jobs and have existing leadership put into a caretaker role as they wonder what will happen to their positions.

There are examples in our recent past of setting up new entities to handle national disasters.  For instance there was the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Agency, an organisation that Gerry Brownlee was instrumental in creating.  In 2016 Treasury gave CERA’s Christchurch Central rebuild project the worst possible rating project the worst possible rating, confirmation that the project was failing to meet schedule, budget, or quality targets.

The second major proposal was to require a clean Covid test before a person bordered a plane to return to Aotearoa.  This proposal would be complex and difficult.  What about a person who was in a country where these tests could not be obtained?  How do we account for fraud?  What about their rights as a citizen and New Zealand passport holder?  What about whanau wanting their loved one to be returned?

And it would not necessarily make us safer.  Air terminals appear to be breeding grounds for the disease and a person with a clean test three days before a flight could still be infected with the disease overseas and then return with it.

Would either of these policies have made a difference?  I doubt it.  While public health officials were writing job applications, clearing out their desks, moving premises and meeting their new leaders they would not be doing the work that was actually important.

And the testing policy would not have made any difference in the current two spreads.  The poor maintenance worker who apparently contracted the virus from a woman who had recently flew in from the states may have still been infected depending on when the woman’s symptoms appeared.  And the cause of the major cluster still has not been identified although transmission from someone in quarantine has been ruled out.

National also wants to “[p]repare a more effective response to future outbreaks, should they occur, allowing lockdowns to be more targeted and shorter in duration”.  Who could disagree with this?  But how would they achieve this?  From the looks of it by doing the same sorts of things the Government is doing anyway but reinforced by the raising of Judith Collins’ eyebrow.

National’s policy is a combination of simplistic snake oil solutions to what is a really complex problem that has defeated countries better resourced than ours.

The Herald is really starting to show its bias, if ever confirmation was needed.  It gave prominent space (in premium) to Steven Joyce, he who cannot operate a spreadsheet, and let him pontificate on how disastrous the Government’s handling of Covid was.

He notes that it is almost certain that the virus came through the border.  Apart from the possibility that it magically materialised out of nowhere this would appear to be a likely explanation.

He said that Ardern has repeatedly said that the border was safe.  It would be good if he could point out where because Ardern and Bloomfield have repeatedly, repeatedly told us that we have to prepare for the possibility of a second outbreak.

He echos the talking points that all right wing commentators are talking about and talks about a “repeated comprehensive failure”.  With what appears like two incursions by the virus after the return of 40,000 kiwis from overseas this is overly dramatic hype.  We have to aim for Perfection and we are not quite there yet but we are still not seeing the unrestricted community spreads of the disease so evident throughout the world.

He also says that we should forget the party politics!  At the same time that Judith and Gerry are undermining trust in the response as a political tactic!

His thinkings are being reinforced by others.  The writers of any column that contains variations of “comprehensive failure” can be added to the cabal of right wing commentators determined to see National back in power.

National is happy to sap at our confidence and at our pride for political advantage.  This is their only chance to return to power.  But at a time where collective effort and support for the Government’s actions is more important than ever it should consider going easy on the politics.

28 comments on “Is New Zealand or the United States the Covid cot case? ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. dv 1
    22 August 2020 at 10:25 am

    I saw some one saying trump was meaning increase in term of growth of cases meaning (i think) 6 from 0 is 6/0 is infinite growth.
    i don’t think Trumps would have been smart enough to work that out.

  2. PsyclingLeft.Always 2
    22 August 2020 at 10:28 am

    Trump the buffoon (albeit a dangerous one)…spreading fake news. Well thats a given. Good on Jacinda pushback : ) Here we have our own buffoon (not quite so dangerous) "CT" Brownlee disseminating garbage.

    Re the "majick radio" …and the Hosko…and Hawkesbyo…how the hell did they ever get to be the GO TO mouthpieces? Defies belief in Rationality. Hope Voters remember who stopped us becoming a Covid disaster.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 2.1
      22 August 2020 at 11:32 am

      Yes, it's precisely because opposition National party MPs can't claim any significant role in preventing NZ from becoming a Covid disaster that they must continue to insist we are a disaster. Against a least effective PM that dull strategy might pay off – as things stand it just serves to reinforce the impression of a shambolic and stupid opposition.

      Suspect some to their mates have already bent their minds towards turning the Covid-19 pandemic into a nice little earner.

