Well it might be worth having a reasonable estimate on how many farms are in danger of passing into foreign hands, and what the effect might be of failures on rural/provincial unemployment.
If you don’t give a sh*t about either of things because you essentially don’t govern with the interests of every citizen and future generations in mind, then you shrug it off like Key.
No, get the message through that they’ve been bullshitted continually about the riches to be found in dairy farming, and get them onside. Convert the farms into wetlands and forests at the expense of the grossly over-subsidised pollutive industries. The absurd increase in land value gets redistributed to pay for the clean up. No one loses, we all win.
You can also have wetlands within forests, and forest wetlands. Many places in the South Island had wetlands alongside forests. No reason why that couldn’t happen in Canterbury again even with climate change. We’re just not used to thinking they can be there because we’ve fucked with the land so much that in many places it doesn’t hold water any more (doesn’t Canty have something like 1% of the plains as native ecosystems now?). Replacing forests with pasture is a pretty sure way to get rid of wetlands as well as draining specific sites.
So right. For years the greens have been saying nz is reliant on dairy. Dairy is wrecking the environment. Need to half the dairy stock. Now they want to prop them up. Does this include the corporate farmers based in parnell.
Probably from James shaw in the house today, he seemed very concerned about the number of dairy farmer who will lose their farms. I thought he would be celebrating
The Greens have never been anti-dairy farmers, what are you on about?
Listening to Shaw’s questions in the House, it’s clear that the GP is concerned about rural communities and the risks to the NZ economy, which is consistent with its kaupapa and policies.
Nobody should be celebrating as Dairy farmers losing their farms because the new buyers will probably be off shore and not give a F about NZ, our exports or our environment.
If enough farms get sold then the new buyers could get the majority voting rights of Fonterra and our main export of NZ will be out of NZ control and probably the co operative approach destroyed and then NZ Dairy will be controlled by finance companies and wall street.
Of all the nutty comments the Greens could make, this takes the tofu. Who would know how many farmers will fail? And if he knows that, why doesn’t he tell them so the poor buggers can have a sleep in and not worry about getting up for milking.
I’m happy to admit that the Nats can be poor but like a low grade, mid week horse race, the winner doesn’t need to be a champion if it’s up against hopeless competition.
You know that Treasury is able to do modelling to work out estimates of the number of farms that will fail, right? National should be aware of the forecasts and the consequences coming in the next 12 months. If they are not, they are incompetent.
No if about it mate – we didn’t get $120 billion in debt by National knowing what they were doing. $150 billion this year – IMF’ll be stepping in before very long.
He’ll know how many are at risk of failing, and he can have a reasonable guess at which are most likely to with the current facts. I don’t think anyone is asking him to be exactly right, just to put some sort of scope on the problem using the government’s resources.
There is a fundamental difference: casinos suck money from their locality, like vampires.
Farming, of whatever type, injects money into the regions. Sure, our waterways will be cleaner, but it could result in a rural disaster.
Rather than waiting for bubbles to burst and market corrections to evolve, the government can help manage the transition towards more diverse production.
With a view to knowing what is going on in your own economy. Anticipating the likely consequences. Mitigating the ones you want to mitigate. You know – governing.
Favours to dairy farmers is one possible outcome – it makes a hell of a lot more sense than favours to SkyCity.
Unlike corruption, farming can actually be done in a sustainable fashion, lol.
This is the problem with some of our friends on the left- we still need to have some room for nuance. Just because dairy farmers as a whole pollute too much and have lobbied national to destroy local government in Canterbury shouldn’t mean we want their individual businesses to fail. We should be supporting them to do better, if they’re willing.
(ie. better on not polluting things. If people overspecialise in dairy and overleverage, we may just have to let them fail, unfortunately. Hopefully we can stop them from selling our farmland at cut rates to overseas buyers if they do. =/)
I think the phrase ‘ex Tory dairy farmers’ is closer to the mark, Bruce. That’ll be why National are crapping themselves over the issue. Yesterday Key reckoned ten percent were going to be going bust, today … he has no fucken clue how many. Of course, he may be lying. It could be because the figure is way higher than 10% and he actually knows that.
It’s not often we see Key blindsided, but this one has got him stumped. If he can bail out his bankster mates, why doesn’t he give a shit about National Party loyalists? He’s looking more and more like a typical JAFA out in the heartland.
Direct assistance might be complicated by various free trade bullshit, but what about this:
1) declare a climate emergency in some of the hardest hit areas in order to enable relief efforts
2) target longer term relief efforts at transitioning towards crops and animals that are more approriate to the expected regional climates, rather than sucking water from strained aquifers. Olives and that sort of thing, maybe.
3) a coherent regional development plan, from infrastructure to moving people away from cities (with actual financial encouragement, not just to juggle declining state houses). Real wealth is produced in the regions, and moves towards the financial centres. Service sector money just travels in circles between corporations in the cities.
Coffee. Definitely need coffee. And from what I can make out it may actually grow quite well in some parts of Te Waipounamu (Once we start to feel the effects of AGCC – oh, wait).
a coherent regional development plan, from infrastructure to moving people away from cities
Building up the infrastructure to develop our economy – I like it. R&D on electronics, aeronautics industry, developing our full resources, recycling, etc, etc.
Could probably do that Space Program that I think we need.
It’s about using the land for what it is best suited to, and diversity in produce.
