James Shaw Speech to the Green’s conference – Greening the Government

Written By: - Date published: 2:21 pm, July 15th, 2017 - 25 comments
Categories: climate change, Environment, ETS, global warming, greens, james shaw, Politics - Tags:

Text of the prepared speech delivered today by James Shaw to the Green Party conference.

He koutu whenua, he take whenua, e kore e taea te riri.

Tīhei mauriora!

He mihi nui ki ngā mana whenua o tēnei takiwā, Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrakei, tēnā koutou katoa mō tō manaakitanga.

Ki a koutou e te whānau o Te Rōpū Kākāriki, harikoa ana ahau ki te kite i a koutou i tēnei rā.

Tēnā tātou katoa.

Two days ago, we heard the news that a block of ice had broken away from the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica.

Now, blocks of ice break away from Antarctica all the time.

But this wasn’t just any old iceblock.

This was a 5,800 square kilometre iceblock that weighs a trillion tonnes.

To give you a sense of perspective, that’s about a thousand square kilometres larger than the Auckland Supercity.

Imagine driving from Huntly to Mangawhai Heads, on an open road, with no traffic – actually, just imagine that, for a moment! Julie Anne Genter for Minister of Transport! – that trip will take you about two hours.

In your electric car.

That’s how big this iceblock is.

It is the start of the breakup of the Larsen C iceshelf.

After that it’ll be time up for the West Antarctic iceshelf, which holds the equivalent of about 3.3 metres of sea level rise.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said that, “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there “is” such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency.”

Paula Bennett, on the other hand, says that we here in New Zealand are playing our part. That we are on the right track.

She cites research into new technology, aid to the Pacific Islands, and a review of the Emissions Trading Scheme, as signs of her Government’s commitment to tackling climate change.

Well, there is one measure – and one measure only – for whether any country is doing its part.

And that measure is whether our greenhouse gas emissions have risen, or fallen.

And on her Government’s watch, New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions have risen 19 percent.

That is a stark betrayal of today’s young people, and of future generations.

It is beyond negligent. It should be criminal. And I’m looking forward to seeing what Sarah Thompson’s court case against the Government has to say about that.

Now, the Government also keeps saying that New Zealand is a small player, that we account for less than one percent of global emissions.

And that is true.

But if you added up all the countries that each account for less than one percent of global emissions, together they add up to 23% of total global emissions – much more than the United States and nearly as much as China.

New Zealand has the fifth highest per capita emissions in the OECD. We outstrip virtually every other industrialised nation.

Being small does not absolve us of responsibility. Being wealthy increases our responsibility.

Of those to whom much is given, much is expected.

The Paris Agreement commits all countries that signed up to it – including New Zealand – to take action to hold global warming to between 1.5 and 2 degrees.

What this means, is that the world needs to get to a net-zero carbon economy sometime in the second half of this Century.

The Paris Agreement also says that developed countries – like New Zealand – should take the lead.

What that means, is that we are responsible for getting to a net-zero carbon economy much closer to 2050 than 2100.

Now, many years ago, former Prime Minister John Key said that he thought New Zealand should not be a leader when it comes to climate change, but a “fast follower”.

This was the same John Key whose campaign slogan was “Ambitious for New Zealand”.

Well, under the National Government, New Zealand is not only not a fast follower, we’re not following at all.

But I believe we ought to lead.

Over the course of the last couple of years, our colleague, Dr Kennedy Graham, has worked assiduously behind the scenes in Parliament to build at least some level of cross-party consensus on climate change.

And he has met with some level of success.

Kennedy established an informal, cross-Parliament, all-party group of 36 MPs. That group then commissioned a report outlining a set of possible pathways and timeframes for New Zealand to get to a net-zero carbon economy.

What’s most significant is that this report found that it is both technically and economically possible for New Zealand to achieve carbon-neutrality by the year 2050.

Therefore, because we can, because we must, because it is right – today, I do commit – and we the Green Party commits – to the goal of making New Zealand carbon-neutral by the year 2050.

 

The Green Party is the only political party ambitious enough, for New Zealand, to make that commitment.

