Key’s power price record

Written By: - Date published: 7:48 am, April 17th, 2013 - 78 comments
Categories: energy, privatisation - Tags:

Spooked by tomorrow’s joint announcement by Labour and the Greens on policy to cut power prices, National is trying to claim they have solved the problem. Get real. In the past year, household electricity prices rose an average of 5%, that’s over six times the rate of general inflation. In fact, power bills have outstripped general inflation every year under National. By my reckoning, the average power bill has risen 16%, or about $300 a year under Key.

This bullshit can’t go on. We can’t keep paying more and more and more for electricity, the bulk of which is produced with nearly no operating cost by hydrodams whose capital cost was recouped years ago.

And, with National halving the amount of revenue the Crown gets from electricity companies via its asset sales, the reasons for not acting are disappearing fast.

(The breakdown of electricity price increases is from Stats Infoshare, CPI)

78 comments on “Key’s power price record ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Colonial Viper 1
    17 April 2013 at 8:18 am

    The NZ government has supported a profit making market-led dividend providing model of electricity generation, transmission and profit making private sector electricity retail for quite some time now.

    Why should the private sector change their modus operandi from what successive NZ government financials have structured, supported and benefitted from? Now that private shareholders are picking up the generation assets, they’re simply going to be doing more of exactly the same, and asking for what is due to them.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.1
      17 April 2013 at 11:40 am

      Now that private shareholders are picking up the generation assets, they’re simply going to be doing more of exactly the same, and asking for what is due to them.

      And what the rest of the country (and the rest of the world) need to realise is that nothing is due them.

      • Macro_adder 1.1.1
        17 April 2013 at 12:00 pm

        “And what the rest of the country (and the rest of the world) need to realise is that nothing is due them.”
        QFT

  2. vto 2
    17 April 2013 at 8:24 am

    The electricity reforms (based on current policy neoliberal privatisation type thinking) were meant to keep power prices down to a minimum.

    However they haven’t worked.

    The cost of producing electricity has risen diddly squat, while the retail price has gone through the roof.

    Just like deregulation of finance companies, it has failed.

    Just like deregulation of mine safety, it has failed.

    Just like deregulation of house construction, it has failed.

    when will these bozos accept they have failed?

    • Colonial Viper 2.1
      17 April 2013 at 8:27 am

      Yes, but both Cullen and English were/are fine with hundreds of millions of tax revenue and dividends from various power companies and power SOEs flowing into Treasury. Getting those sums of money doesn’t really smell like “failure”.

      • vto 2.1.1
        17 April 2013 at 8:37 am

        Well that is a prime indicator of where our system fails with a capital “F”.

        What the politicians see as failure or success should match up with the populace. The fact it doesn’t is the monumental failure.

        • Colonial Viper 2.1.1.1
          17 April 2013 at 8:43 am

          Correct.

          Virtually all of our politicians act from a world view of market confidence, orthodox economics and financial/capital goals first. Not citizens first.

          • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1.1.1
            17 April 2013 at 12:09 pm

            +1

            And those orthodox economics inevitably fail as all the wealth ends up in the hands of the few and most people end up in poverty.

  3. Melb 3
    17 April 2013 at 9:02 am

    16% over four and a half years, is what, 3.5%/year? And that’s only your reckoning, rather than actual statistics.

    That’s a lot better than the increases of 70% between 1999-2008.

    • Lightly 3.1
      17 April 2013 at 9:19 am

      It’s the actual statistics. You can follow the source yourself.

      • Tom Gould 3.1.1
        17 April 2013 at 11:36 am

        Indeed, just because Key and his cronies keep saying ‘70%’ and the brain-dead chooks keep printing it, doesn’t make it so.

        Sadly, once Max Bradford and his arch-Tory cronies set up the so-called ‘electricity market’ there was really no going back. I seem to recall that Pete Hodgson tried to fix it up to give consumers a fair go, but failed. And remember that Bradford actually promised ‘lower power prices’ as the generators and wholesalers and retailers all competed against each other? Fat chance. Funny how his website claiming credit for the ‘reforms’ has now disappeared.

        • Melb 3.1.1.1
          17 April 2013 at 2:05 pm

          Sorry, I was wrong. It’s 63%. As that number comes from Stats NZ I’d so that makes it so.

          http://i.imgur.com/7kiQwLR.png

          It doesn’t seem as though the Bradford reforms caused high prices until the Labour Govt hit upon the idea of jacking up them up as a profitable stealth tax. Grafic from the Otago Daily Times and Stats NZ.

