It’s the kiwi way

Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, February 22nd, 2019 - 74 comments
Categories: business, capital gains, capitalism, labour, national, nz first, Politics, tax - Tags:

Simon Bridges is the most tone deaf National leader since Donald Brash and will share one further similarity with him, he will never be Prime Minister.

Big call I know but I am prepared to make it now.

Essentially because his judgment is so awful.

Take for instance this tweet which matches his rhetoric on the issue:

It received the attention it deserved:

https://twitter.com/hurle_pool/status/1098397358054813696
https://twitter.com/nealejones/status/1098411081662230528

The burn was particularly strong in this one:

And the rich opinionated and irrational sector of the population made an appearance.

It is very sad that Simon should engage in doing his best to scare the bejeebers out of everyone, or at least his supporters. If he actually wanted to achieve something he would debate the detail.  Because I suspect there is going to be a big debate about if the CGT should apply to land only or to all capital.

Liam Dann has said this:

Is this Government going to bet it all on a comprehensive, once in a generation, tax revolution – one that affects nearly every New Zealander via KiwiSaver, small business and the family bach.

Or has it, in a political masterstroke, reset the dial on Capital Gains Tax to the extent that introducing a tougher regime targeting property investors now looks mild-mannered and relatively uncontroversial.

I’m inclined to think the latter.

Early days but comprehensive change will not be easy given the need to gain New Zealand First support and get past the next election.

I suspect that the Government may decide that a capital gains tax on everything is too difficult but of course a capital gains tax on land apart from the family home, easy to administer and quantify, should be introduced.  All that will be required is an extension to the current bright line test.  The system is in place.  In the future instead of having a period of time during which if land was sold tax would be paid there will now be a general expectation that tax will be paid on an increase in value unless it is the family home that has been sold.

And what do I think?

My father worked in a factory for most of his life, paid tax on his earnings and saved them for his retirement.  I have done something similar, worked at my law firm, and built up the good will in the expectation that I could eventually sell it and retire.

Seems to me completely fair that I should pay tax just as my father did.

74 comments on “It’s the kiwi way ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Kat 1
    22 February 2019 at 8:48 am

    Simon Bridges should take the Finance ministers advice this morning and quit the hyperbole. Lets have a balanced and meaningful discussion.

    Oh look a flying elephant……..

    • Anthony Rimell 1.1
      22 February 2019 at 10:41 am

      “Oh look a flying elephant……..”

      Don’t you mean “Oh look, a flying sausage……”?

    • soddenleaf 1.2
      22 February 2019 at 2:27 pm

      Let’s get this straight, Lab-NZF-Greens will introduce new tax law that, should Nats win at the next election will have to repeal before it comes into effect. So nothing to see until its been enacted, second crossed fingers those effected adversely are too few and most don’t notice diddly change coz it wont have until into next term. So Bridges position isnt to pick the buts that they like, but to let the grand coalition of parties from left and right write the new tax system. Shockingly shortsighted at best, strategically dumb, but hey lots of people have brought into the narrative that a fair system exists now, with over priced homes, people sleeping in cars, family farms having to pay tax, the whole economy leveraged to extort non home owners and incentuvize non productive activities… yeah classic in national clueless economics.

  2. Muttonbird 2
    22 February 2019 at 9:02 am

    It’s a real gift to New Zealand that right at the time we are considering reforming the tax system we also have one of the most stupid, out of touch and doltish leaders of the opposition opposing those reforms.

    He attacked the TWG recommendations by saying the very wealthy will just “organise their affairs” in order to dodge it. That to me is such a weak position to be arguing from and totally ignores the concerns real people have about people ‘minimising their tax burden’.

    It reminds me of the talk from one of his mentors, Bill English, when he was caught ripping off the tax-payer when double-dipping on accomodation allowance. He too, without a trace of contrition, simply said he was ‘organising his affairs’.

  3. Robert Guyton 3
    22 February 2019 at 9:03 am

    medySci
    “A capital gains tax will mean people will have no incentive to follow their dreams, and then later sell that dream at a profit.”

    • Carol Pericfolini 3.1
      23 February 2019 at 8:57 am

      No it means a lot more people may be able to own a home, which is the biggest dream of most. Aspiring to own 80 is really not going to make you happy, but for someone living hand to mouth to save a deposit and being unable to buy a family home, one house would fulfill there dream.

