It could never happen here

Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, June 3rd, 2010 - 39 comments
Categories: Environment, greens, International, Mining - Tags: , ,

Fresh from a stinging rebuke from the public over mining, Gerry must have hoped he was on to a winner this time:

Global oil giant Petrobras to explore in NZ

Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee today announced that one of the world’s largest oil companies, Petrobras, has been awarded exploration rights for oil and gas in the previously unexplored Raukumara Basin on the east coast of the North Island.

Snaring Petrobras is arguably Brownlee’s biggest coup since emphatically putting the “welcome” mat out for oil and gas explorers over the last 18 months, and wooing oil majors at a global petroleum conference in Mexico earlier in the year. The five year permit, covering 12,333sq km, is the first in the Raukumara Basin area.

Problem is of course, that the timing of this announcement could hardly have been worse for the government. The whole world is watching as every minute of every day more and more of the Gulf of Mexico and costal regions of Louisiana die in a hellish brew of suffocating oil and toxic dispersants.

The Nats want to rely on our Kiwi “she’ll be right” attitude. That feeling we all have that when it comes to disasters, it could never happen here. Don’t worry, The Government will take care of us:

Govt will do all to prevent oil spill here

The government will do “all it can” to ensure there is adequate environmental protection before future deep-sea drilling in New Zealand following the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

Yeah right. Where the combined might of BP and the American government have comprehensively failed to protect America, the Nats are going to keep our country safe? This from the crew that can’t organise a cycleway to save themselves? What will they do – send Gerry with a mop and bucket?

Because the sad fact is that it can happen here. New Zealand is not magically immune from disaster. And we have far too much at risk to trust it to the bland empty assurances of the likes of Brownlee. How much risk? I know it’s hard to get a sense of the Gulf spill in an NZ context, but this Stuff graphic of the current spill superimposed on NZ is extremely helpful. That’s how much of our waters and our beaches would have been poisoned – so far (and the gulf leak will be flowing for many weeks yet).

This remarkable clip (hat tip yeshe) showing reporting of a similar spill in 1979 shows how little the oil industry has learned about managing leaks in the last 30 years. Nothing. It isn’t good enough. We can’t risk that here. I would rather stop drilling for oil and transition to alternatives as soon as possible, but if we must drill the only sensible way forward is the one outlined by the Greens:

The Greens and Greenpeace want all deep water drilling put on hold until the cause of the Deepwater Horizon explosion is identified and the industry can demonstrate an ability to control the sort of leak that is being described as the worst environmental disaster to hit the United States.

Simple really. Before we do any more drilling around New Zealand, we need to be demonstrably sure that we can stop any leak. Why would we settle for anything less? Because it could happen here. And because that would be a disaster for all of us.

39 comments on “It could never happen here ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. kriswgtn 1
    3 June 2010 at 8:18 am

    and we will stop you and your mates from drilling Brownlee,,The hippies as you call them are ready to rock

  2. Tigger 2
    3 June 2010 at 8:46 am

    Smellie must have been sniffing petrol when he wrote that snaring them was a ‘coup’. It’s more like an albatross now…

  3. toad 3
    3 June 2010 at 8:47 am

    What will be Gerry’s next brainwave?

    A nuclear power plant?

    Oops, better shut up in case I’m giving him ideas.

  4. vto 4
    3 June 2010 at 9:10 am

    school teacher to politician.. what do you expect?

    • Galeandra 4.1
      3 June 2010 at 10:54 am

      as in, from the sublime to the ridiculous? I resent the implication otherwise, even he was ‘only’ a woodwork teacher 😉

      • vto 4.1.1
        3 June 2010 at 11:06 am

        Galeandra, it was just a wee dig about people sticking, or not, to their talents whatever they may be.

        I mean, why were so many in the labour govt from school teacher ranks? What is going on there?

        • Mac1 4.1.1.1
          3 June 2010 at 11:16 am

          Easy. Something about a caring profession, concern for education and truth, belief in intellectual honesty, ability to deal with the whole range of humanity, interest in society and its well being, looking to the future?

          Hearing the scoffing at teachers by the Right, last year I looked at the background of the National Party candidates and how many connected to the teaching profession did I find? Funnily enough, not the Minister of Education.

          Their profiles are available for your research, VTO. My first reaction to your dig at teachers was Verb Transitive Off, btw.

          • vto 4.1.1.1.1
            3 June 2010 at 11:29 am

            Fair enough. You may have a point with para 1. Teachers do get a hard time too often. Mind you, there ainto many professions / industries that don’t suffer from such, including my own.