The Indian solar panel thing was interesting – it was overruled on the basis that it stipulated using local parts. We don’t need to do that if we’re just talking about regional recovery. Think agresearch being better funded and more diverse.
Making it easier to decentralise some tech jobs into the regions by developing infrastructure is a way to diversify the regional income streams – the fibre rollout is definitely A Good Thingtm
It’s not so much the ongoing use of the land, but rather the immediate effect of a very large (10-40%) of one of our largest industries going tits up. The capital loss from this is going to affect the capitalisation of every farm and rural business in the country. And in the very short term.
The immediate issue is to get some control over the implosion to try and limit the loss of equity of operations that have positive EBIT. Something like Crown Asset Management after GFC, or using Landcorp to manage the disbursement in a controlled way.
I’d almost bet there’s frantic work going on along these lines to try and stave off the coming implosion in the Tory heartland.
“Relief efforts” is just code for removing money from the public purse (whether its cutely called tax breaks or whatever), and i can guarantee it will be a lot more than the 28m for the flag that raised so much ire.
If anything this shows that primary production is a shit way of making money, unless you are adding value significantly. And we aren’t doing that because, more or less, our farmers are dumb hicks. We’ve struggled to do it with our logs too. And finally, the service sector isn’t necessarily inferior to hard production – after all not everything people want and need is material.
What this situation shows is that leaving primary production purely to the markets creates bubbles.
People will always need food and raw materials. Not everyone needs an accountant, or a convoluted and hedged stock trading plan.
The difference between money for economic management and money for a fucking flag is that economic management improves people’s lives and produces a net benefit to the nation. A flag does neither.
Ever heard of “holidays” on mortgage repayments? Lowering interest rates on loans? The major banks have been sucking Billions out of NZ over the past few years . They are partly responsible for the crap the dairy industry finds itself in right now – so being partly to blame – the Banks – as much as the farmers should be taking some of the pain. Of course banks structure their lending so that they loose as little as possible should things go belly up. But this is where the Government can step in and direct banks to moderate their behaviour towards those farmers who are in dire straits wrt loan repayments. Remember the GFC and Banks needing guaranteed funding from govt – too big to fail. Well now its the turn of the banks to behave in a manner that is beneficial to society. They can take a cut in their profits for a while,a s farmers struggle to get back on their feet.
Of course those who can only see the market as the solution to every problem are those with very little brain and very little learning. A managed economy out-performs a market economy every single time. ( there is in fact no such thing as a purely free- market economy). But just suppose the government continues to ignore the plight of farmers over their heads in debt. What will be the outcome?
a. Farmer suicides will continue to increase.
b. Land values will drop as more and more farmers are forced off their land and farm mortgage sales will increase.
c. As land values drop even more farmers will find the equity in their land diminishing and their gearing increasing meaning that they in turn will be finding pressure from banks desperate to not loose money on their “investment”.
d. Those farmers who have not suicided and who are now off their farm will be adding to a growing rural unemployment.
e.Rural towns which are essentially service towns to farming will also be closing down. (this is a particularly strong trend in Australia where many rural towns have vanished in recent years following the long term drought and the down turn in the farming industry in those areas such as southern NSW).
Of course if this is the wish of the RWNJ that is what they want. One has to question why they desire this sort of outcome – but that is for them to justify.
Sounds like a normal economic cycle to me. People who overreach and make malinvestments losing money. The role of the taxpayer is not to insure against business failure.
Land values dropping is exactly what needs to happen, to return what has been a bubble, to real and sustainable values. Given the amount of talk about the need for this to happen in the Auckland property market, i thought more people here would get it.
You really do expect a lot from the PM, don’t you. It’s not like he’s Nicolas Maduro, who understands the inner workings of all parts of the economy that he can manage it all in concert for the best.
Well he’s paid handsomely for not doing this job – and has the whole of Treasury to help him with the math. But all he wants to do is schmooze the spooks and daydream about spying. Useless tosser.
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 7.1.1
He is paid to have a handle on the impacts of the policies his government promotes.
He’s an accountant. for goodness sake. He knows the importance on numbers (to the exclusion of all else usually). I don’t believe he doesn’t know these numbers – lying and incompetent.
He’s paid to govern in the public interest and he’s never done it. He should be thrown in jail and every cent he’s been paid taken back, while the damages are calculated. The asset thefts alone cost NZ billions.
I’m sure that if someone tried really hard to be a one-eyed zealot who insists on thinking the absolute worst of any plan not their own, then the words “The regions need to be supported” could translate only into “financially supporting dairy farms”.
In the real world, however, many other activities can fall under the umbrella of “regional development”. Some of them have already been mentioned in this very comment thread, That makes it much more difficult to assume that “The regions need to be supported” means “financially supporting dairy farms”. But I’m inspired that you keep reaching for that rainbow, CV.
A bit of history. In the 80s there was a drought bailout for farmers. For a fact I know two farmers who lied and were proud of the handout they received. Further back in time there was “Sheep Retention scheme” where there was a payout of dollars per head of sheep to encourage the sheep-farming industry. Local farmers recounted their flocks to discover overnight a 15-20% increase in their numbers. Funny that.
Nowdays it would become very public on the net.
And I’m sure these cheat farmers were voting National in a few years, and applauding Bolger and Richardson as they ‘got stuck into those lazy welfare bludgers!!’
The dairy industry, fronted by Fonterra has pushed New Zealanders to pay global prices for their products. Why should the consumer care if a certain number of dairy farmers hit the wall? However, we need to make certain, written in law, that none of our land goes, again, into foreign ownership. Be like some African countries that lease portions of land.