    • John 3.2
      26 February 2019 at 2:31 pm

      I wonder how people get on with no incentive to follow their dreams in places like Australia, UK, Canada,USA and most western European nations where they have a capital gains tax. Do they all immigrate to NZ?

  4. veutoviper 4
    22 February 2019 at 9:03 am

    Damn, I should have waited and posted here.

    At comment 9 under the “In Defense of taxing the family home” I posted audio of Amy Adams being interviewed by Espiner on Morning Report this morning on the Kiwi way of life where she got quite angry that Espiner mentioned the eight properties listed under her name in the 2018 Register of Pecuniary Interests. Apparently that is now down to six properties – diddums.

    My earlier comment also includes links to the 2018 Register that includes listings for each current MP of the property holdings they have declared as at 31 Jan 2018. (22019 Register will not be released until probably May.)

    Here is Bridges’ listing for 2018

    ” Hon Simon Bridges (National, Tauranga)

    1 Company directorships and controlling interests
    EHJ Property Limited – property investment

    6 Real property
    Family home (jointly owned), Mātua, Tauranga
    Apartment (in St Catherines Superannuation Scheme), Parnell, Auckland
    Apartment (in St Catherines Superannuation Scheme), Central Wellington
    Commercial property (owned by EHJ Property Limited), Central Tauranga

    7 Superannuation schemes
    Milford Asset Management KiwiSaver
    St Catherines Superannuation Scheme

    10 Creditors

    Bank of New Zealand – mortgages’

    [Note the numbers are the numbers of the questions/headings in the Register – not the numbers of properties, super schemes etc.]

    Property wise Bridges seems quite ‘poor’ compared to some of his Nat colleagues – check out David Bennett, David Carter etc

    • Kat 4.1
      22 February 2019 at 9:14 am

      National Party’s raison d’être is to protect their interests and keep Labour out of govt……by any means fair or foul and any cost to anyone but themselves.

    • infused 4.2
      22 February 2019 at 11:19 am

      Why are you lefties using this rubbish to diminish the impact of these stupid taxes? Helen owned 7 houses, probably more now. I bet current Labour MPs do as well.

      Trying to use this saying they have a vested interest is bullshit. It’s like the Spinoff article on the oil and gas report asking ‘who is funding you’. It’s bullshit.

      The fact is, the majority of these new taxes have massive implications. The housing ones aren’t actually that much of a concern to me, even owning multiple properties. The only one that stands out is the rural one, where over 4ha (if I recall) gets fucked.

      The bigger ones are the business impacts, shares in NZ and Australia, kiwisaver etc.

      • KJT 4.2.1
        22 February 2019 at 11:22 am

        Shares and Kiwi saver earnings are already taxed at you PIE, or personal tax rate.
        Simon lied!

        A real CGT is only going to make a difference to those that have avoided tax on investment income, mostly from land.

        • infused 4.2.1.1
          22 February 2019 at 11:23 am

          And that has been my argument for years. There was already a tax for this. People just avoided paying it.

          • Andre 4.2.1.1.1
            22 February 2019 at 11:26 am

            Do you mean avoided or evaded? There’s a difference. In the words of the hairdo from Ohariu, one is “legitimate avoidance”, the other is illegal.

          • KJT 4.2.1.1.2
            23 February 2019 at 11:39 am

            Evaded!

            It is obvious from the storm of protest, that many of the houses, farms and businesses, bought by these people don’t want to pay CGT, on were bought as speculative investments, intending to sell for untaxed CGT, not going concern businesses, or personal houses to live in.

            So many people admitting to breaking the law.

            I hope IRD investigators’ are taking names.

            Maybe we should just enforce the existing CGT, with a few jail terms?

      • Psycho Milt 4.2.2
        22 February 2019 at 11:59 am

        Helen owned 7 houses, probably more now. I bet current Labour MPs do as well.

        Were any of them so outraged at the thought of being taxed on the capital gain they’d receive from those properties that they declared it an “assault on the Kiwi way of life?” Because, otherwise their properties are irrelevant.

        • Kat 4.2.2.1
          22 February 2019 at 2:55 pm

          That comment should have defused infused. Always room for a bit of psycho analysis.

          And whats that Bright-Line Test all about then…. not more “stupid taxes” is it.