          • Rob 3.1.1.1.1
            17 April 2013 at 2:56 pm

            “This bullshit can’t go on.” I totally agree, Labour farmed the population of NZ in energy, slightly more than the current Govt has. People do not forget this.

  4. Alanz 4
    17 April 2013 at 9:03 am

    The power price increases actually feel worse this time round with less discretionary income left in the hand and other costs of living going up, eg food and fuel.

    Also, family, friends and neighbours are feeling more financial pressures with fewer working hours, less certainty at work, or no jobs 🙁

    Flying across the ditch is not such a promising option either as news from family and friends there sound less than sparkling.

    • Colonial Viper 4.1
      17 April 2013 at 9:07 am

      Stories of destitute and homeless Kiwis in Australia are increasing. It seems we are becoming a neglected underclass over there.

      In NZ…this is what energy poverty feels like, and perhaps half a million NZers experience it to a significant degree every Winter.

      Our country and our politicians seem fine with it though.

    • Plan B 4.2
      17 April 2013 at 10:28 am

      Agree that they feel worse. Because the actual numbers are getting bigger. A 16% rise on 100 is twice as big as a 16% rise on 50. So as the cost increases the percentage increase actually nakes it a lot worse. ‘We are the frogs in the pot on the stove’

      • Colonial Viper 4.2.1
        17 April 2013 at 10:31 am

        That’s the beauty of annualised exponential growth mate, embrace it.

      • ghostrider888 4.2.2
        17 April 2013 at 11:24 am

        good breakdown

        • Alanz 4.2.2.1
          17 April 2013 at 12:25 pm

          oh how i yearn to earn directors’ fees like joan withers’

          > 50% rise
          $150k nom nom nom

          (and, shhhh, $85,000 pool ”for committee work” tee hee hee, thank you, john key, thank you, ryall)

          • ghostrider888 4.2.2.1.1
            17 April 2013 at 1:55 pm

            urrggh, google and wiki just about made me sick; freakin’ unattractive and “defendent in law suit by shareholders against directors of failed Feltex. (are you trying to arm an assassin Alanz?)

  5. King Kong 5
    17 April 2013 at 9:09 am

    If this increase is finding its way into the Government coffers by way of dividends (so very important according to the “keep our assets” campaign) then it is just another tax. Considering how much you lefties like taxing people I cant see your problem with this.

    Surely more money to the state means there is more money for handouts to the idle and the baby factories that you seem to love so much.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1
      17 April 2013 at 9:18 am

      Better than having Australian shareholders suck up power company money for use in their own country.

      • King Kong 5.1.1
        17 April 2013 at 9:36 am

        Doesn’t the NZ Government still own 51% not to mention the massive chunk of dosh they get in one hit for selling the 49%?

        • Alanz 5.1.1.1
          17 April 2013 at 9:41 am

          handouts to the idle corporate rorters and baby factories of speculators

          ftfy

        • Colonial Viper 5.1.1.2
          17 April 2013 at 9:49 am

          Owning 51% of a good thing is somewhat shit compared to controlling 100% of it.

          • King Kong 5.1.1.2.1
            17 April 2013 at 10:14 am

            Depends how much you got for selling the 49%.

            • Colonial Viper 5.1.1.2.1.1
              17 April 2013 at 10:53 am

              Most NZers – nothing.

              The elite and the wealthy and the international money funds – I agree, its a great deal for them.

              • One Anonymous Knucklehead …
                17 April 2013 at 10:55 am

                There’s nothing elite about wealth: that’s a false right wing frame.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  17 April 2013 at 11:02 am

                  I wouldn’t quite agree with you: this is a capitalist political economy that we are in. Therefore those who have the capital, control both the politics and the economy side of the equation.

                  But are they better human beings? Not likely.

              • King Kong …
                17 April 2013 at 11:11 am

                Hang on a tick…I have been accosted every weekend in Cuba Mall by socially awkward Labour and Green supporters telling me that all NZers own these assets. Surely if we are selling “our” assets “we” get the money from the sale.

                • Alanz …
                  17 April 2013 at 12:35 pm

                  “we”?

                  if we are talking within Natz circle, we need to take public money to give them to our cronies like Susan Devoy, Jackie Blue, Joan Withers, ….

            • Draco T Bastard 5.1.1.2.1.2
              17 April 2013 at 12:18 pm

              Depends how much you got for selling the 49%.

              Not enough to offset the loss. There could never be enough or they wouldn’t be worth buying.

              • King Kong …
                17 April 2013 at 1:37 pm

                Maybe you should talk to some Bear Sterns stock holders about the risks of investing.
                What if a clean, unlimited, abundantly available power source is found in two months time. That would make the Nats look pretty shrewd.