  5. gingercrush 5
    3 June 2010 at 9:12 am

    The Greens are just being silly. This is oil exploration not fucking oil production. There is a huge difference. And if it pays off for Petrobas then the New Zealand will reap the rewards. Labour may well oppose mining on Scheduled 4 Land. But I don’t think they’re opposed to Oil production. Its already our third largest exporting sector. During their time in office oil exploration increased significantly.

    Lets face it. The Greens are allowed their position but this is nothing but political opportunism. They oppose any oil exploration. Oil exploration is a good thing for this country which is why thankfully we won’t be seeing stupid comments the Greens made by Labour.

    • r0b 5.1
      3 June 2010 at 9:56 am

      This is oil exploration not fucking oil production.

      Learn to read GC. The Greens are proposing a ban on deep drilling. The post is about drilling. No one talked about a ban on other exploration methods. But I for one don’t see the point of exploration until it is demonstrated that production can be done safely.

      The Greens are allowed their position

      How very kind of you GC.

      • insider 5.1.1
        3 June 2010 at 10:43 am

        Well we may as well ban everything then as people seem so keen to overreact to this event.

        It can never be made 100% safe. It’s always going to be a balance, as with anything in life. That’s why we travel in metal containers through the sky and on land, which occassionally don’t work out as they should. You are forgetting about the nearly 50,000 other wells currently operating in the world that aren’t doing this. Austraalia drills about 100 wells a year. Maui has been chugging away for 30 years – should we close that too just in case?

        • r0b 5.1.1.1
          3 June 2010 at 11:11 am

          Well we may as well ban everything then

          Learn to read insider. What is being proposed is not a ban on “everything” but a ban on drilling (indeed the Greens only say deep drilling) until the industry has demonstrated the capacity to stop a leak. Is that really so unreasonable?

          as people seem so keen to overreact to this event.

          How do you “overreact” to an event of this magnitude. Look at the map in the post, if it was happening in NZ, how could we possibly “overreact”?

          It can never be made 100% safe. It’s always going to be a balance,

          Of course. But at the moment if a leak does occur it is 0% safe. They can’t fix it. We need to do much much better than 0%.

          • insider 5.1.1.1.1
            3 June 2010 at 11:26 am

            I understand your point rob. Mine was htat we would never do anyhting if we needed a 100% safe guarantee. ANd just because this leak is proving hard to stop does not mean all leaks would be similar, in terms of what might go wrong and consequences.

            The overreaction is to ban all similar such work everywhere based on a single event.

            I agree with GC that this is just being used as a wedge to drive other issues.

            • A post with me in it 5.1.1.1.1.1
              3 June 2010 at 4:24 pm

              Then you and GC are both so very, very wrong.

              I don’t expect to change either of your minds, but just to point out why for others:

              – By your own admission your point was a complete straw man. NOTHING is 100% safe and no one ever suggested it had to be.
              – No one suggested everything should get banned. Another straw man.

              It is not a wedge. It is being used as an EXAMPLE of what happens when safety is ignored and we just think greedily about how much money we can make in the short term. This oil slick and the subsequent failure to clear it up was not “just an accident” or “unforeseeable”. They knew there were problems and they knew if there were it may get away on them. They just did not care.

              Why should they when most of the public are just greedy and/or ignorant?

              • insider …
                4 June 2010 at 10:14 am

                “By your own admission your point was a complete straw man. NOTHING is 100% safe and no one ever suggested it had to be.”

                No it wasn’t a straw man it was pointing out the ludicrousness of a blanket ban on all deepwater drilling. rob’s map is just as much of straw man, in that sense, because it tries to overlay a map onto NZ that has little relevance. QUite how oil could migrate from offshore to contaminate Palmerston North is a process I fail to understand.

                “No one suggested everything should get banned. Another straw man.”

                No, the suggestion was that all deepwater drilling be stopped, no matter what type or why it is being done until we are “demonstrably sure that we can stop any leak”. Why stop exploratory drilling which is very different due to a production well accident?

                rob’s wanting a level of certainty that we can never have because the conditions are unusual and the event unusual that there are not necessarily precedents. The safeguards that have worked well previously failed here for some reason.

                So we can never be demonstrably sure we could stop something because we, fortunately, have limited opportunity to practice the techniques. Just like in space exploration when things go wrong they have to learn on the job because not every chain effect is predictable.