      • Ed1 4.2.3
        22 February 2019 at 1:51 pm

        Why does introducing a tax on increases in value for rural land have a different impact than for residential land? (It is of course only on increases in value after 2021, so it will have very little impact for some years). If businesses pay a little more tax that just changes the level of imputation credits passed on to shareholders with dividends – or have I missed something?

        • Lloyd 4.2.3.1
          24 February 2019 at 4:07 pm

          Surely a capital gains tax will allow the aspirations of young kiwi farmers to buy land and run their own farms. If CGT drops the value of land sharemilkers will not be competing with investment companies for productive land. The average age of dairy farmers might stop rising.

  5. patricia bremner 5
    22 February 2019 at 9:21 am

    So Simon Is a Kiwi whose way of life will be changed by CTG. Funny that!! He must own a bit (Checked Parliamentary register) Compared to some he is moderately comfortable… Looking at Amy Adams!!

    Norm and I worked out that even if they put a tax on the family home when it is sold, we would not be personally affected.

    So what kind of bird does that make us? Tuis?? We thought “Gee” as they might start the tax at a different point, say 7 to 10 000. Wow we could be better off by 700 to a 1000 dollars each a year Wow!! Now that would change our lives!! No wonder Simon is so anti!! That attitude begins to make sense.

    Even if this tax was used to raise benefits pay essential services more, raise a climate change fund… it would make life more secure.

    Well done The Tax Working Group Well done indeed. We are having the necessary conversation at last.

    We need to let the Government know what we wee Tui/ Kiwis think lol, so the Kiwis like Simon with several nests don’t have all the say!!

  6. esoteric pineapples 6
    22 February 2019 at 9:23 am

    Tax free capital gains is to New Zealanders what guns are to Americans

    • greywarshark 6.1
      22 February 2019 at 4:27 pm

      ep – ns
      LOL

      • cleangreen 6.1.1
        22 February 2019 at 5:37 pm

        Well said EP
        “Tax free capital gains is to New Zealanders what guns are to Americans”

        We are very self centered greedy lot now since Egalitarianism died under neoliberal 1980’s.

  7. AB 7
    22 February 2019 at 9:32 am

    The guy with 80 homes who says CGT will hurt renters.
    Serious question – how come we have allowed this guy to have the capacity to hurt renters?

  8. Clive Macann 8
    22 February 2019 at 9:52 am

    Simon says: If CGT is introduced then people will head off to Australia in their droves. (or some similar words). Does he think Australia does not have a CGT?

  9. Stuart Munro 9
    22 February 2019 at 10:04 am

    I’m not sure Simon has worked out that having all the Gnat’s unsavoury friends identify themselves by writing columns on this issue is a vote loser yet.

    As for fighting it every step of the way, the Gnats haven’t been very supportive of any coalition policy to date, it’s almost as if Simon’s opposition is (gasp) ineffectual.

  10. Siobhan 10
    22 February 2019 at 10:17 am

    I had thought one of the ideas behind Capital Gains tax was to encourage investors to put their money into actual productive businesses rather than into an overvalued property market, not to mention a rental market that is so out of kilter with ‘market forces’ that we need to subsidise landlords via their customers, to the tune of $27 million a week in Accommodation Allowances.

    Surely Business would be behind this tax.

    Now is the time for our good friends with the wise heads at the Employers and Manufacturers Association to speak out….waiting…(not holding my breath)…but waiting….any moment now…

    • KJT 10.1
      22 February 2019 at 10:49 am

      Too many NZ businesses, are “Property investment”.

      Or start a pretend business with the intention of selling to a mug, for tax free gains, before it falls over.

  11. Andre 11
    22 February 2019 at 10:17 am

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again and again.

    New Zealand tax law says that if you buy an asset with the intention of selling it sometime in the future, you are liable for tax on any capital gain you make.

    However, when a property has been bought with the firm intention of resale you’ll have to pay tax on any profit from the sale. The intention to sell does not need to be the main reason for buying the property – it could be one of a number of reasons for buying.

    https://www.ird.govt.nz/property/property-selling/selling-property.html

    These muppets declaring their intention to increase rents because their investment properties will become liable for capital gains tax are implicitly also declaring that eventual sale was an important reason for the initial purchase of the property. Therefore they should be paying capital gains tax already under our current law. But that they are also declaring an intention to eventually evade the capital gains taxes they are properly liable for means that they should go straight onto the IRD’s big bad list of suspected tax evaders.