 

No other political party will commit to that. We do.

 

There was once a time when such a goal would have been unthinkable and labelled a dangerous threat to our prosperity.

 

Well a lot can change in a few years.

Today, it’s very much the people who lack ambition on the climate that pose the greatest threat to our collective prosperity and our national security.

While New Zealand has suffered nine years of inaction on the climate, the low carbon economy is taking shape overseas.

2015 was the first year that more clean energy infrastructure was built than new fossil fuel energy.

Last year, solar and wind power became the same price or cheaper than fossil fuels in more than 30 countries.

And the price continues to fall.

Today, jobs in the US solar industry outnumber jobs in the coal industry by 2:1.

And ‘wind turbine service technicians’ is now the fastest growing job category in the USA.

The energy revolution has begun. It is inevitable. And it will simply continue to accelerate.

But here in New Zealand, National under Bill English and Steven Joyce has continued to frustrate our nation’s ambition and the opportunities for new jobs and value creation.

National continues to build new motorways rather than new rail lines.

National continues to subsidise the expansion of dairy and deep sea oil drilling.

And now they want to put a coal mine into a kiwi habitat on conservation land!

National’s lack of ambition means we’re now going to have to spend $10 billion – of our money – over the next 10 years buying international carbon credits to offset our own pollution.

Over the next ten years, New Zealand will send $1 billion a year to other countries to build their low-carbon economies and competitive advantages, and not our own.

Well, the Green Party wants to invest that money here in New Zealand.

We want New Zealand to be one of the first truly sustainable economies in the world, and to show the rest of the world how it’s done.

And we’ll start by building the infrastructure that’s needed for a low-carbon economy.

Earlier this year, Gareth Hughes launched a new energy plan that would get New Zealand to 100% renewable electricity by 2030.

The energy industry applauded him for the kind of leadership and clear policy direction that they need to hit that ambitious target in only 13 years.

And last week Julie Anne Genter launched her plan to get Auckland moving from the Airport to the City by rail, in time the next America’s Cup in 2021.

This is on top of her plan to connect the city to the North Shore by rail and other projects that will increase productivity, cut climate pollution and give Aucklanders a break from the four weeks a year that they spend stuck in traffic – which is as much time as they spend on holiday!

Later on in the campaign we’ll announce other policies and projects that further our goal of creating a productive, jobs-rich, carbon-neutral economy by the year 2050.

But today I’d like to announce the next step in our climate plan.

The Green Party, in government, will establish a Green Infrastructure Fund to accelerate New Zealand’s transition to a greener economy.

The Green Infrastructure Fund will be the Kiwibank of the green economy.

In time, the Fund will help redirect billions of dollars of funding into:

  • New renewable energy plants, especially geothermal plants;
  • Solar panel and waste heat installations;
  • Energy efficient building and housing materials and retrofits;
  • The production of commercial volumes of biofuels; and
  • Other clean technology projects.

We expect the Fund to secure average returns of around 7-8 percent per year – but more importantly, to reduce New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions by a million tonnes a year.

The Fund will cost $10 million to establish in year one and have access to an initial line of credit of $100 million over year two and three.

We will pay for this, at least in the short-term, by raising oil royalty rates from 46 percent to the international average of 70 percent.

And the Fund will be one of my personal economic development priorities as a new Minister in Cabinet, up and running within 12 months of the formation of the new Government.

Not only will the Fund help secure the buy-in and capital available in the private sector to achieve our climate goals, it will help create thousands of good, well-paying jobs in the regions and for Māori.

Many of you will remember that my predecessor, Dr Russel Norman, proposed a green bank in 2014 based on successful precedents in the UK and Australia.

Since then, New Zealand has realised the scale of the infrastructure deficit that we face, after decades of underinvestment and the running down of our assets.

So there is a timely confluence of opportunity that the Green Infrastructure Fund can meet.

Our national rail system is the classic victim of government short-sightedness and an unwillingness on their part to invest in an asset that is now going to be a key long-term driver of economic activity in a carbon-constrained world.