We could always legislate to compensate them and nationalise the land, selling it to people who will actually do ecologically responsible stuff with it.
Would be good to see someone like Swordfish evaluate which high-capital dairy electorates could change their vote share if Labour, Greens and New Zealand First campaigned intelligently. Concentrating solely on the Party vote:
West Coast-Tasman
National 16,000
Labour 8,400
NZF 3,100
Green 4,600
Clutha-Southland
National 21,700
Labour 5,000
NZF 2,100
Green 4,600
Taupo
National 20,700
Labour 6,700
NZF 3,700
Green 2,200
Waikato
National 21,600
Labour 5,300
NZF 3,900
Green 2,000
New Plymouth
National 21,000
Labour 8,000
NZF 3,400
Greens 3,000
Waitaki
National 22,600
Labour 7,162
NZF 2,700
Greens 4,400
We should be under no illusions that any of these seats will shift as MPs. But thinking in MMP terms, the potential for a 2-3% change in overall party vote when spread across all three potential coalition parties in these dairy-dependent electorates would be a huge harvest that National would struggle with.
Seems counter-intuitive, but an MMP attack straight into dairy heartland could yield strong electoral rewards if well coordinated across the thee opposing parties.
Yeah, whoever’s nominated for those seats needs to be campaigning hard on the party vote. Arguably you could even have people very high on the list parachuted into those electorates for Labour so that it’s clear that Labour is taking the regions seriously. (although most of them love their electorate safety net, so won’t want to go…)
As you can see from the NZFirst results, their party vote base is very low in these electorates. So it would take cooperation across the Opposition to achieve a strong measurable result.
I think there’s much more likelihood of voter movement in the regions than in the cities this time.
While I don’t have much sympathy for people who have borrowed themselves into a deep hole, the knock on effects in the rural communities will be massive.
If a government was planning some form of spending to help nz through the coming pinch, a $1.50 subsidy per kilo on dairy would go a long way.
Socialism by stealth.
At no stage should we consider a bailout for the dairy industry… farming should be look upon like any other business…. if it costs a farm $500,000 (random number) a year to run, and if they only bring in $450,000 , then you would have to look seriously at your costs or your sales… seeing as they are selling milk at auction, they cant really look at sales, so can only look at costs… but there would be little room there generally (I cant see dairy farmers spending more than they have to already)…
It’s a business, and kiwis shouldn’t be subsidizing the farmers
Agree Richard however theres warehouses full of Palm Kernels in Taranaki and from what I see and hear the demand for them hasn’t diminished.
Perhaps excess stock should go and cows could eat grass and hay for their diet.
After all they have been doing that for centurys.
I remember the chortles from my farming acquaintances if not laughter every time the government tightened the screws on the unemployed and beneficiaries. I remember the whinging and outright racism every time the word Maori came up. Usually it didn’t because the subject wasn’t welcome.
Subsidizing the farmers is just a waste of time and a load of taxpayers money and if allowed once will come back to haunt us in future generations when the mistakes of the past are repeated as they will be.
Basically screw em. They are adults and are responsible for their own problems.
After all thats what the free market and true capitalism that they adhere to when things are going well is all about. Lets see how it works when things are tough.
“Basically screw em. They are adults and are responsible for their own problems.”
What about the young falla in his first job on a dairy farm that’s going to be one of the first expences pruned, or rural subcontractors whose pH has gone quiet and has a mortgage to pay, screw them to,??
Theyre still hoping the next years auction prices will rise… its possible, but then again, other countries are learning to do what we do, and while we are (were) a major player, we didnt have a monopoly on it, and we were pretty much at capacity…
Seems like people are talking farm bailouts already eh. It was predictable that bailing out massive GHG producers will be considered seriously as an option.
I’d be happy for bail outs or subsidies as long as the farm was bonded to convert to organics or other sustainable land management within 5 years. You’d need to put other supports in place via advisors etc.
You’d probably get a riot if the govt tried to pay farmers extra to keep dumping cowshit and nitrates in our rivers.
I replied to b about an ideal. But if you listen to what I am actually saying I am saying that in 2016 there shouldnt be any bailouts (unless you think that the National govt would put my kinds of conditions on them).
No idea who the ‘many others’ are, and I suspect you don’t either because there aren’t many (you could link if I am wrong). B wants a bail out in the form of a subsidy. Is there anyone else?
The last thing we need is a subsidy. It only reinforces the bad decision making.
The problem isn’t $3.90 , it’s the $8.40 and other spike payouts before that. Have a look at http://www.interest.co.nz/rural-data/dairy-industry-payout-history to see these spikes above the normal curve in the graph at the bottom. These have encouraged some poor decisions in the industry that it’s having to deal with now.
And Fontera is carrying a huge debt, is this the result of these spike payments? They are technically insolvent since they can’t pay their bill on time, so have a thought about them going tits up too.
We need to manage this to minimise the impacts and change behaviour, not reinforce bad behaviours.
I listened to question time today and think there is a danger of the opposition overplaying their collective hand. Virtually all the questions were about the dairy situation and Ron Mark asked essentially an identical question to the one Grant Robertson had just asked in the previous question.
I get this is a very big deal (im a farmer so understand the reality of the situation) but there is a danger that the opposition appear over zealous exploiting real peoples hardship for the purpose of political gain.
