John Key is Rob Muldoon’s doppelganger

Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, November 30th, 2013 - 64 comments
Categories: john key, national, same old national - Tags:

John Key morphing to muldoon

Like many other baby boomers I found that my political activism owed a lot to Rob Muldoon.

He was a disgusting figure.  He was a bully, had strong fascist tendencies and was totally clueless on how to run New Zealand.  Our current problems can be traced directly back to the stupidity of a number of decisions that he made.

One of his least endearing characteristics was to denigrate and abuse opponents.  He had a real ability to sense what the average redneck was thinking and to channel this.  The decision to allow the 1981 Springbok tour was a classic example of how he would trash international treaties and obligations, human rights and ferment mass disorder for political gain.

One of his classic one liners was to talk about “rent a crowd” demonstrators, suggesting that those who opposed what he was doing were not genuine but protesting for some ulterior reason or just for the hell of it.

The malevolence of his rule inspired many including myself to become politically active in the hope that we could do our bit to make our political leadership better.

John Key has been recently channelling Muldoon.  This week he described the many thousand protesters who protested against deep sea oil drilling off the West Coast as rent a crowd demonstrators.

Key displays a similar amount of complete confidence in his own abilities and a willingness to abuse opponents that Muldoon displayed.  And he is making decisions that have the potential to undermine New Zealand’s economy and way of life to a degree not seen since the 1970s and 1980s.

It makes you wonder if John Key is Rob Muldoon’s doppelgänger …

64 comments on “John Key is Rob Muldoon’s doppelganger ”

  1. vto 1

    Key will be remembered exactly as Muldoon is

    complete failure and arsehole

    one of NZ’s worst ever PM’s

    this is Keys legacy

  2. karol 2

    Yes, there is a similarity, though I think Muldoon probably was more able to express his nastiness clearly. Key uses muddled diction and syntax, sometimes making it impossible to discern the meaning with certainty – but usually it’s enough of a dog whistle for the reactionary types to interpret it according to their prejudices and preferred negative slurs.

    Muldoon (like Key) also positively courted the most conservative sections of NZ society: the pakeha and rugby-loving masculinity that was preferred by those with most power in NZ at the time.

    I recall walking by Mt Eden War Memorial Hall early one evening in the 1970s when Muldoon was just beginning a speech. There were loudspeakers delivering the speech to the outside (but no queues of people listening – just me). He began the speech by referring to Eden Park nearby. He elaborated on all the “great” Kiwi values that was (according to him) an integral part of Kiwi values.

    Muldoon included in his speech, the line he often said something like: “The average New Zealander is a decent bloke. he knows right from wrong and will stand up for it.” Often this line was used to smear Pacific Island people, who were deemed by him to be prone to criminal acts and “over staying”. This kind of smear was also used for anyone who disagree with his reactionary social, political and economic views.

    This was the sort of thing that strengthened my determination to leave NZ and head to Aussie, the UK …. anywhere else. I was very aware at the time that anyone outside the white patriarchal, heterosexist, homophobic, capitalist, conservative middle classes was smeared, marginalised and demonised within NZ. Muldoon played on such views.

    Thus was widespread opposition to the MOR social conservatism was suppressed, later to explode into the protests against the 1981 tour.

    Key has returned as to a 21st century version of the suppression of opposition to plutocracy. But there’s an element of obfuscation and masking of the message. Muldoon wa more direct and clear in his nastiness. If Key was to always use a direct a way to demonise others and support the wealthy and powerful, it would not stand up to the intense scrutiny of 21st century communications.

    • Tiger Mountain 2.1

      Modern standards of paparazzi behaviour and online journalism would have seen pig Muldoon gone by lunchtime these days. His trash would have been gone through and the impressive collection of gin bottles instagrammed for all to marvel at. One nite a cabinet colleague let down the tyres on the Prime Ministerial Triumph 2.5pi in the parliment car park to stop the well marinated Prime Minister driving home. Key has minions to attend to things such as avoiding DUIs in a tidier manner.

