It just gets worse

Written By: - Date published: 11:06 am, September 3rd, 2008 - 35 comments
Categories: election 2008, national - Tags: ,

Just when you thought National’s billboard campaign couldn’t possibly get any weaker, reports emerge that their next one will say:

“Get youth into training, not into trouble”

Honestly guys, just cut your losses and start again.

[UPDATE: Apparently the first of this run is going up in Vivian Street today.]

35 comments on “It just gets worse ”

  1. Tanya 1

    Good on National, guys. Do you prefer youth roaming the streets in gangs, on drugs, just looking for trouble, etc, intimidating joe public, lost and hopeless? Get some common sense, for a change!

  2. yl 2

    that is a lot worse then the first billboard.

    The message is obvious and doesn’t spell out any clear policy from National (nothing new there).

    It is a message that all parties will obviously advocate for.

    National’s billboard campaign is really missing John Ansell this election.

    What a waste of money.

  3. tanya. i think you’re expecting quite a lot from this billboard

  4. monkey-boy 4

    Are we talking actual kiwi youth or american actors pretending to be?

  5. It’s straight to the point. What makes it bad?

  6. Bill 6

    I assume when they say ‘get youth in to training’ they are not referring to a preferred mode of transport for getting to work?

    And the ‘trouble’ is not referring to what they would be in for turning up late to work having been stuck in traffic?

  7. Billy 7

    These remind me of the billboards used in Alex Swney’s failed Auckland Mayoral campaign: “Recycle rubbish not failed Mayors”.

    Does anyone know who did them?

  8. Tane 8

    Ad agencies tend to be rather quiet about doing work for political parties. I’d be interested to find out too.

  9. burt 9

    If they train and become valuable employees then they won’t need welfare. Pretty simple – help yourself or put your hand out – financial out-patients or independence.

    Tough call – not sure which is better for political parties to gain votes but only one option is good for NZ.

  10. gobsmacked 10

    Interesting that a positive message of opportunity (young people! our future!) has been reshaped to a negative message of dealing with a problem (bloody yoof). From “you” to “them”.

    Not a message likely to appeal to the 99% of first-time voters who aren’t actually in trouble.

  11. burt etc. no-one’s arguing against training and everyone is for people not getting into ‘trouble’.. we’re just mocking the stupid billboard

  12. Dom 12

    Okay, so it’s now clear they are using an X not X formula…interesting.

    This particular line feels very dated – I feel like it should be on a 1950s style billboard with a picture of a pregnant teen girl.

    yl, I agree, this message is wasted – I mean, is any party actually advocating FOR youth to get into trouble? Well, apart from the ALCP of course!

  13. Crank 13

    Gobsmacked

    99% of the first time voters will be picking National for the pure and simple reason that they will wan’t to see what it’s like when Goverments change. This group has had a Labour led Government ruling them for their entire living memory.

  14. Daveski 14

    Actually when I saw the post heading I thought you talking about Helen’s response to NZF’s “admin oversight”.

    A weak billboard won’t lose an election.

  15. yl 15

    Crank,

    you assumption that 99% of first time voters want to see a change of government seems a little off.

    what about the ‘its not broken, so dont fix it’ mentality.

    You are not giving enough credit to young voters capable of looking at political parties and voting based on their views on what New Zealand should look like.

  16. Dom 16

    Crank, ‘entire living memory’? How many 9 year olds have the right to vote? Well, apart from David Farrar.

  17. MikeE 17

    Can we have “Get the Government Into the Gas Chamber, not in your lives”?

  18. mike 18

    Tane, I thought this post was a poke at the PM for stating this morning that she is taking NZ1 at their word over undeclared donations – but obviously Nats Billboards are the big news of the day.

    Each day she supports him is another blow to her battered credibilty

  19. vto 19

    So HC accepts Peters’ word re “woops made a mistake”. HC has said;

    “No, because this has happened at the level of party administration. I wouldn’t expect to be held accountable for some sort of mistake at the Labour Party head office.’

    What planet do these people live on? If you tried that bullshit in the “real world” (so-called because it is the real world) you would be laughed out of existence.

    Her and Peters are a freakin’ joke

    (no apology for off-topic)

  20. monkey-boy 20

    “Each day she supports him is another blow to her battered credibilty.”

    What I find interesting is the ominous silence that appears to have descended over the whole issue – have people simply made up their minds and feel no more need to discuss their opinions?

  21. Lew 21

    vto: In the `real world’ would a CEO of a company be held personally and professionally liable for omissions or errors made by the company’s board or its agents, which were relatively serious but no longer prosecutable and therefore yielding no liability to the actual company?

    Not blinkin’ likely, and nor should they be. Vicarious responsibility only goes so far.

    L

    Captcha: `sacks Williamson’. Hmm, a prediction?

  22. vto 22

    Lew, it would clearly depend on the seriousness of the claimed “error”. In this case, and particularly in light of the EFA fiasco and the polemic crap spouted by its supporters about secret trusts and big money etc etc, yes of course. In addition no other company would believe the claim of “error”.

    As for no longer prosecutable (is there such a word btw?), just add that to the list of total bullshit over this issue. That list gets longer by the day. What on earth is the go with a 6 month limitation on prosecution? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. That is just long enough to ensure that no party or politician ever gets prosecuted such is the timeframe involved in these matters. How convenient.

    One law for them one for the rest of us. (see also, their superann scheme, their annual pay increases cf other public servants, retrospective legislation re pledge card and other spending, Duynhoven citizenship, …).

    Resentment turns to anger turns to hatred.