Labour seem to be making up policy responses on the hoof which to me seems unnecessary when it is the govt that is on the ropes over this. This issue is a slow motion trainwreck and the govt have backed themselves into a corner the opposition will have plenty of opportunity capitalise if they play their cards right.
New dairy farmers, or dairy farmers that have expanded, paid too much for just about everything. To a large extent I think that’s tough shit.
Banks not reducing interest rates as the OCR drops is sickening. They expect to make extraordinary profits regardless of both the general economic performance and to cover the gambling they have been making in an industry that has fundimental flaws.
The government has been actively making things easy for them in relation to water rights (ECAN) and subsidising irrigation when the business and environmental impacts do not justify it. Having the government as your cheerleaders probably should be regarded as a kiss of death: remember the white gold.
9% of global milk production is exported. Fonterra (with milk from NZ) accounted for 25% of the total milk production that was exported.
The production capability of farms that were not exporting needed only to rise by a couple of percent for them to swamp the demand for export milk. (A couple of percent rise in the 91% is equivalent to Fonterras total export.) This why Fonterra are extremely vulnerable. This is why high cost dairy production in New Zealand is counter to the business model that made its milk attractive overseas.
Fonterra needs to be fixed because otherwise dairy farmers will always be tettering on the edge of one type of oblivion or another.
Fixing one farmer’s debt or one hundred farmer’s debt through tax payer intervention is not going to really put the country in a better position.
The history regarding dairy farmers and working people is shocking .
Massey Cossack’s, the 1951 lockout, their anti union agenda and their disgraceful way most of them treat their workers makes it hard for me to have any sympathy for their present plight.Instead of having their overseas holidays and spending non-stop they should have done what most people try to do save a bit for hard times.
I have never heard of dairy farmers calling for action to help the unemployed or solo parents in fact just the opposite they protest with anger at any help given the underprivileged.
However despite this crisis their Tory government has got them into
they will still vote National and still bash unions .
Think about if a factory in a small town cuts its workforce – yes, the factory might have been mismanaged, or is obsolete, or is simply being swampd by other suppliers in the global market. All of that is by-the-by, none of it helps the town face the sudden problem.
Well, magnify that effect throughout the regions. Cafes, shops, garages, vehicle dealerships, all getting hit by a drop in customers…
And the regions are the areas that feed money through to real people, rather than corporations.
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When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
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So… we like dairy farmers now? They should be propped up with taxpayer dollars?
Well it might be worth having a reasonable estimate on how many farms are in danger of passing into foreign hands, and what the effect might be of failures on rural/provincial unemployment.
If you don’t give a sh*t about either of things because you essentially don’t govern with the interests of every citizen and future generations in mind, then you shrug it off like Key.
No, get the message through that they’ve been bullshitted continually about the riches to be found in dairy farming, and get them onside. Convert the farms into wetlands and forests at the expense of the grossly over-subsidised pollutive industries. The absurd increase in land value gets redistributed to pay for the clean up. No one loses, we all win.
How do wetlands make money? Are wetlands even appropriate for, eg, Canterbury? How do you “get the message through”?
I’m pretty sure that Canterbury used to pretty much be Wetland.
And our environment is far more important than money.
forest, apparently. Before humans came along.
And of course the question becomes whether past ecosystems would survive tomorrow, because climate change.
Oh, I think we should also be looking to rats, cats, mice, stoats, rabbits, possums, etc, etc…
Our ecosystem is already changed but it can still support life which is where the wetlands really shine.
+1000
the potential for the South Island to majorly restore native habitats is huge.
You can also have wetlands within forests, and forest wetlands. Many places in the South Island had wetlands alongside forests. No reason why that couldn’t happen in Canterbury again even with climate change. We’re just not used to thinking they can be there because we’ve fucked with the land so much that in many places it doesn’t hold water any more (doesn’t Canty have something like 1% of the plains as native ecosystems now?). Replacing forests with pasture is a pretty sure way to get rid of wetlands as well as draining specific sites.
You get wetlands in NZ even in dry climates.
http://www.orc.govt.nz/Information-and-Services/Wetlands-Inventory/Central-Otago-District/Chapman-Road-Inland-Saline-Wetland/
http://www.orc.govt.nz/Information-and-Services/Wetlands-Inventory/Central-Otago-District/
http://canterburymaps.govt.nz/mapping-the-wetlands-of-canterbury
http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/habitats/wetlands/wetlands-by-region/canterbury/
http://www.wetlandtrust.org.nz/Site/Visiting_Wetlands/Wetlands_you_can_visit_in_NZ/Canterbury.ashx
“I’m pretty sure that Canterbury used to pretty much be Wetland.”
Forested, yes, wetland no. Except in pockets, such as Christchurch, which was largely a swamp.
Well then, strengthen the OIA, but don’t give them a fucking cent.
So right. For years the greens have been saying nz is reliant on dairy. Dairy is wrecking the environment. Need to half the dairy stock. Now they want to prop them up. Does this include the corporate farmers based in parnell.
Now they want to prop them up
Are you running this line because you believe it or because you think you can score points?
Or is Polly in desperate need of a cracker?
Have the Greens ever advocated abandoning New Zealanders to predation by the National Party’s owners? Why would they start now?
am I missing something? How do people get ‘the Greens want to bail out dairy farmers’ from this post?
Probably from James shaw in the house today, he seemed very concerned about the number of dairy farmer who will lose their farms. I thought he would be celebrating
Sorry “dairy farms”
Sorry again “farmers” fat thumbs.