    • KJT 11.1
      22 February 2019 at 10:47 am

      I hope IRD , is taking names.

    • Craig H 11.2
      22 February 2019 at 12:18 pm

      Thank you! Totally agree.

    • Sacha 11.3
      22 February 2019 at 12:26 pm

      “they should go straight onto the IRD’s big bad list of suspected tax evaders”

      So they can be lovingly caressed with a wet bus ticket.

    • mikesh 11.4
      22 February 2019 at 1:23 pm

      I agree that CGT should not be a reason for increasing rents, but I think that the tax should not be charged where the gain is merely incidental to the purpose of the investment. This would obviously let homeowners off the hook since the purpose of their investment is to provide accommodation for themselves and their families. However the same thing should apply to landlords who are just trying to provide themselves with regular rental income.

      • Craig H 11.4.1
        22 February 2019 at 3:19 pm

        I fail to see how making a gain on the sale of an asset that was purchased for the purpose of renting it for income would be incidental to that purpose.

        People go into business to make money by any legal means, and consequently any money made by those means should be taxed the same way, whether income from normal operations or from a gain on the sale of assets.

        • mikesh 11.4.1.1
          22 February 2019 at 5:50 pm

          If you can’t see how capital gain may be incidental then I’m afraid I can’t help you. I guess you either see it or you don’t.

          A capital gain is just an increase in the value of an asset. It can’t be income because a mere increase in value is not something you can remove from the asset and spend at your local supermarket.

          • Craig H 11.4.1.1.1
            22 February 2019 at 6:59 pm

            It’s not incidental to operating a business because the primary purpose of a business is to make money, and making money as a gain on sale is as much making money as renting an asset out.

            It’s not income until the asset is sold, at which point the income can be calculated and taxed. Taxing theoretical income is a favoured idea of Gareth Morgan, but hasn’t made it into the TWG report.

            • mikesh 11.4.1.1.1.1
              22 February 2019 at 8:55 pm

              The purpose of a business is not simply to make money, but to make money by manufacturing a product or providing a service. Selling its business premises for profit is not part of that purpose (except in the case of business set up to specifically deal in property). The property from which it operates is a disposition of that business’s capital, and it is reasonable that it should be allowed to maintain its capital, and not have it reduced through having to pay capital gains tax when that property is sold e.g. as part of a relocation.

  12. ianmac 12
    22 February 2019 at 10:18 am

    Some say Labour have lost the initiative over the narrative.

    But think back to the cunning Key plan to soften up for the sale of the Electricity. 2 or 3 years of debate and criticism but right on plan, action the sale. By that time the People had got used the idea and the fuss had worn itself out.
    So the predictable hyperbole from National will in the long term play into Jacinda’s hands – I hope.

    • Enough is Enough 12.1
      22 February 2019 at 12:21 pm

      Yeah I agree this is straight out of the Key play book.

      The recommendations will be watered down a lot before the Government policy is announced.

      For example the marginal tax rate will not be applied. The Nats are crying loudly about that right now. Labour will pull the political masterstroke by ripping that criticism out from underneath them and introducing a rate of 15%.

  13. marty mars 13
    22 February 2019 at 10:38 am

    I agree about Simon- – he is incompetent and the best of them lol. That Twitter feed was ruthless lol. Everytime Simon opens his mouth the gnat vote drops yay.

  14. millsy 14
    22 February 2019 at 10:39 am

    To be honest. I prefer the ‘Kiwi way’ that existed before 1991.

    I say 1991 and not 1984 because that is when the cuts to all the welfare services and state housing kicked in.

  15. Tony Veitch [not etc.] 15
    22 February 2019 at 3:32 pm

    A good time for the Coalition members with property portfolios to grab the moral high ground by coming out in favour of a CGT – as opposed to those rich pricks in the National party who are being seen as protecting the interests of the wealthy.

    • indiana 15.1
      22 February 2019 at 4:22 pm

      I have to admit that I always have a giggle when I see comments like “protecting the interests of the wealthy” being attributed to solely a National party trait. Under Michael Cullen who introduced the concept of Loss Attributing Qualifying Companies – negative gearing in effect, taken up by many landlords and small business owners at the time – was Labour “protecting the interests of the wealthy then?