      "The largest SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Companies) in history occurred in July 2020 when Pershing Square Tontine Holdings raised $6b. It’s run by Bill Ackman who famously turned a bet of $40 million into $3.9b when Covid-19 caused sharemarkets to plummet earlier this year.

      The reality is summed up by the Financial Times. “It is hardly a ringing endorsement of efficient markets that such a cumbersome invention as the SPAC is the thing that is thriving in lieu of IPOs”.

      The one thing you can be sure of in a crisis – there’s money to be made."

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/300075926/heres-how-people-make-money-in-a-pandemic

      https://www.kiwiwealth.co.nz/blog/in-case-you-missed-it-covid-19-perspectives
      [many links]

    • Peter 2.2
      22 August 2020 at 1:03 pm

      On any day there are scores of thousands working in the middle of Wellington going about their normal business, living normal lives.

      If one person goes crazy in the middle of town, through mental health issues, being under the influence of something or just through sheer cussedness who is going to be the big story of the day?

      In the same way your "majick radio …and the Hosko…and Hawkesbyo" are the go to ones. They are the crazies, the outliers, the attention seekers. It is their job to be that and most of 'em have the totally right qualities to fit the bill.

  3. Anne 3
    22 August 2020 at 11:10 am

    Whenever Trump makes a mistake which is apparent to everyone with only half a brain, he casts blame on what or who he perceives to be a suitable scapegoat. That is the normal response of a narcissistic sociopath/psychopath.

    A while back he made an ass of himself attempting to recalibrate a weather map with a black pen because he wanted the path of an impending hurricane to extend into Alabama as he had claimed it would do. He attempted to lay the blame for the mistake at the feet of the weather scientists and iirc forced a very senior scientist to resign his position.

    He apparently thought that if he added an extra isobar to the map, the hurricane would see it and accordingly change its course. 😯

    I put his latest into the same category. The current US administration handling of the pandemic has been an unmitigated disaster and no other country on the planet has overtaken them with respect to the consequences. So he turns to New Zealand whose record has been repeatedly praised by the WHO, and tries to equate a tiny outbreak with the ever burgeoning case-counts in America.

    • Mike Smith 3.1
      22 August 2020 at 11:29 am

      @ Anne

      Apropos of nothing, I’m reading Catch-22 at the moment, a useful antidote to the real craziness. Yossarian moved the bombing line north to avoid the dangerous raids over Bologna..

      • lprent 3.1.1
        22 August 2020 at 9:17 pm

        That was a good book. Reminds me that I must find out if the recent TV (series?) on it is in any of my entertainment subscriptions.

        On a complete aside. Just watched the first episode of Star Trek: Picard – showed up on Amazon. That is a hell of step up in the quality on any previous Star trek production – including the movies. My partner was ecstatic – but cruelly cut me off the incipient binge watch.

        She had work to complete that has to be done before another project start ran into it. I thought I was the damn workaholic in our household! Totally unfair… (emulating Sheldon of Big Bang Now 😈 )

  4. Stuart Munro 4
    22 August 2020 at 11:28 am

    This is just classical Trump deflection. I expect the correct response is not to produce a balanced rebuttal, but to rubbish Trump as a laughably unreliable source. The Gnats siding with him are merely illustrating their essential spinelessness.

    Although the scientific consensus is skeptical of the idea the best explanation still is that it came in through imported food

    Given that an Auckland mail centre is involved, that too is a plausible transmission path.

  5. Kat 5
    22 August 2020 at 11:47 am

    Would the Herald, National supporting media et al be so keen to publish "shock news to hand" opinions that the virus is being spread by right wing activists. You can bet the house on it that left wing activists would be the headlines if it were National in govt. A sinister thought, but you know, Bill Gates was in town(sarc).

  6. greywarshark 6
    22 August 2020 at 11:48 am

    Here's a bit of sarcasm from Martyn Bradbury over at DTB about the Covid-19 disputes and criticisms.

    The middle classes who feel vulnerable for the first time in their lives see their sacrifice during lockdown as the greatest act of courage since Kiwis stormed the beaches of Gallipoli, so our fuse for incompetence is short and our solidarity that Jacinda has empowered can become a toxic backlash that vents fears as angry bigotry and spite.

    It shouldn’t be this way, we should in fact feel huge pride and satisfaction in the border process and the track trace programs.