The infrastructure underpinning our housing, tourism, water, energy, health, and education sectors has been in a similar state of decline and will require major new investment if it is to remain fit-for-purpose in the 21st Century.

Now, there will be some who say that our plan is reckless or irresponsible.

Well, let me tell what you what’s reckless or irresponsible.

Irresponsible is to give $10 billion dollars of the country’s wealth away to other countries, asking them to cut their pollution so that we don’t have to.

Reckless is to pretend that nothing has changed when the Port Hills resemble a Sydney bush fire…

or Dunedin South and Whanganui experience one-in-one hundred year flood events, every year…

or the worst storm in sixty years leaves 30,000 Wellingtonians without power and causes $35 million of damage in a single day…

or the worst drought in 70 years wipes $1.5 billion off New Zealand’s agriculture exports…

Reckless, is to alter the chemical composition of the atmosphere and condemn entire nation states to extinction.

That’s reckless. That’s criminal.

The goal we have set – of a net zero carbon economy by 2050 – that’s not just the solution to climate change.

It’s also the greatest economic opportunity in at least a generation.

Taking up that opportunity, isn’t reckless – it’s responsible.

But under the current government, that opportunity is passing us by.

And the window of opportunity to stop climate change, is closing.

The time for inaction is well past.

The time for excuses is over.

The Green Party is the only party committed to actually doing what it takes to create a society and an economy that reflects the scientific facts of climate change.

We are the only party that will make climate change a top priority for Government.

And that is why I am here.

We will not be deterred by denialists or cynics or those who mutter silky words about what’s realistic or too radical.

We will not be deterred.

There are 57 days until voting begins. 69 days until Election Day.

We are closer to being able to do this than we ever have been before.

Let’s get to work.

It is time.

It is time to change the Government – and change is coming.

Let’s get it done

Nō reira, tēna koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

25 comments on “James Shaw Speech to the Green’s conference – Greening the Government ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Crunchy 1
    15 July 2017 at 3:35 pm

    Yet the Green Party has refused to work with Govt over the last 9 years on any potential Carbon reducing initiatives. 9 wasted years. All very nice for a campaign speech, but let’s hear it again..9 wasted years because these idiots are still in thrall to their Sociology lecturers. 9 fucking wasted years. Think of the children…
    One more thing. About 4 years ago G Hughes didn’t think/know if any Green MP’s had invested in Solar PV at their residences. I’d love to know how many of them have now.

    [lprent: I remember the Greens working with National on housing insulation. Big program with tens of thousands of houses being insulated. That directly caused the power reductions and consequent emission reductions. And I didn’t even have to search my memory. You are a lying idiot. ]

    • Incognito 1.1
      15 July 2017 at 3:44 pm

      So, what did stop the Government? Just asking …

    • weka 1.2
      15 July 2017 at 3:46 pm

      What’s your PV set up?

      The Greens have been leading the way on CC for decades. National are actively resisting doing what is needed. The Greens aren’t responsible for that, National and RW voters are.

      In fact, I’d say they’ve done more good in the past 9 years in opposition than they could have achieved with any sort of deal that National would have been willing to tolerate. The Greens and National previously had an MoU. They didn’t this term because National are now blatantly a government for the destruction of the environment. Almost impossible for a progressive environmental party to make any kind of meaningful ground when dealing with that.

      “An increase of 19% in greenhouse emissions under National’s watch is a fierce betrayal of our future generations.”

      https://twitter.com/juliezhuu/status/886047751263277056

    • Ed 1.3
      15 July 2017 at 3:49 pm

      Aren’t National the party in government?

    • Draco T Bastard 1.4
      15 July 2017 at 4:08 pm

      Yet the Green Party has refused to work with Govt over the last 9 years on any potential Carbon reducing initiatives.

      They had an MoU with the government and set up the home insulation fund which National has now cancelled.

      So, basically, you’re either an ignorant schmuck or you’re lying.

  2. Crunchy 2
    15 July 2017 at 3:59 pm

    “What’s your PV setup?”
    I haven’t spent 9 years collectively drawing $Millions in taxpayer salary while furiously virtue signalling and screeching that “someone else” should do something about Carbon emissions – see the difference?