                “It is not a wedge.”

                I think it is because in effect the Greens are actually asking for a timeless ban, and it doesn’t take much working through of the consequences to understand that. My conclusion is that it’s opportunism and a cahnce for them to push their anti mining/anti development agenda rahter than address any issues the accident raises.

                “It is being used as an EXAMPLE of what happens when safety is ignored and we just think greedily about how much money we can make in the short term.”

                None of us know that. I just don’t believe for a second that the people running this rig were counting the dollars and balancing them against the lives – would you? Rigs and wells are a long term busienss so short term is not the way to approach it. It may be more that a chain of events occurred, each single one of them not necessarily that unusual but combined…

                “This oil slick and the subsequent failure to clear it up was not “just an accident’ or “unforeseeable’. They knew there were problems and they knew if there were it may get away on them. They just did not care.”

                I dunno about you but I see tens of millions being spent on clean up not a failure. the failure was in the accident. But you can’t just magick the results away becuase you really really want to.

                • Armchair Critic …
                  4 June 2010 at 10:26 am

                  “I just don’t believe for a second that the people running this rig were counting the dollars and balancing them against the lives would you?”
                  You should believe it, it is common practice. Surely you have heard of the Ford Pinto. Multi-national companies will save a few dollars per unit if they think they can get away with it, even if it does kill a couple of their customers.

                • A post with me in it …
                  4 June 2010 at 11:18 am

                  We do know that because the reports from BP itself predicted this could happen and that they did not meet the US regulations. I don’t know where you are getting your information from but it is pretty weak.
                  Here is a brief sample. And remember that the investigation into the current one has only started.
                  http://abcnews.go.com/WN/bps-dismal-safety-record/story?id=10763042
                  http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-27/-fundamental-mistake-made-before-bp-spill-memo-says-correct-.html
                  http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-25/shocking-bp-memo-and-the-oil-spill-in-the-gulf/

                  And one of those links is related to cutting costs and losing lives in mexico BTW….so wrong again.

                  Deep sea drilling IS dangerous and we can see the results first hand. And you think that a NZ site would be much different and everything would just be all ok?

                  “I dunno about you but I see tens of millions being spent on clean up not a failure. ”

                  Don’t you mean 10’s of BILLIONS!? Are we really prepared for that here?

                  • insider …
                    4 June 2010 at 12:11 pm

                    You’re exactly right that the investigation has only just started. From what you ahve posted it seems like a chain of errors – nothing sinister or linked to . I can’t see anything in there about mexican lives or cutting costs.

                    As for the trhee little pigs “memo”, it’s evidence of what exactly? That BP teaches its staff about c/b analysis. Big deal… it looks like a training module that is entirely irrelevant.

                    “And you think that a NZ site would be much different and everything would just be all ok?”

                    It wouldn’t be ok but it could be incredibly different. Weather and water conditions as well as oil type, landing zones all make a big difference. The Braer was twice as big as the Exxon Valdez, but which was worse?

                    You claimed “the subsequent failure to clear it up”. WOrk is ongoing. It’s not over and so there is no “subsequent failure”. I don’t know what cleanup will cost – no-one does. But based on history I doubt it will be tens of billions. Valdez cost hundreds of millions plus compensation.

                    • A post with me in it …
                      4 June 2010 at 1:18 pm

                      This is going to be my last post on this because it is obvious I was right intially and I am talking to a brick wall.
                      http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65267920100603?type=domesticNews

                      So wrong again matey. The smallest estimate is 5 billion going up to over 50 billion.

                      And that may not factor in the destruction of the local fishing industries, long term health effects etc.

                      Of course I doubt you will let a ‘little’ evidence stand in the way of arrogant ignorance and your own personal opinions!

                    • insider …
                      4 June 2010 at 1:43 pm

                      If you had carefully read what I wrote you would see that I was talking about “clean up” meaning removal of oil and remediation of affected environment. THat does not include compensation, damages and fines – which in my humble opnion are not clean up costs. But whaddya know, in the same article the BP CEO says it could be $3b…but that’s probably just another example of arrogant ignorance and personal opinions.

                      Compensation is an unknown – in Valdez $6b was claimed and only $1b paid.

                      Run away any time you like.

                    • A post with me in it …
                      21 June 2010 at 5:17 pm

                      Not that anyone is reading this old thread, but the final info took a while to come out.
                      Article:
                      BP to raise $73b to pay for Gulf spill
                      http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/3834040/BP-to-raise-73b-to-pay-for-Gulf-spill

                      So yeah. You are wrong again. And pretty much a fool.