I thought he would be celebrating
Why, what’s wrong with you? Blinded by hate much.
The Greens have never been anti-dairy farmers, what are you on about?
Listening to Shaw’s questions in the House, it’s clear that the GP is concerned about rural communities and the risks to the NZ economy, which is consistent with its kaupapa and policies.
http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/42053
The Greens think that Dairy farmers get some unfair subsidies from the government and need to use clean farming techniques if they don’t already.
That’s not the same thing as wanting farmers to fail. I want farmers to do better, not sell up to overseas interests.
Nobody should be celebrating as Dairy farmers losing their farms because the new buyers will probably be off shore and not give a F about NZ, our exports or our environment.
If enough farms get sold then the new buyers could get the majority voting rights of Fonterra and our main export of NZ will be out of NZ control and probably the co operative approach destroyed and then NZ Dairy will be controlled by finance companies and wall street.
Of all the nutty comments the Greens could make, this takes the tofu. Who would know how many farmers will fail? And if he knows that, why doesn’t he tell them so the poor buggers can have a sleep in and not worry about getting up for milking.
I’m happy to admit that the Nats can be poor but like a low grade, mid week horse race, the winner doesn’t need to be a champion if it’s up against hopeless competition.
You know that Treasury is able to do modelling to work out estimates of the number of farms that will fail, right? National should be aware of the forecasts and the consequences coming in the next 12 months. If they are not, they are incompetent.
No if about it mate – we didn’t get $120 billion in debt by National knowing what they were doing. $150 billion this year – IMF’ll be stepping in before very long.
The banks will know which of their borrowers are in danger of default. And I suspect John Key does know but the number isn’t a good one.
He’ll know how many are at risk of failing, and he can have a reasonable guess at which are most likely to with the current facts. I don’t think anyone is asking him to be exactly right, just to put some sort of scope on the problem using the government’s resources.
Greens have now done a press release pointing out the issues:
https://www.greens.org.nz/news/press-release/prime-minister-%E2%80%9Cdoesn%E2%80%99t-have-clue%E2%80%9D-dairy-farm-downturn
This government doesn’t expect to have to manage. That’s what the market is for.
Exactly
The problem being, of course, is that the market doesn’t manage either resulting in collapse.
The Standard implicitly calling for bailouts of Tory dairy farmers – i think i’ve seen it all.
Next thing those wildly excreting bovines will be flying past my window.
No, an author on The Standard is explicitly calling for the government to show some interest in the economic troubles facing the regions.
With a view to doing what?
Have a read of TRP’s nonsensical post and thread.
There is functionally no difference between favours to Sky City and favours to Dairy Farmers.
There is a fundamental difference: casinos suck money from their locality, like vampires.
Farming, of whatever type, injects money into the regions. Sure, our waterways will be cleaner, but it could result in a rural disaster.
Rather than waiting for bubbles to burst and market corrections to evolve, the government can help manage the transition towards more diverse production.
With a view to knowing what is going on in your own economy. Anticipating the likely consequences. Mitigating the ones you want to mitigate. You know – governing.
Favours to dairy farmers is one possible outcome – it makes a hell of a lot more sense than favours to SkyCity.
Unlike corruption, farming can actually be done in a sustainable fashion, lol.
This is the problem with some of our friends on the left- we still need to have some room for nuance. Just because dairy farmers as a whole pollute too much and have lobbied national to destroy local government in Canterbury shouldn’t mean we want their individual businesses to fail. We should be supporting them to do better, if they’re willing.
(ie. better on not polluting things. If people overspecialise in dairy and overleverage, we may just have to let them fail, unfortunately. Hopefully we can stop them from selling our farmland at cut rates to overseas buyers if they do. =/)
“Hopefully we can stop them from selling our farmland at cut rates to overseas buyers if they do.”
Unfortunately it’s the banks who get to make that decision under current arrangements. Gee, wonder what they’ll do?
Exactly – thank you McFlock.
I think the phrase ‘ex Tory dairy farmers’ is closer to the mark, Bruce. That’ll be why National are crapping themselves over the issue. Yesterday Key reckoned ten percent were going to be going bust, today … he has no fucken clue how many. Of course, he may be lying. It could be because the figure is way higher than 10% and he actually knows that.
It’s not often we see Key blindsided, but this one has got him stumped. If he can bail out his bankster mates, why doesn’t he give a shit about National Party loyalists? He’s looking more and more like a typical JAFA out in the heartland.
No. An actual JAFA would be taking an interest in what’s happening. Key just doesn’t give a shit.
Perhaps we can repurpose it Just Another F****** American-wannabe.
Or maybe he’s keeping that inside knowledge to allow,say, someone’s blind trust to make a killing picking up some cut price land….
Can’t see any implication that anyone is calling for farmers to be bailed out.
Direct assistance might be complicated by various free trade bullshit, but what about this:
1) declare a climate emergency in some of the hardest hit areas in order to enable relief efforts
2) target longer term relief efforts at transitioning towards crops and animals that are more approriate to the expected regional climates, rather than sucking water from strained aquifers. Olives and that sort of thing, maybe.
3) a coherent regional development plan, from infrastructure to moving people away from cities (with actual financial encouragement, not just to juggle declining state houses). Real wealth is produced in the regions, and moves towards the financial centres. Service sector money just travels in circles between corporations in the cities.