    [use the reply buttons please – weka]

    [lprent: Just looked back through your previous comments. I see that you have been a jerkoff doing the same avoidance of answering questions directed at you. I really don’t like ignorant, cowardly and outright lazy fuckwits like you who avoid robust debate using techniques that were old in the forms of Greece.

    I seem remember having to deal with you a few years ago. So if I have to deal with you again for appearing to have the intellect of a tory troll with microcephaly and avoiding the robust debate that this site is set up for, I will simply ban you after dealing appropriately with your comments. Your choice. Either learn to deal with robust debate, or take the dick you appear to use for a brain elsewhere. You’d fit in well at the sewer at kiwiblog. ]

    • Ed 2.1
      15 July 2017 at 4:05 pm

      Aren’t National the party in government?

    • Incognito 2.2
      15 July 2017 at 4:08 pm

      We have spent 9 years collectively drawing $Millions in taxpayer salary while furiously virtue signalling and screeching that “we’re too small and someone else” should do something about Carbon emissions

      FIFY and QFT

      The National Party to a (C)T.

    • weka 2.3
      15 July 2017 at 4:09 pm

      “see the difference?”

      Yes. You expect people to work not to your own values or their own, but some bullshit ones you just made up. The GP actions are consistent with their values.

  3. Draco T Bastard 3
    15 July 2017 at 4:06 pm

    To give you a sense of perspective, that’s about a thousand square kilometres larger than the Auckland Supercity.

    According to Wikipedia Auckland is only 559km^2 which makes that berg about 10 times the size of Auckland. According to this Google search it’s about 1086km^2 which would make the berg about 6 times the size.

    There was once a time when such a goal would have been unthinkable and labelled a dangerous threat to our prosperity.

    Muldoon didn’t say it and it probably never crossed his mind but his determination to become energy self-sufficient started the path for us. We have such a high use of renewables because of that determination.

    Muldoon saw that energy self-sufficiency as economically essential. It still is and it’s coming clear that we’re not going to have the oil resources necessary to get it from that.

    But here in New Zealand, National under Bill English and Steven Joyce has continued to frustrate our nation’s ambition and the opportunities for new jobs and value creation.

    National continues to build new motorways rather than new rail lines.

    National continues to subsidise the expansion of dairy and deep sea oil drilling.

    National is chasing the greatest profit from the least investment for the rich available.

  4. Red 4
    15 July 2017 at 4:44 pm

    After just listening to winston on the nation, greens speaking a loud this week, the only chance of greens in government is with national Possiably a split developing in opinion amoung green leadership here, is a civil war brewing ?

    • Ed 4.1
      15 July 2017 at 4:49 pm

      Fomenting discord, aren’t you?

      • Incognito 4.1.1
        15 July 2017 at 4:57 pm

        Nah, more like chasing shadows in the dim corners of his Machiavellian mind.

    • weka 4.2
      15 July 2017 at 4:56 pm

      Lol, nice try, but you just made a bunch of shit up.

      The Greens have ruled out forming govt with National. But even if Turei or Shaw wanted to go with National (and both have said no), they can’t without the rest of the caucus and the membership. You need to learn about how the party actually works.

      The Greens look like they are working together as well as ever have, better in fact.

      The great thing is that the old RW bullshit meme of ‘the Greens will go with National’ has failed, and now there is a pathetic replacement meme of ‘the Greens will change their minds and go with National because there is no other way to be in govt’. I say pathetic because the Green MPs don’t have that control of the party, and the Greens have a solid relationship with Labour, the MoU, and both parties have committed to trying to form govt with each other first.

      • Red 4.2.1
        15 July 2017 at 5:16 pm

        Nothing last forever no matter how buttressed you believe your party is in moving in other directions, if thier is a split in the will of the party no mou or constitution will change that will realising itself, just saying, not saying it’s going to happen now I just see cracks developing from my general observations

        • weka 4.2.1.1
          15 July 2017 at 5:33 pm

          Yet you don’t point to anything that backs up what you are saying, so I’d still call it making shit up rather than an observation.