      Various academics and writers have tried to reinstate his reputation or at least reassess his legacy by literary means such as Bob Jones, Michael Bassett and Barry Gustaffson to little avail for those who were there at the time. Workers carrried pigs heads on sticks and other foul misshapen representations of the man on union marches. This was a PM who assaulted still activist Roger Fowler on Queen St, gave the whole of Africa the fingers and dragged the countries international reputation lower than the proverbial.

      Key has the same authoritarian inclinations as Rob Muldoon but is a whole lot slipperier in how he expresses them. The one positive spinoff from the Muldoon era was MMP.

      • greg 2.1.1

        Dear Tiger how old are you?,by my reckoning, from your comments, you were too young to be aware of the “Muldoon”. Key is not a shadow of that slippery bastard .How on earth you think journalism is a patch on what it was then only leads me to the conclusion stated before ie you were too young.

    • Sanctuary 2.2

      “…I recall walking by Mt Eden War Memorial Hall early one evening in the 1970s when Muldoon…”

      *Gasp* – I had a mental image of a don’t-fuck-with-me tattoed 20 something for you!

      • Lanthanide 2.2.1

        Really? Karol’s nearing pension-age…

      • karol 2.2.2

        nah. I’ve never been interested in getting a tattoo. Also, tats didn’t really become cool til later in the 80s.

        In the 70s my dress style was hippyish – tatty, old patched jeans, long hair (part of a whole anti-materialist, anti-consumerist aesthetic).

        PS: I was always quite reserved. Don’t recognise my younger self as having a “don’t fuck with me” attitude. It was more that I observed, read a lot, and pondered on the f***ed up state of humanity.

      • greg 2.2.3

        What?

    • Lanthanide 2.3

      Hearing these stories of the 70’s and 80’s makes me feel like NZ was a radically different country then.

      • fambo 2.3.1

        It was. The dramatic change started with Labour in 1984. Muldoon was the last Prime Minister of the left or right in the lineage that started with the first Labour government.

      • greg 2.3.2

        It was, we protested, unlike the gen y wankers today we had ethics.

      • Martin 2.3.3

        before the web. we knew about the GCSB. ironically given a leg up in the Lange years.
        More people got of their arses and and into the streets.
        More political activism online in a highly connected world i.e. Greenpeace, Sea-sheperd, The Standard, Whale Oil. etc. Less f2f.

  3. dv 3

    Muldoon was responsible for giving the neolibs an opportunity to gain power in 1984 and we are still reaping the ‘rewards’ of these policies.

    • Richard Christie 3.1

      This was Muldoon’s ultimate failing, and the most damaging.
      Blinded by the dust of Muldoon’s totalitarian style as they swept his legacy away, voters didn’t notice the wolf entering the front door.

  4. ak 4

    Massive insult to Rob, who at least had full recognition of his role and showed in latter years a genuine feel for victims. He’d vomit the current panty-waist mincing shill from his mouth.

  5. chris73 5

    Most leaders probably share traits simply because they are leaders, for instance:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/38028

  6. Tat Loo (CV) 6

    For all his faults Muldoon was in many ways a forward thinking nation builder. With a gradual transition to less state market control at the grass roots level, he would have won himself another term and halted the Rogernomics BS from ever taking hold.

    • karol 6.1

      Muldoon epitomised the way various oppression are interwoven. He was a capitalist, but did favour many welfare state measures that are out of favour with Key’s government. Muldoon was part of the mixed economy consensus that was broken by the neocons.

      Muldoon’s policies, behaviour, practices and discourse clearly integrated various kinds of oppression: the dominance of traditional, white patriarchal, rugby-centred, capitalist-supporting masculinity over the working classes/low income people, women, LGBTI people, Pasifika people, Maori, immigrants, etc. To me it was glaringly obvious. For Muldoon the “average Kiwi” was explicitly male.