Yeah, That may not work.
Coffee. Definitely need coffee. And from what I can make out it may actually grow quite well in some parts of Te Waipounamu (Once we start to feel the effects of AGCC – oh, wait).
Building up the infrastructure to develop our economy – I like it. R&D on electronics, aeronautics industry, developing our full resources, recycling, etc, etc.
Could probably do that Space Program that I think we need.
coffee is a good one.
It’s about using the land for what it is best suited to, and diversity in produce.
The Indian solar panel thing was interesting – it was overruled on the basis that it stipulated using local parts. We don’t need to do that if we’re just talking about regional recovery. Think agresearch being better funded and more diverse.
Making it easier to decentralise some tech jobs into the regions by developing infrastructure is a way to diversify the regional income streams – the fibre rollout is definitely A Good Thingtm
You’re getting ahead of things there.
It’s not so much the ongoing use of the land, but rather the immediate effect of a very large (10-40%) of one of our largest industries going tits up. The capital loss from this is going to affect the capitalisation of every farm and rural business in the country. And in the very short term.
The immediate issue is to get some control over the implosion to try and limit the loss of equity of operations that have positive EBIT. Something like Crown Asset Management after GFC, or using Landcorp to manage the disbursement in a controlled way.
I’d almost bet there’s frantic work going on along these lines to try and stave off the coming implosion in the Tory heartland.
“Relief efforts” is just code for removing money from the public purse (whether its cutely called tax breaks or whatever), and i can guarantee it will be a lot more than the 28m for the flag that raised so much ire.
If anything this shows that primary production is a shit way of making money, unless you are adding value significantly. And we aren’t doing that because, more or less, our farmers are dumb hicks. We’ve struggled to do it with our logs too. And finally, the service sector isn’t necessarily inferior to hard production – after all not everything people want and need is material.
🙄
What this situation shows is that leaving primary production purely to the markets creates bubbles.
People will always need food and raw materials. Not everyone needs an accountant, or a convoluted and hedged stock trading plan.
The difference between money for economic management and money for a fucking flag is that economic management improves people’s lives and produces a net benefit to the nation. A flag does neither.
Ever heard of “holidays” on mortgage repayments? Lowering interest rates on loans? The major banks have been sucking Billions out of NZ over the past few years . They are partly responsible for the crap the dairy industry finds itself in right now – so being partly to blame – the Banks – as much as the farmers should be taking some of the pain. Of course banks structure their lending so that they loose as little as possible should things go belly up. But this is where the Government can step in and direct banks to moderate their behaviour towards those farmers who are in dire straits wrt loan repayments. Remember the GFC and Banks needing guaranteed funding from govt – too big to fail. Well now its the turn of the banks to behave in a manner that is beneficial to society. They can take a cut in their profits for a while,a s farmers struggle to get back on their feet.
Of course those who can only see the market as the solution to every problem are those with very little brain and very little learning. A managed economy out-performs a market economy every single time. ( there is in fact no such thing as a purely free- market economy). But just suppose the government continues to ignore the plight of farmers over their heads in debt. What will be the outcome?
a. Farmer suicides will continue to increase.
b. Land values will drop as more and more farmers are forced off their land and farm mortgage sales will increase.
c. As land values drop even more farmers will find the equity in their land diminishing and their gearing increasing meaning that they in turn will be finding pressure from banks desperate to not loose money on their “investment”.
d. Those farmers who have not suicided and who are now off their farm will be adding to a growing rural unemployment.
e.Rural towns which are essentially service towns to farming will also be closing down. (this is a particularly strong trend in Australia where many rural towns have vanished in recent years following the long term drought and the down turn in the farming industry in those areas such as southern NSW).
Of course if this is the wish of the RWNJ that is what they want. One has to question why they desire this sort of outcome – but that is for them to justify.
Sounds like a normal economic cycle to me. People who overreach and make malinvestments losing money. The role of the taxpayer is not to insure against business failure.
Land values dropping is exactly what needs to happen, to return what has been a bubble, to real and sustainable values. Given the amount of talk about the need for this to happen in the Auckland property market, i thought more people here would get it.
“Sounds like a normal economic cycle to me.”
Yes, unstable and damaging boom-busts have become the new normal of bankster/hot credit/irresponsible lending driven economic cycles.
“Yes, unstable and damaging boom-busts have become the new normal of bankster/hot credit/irresponsible lending driven economic cycles.”
Pretty much not sure why anyone is surprised by this – oil has been bouncing around wildly and will be just about due to spike upwards anytime now.
Yup, indeed, and the oil market has been manipulated in the past year.
You really do expect a lot from the PM, don’t you. It’s not like he’s Nicolas Maduro, who understands the inner workings of all parts of the economy that he can manage it all in concert for the best.
Well he’s paid handsomely for not doing this job – and has the whole of Treasury to help him with the math. But all he wants to do is schmooze the spooks and daydream about spying. Useless tosser.
No. He is not paid to run dairy farms. He should leave that up to dairy farmers. And, if they fuck it up, that’s their look out, not the government’s.
“He is not paid to run dairy farms”
He is paid to have a handle on the impacts of the policies his government promotes.
He’s an accountant. for goodness sake. He knows the importance on numbers (to the exclusion of all else usually). I don’t believe he doesn’t know these numbers – lying and incompetent.
He’s paid to govern in the public interest and he’s never done it. He should be thrown in jail and every cent he’s been paid taken back, while the damages are calculated. The asset thefts alone cost NZ billions.