  23. lprent 23

    Urrggh.. The Nay’s billboard text sounds worse than the last one. I wonder what background they’ll use to replace the B52’s.

    vto: It is exactly correct. In the NZLP there are two parts. The parliamentary wing and the party itself. Helen is boss of one, and the NZLP president (Mike Williams) is the boss of the other. I think that all other parties operate pretty much the same way. The Nay’s have John Key and Judith Collins (?) who is the current president.

    In the ‘real world’ in my case development. I’m responsible for projects. I’m not responsible for GST returns as an exact analogy. That would apply to any organisation bigger than a sole operator. Division of authority and responsibility and all that.

    BTW: In legal reality the legal leader of the party is the president, not the leader of the parliamentary party.

    Face it, you’re just pissed because (as I reluctantly predicted) the legal shit tossed at Winston is just falling off. I expect that all of the other crap will also fall off. These people are lawyers which implies a pile of behaviours that are strongly risk-averse to illegal behaviour. They will of course make a spring look straight by comparison – but it will probably be legal

    Anyway, I expect that the right has managed to ensure that NZF is going to hit their 5%. It is a pity.

    On a lighter note in the vein of the post title. Yesterday (noon tue to noon wed – designated ‘tuesday’) the site had a 25.9% increase in page views compared to the previous high. The previous high was ‘monday’ which was 8.4% higher then the previous high. That was last ‘tuesday’.

    Damnit – between the posters, lurkers and the commentators seem to be trying to make me get more capacity before the election. Hopefully 25% increased hit rates are not going to be common.

  24. yl 24

    but you must admit vto it is a pretty crappy billboard a?

  25. Lew 25

    vto: For what it’s worth, I agree with much of your sentiments – just that your arguments don’t support them. The point I’m trying to make it about your fallacious appeal to the `real world’ – when cases of corporate malfeasance many hundreds of times worse than this routinely go unpunished in the name of limitations, limited liability or other fig leaves of responsibility, it’s a bit much to claim that politics is some special sort of exception.

    I agree it needs to change – but I’m not kidding myself that politics is any worse than any other field, as it seems you are.

    I take back the `nor should they be’, for what it’s worth.

    L

  26. Pascal's bookie 26

    I wonder what background they’ll use to replace the B52’s.

    Army boots? Spraycans? Ski masks?

  27. vto 27

    I appreciate the ‘legal’ situation. But still disagree about how things would be done elsewhere – if such an issue had arisen in the cororate world on the same scale as this with as much public attention then I think the person at the top, who had assumed responsibility for the issue, held up NO signs, abused and maligned people, etc then that person would last no longer. Examples – Fay had to move o.s., so did Richwhite, so has Bryers, etc. They are all too ashamed to show their face in our land again, as well they should be.

    The legal difference between parl and party leadership is heavily blurred in NZF’s case. Peters has assumed both roles by his actions – and a court may well find the same if that particular issue required determination. As such he is responsible.

    I dont think its too much to claim politics is different from the corporate world. The limited liability company was established for certain purposes. That has never been extended to for example lawyers, given their reponsibilities, nor as far as I am aware to politics. For good reason too. Greater responsibility.

    You’re right, I am pissed. It is the constant stream of double standards and non-accountability. It is too fast and loose – witness Peters paying back money to charity instead of the taxpayer. The system is weakened in peoples eyes. again.

    yl, yes crappy billboard

  28. forgetaboutthelastone 28

    “I wonder what background they’ll use to replace the B52’s.”

    With the first one they chose to illustrate the negative. So a national billboard with unruly youths on it would be hilarious!

    Whats the bet it has graffiti on it? Now THAT would be confusing.

  29. Lew 29

    vto: I think you’re misoverestimating the import of this particular matter because it suits your politics. It’s an undeclared donation – a big one, yes, and maybe several. It’s also potentially having misled parliament – which is a separate matter for which different standards apply. But to claim it’s like the winebox, or the collapse of Blue Chip and hundreds of millions of dollars lost while those responsible get off mostly scot-free, or in the global extreme that it’s like Enron really is taking the piss.

    L

  30. vto 30

    jus a bit more 2c… what really gets people over these types of issues is the ‘one law for them, one law for us’ situation. Iprent you mentioned GST returns.

    If you make mistakes with the IRD you get absolutely nailed – like you know smashed over the head with a hammer. Similarly with countless other laws.

    Then along comes a time when politicians and their parties have made similar types of ‘mistakes’, intended or not, and a totally different standard of penalty is applied. If at all. Or sometimes the politicians change the law to make it not apply. Do you think people don’t notice this?

    All part of the rising bubble of the nation state and its power. It is excessive. And these issues are perfect examples.

  31. Phil 31

    PB/Lynn

    It’s not a B52 – the rake angle on the wings is wrong, and the broad proportions more closely match a DC10.

    Regardless, I can’t wait to see you critque/dismantle the eventual LP billboards – if they can afford them.

  32. Tane 32

    Phil.

    a) I doubt Labour will be able to afford many billboards

    b) If past history is anything to go by, they’ll probably be crap. We’ve all made fun of the ‘baby held back by red tape’ billboards from last time.

  33. randal 33

    if national could tax trouble then the billboard would have the exact opposite emphasis

  34. yl 34

    vto,

    i take offense to the comments about ird,

    since 2002 there have been a lot of changes to the way in which ird conducts its business, it is not as black and white as it used to be.

    There are grace periods for late returns and removal of penalties for genuine mistakes, they are not as tough on tax payers as they used to be.

    problems only occur when tax payers ignore the ird, fail to keep ird up to date with what is going on, or fail to let ird know until after the error has occurred.

  35. mike 35

    Iprent – I think the only thing that “will fall off” is the soft part of labours vote after helens unwavering support of the corrupt Mr Peters.

    Tomorrow is going to be very interesting. Owen Glenn is a very generous man and the guy just keeps on giving…

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  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
    This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti.  Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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