      • Tat Loo (CV) 6.1.1

        Yes, explicitly male and white, a very narrow view of NZ, and oppressive to many groups.

        Here’s the catch though: the rail projects, energy projects, refining projects, etc. that he helped drive along with ongoing subsidies to exporters and manufacturers gave massive employment and good incomes to a million Maori, Pasifika and blue collar working class in general.

        So now we have a far less oppressive political and social environment. But low income people, the working classes, Maori and Pasifika, blue collar workers, have all been screwed.

        Political and social oppression has become economic oppression and debt servitude in other words.

        • RedLogix 6.1.1.1

          Yes. That’s an expression of exactly how far right the neo-liberal revolution has taken us since Muldoon’s days.

          My father once worked for Muldoon and I recall him saying that he suffered badly from “short-mans syndrome”, in other words he compensated for his lack of height with brashness and bullying. Not uncommon in his generation. In the end it rather isolated him socially, from friends and colleagues. The loneliness and pressure was probably why he was drinking too much at the end.

          And yes by current standards he was a social conservative, but pretty representative of a large swath of NZ society at the time. New Zealand has become a more socially liberal society over the last 30 years.

          But in most other respects, if you strip away his personal obnoxiousness, you could define Muldoon as NZ’s last decent conservative Prime Minister. He was indeed a strong nationalist, he understood the role government had in building economic and industrial ecosystems, he understood the need for everyone to have a fair access to the economic pie. His much excoriated Think Big program, while marred by his own inability to listen to sound official advice, was largely a success.

          By every measure Muldoon’s economic position was well to the left of almost all the parties in the present day NZ Parliament.

          And therein lies the Big Tradeoff. While the last 30 years has seen the left enjoy some patchy gains in terms of social liberalisation … it has come at the cost of a comprehensive loss in terms of economic position. Chris Trotter, along with many other older New Zealanders like myself who can remember this country before 1980, often wonder if it was worth it.

          • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1.1.1

            His much excoriated Think Big program, while marred by his own inability to listen to sound official advice, was largely a success.

            Think Big could have worked. Unfortunately it was done by those idiots in National and so it left us in massive debt rather than becoming the basis of a sound economy that it should have been.

          • swordfish 6.1.1.1.2

            “My father once worked for Muldoon and I recall him saying that he suffered badly from ‘short-mans syndrome’.

            My father just used to call Rob: ‘Mussolini’ – both in terms of looks and attitude.

            I recall as an 11-year-old, both my parents being absolutely shocked at National’s win on Election night 1975. My mum couldn’t believe that her fellow New Zealanders could be so stupid, my dad got drunk very quickly when the results started to become obvious and he went off to bed quietly murmuring expletives under his breath.

            “And yes by current standards he was a social conservative, but pretty representative of a large swathe of NZ society at the time. New Zealand has become a more socially liberal society over the last 30 years.”

            Well, yes, that’s the Boomer-centric orthodoxy. There’s a kernel of truth there, but possible to over-emphasise the conservatism of the period and the liberalism of today.

    • greg 6.2

      Rubbish

      [lprent: Pays to say why. Otherwise I start looking at the policy to find out how to evict the boring repetitive idiot from the site. ]

  7. Ad 7

    I would be enormously frustrated if I were John Key. His government (as well as Muldoon’s) compared to the possible Labour coalition are just as interventionist, at least as moralistic as the left in their desire to change the lives of the subsidized-poor, identical in their desire to pick winners, and resolutely not have a clear social or economic plan …

    But they can’t seem to catch a break. Like the anti-Midas, everything they touch turns to shit.

    Key is certainly losing his charm as the Chief Shit Fairy. Can his visible rising bitterness and political exhaustion turn off enough voters to counteract lowering unemployment and an accelerating economy?

    Consistent polls only say at the moment: maybe.

  8. blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) 8

    Key reveals that he is incapable of seeing past his own motivations – that others are motivated by different things to what he is.

    That unlike himself, who would do and say anything so long as he is paid money others act from different principles.