🙄
Smilies – for the tr0lls who find language just too difficult.
🙄
And they wonder why people think rwnj are morons 😉
🙄
‘preciate your call.
Cows are major emitters of GHGs. Time to halve the NZ dairy herd, not prop up its numbers with tax payer subsidies.
Who’s saying dairy farms should be propped up?
The regions need to be supported. And we need information about the likely extent of the dairy collapse before that can happen.
And that won’t involve financially supporting dairy farms, which are massive emitters of GHGs?
who is saying that dairy farms should be propped up?
Don’t care who. I’m asking if politicians are about to throw money at GHG producing dairy farms.
why do you think politicians are about to do that?
Don’t think any of the parties are proposing bailing them out at this stage, CV.
I’m sure that if someone tried really hard to be a one-eyed zealot who insists on thinking the absolute worst of any plan not their own, then the words “The regions need to be supported” could translate only into “financially supporting dairy farms”.
In the real world, however, many other activities can fall under the umbrella of “regional development”. Some of them have already been mentioned in this very comment thread, That makes it much more difficult to assume that “The regions need to be supported” means “financially supporting dairy farms”. But I’m inspired that you keep reaching for that rainbow, CV.
A bit of history. In the 80s there was a drought bailout for farmers. For a fact I know two farmers who lied and were proud of the handout they received. Further back in time there was “Sheep Retention scheme” where there was a payout of dollars per head of sheep to encourage the sheep-farming industry. Local farmers recounted their flocks to discover overnight a 15-20% increase in their numbers. Funny that.
Nowdays it would become very public on the net.
If you did it on a per kilo of solids supplied it couldn’t be fudged.
And I’m sure these cheat farmers were voting National in a few years, and applauding Bolger and Richardson as they ‘got stuck into those lazy welfare bludgers!!’
In the 80s farmers also had their land confiscated by banks. Deja vu.
The dairy industry, fronted by Fonterra has pushed New Zealanders to pay global prices for their products. Why should the consumer care if a certain number of dairy farmers hit the wall? However, we need to make certain, written in law, that none of our land goes, again, into foreign ownership. Be like some African countries that lease portions of land.
Losing the land to foreign ownership is a major risk if this is left to the market.
We could always legislate to compensate them and nationalise the land, selling it to people who will actually do ecologically responsible stuff with it.
Fat chance of that under National, though.
I would support that 100% Mathew W
How is it that “global prices” seem higher in NZ supermarkets than in just about every other western country that Kiwis live in?
Would be good to see someone like Swordfish evaluate which high-capital dairy electorates could change their vote share if Labour, Greens and New Zealand First campaigned intelligently. Concentrating solely on the Party vote:
West Coast-Tasman
National 16,000
Labour 8,400
NZF 3,100
Green 4,600
Clutha-Southland
National 21,700
Labour 5,000
NZF 2,100
Green 4,600
Taupo
National 20,700
Labour 6,700
NZF 3,700
Green 2,200
Waikato
National 21,600
Labour 5,300
NZF 3,900
Green 2,000
New Plymouth
National 21,000
Labour 8,000
NZF 3,400
Greens 3,000
Waitaki
National 22,600
Labour 7,162
NZF 2,700
Greens 4,400
We should be under no illusions that any of these seats will shift as MPs. But thinking in MMP terms, the potential for a 2-3% change in overall party vote when spread across all three potential coalition parties in these dairy-dependent electorates would be a huge harvest that National would struggle with.
Seems counter-intuitive, but an MMP attack straight into dairy heartland could yield strong electoral rewards if well coordinated across the thee opposing parties.
very smart thinking Ad.
Yeah, whoever’s nominated for those seats needs to be campaigning hard on the party vote. Arguably you could even have people very high on the list parachuted into those electorates for Labour so that it’s clear that Labour is taking the regions seriously. (although most of them love their electorate safety net, so won’t want to go…)
With only one electorate between their many MPs, Greens and NZFirst would be free to campaign and reap the rewards.
You’d lose easily that 2-3% from the urban poor and middle class.
Leave the regions to the Muldoonists in NZF.
You get my logic clearly.
As you can see from the NZFirst results, their party vote base is very low in these electorates. So it would take cooperation across the Opposition to achieve a strong measurable result.
I think there’s much more likelihood of voter movement in the regions than in the cities this time.
While I don’t have much sympathy for people who have borrowed themselves into a deep hole, the knock on effects in the rural communities will be massive.
If a government was planning some form of spending to help nz through the coming pinch, a $1.50 subsidy per kilo on dairy would go a long way.
Socialism by stealth.
At no stage should we consider a bailout for the dairy industry… farming should be look upon like any other business…. if it costs a farm $500,000 (random number) a year to run, and if they only bring in $450,000 , then you would have to look seriously at your costs or your sales… seeing as they are selling milk at auction, they cant really look at sales, so can only look at costs… but there would be little room there generally (I cant see dairy farmers spending more than they have to already)…
It’s a business, and kiwis shouldn’t be subsidizing the farmers
Agree Richard however theres warehouses full of Palm Kernels in Taranaki and from what I see and hear the demand for them hasn’t diminished.
Perhaps excess stock should go and cows could eat grass and hay for their diet.
After all they have been doing that for centurys.
I remember the chortles from my farming acquaintances if not laughter every time the government tightened the screws on the unemployed and beneficiaries. I remember the whinging and outright racism every time the word Maori came up. Usually it didn’t because the subject wasn’t welcome.