                • Draco T Bastard …
                  17 April 2013 at 4:33 pm

                  There’s no risk involved in buying the power companies as it’s something that the government cannot let fail – just like the banks.

                  And your “What if…” is a load of bollocks.

          • Rob 5.1.1.2.2
            17 April 2013 at 12:14 pm

            Not for the power users if they are being farmed like they have been.

        • Plan B 5.1.1.3
          17 April 2013 at 10:30 am

          The government is trying to soak up the money it put into the economy but did not take out through taxation.Because it lowered the top tax rate.

        • felix 5.1.1.4
          17 April 2013 at 10:37 am

          “not to mention the massive chunk of dosh they get in one hit for selling the 49%”

          Yes monkey boy, and I know you trust the govt to spend that wisely…

          • King Kong 5.1.1.4.1
            17 April 2013 at 11:06 am

            You are talking to someone who thinks the Government should only be there to fund police, army, firemen and courts so spending it on anything else is a total waste.

            • ghostrider888 5.1.1.4.1.1
              17 April 2013 at 11:26 am

              and how much do they spend on the New Zealand Fire Service, oh wait, levies do.

            • Colonial Viper 5.1.1.4.1.2
              17 April 2013 at 11:32 am

              Where will the police, firemen, soldiers and judges learn to read and write?

              • King Kong …
                17 April 2013 at 11:39 am

                With an education that their parents paid for.

                • One Anonymous Knucklehead …
                  17 April 2013 at 11:47 am

                  King Kong is right! That’s exactly what happens. There’s a pilot program going on right now in Somalia.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  17 April 2013 at 11:58 am

                  If you want police protection, or fire protection, surely then you should pay for that too, out of pocket, using competitive providers?

                  • Alanz …
                    17 April 2013 at 12:09 pm

                    Maybe Shearer has good ideas for outsourcing to competitive private providers like Cosa Nostra, Chinese triads et al.

                  • King Kong …
                    17 April 2013 at 1:38 pm

                    You are right about fire but Government needs to be in the business of upholding the laws of the land.

                    • geoff …
                      17 April 2013 at 2:38 pm

                      Why? Couldn’t private enterprise do a better job than government at that too?

                    • King Kong …
                      17 April 2013 at 2:45 pm

                      I think we have all watched enough Sci Fi movies to know that private police forces never work out that well.

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      17 April 2013 at 4:34 pm

                      Amazingly enough, we’ve also had privatisation rammed down our throats to know that that doesn’t work out to well either, i.e, government subsidies to Telecom for UFB.

                • Draco T Bastard …
                  17 April 2013 at 12:21 pm

                  Yeah, that would be the education that most people had before government funded compulsory education was brought in because the factory owners needed better educated workers.

            • ghostrider888 5.1.1.4.1.3
              17 April 2013 at 11:33 am

              Fire!

            • felix 5.1.1.4.1.4
              17 April 2013 at 11:54 am

              “You are talking to someone who thinks the Government should only be there to fund police, army, firemen and courts so spending it on anything else is a total waste.”

              Then I’m talking to a hypocrite.

              Now get the fuck off our telecommunications network, bludger.

              • mac1 …
                17 April 2013 at 12:15 pm

                And the roads, King Kong. Don’t walk on the footpaths, either. Keep out of the P/parks and Reserves. Hope you don’t pick up a bug from a sick and unscreened visitor. Hope you can pay for your own sicknesses. Pay (fully) for your own children’s education. Hope you aren’t a farmer at the risk of imported plant disease and pests.

                I hope you can trust your builder. Your butcher. Your restaurant. Your supermarket.

                And finally, that piece of real estate in which we all end up?

                The horror! Mac’s Cemeteries. RIP. Rest In Payment.

                • King Kong …
                  17 April 2013 at 3:04 pm

                  I pay for all this stuff now, I just have a bunch of numpties in Government making the spending decisions for me.

                  • mac1 …
                    17 April 2013 at 3:40 pm

                    But, would you pay for it if you didn’t have to to? Remember, it’s you who wants state involvement restricted to four areas. I questioned, and you have swiftly sidestepped, as to what you would do in such a minimalist state-involved society in terms of all those areas that I itemised..

                    Remember also that you just might have private enterprise numpties, as you call them, in charge of all this stuff- and the record of private enterprise is not necessarily all that good when it comes to safety and all the other reasons as to why we ask the State to step in and act in the common good.

                    I’ve just finished reading a Llargas novel on Sir Roger Casement which covered individual conscience and action with regard to Amazonia and the Congo under unfettered, unsupervised corporate control pre-WW1. Not a pretty sight for private enterprise ‘control’.