    Key ‘logic’ therefore concludes: They must have been paid to protest because that is the only reason I do things.

  9. Philj 9

    Muldoon or Key? What a choice! Key is more slippery, a genius of slithering, and gratuitous slime. Rob was of this earth, I’m not so sure about JK.

  10. Tanz 10

    Muldoon was down to earth, Key has lofty, selfish ambitions, that’s the main difference.
    Will Cunliffe be any sweeter though?

  11. Thomas 11

    Key and Muldoon could hardly be more different, both in terms of personality and policy.

    Key is a neoliberal economically and reasonably progressive socially. e.g. Key is sell Muldoon’s Think Big projects. Key voted for marriage equality while Muldoon opposed the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

    Key is the mild-mannered geek, while Muldoon was the brash bully. Has Key done anything that compares to this? http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/tonight—robert-muldoon-interview-1976

    Muldoon was terrible. But his legacy is entirely gone from National. He was disgusted at National when he left office.

  12. Murray Olsen 12

    Muldoon at least believed in a New Zealand that would be economically sovereign and as far as foreign policy went, he at least wanted to stand beside the seppos. Key wants to get down on his knees in front of the seppos and probably had to google Wellington when Wall St sent him back here. Muldoon was a total asshole, but to call Key his doppelganger is a terrible insult to Muldoon.

    • greg 12.1

      Muldoon was on his knees to Washington for the love of sanity when are you going to stop backing the out of touch born to rule misguided dictator!!!!!!!

  13. Tat Loo (CV) 13

    +1 Murray Olsen and Thomas

  14. Martin 14

    when they are gone we should tramp the dirt down!

    like we did raegan, pinochet, thatcher and friedman

  15. Will@Welly 15

    I hated Muldoon with a passion. No one on the left had a kind word or any respect for him. But he believed in New Zealand. Key doesn’t believe in or care about New Zealand. He is all about me, me me. I never thought I would see another tyrant in New Zealand,, but Key has out-Muldooned Muldoon.

    • greg 15.1

      I agree,both dispicable

    • KJT 15.2

      Muldoon at least had a vision and a plan to make NZ better, whether we agreed with it or not.

      In fact many of the “think big” projects made a fortune for their private owners after the first round of asset thefts. The refinery, after an upgrade, sold for around the upgrade cost and made it back for the oil companies in the first year.

      Comparing Muldoon to Key, is an insult, to the old bugger.

    • Roy 15.3

      I completely agree. Muldoon was all the bad things Mickysavage has said, but I think he really did love New Zealand and intended to do the right thing for New Zealand. Of course his ideas for what the right thing was, were completely wrong. However I find that more forgiveable than Key’s attitude that New Zealand and New Zealanders don’t matter at all, only he and his rich mates matter.
      Also Muldoon was more intelligent and was articulate.

  16. red blooded 16

    Key is, like most politicians in the post-Muldoon era, at least in part a reaction to Piggy and his impact on NZ. There are different ways of being arseholes and these two demonstrate this truth. They do have some similarities, including an us-and-them viewpoint which excludes as “them” most of the people they claim to represent, but this could be said of many politicians on all sides of the political spectrum. Muldoon was incompetent and impulsive (remember the night when he got trashed and called a snap election basically because he was pissed off at Marilyn Waring). Key makes some bad decisions, but he works in an MMP environment and has to accept that occasionally he won’t get his own way. Key must be considered in relation to his own (many) failings – it’s a bit too easy and somewhat glib to just label him as another Muldoon.

    And BTW, Muldoon was a bully and an embarrassment to NZ. Don’t let’s sanctify the memory of a man who imposed not only the Springbok Tour but also a farcical Wage-Price Freeze (well, he managed to freeze one of these, but it wasn’t prices!), Carless Days and opened up social divides in NZ that our system is still struggling with.