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/08/21/why-the-criticism-against-governments-border-screw-up-is-actually-incredibly-unfair-chill-out-kiwis/

  7. PaddyOT 7
    22 August 2020 at 11:55 am

    "At the same time that Judith and Gerry are undermining trust in the response as a political tactic!"

    Gerry Brownlee poses
    unfavourable risks to NZ's credibility.

    On the day the poisoning of Russian Opposition Alexei Navalny makes international headlines, so too does Brownlee.

    Brownlee brings international embarrassment again having failed to learn from the ridicule he brought NZ over his fake Finland facts in 2012.

    On Al Jazeera, " Coronavirus and conspiratorial dog-whistles return to New Zealand".

    https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/coronavirus-conspiratorial-dog-whistles-return-zealand-200820113656292.html

  8. Red 8
    22 August 2020 at 12:32 pm

    It’s typical press, build you up and then crash you down, Jacinda enjoyed the accolades, global adoration, did a dance and all that so just needs to live with the down side. Saying all of that this whole “It’s a global competition on who is doing better is bs and we / Jacinda/ Mickey should not even play into it.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 8.1
      22 August 2020 at 12:34 pm

      Quite right Red, it's not a competition – nevertheless "We don't know how lucky we are"

  9. barry 9
    22 August 2020 at 12:51 pm

    With the maintenance worker we were lucky to pick it up. it was due to the increased testing of MIQ staff. Most likely otherwise we would never have known, and he wouldn't have infected anybody else. It appears that as many of 80% of infected people don't pass it on.

    Most infections happen in the home, and the big cluster-causing events happen in cool stores, meat works, churches, restaurants & pubs etc. This explains the current cluster. It seems to have originated in the cool store and spread through families and churches.

    There is no good evidence for any cause, and the trail has probably gone cold. It seems it didn't come from MIQ. It could have come from an airport. Transit passengers , air crew, horse grooms could all pass it on. Most likely it came through a sea port either on packaging, or as an infected driver. We will probably never know.

    So were we complacent? We stopped testing. Hipkins expressed his frustration that testing numbers were too low for weeks before. The first coolstore case was symptomatic (off work sick) for 9 days before getting tested. He must have seen a doctor. Why did the doctor not refer him for testing a week earlier – then the cluster would be much smaller.

    But were the people complaining any better? Did the reporters scan QR codes? Tell people to get tested? No instead they just reported Browlee's conspiracy theories.

    If we get back to level 1 then we have to be more vigilant.

    We don’t want Trump to be right.

  10. Red 10
    22 August 2020 at 12:54 pm

    Agree Drowsy 100pc, however would also argue what is the best policy and response from a total cost point of view, Heath, society, economics etc will really only be determined in 5 years time looking back. We are lucky in present terms but what will our county look like in 5 years time visa vie others, this is the time then to have debate what was the best response and weigh up the value of each. ;NZ has chosen it’s course, we have to accept and work with it and hopefully it works out

  11. Corey Humm 11
    22 August 2020 at 5:41 pm

    Trump is clearly still seething that NZ didn't give him the green light for his hotel way back when, I also think NZ being held up as a model for covid recovery and all the "women leaders handle covid better than male leaders" posts by liberal ish media stuck in his craw, so he now gets to attack a female leader, a country that said no and the extermination strategy all in one go while he tries to distract from his own election.

    ALSO… We have an election coming up and he knows it "I heard people were really angry when you were elected" is what he said when he met Ardern, in the UK election he kept making statements attacking Corbyn and saying he wouldn't want the NHS in a trade deal, he did the same thing in the Australian election and he kept attacking Trudeau during the Canadian election, all three those right wing parties won (Trudeaus liberals got less votes but more seats that the Tory's and absolutely thumped into minority status) I wonder if he'll keep attacking the nz NZ govt during ours and if so what the result would be, most Nats in the cities hate Trump and NZ loves talking crap about the Yanks so I reckon it helps the left everytime he opens his mouth but on the other hand we've never had a foreign leader openly dump on our leaders during an election and the media loves it when nz is mentioned so will report about it non-stop what will be interesting will be to see nats response as most nats in the cities despise trump and most hate the Republicans, I'd wager everytime he opens his mouth labour goes up in the polls and if Judith doesn't push back against him the media will make a big deal out of her not doing so

    One thing I've wondered in the last couple not days…. Imagine what Piggy Muldoon would have to say about his attacks on nz. "Don't you look me in the eye you're just an oompa loompa slumlord "

  12. I Feel Love 12
    22 August 2020 at 6:19 pm

    #nzhelhole trending on Twitter…

  13. David mac 13
    22 August 2020 at 7:16 pm

    For the US to have the same 'Explosion of cases' as NZ, 2 days ago they would of needed 1452 new cases, they reported 50,000.