Subsidizing the farmers is just a waste of time and a load of taxpayers money and if allowed once will come back to haunt us in future generations when the mistakes of the past are repeated as they will be.
Basically screw em. They are adults and are responsible for their own problems.
After all thats what the free market and true capitalism that they adhere to when things are going well is all about. Lets see how it works when things are tough.
“Basically screw em. They are adults and are responsible for their own problems.”
What about the young falla in his first job on a dairy farm that’s going to be one of the first expences pruned, or rural subcontractors whose pH has gone quiet and has a mortgage to pay, screw them to,??
Theyre still hoping the next years auction prices will rise… its possible, but then again, other countries are learning to do what we do, and while we are (were) a major player, we didnt have a monopoly on it, and we were pretty much at capacity…
Any “bailout” should only be considered to stop the land going overseas, IMO.
Seems like people are talking farm bailouts already eh. It was predictable that bailing out massive GHG producers will be considered seriously as an option.
Why not just tighten the OIA if that’s the problem?
I’d be happy for bail outs or subsidies as long as the farm was bonded to convert to organics or other sustainable land management within 5 years. You’d need to put other supports in place via advisors etc.
You’d probably get a riot if the govt tried to pay farmers extra to keep dumping cowshit and nitrates in our rivers.
I would settle for them excepting a carbon tax and a cgt .
not enough. We’re already going to be picking up the pollution clean up bills for farmers, it’s unethical to pay them to keep polluting.
You asked me who was considering dairy farm bail outs; it seems that you and many other people are mulling over it at least.
I replied to b about an ideal. But if you listen to what I am actually saying I am saying that in 2016 there shouldnt be any bailouts (unless you think that the National govt would put my kinds of conditions on them).
No idea who the ‘many others’ are, and I suspect you don’t either because there aren’t many (you could link if I am wrong). B wants a bail out in the form of a subsidy. Is there anyone else?
The last thing we need is a subsidy. It only reinforces the bad decision making.
The problem isn’t $3.90 , it’s the $8.40 and other spike payouts before that. Have a look at http://www.interest.co.nz/rural-data/dairy-industry-payout-history to see these spikes above the normal curve in the graph at the bottom. These have encouraged some poor decisions in the industry that it’s having to deal with now.
And Fontera is carrying a huge debt, is this the result of these spike payments? They are technically insolvent since they can’t pay their bill on time, so have a thought about them going tits up too.
We need to manage this to minimise the impacts and change behaviour, not reinforce bad behaviours.
And the big new flash offices Downtown Auckland which are yet to be completed?
I listened to question time today and think there is a danger of the opposition overplaying their collective hand. Virtually all the questions were about the dairy situation and Ron Mark asked essentially an identical question to the one Grant Robertson had just asked in the previous question.
I get this is a very big deal (im a farmer so understand the reality of the situation) but there is a danger that the opposition appear over zealous exploiting real peoples hardship for the purpose of political gain.
Labour seem to be making up policy responses on the hoof which to me seems unnecessary when it is the govt that is on the ropes over this. This issue is a slow motion trainwreck and the govt have backed themselves into a corner the opposition will have plenty of opportunity capitalise if they play their cards right.
I am a farmer, but not a dairy farmer.
New dairy farmers, or dairy farmers that have expanded, paid too much for just about everything. To a large extent I think that’s tough shit.
Banks not reducing interest rates as the OCR drops is sickening. They expect to make extraordinary profits regardless of both the general economic performance and to cover the gambling they have been making in an industry that has fundimental flaws.
The government has been actively making things easy for them in relation to water rights (ECAN) and subsidising irrigation when the business and environmental impacts do not justify it. Having the government as your cheerleaders probably should be regarded as a kiss of death: remember the white gold.
9% of global milk production is exported. Fonterra (with milk from NZ) accounted for 25% of the total milk production that was exported.
The production capability of farms that were not exporting needed only to rise by a couple of percent for them to swamp the demand for export milk. (A couple of percent rise in the 91% is equivalent to Fonterras total export.) This why Fonterra are extremely vulnerable. This is why high cost dairy production in New Zealand is counter to the business model that made its milk attractive overseas.
Fonterra needs to be fixed because otherwise dairy farmers will always be tettering on the edge of one type of oblivion or another.
Fixing one farmer’s debt or one hundred farmer’s debt through tax payer intervention is not going to really put the country in a better position.
The history regarding dairy farmers and working people is shocking .
Massey Cossack’s, the 1951 lockout, their anti union agenda and their disgraceful way most of them treat their workers makes it hard for me to have any sympathy for their present plight.Instead of having their overseas holidays and spending non-stop they should have done what most people try to do save a bit for hard times.
I have never heard of dairy farmers calling for action to help the unemployed or solo parents in fact just the opposite they protest with anger at any help given the underprivileged.
However despite this crisis their Tory government has got them into
they will still vote National and still bash unions .
Thing is, it’s not just about them though, is it?
Think about if a factory in a small town cuts its workforce – yes, the factory might have been mismanaged, or is obsolete, or is simply being swampd by other suppliers in the global market. All of that is by-the-by, none of it helps the town face the sudden problem.
Well, magnify that effect throughout the regions. Cafes, shops, garages, vehicle dealerships, all getting hit by a drop in customers…
And the regions are the areas that feed money through to real people, rather than corporations.