  17. Plan B 17

    Key and Muldoon, Different people different times, different battles. The battle today is actually harder. Because back in the day the battle against Muldoon was kind of obvious, in your face sort of thing. Today the fight is against something that is almost impossible to pin down yet is I believe far more dangerous. It is about evil that hides in the light, Normans line is correct, Key does not simile because he likes you. We need to move beyond just changing the government but changing what the government does.

    I believe that their are in someways not battles to fight for rights and freedoms in the traditional sense, the Key right will agree with them all as and when required. He has no interest in them. He understands that economic power is now all power. Deny people of real economic power and you somehow deny them of all of their rights. People end up with the right to consume and the right to do what they are told.

    Look at immigration. The left think that we should be nice to all people no matter what their race, the right only think- more labour means lower wages and ore demand for housing. How do you fight against that? You fight against open access designed to reduce wages vs capital /land ownership and you are immediately a racist. So the right win the real economic battle. The only one that counts in the end.

    • greg 17.1

      Driving wages down will lead to revolution,no matter how long it takes good will triumph over evil, greed ultimately leads to the over throw of the greedy. Let them screw you long enough eventually you will look for another lover.

  18. Plan B 18

    Just a quick note on offshore drilling’ It is a John Clarke line- you have probably heard,

    “it is outside the environment” the idea is that it is happening outside the environment and is therefore hard to get people interested or motivated.

  19. Wayne 19

    Another one of The Standard’s silly posts. Sometimes it is that the Nats are fascists, sometimes that John Key is worse than Muldoon, sometimes that all Nats are corrupt and should be imprisoned for treason.

    Mind you David Cunliffe does not buy into any of this. His principal insult is that the Nats are clowns, have heard him say it on radio more than once. Of course that (and a few other comments) led Duncan Garner warn DC that he should not be a tosser.

    Well, I guess you have to try and amuse yourselves, but don’t pretend that Micky Savage is making a serious comment on the state of NZ politics and the nature of choices that face the voters next year.

    • mickysavage 19.1

      Um Wayne I am pretty sure I have not said the first of your claims and certain that I have not said the third. As for the second claim the point of the post is that Key is showing those same traits that Muldoon showed many years ago.

      And how about you address the content of the post?

      I decided to write it because I was on that protest and found Key’s response offensive, as well as misleading.

      If he was correct in what he said can you tell me where I can pick my check up from?

    • rob 19.2

      Wayne the question that should be asked “Is John Key just another tosser?’
      and “is he really a New Zealander??”
      Real New Zealanders want to see us all benefit from our society

      • greg 19.2.1

        How can that be when the majority of NZers are conservatives?

        • KJT 19.2.1.1

          Even in the USA, the home of “free enterprise” where the majority vote Republican, 75%, when asked about individual policies they supported, supported more socialist policies.

          Including a large proportion of “Tea party” members??

          It shows the success of right wing propaganda, and the lack of alternatives to vote for!

          Conservative yes.
          We do not like radical right wing policies. Which is why ACT has so little of the vote compared with left wing progressive Greens.

    • KJT 19.3

      Are you saying that Key and co are not thieves?

      The evidence says otherwise.

      Key made his fortune playing with the NZ currency and ripping us all off, of billions. Morally no different from any of the current crop of jailed finance company directors, or house breaking!

      Selling assets against the wishes of most of their owners is also blatant theft!

      I won’t even start on Basher Bennett and the 100’s of thousands of New Zealand children she is condemning to blighted lives, Brownlee’s incompetence in Christchurch, the increase in fascist state powers or the removing of basic human rights for workers.

      The bunch of incompetents and thieves in National are lucky the “communists” buying our milk, the regulation of banks by Keating and Cullen’s economic stewardship have got them out of the hole they have dug.

  20. Tracey 20

    Michael bassett should be expunged from the labour party. I still hear him referred to as former labour minister as some kind of credit to his ability to comment on current labour. I presume he let his membership lapse years ago?

    im not surprised he now practices historical recidivism in muldoons behalf

    wayne do you agree that people can deliberately present in a particular way to mask different drivers?