      When National came into power, that was one the first things removed that took away the ability of property investors from reducing their tax liability – that is perhaps why they never supported a CGT. Take away the mechanisms to reduce your taxable income, not introduce new ways to tax an income.

      • Incognito 15.1.1
        22 February 2019 at 10:07 pm

        I think many LAQCs became LTCs and any losses could still be claimed in most cases. Don’t make it sound more noble than necessary and as far as property investment and speculation was concerned it certainly didn’t dampen the party mood.

  16. Ankerrawshark 16
    22 February 2019 at 4:50 pm

    Point taken Indiana.

    I love the way Simon works so hard for the Labour Party….he and the guy with 80 rental properties who says he will increase rents if a cgt is brought in doing marvelous things to help NZders see the merit of the tax

  17. Sabine 17
    22 February 2019 at 4:57 pm

    well, someone has to stand up for the poor and maligned much misunderstood Property Investors.
    National, desperately seeking friends.

    *edited cause typing, its hard work

  18. Observer Tokoroa 18
    22 February 2019 at 5:11 pm

    Tax should be Simple

    I agree with Mathew Whitehead, that if you sell something that you own, A Tax should be paid.

    The Public is used to this. Everytime the family or single person goes shopping for food he dutifully pays GST. Upto 15% in Fact. A hefty amount. Particularly on low wage earners. John Key and Bill English loved that hike.

    Food, in the scheme of things is more immediately important than a Home. Pensioners who earn nothing, pay Tax fortnightly by Decree of the Government.

    On this basis, Selling a Home that a person owns, should expect to Pay a Tax. Just as a person who buys a Banana – or a Hair blower in a Super Market.

    Whether the Tax demanded is !5% or 30% is to be yet to be discussed. But food is very expensive in New Zealand. Except of course for the Wealthy.

    In summary, if you Buy something you pay Tax
    If you sell something (trade) , you pay Tax.

    That’s Life. It is also Fair.

    • indiana 18.1
      22 February 2019 at 5:39 pm

      In Aus buyers pay stamp duty when buying a house or car, sellers pay nothing. They also have GST, but not on fresh fruit for example, so long as it is not packaged. I doubt very much that consumers buy loose apples as opposed to a bag of apple to avoid the GST. Is there any research that proves only wealthy (…and whatever definition there is for “wealthy”) people buy food.

      I’m a firm believer that the tax system in NZ is fair. How our government spends our taxes is not fair.

    • Sabine 18.2
      22 February 2019 at 5:40 pm

      thank you for pointing out the obvious.

  19. Drowsy M. Kram 19
    22 February 2019 at 8:24 pm

    If it’s the Kiwi way to own multiple houses, then why is there a housing shortage?

    Could it be that at least half of all Kiwis are not actually part of that Kiwi way of life?

    Let’s eliminate tax avoidance loopholes, and have custodial sentences for those that either evade tax or enable tax evasion. After all, that tax could be used to fund expensive cancer treatments (in the news of late), shore up gutted public health and education services, and foster community resilience.

    As such, I support this (summarised) proposal of the Tax Working Group:
    “Give Inland Revenue extra resources for administration and enforcement.”

  20. peterlepaysan 20
    22 February 2019 at 9:18 pm

    Maybe Simon uses the same tweet writers as Donald. They are equally stupid.

  21. Incognito 21
    22 February 2019 at 9:44 pm

    The thing with a good dog-whistle is that it doesn’t wake up sleeping dogs but is only heard by (hard) working dogs like farm dogs and (hot) dogs like schnoodles who get invited to summer BBQs by their accountancy firms for a nice wee sizzler courtesy of tenants and taxpayers. When Simon plays the dog-whistle the noise is so stupefying that even poor possums plummet down to earth from their lofty Pōhutukawas.

  22. georgecom 22
    22 February 2019 at 10:27 pm

    1. who is that invisible person standing in the middle of picture at the top?

    2. I have read comments from owners of multiple rental properties bemoaning how a CGT will cause a dearth of rental properties as owners sell up and exit rental ownership, and the losers will be those who cannot afford to buy a house.

    “Some investors, yet again the smaller ones, they get scared and they sell, so now you’re getting less and less properties that are available to rent, because people sell them, and it just makes it harder and harder for tenants.