    They have 4% of the world's population and 25% of the active Covid-19 cases.

    I think they've screwed up because the United States haven't been. A lack of unity has led to the cluster fornication. The US need a President, not Mr Responsibility Teflon someone capable of mustering their team of 330 million.

    • Stuart Munro 13.1
      22 August 2020 at 8:20 pm

      Dead right – if che gelida malina really knew the art of the deal, he'd've hired our team, or Taiwan's by now.

  14. RedBaronCV 14
    22 August 2020 at 7:46 pm

    but the silver lining is

    -trump will never come here.

    -with any luck he will discourage bolt hole republicans who want to come here after they have messed in their own country

    • Jum 14.1
      22 August 2020 at 10:17 pm

      I thought that was why he was trying to discredit NZ. He wants the greed to stay in US. I don’t want them here either.

  15. joe90 15
    22 August 2020 at 8:03 pm

    Entire nation in contention for 2021 Darwins.

    https://twitter.com/DecoherenceWave/status/1296986050175238145

    BROOKFIELD, Wis. — The Elmbrook School District will reopen five days a week to in-person learning. The decision came after three and a half hours of discussions by school board members.

    Along with returning to in-person learning, the board also made a decision on requiring students to wear masks. However, not everyone liked that idea.

    “Six-foot distance and wearing masks are pagan rituals of satanic worshipers,” said parent Heidi Anderson. “My kids are Christian they are not subject to wearing masks

    https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/elmbrook-schools-decide-to-return-to-in-person-learning-5-days-a-week

    • Wensleydale 15.1
      23 August 2020 at 12:16 am

      If Heidi Anderson was any more stupid, she'd be some sort of root vegetable. I feel genuinely sorry for her children.

  16. Enough is Enough 16
    23 August 2020 at 10:50 am

    "Aotearoean" Is that a word?

  17. Enough is Enough 17
    23 August 2020 at 11:17 am

    What we have learned over the past couple of weeks is there were some things not happening as perfectly as they could be. Regular testing of front line staff being the obvious one.

    You will recall in June, the two sisters who drove around the country with covid had been released from isolation early on compassionate grounds without ever having had a covid test. We got lucky there as they didn't spread.

    The public outrage and strong criticism of the MoH and the government after both of those events has resulted in an improved border. We are learning all the time.

    I think it is extremely silly to say take the politics out of this. The tough questioning (although at times misdirected by the Nats) is vitally important in these times. Yes they are wanting to embarrass the government, but at times it seems like the government is failing to ask those same questions of the ministry. None of us are ever going to vote National, but we need them in there questioning and even challenging everything the government does in these very difficult days to stress test and really strive for that perfection we all want.

    • Rosemary McDonald 17.1
      24 August 2020 at 9:19 am

      …but at times it seems like the government is failing to ask those same questions of the ministry.

      Nail hit squarely on head.

      Methinks, perhaps, those days are just about done. There has been a change in the tones of our elected representatives (especially the PM) when discussing things Ministry of Health.

      Tiny wee grain of hope that this dysfunctional ministry, that has enjoyed a free reign for so many years at the expense of the most vulnerable, is going to be roped in and made to enact government policy. Actually perform in the way we, the voters, have democratically decided on the back of promises of policies specified in manifestos.

      The entrenched bureaucracy might have to be culled.

  18. Observer Tokoroa 18
    24 August 2020 at 9:08 am

    Michael Morrah at work

    – among other things journalist Michael Morrah has enjoyed carving up the truly impressive Dr Bloomfield.

    Thereby roughing up his own reputation.

    I take it that he does not ever drag any of his Herald colleagues through dirt.

  19. PsyclingLeft.Always 19
    25 August 2020 at 1:42 pm

    Americans lead surge of Bolt Hole seekers….

    "The policy is set up to encourage the human capital to come into the country – people who've got business experience, who know how to make money and how to share the wealth," he said. "And those are the sorts of people I think we need to continue encouraging, especially when we're moving into what appeared to be recessionary times.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/424375/covid-19-number-of-investor-visa-applications-soar-since-outbreak

    "How to share the wealth"…Really? Again , not sure if its in their DNA…

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-24T20:17:38+00:00