  21. Tracey 21

    “led Duncan Garner warn DC that he should not be a tosser.” And that coming from an expert on the topic.

    • Anne 21.1

      I think we should go easy on Wayne. He’s probably worried that this time next year his current position as a member of the Law Commission will disappear…

      • Tracey 21.1.1

        And he was quite vociferous online when “helengrad” and “Alan Clark” and other epithets were bandied about… of wait…

  22. Bringing up a long dead politician – especially one not of the correct political flavouring – should be like tripping the Godwin Law effect.

    Then again, if the commentators can’t handle “real-time” credible political debates about today’s politicians, it’s no wonder. And with only just getting shod of Shearer – out of the pan and into the fire – with CunningCV – it’s no wonder some on here need to go back a few decades to try and get some kind of “high ground”

    But just remember, wasn’t Mallard around the same time as Muldoon?

    • Murray Olsen 22.1

      Credible debates? Then you offer up Cunning CV?
      Tell us again about your plans to give Takapuna a white name and how embarrassing it is to live in a suburb with a Maori name.

  23. rhinocrates 23

    Key, like Muldoon uses populism to mask authoritarianism, but Muldoon was of another age, an age of paternalistic nationalism (I hesitate to say patriotism, a word that has been debased). Key uses the same tricks in the service of vulture capitalism, which is transnational. Muldoon could have become the classical fascist, as C K Stead outlined in Smith’s Dream (filmed as Sleeping Dogs ), but the dystopia Key’s ilk would bring is another kind… more Bladerunner perhaps?

  24. blacksand 24

    one absoute parallel springs to mind; John Key’s insistence that we don’t need to do anything now about superannuation problems in the future. Excepting that JK hasn’t cashed in the Super Fund, this parallels exactly.

    I’ve seen a number of comentators talking about JK not raising the age of super (or doing anything else about the issue), and his plans that NZ will make some great big reduction in carbon emmissions in the distant future as his ‘legacy’.

    as though promising that we don’t need to do anything now & it will all work out is somehow a strategy. Buy now, pay later! JK’s ‘success’ is knowing that enough NZ voters do not understand ‘Caveat emptor’. Just like Muldoon.

    • KJT 24.1

      I don’t have much time for Key, and I didn’t for Muldoon at the time, either.

      To many authoritarian and even fascist tendencies.

      However both were right about super.

      Muldoon was correct about the ongoing rort that was private super in the 70’s.

      It is surprising that so many who profess to be left leaning buy into the extreme right wing meme of “we cannot afford super” which is code for “leave the elderly to starve so we can pay a few dollars less taxes”.

      http://kjt-kt.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/on-new-zealands-retirement-income.html
      “The finance industry have been creaming their pants, for a return to the halcyon days, before the tax rebates were removed from superannuation savings. When they got to play with our money for free, and the negative returns and high charges were ignored, because of tax payer subsidies.
      Egged on by the neo-liberals who prefer the elderly, the unemployed and the sick to starve in the streets, as an incentive to scare working people into accepting starvation wages, while they continue to get 17% increases in wealth, the finance industry is dreaming of getting more of their sticky hands on our wealth, with private super funds.
      Since the 70’s they have been constant in the meme that we cannot afford super. A meme that has been driven entirely by the self interest of those, who are too wealthy to need super and too mean to pay taxes, and a greedy finance industry.”

      Strange that even more advocate the circular method of making the next generation pay more for superannuates, by gifting money to the finance industry to play with. Including the comical idea that we save for retirement by investing in power companies so that instead of paying super through taxes the next generation pay with much higher power bills instead.

      Much easier and cheaper to continue pay as you go taxation. Though we do need to tax and spend more now on housing, sustainable industry and energy, infrastructure and education to ensure we can support the next generation of workers, the old, and young, and those unable to get work.

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  • 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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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

  • 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
    19 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
    21 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
    22 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
    24 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
    1 day 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
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    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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    1 week 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 ...
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    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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