          I see zero evidence of a split in the party. In fact, I would say that party is now more crystal clear about National than ever before. At the last election there was some tinkering with maybe softening on the stance. Didn’t pay off not least because most people don’t want it.

          By all means point to how the Greens could go into coalition with National without causing a constitutional crisis in the party. Bet you can’t.

          • Red 4.2.1.1.1
            15 July 2017 at 5:44 pm

            The desire for power, the futility of 20 plus years in opposition after this election either as a result of a national Nzf win or been shafted by potential labour Nzf win could be a catalyst for change, these are the rumblings that have come out of Green Party this week and from media commentators ( Bryan Edwards etc ) Yes I give you denied by greens leadership but smoke where there is fire as they say Simalarly as game theorist would tell you the greens would be silly not to look at other strategies and pay offs not that they would put them out thier and in essence weakening thier position, In contrast saying the opposite while feeding information elsewhere could all be part of a cunning plan

            • weka 4.2.1.1.1.1
              15 July 2017 at 6:08 pm

              ‘I heard something on the internet’ isn’t backing up your beliefs though is it. It’s just a lazy way to trying to imply there is some substance when there isn’t.

              I’ll take a good understanding of Green Party culture, the various GP active members’ comments, and what the GP says itself over promulgated rumour and unsubstantiated assertion from one of our most far right commenters any day.

              All I can say is you guys are starting to sounds a bit desperate. And we need better RWNJs. Hell, even Wayne Mapp has gone into troll mode.

              • Red …
                16 July 2017 at 10:40 am

                Who are you Guys ? Not desperate at all just fun observing politics and the overly zealot of all sides , I am not really that overly concerned who wins the election, a preference yes,to die in a ditch if it does not happen, nup

  5. Pat 5
    15 July 2017 at 6:29 pm

    that was a good speech and a fine commitment…lets hope enough NZers see the sense of these proposals

  6. Poission 6
    16 July 2017 at 11:50 am

    But if you added up all the countries that each account for less than one percent of global emissions, together they add up to 23% of total global emissions – much more than the United States and nearly as much as China.

    Thats an ill posed problem,

    it is subjective to accounting issues.As an ill posed problem it is subject to inversion hence (Marland 2009 Carbon accounting )

    Marland and colleagues (1999) conducted a comparison of two large, “(partially) independent”(265) efforts to estimate national emissionsof CO2. The data differed significantly for many countries but showed no systematic bias, and the global totals were very similar. Relative differences were largest for countries with weaker national systems of energy statistics, and absolute differences were largest for countries with large emissions. The two estimates for the United
    States differed by only 0.9%, but the absolute value of this difference was greater than total emissions from 147 of the 195 countries analyzed.The 10 countries with the largest absolute differences between the two estimates (for 1990) included the USSR, North Korea, India, Venezuela, and China. When the differences between the two estimates were summed, without regard to sign, the difference for the top 5 emitting countries was larger than the sum of the differences for the remaining 190 countries

    Well, there is one measure – and one measure only – for whether any country is doing its part.

    And that measure is whether our greenhouse gas emissions have risen, or fallen

    Well that begs the question ,What are NZ net emission’s under the Paris agreement ? (where full carbon accounting is required).

  7. Ad 7
    16 July 2017 at 7:38 pm

    I like the idea of the fund.

    The questions I would like to put to Mr Shaw are:

    – What is the role of EECA, and the Electricity Commission, in this funds’ administration?

    – What is the role of the governments’ 51% interest in electricity generation companies in this fund?

    – How much income from oil royalties is forecast – both from the effects of the new much higher tax, and from the collapse in oil exploration world-wide?

    – What is the role of NZTA in the change to renewables? Or Kiwirail?

    – What is the role of NZSuper Guardians in this fund?

    – Other than the stated rate of return, what are the benchmarks for success of the fund?

    – Is the taxpayer liable if the fund is bankrupted?

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    2 days ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Streamlining Building Consent Changes
    The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.      “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
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