    Ok, so will the owners of the rental properties just leave them empty? or burn them down? or will somehow the homes cease to exist? I suspect what will happen is that the homes will be sold. If the buyer is someone currently renting then, gosh, a rental home becomes available. So a rental is bought by say a family currently renting thus freeing up another rental property. So, the current housing stock doesn’t diminish, what we actually have is a churn of ownership and churn of renters between properties

    • Rapunzel 22.1
      23 February 2019 at 6:42 am

      I agree the “houses” do not “disappear”, hopefully some of the 30k in Auck that are said to be “empty” may come onto the market at the prices there ease.
      Will media ever challenge one of those saying there will be fewer rentals, not unless the “owners” make a point of living in more than one house.
      One of the problems does appear to be Air BNB or Book-a-Bach etc that seems to be something that keeps properties off the market for long-term accommodation though I know a “rental” owner in AUck with more than one property shying away from this so they go below the $70k cap for GST as “business” income. It seems in that case though they are also cheating the NZ tax payer via IRD with what is a comparatively “fair” rent but it is more or less being paid in cash and not through a written up tenenacy agreement.
      IRD needs more ability to monitor, at least we have a govt endeavouring to find a system that is fairer to all to tax “earnings”.

  23. Jetal 23
    22 February 2019 at 11:21 pm

    Doesn’t the goodwill of a law firm walk out the door when the partner retires? Clients are free to go wherever they like so I hope you have a plan B for your retirement.

  24. Cinny 24
    23 February 2019 at 9:42 am

    simon keeps putting out new tweets re CGT….And he keeps getting slayed.

    It sure is inspiring to see so many switched on kiwi’s calling him out on his crap.

    https://twitter.com/simonjbridges/status/1099019492280037376

    “Is it the Kiwi way to raise GST? Asking for a friend.”

  25. Observer Tokoroa 25
    23 February 2019 at 11:47 am

    The Wealthy Fretting

    You would think they are like Calves to the Abottior instead of being handsome men of lucky money and gain.

    Hear them howl. They expect to do nothing – and get paid thousands. They are a bunch of greedy ill informed humbugs supported by shoddy Accountants. Spoon fed by mommy and daddy and Billy English.

    If they don’t like Capital Gain Tax – they can get out of the Country as easy as buying a Ticket.

    After all, The wealthy in New Zealand are absolutely no loss to anyone.

    What is Fletchers now? What is Fonterra. What is fanny your Parnell Aunt.

    The Wealthy like Bill English have made sure that the large majority of up coming Kiwis will never afford a House. Makes you Sick.

    Poor lil Simom spluttering and screaming – and the darling trolls bellowing.. YUCK YUCK YUCK

    Unfortunately it is the “Kiwi Way” to allow $Billions to the existing wealthy and nothing to the rest of New Zealanders who do the Work. It is down right Inequality and it stinks to High Heaven.

    Biil English Tried to Bribe the wealthy by outrageos Tax cuts. Simom seems to want to do the same.

    Simom must be Trampled upon. He is A Marie Antoinette.

  26. vto 26
    24 February 2019 at 1:12 pm

    Those who are anti-CGT are selfish..

    I say… if its good enough for them, it good enough for us

    and that means no income gains tax either.

    With a paper-run worker paying tax and a low-wage earner paying tax, watching other walk away with millions as a result of work-less capital gains tax-free makes us …….

    put it this way…..

    the two things aren’t even on the same planet…

    the anti-CGT have their heads on fucking Mars or something

    what a bunch of wankers

    they are happy to have us actually working and paying tax, while they do no work and pay no tax (capital appreciation is rarely a result of work)

    Ban income tax!!

  27. vto 27
    24 February 2019 at 1:16 pm

    I say no more income gains tax either !!

    No more income tax

    No more income tax

    No more income tax

    It is an assault on the only workers in the land

  28. vto 28
    24 February 2019 at 1:17 pm

    if there is to be no capital gains tax then neither should there be any income gains tax

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    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
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    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
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    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
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    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
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    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
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    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
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    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
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    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
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    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
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    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
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    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
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    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
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    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
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    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
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    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
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    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
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    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
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    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
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    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
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    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
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    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
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    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
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    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
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    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
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    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
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    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
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    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
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    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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