    • A post with me in it 5.2
      3 June 2010 at 10:00 am

      ‘political opportunism’ would be if they spun a new line based on this one event. They have not. They have ALWAYS talked about sustainability and environmental protection.

      Just because they have been proved right (again) for pointing out what should have been obvious does not make them opportunists. This is only one of many oil spills and the industry is filthy and completely unapologetic.
      The greens are constantly bashed for their opinions on this when there is no spill. Now there IS (yet another) spill and it is ‘political opportunism’?!

      I assume the next level up from ‘political opportunism’ is to be called “smug”.

      Bah…why am I even bothering??

      • gingercrush 5.2.1
        3 June 2010 at 10:21 am

        Its political opportunism because Brownlee was talking about exploration and its potential and then here comes the Greens and Greenpeace screaming no deep-sea drilling and taking advantage of the situation in the US.

        And both Green co-leaders are smug. They’re embarrassing compared to the previous co-leaders both of whom displayed humility.

        • Tigger 5.2.1.1
          3 June 2010 at 10:24 am

          Exploration has no potential unless you drill…it’s not like they’re going to find reserves and then leave it there. They want to extract it. And they can’t in a safe way yet.

        • A post with me in it 5.2.1.2
          3 June 2010 at 4:26 pm

          In your opinion. Which considering everything is not worth that much.

          The green’s on the other hand have a ecological disaster of Godzilla proportions to point to.

        • Pascal's bookie 5.2.1.3
          3 June 2010 at 4:45 pm

          Yeah, them damn greens should shut up and show proper humility like Brownlee who is assuring us that nothing could possibly go wrong, and we don’t need a thorough look at what could happen and what we will do if it does turn to shit, just trust us, just because, that’s why, everything’s ok, I already told you that! So shut up, stupid greens. Worrying over something that couldn’t ever happen because it’s already happened somewhere else, how arrogant!

  6. zimmer 6
    3 June 2010 at 9:13 am

    You dweebs at this site would rather us not gain any wealth at all, always an environmental issue associated with mining, dairy, oil. If you had your way there will be no wealth creation in NZ. But still would demand the services you moan & bitch about plus things like WFF, dole etc. In economic reality which contributors to this site do not acknowledge is really simple:
    1. Want services – you need wealth to pay fr these.
    2. Want no mining, dairy etc – don’t expect services.
    All pine for the days of mother Russia I suspect.

    • vto 6.1
      3 June 2010 at 9:22 am

      I suspect zimmer that you and I vote similarly. However there is a disconnect going on within that ‘right’ group at the moment which we sit either side of.

      You see wealth creation through extraction. Take from the environment and add straight to the dinner table no matter the effect. Nineteenth century thinking – take all the Kauri forests…

      That is no longer sustainable (it never was). The Greens have the approximate philosophy / concept right. The environment must come first. Wealth creation second. Otherwise we die.

      Surely the business people out there are smart enough to think of other ways of creating wealth other than extraction… do you think?

      • r0b 6.1.1
        3 June 2010 at 9:59 am

        And vto nails it. Slam dunk.

        • Tigger 6.1.1.1
          3 June 2010 at 10:18 am

          I suspect that zimmer is the one who can’t live without services. The rest of us would be more than happy to alter our behaviour if need be…

    • Armchair Critic 6.2
      3 June 2010 at 10:07 am

      If you truly believe that, then I have a bridge to sell you.

  7. JonL 7
    3 June 2010 at 1:51 pm

    Should be OK, as long as we don\’t have BP in charge of emergencies – they work on the principle, \”it is better to spend the odd billion on clean up, every now and then, rather than spend more on having everything in place in case of an emergency.\” Even better if you can get someone else to carry the can, like Exxon, in the Alaska disaster……

    • insider 7.1
      3 June 2010 at 2:02 pm

      just not true. Their internal culture would just not accept it. Exxon is the top safety performer because of the valdez. It was a tragic way to achieve a culture change and i expect bp and the other two companies involved will be having a hard look at themselves

      You forget that companies are run by people. Don’t judge their beliefs by your own low standards.

  8. Herodotus 8
    3 June 2010 at 4:43 pm

    From another post yeshe on this site
    Yes I am on suspension but this is good, I will then revert back to the dugout where you sit out your suspension !!

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    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

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

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
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  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
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