              • King Kong …
                17 April 2013 at 1:41 pm

                So to avoid hypocracy yourself I guess you don’t shop at any of the major supermarkets or chain stores due to their participation in the neo liberal capitalist crusade.

                • felix …
                  17 April 2013 at 2:51 pm

                  That would be true if I were saying that the state ought to own everything.

                  But I’m not, so it isn’t, and you can try again.

  6. Adrian 6
    17 April 2013 at 9:28 am

    I’m under the impression that about 10-15 years ago world accounting practices ( led by the big accounting companies or “crooks”) changed the way things like assets were valued, i.e NZ dams while paid for decades ago at a fraction of current costs, were to be valued at replacement value in the current tax year, and depreciation etc to reflect this. Brilliant tax reduction tactic. Therefore power prices rose to get the books to balance. Am I right or just blinded by a totally rational hatred of accountants and money market manipulators?

    • Draco T Bastard 6.1
      17 April 2013 at 12:29 pm

      No, I suspect that you’re right. It’s a system designed to benefit the few and so making things look more expensive than they are can increase profits for those few. Those profits, of course, come from everyone else.

    • prism 6.2
      17 April 2013 at 12:50 pm

      Adrian
      I had thought that was happening in another area that I am concerned about. Rental housing. While commercial shops have their rent regularly updated on the basis of certain criteria like more traffic past, renters are needing a home as a basic requirement. Yet renting is a business and tenants will have their rent put up on the basis of current valuation, often without having any money being expended on maintenance, remedial work, or improvements.

    • DH 6.3
      17 April 2013 at 1:13 pm

      Yeah, NZ adopted IFRS. (International Financial Reporting Standard) It requires assets to be on the books at “fair value” rather than depreciated or replacement value, which gives the beancounters more leeway on how they set the values.

      Mighty River, Meridian and Genesis between them have revalued their assets upwards a total of 8.25 billion dollars. They need around a 7% return on equity (8% for borrowed money) so that’s an extra $600 million profit they’re making out of us mugs.

      • Ed 6.3.1
        17 April 2013 at 3:09 pm

        Tehre was comment at the time that the erason for some of the sales between power companies (all govt owned) was purely to ‘set’ a market price which would increase the deemed capital values of the companies assets. Since it was a sale between two companies owned by the govrment, there was no real “market” determination, but it did then ‘justify’ increasing the price of electricity to get a desired ‘return on equity”. Cynical, yes, but that is what we expect from National.

        • Colonial Viper 6.3.1.1
          17 April 2013 at 3:16 pm

          Justifications for rentier capitalism

          Don’t just blame National, Labour was quite happy with a corporate for-profit SOE structure sucking money out of communities into Treasury.

          Is anyone surprised that after having left the Key in the ignition like that, the Nats came along in the next government and drove off with our assets.

        • DH 6.3.1.2
          17 April 2013 at 3:27 pm

          “Tehre was comment at the time that the erason for some of the sales between power companies (all govt owned) was purely to ‘set’ a market price”

          That’s possible but they already do set the book values and report it in the balance sheets. It’s probably more likely Bill English was just grabbing some extra tax to make his books look better. Asset revaluations are taxable but the tax is deferred until the asset is sold. Mighty River alone has $900 million in deferred tax. When Genesis bought the dams etc off Meridian I’d think that Meridian would have had to pay the deferred tax on the revaluations of those assets. Doesn’t affect the equity so the Govt gets more tax revenue and there’s no change in the book values.

  7. Plan B 7
    17 April 2013 at 10:35 am

    I simply do not know what the fuss is all about. We only use imported electricity in our home anyway. We would not be seen dead using that local stuff. It just isn’t the same is it. Really good quality European electricity is so much better. We enjoy our appliances so much more now we use imported electricity. We often fly to Sydney for the weekend and pick up some Australian Duty Free electricity at the airport before we fly home. Oh and last time we were staying in our timeshare in Hawaii we brought back some US electricity in our hand luggage, straight through customs, no one seemed to care and it was so much cheaper!

  8. infused 8
    17 April 2013 at 10:40 am

    So from kiwiblog:

    The history of electricity cost increases in NZ, according to Stats NZ is:

    4th Labour Govt – 98.7% or 16.4% a year
    4th National Govt – 47.5% or 5.3% a year
    5th Labour Govt – 63.7% or 7.1% a year
    5th National Govt – 16.2% or 4.1% a year

    Why was it ok then? Why is it suddenly bad now?

    • Colonial Viper 8.1
      17 April 2013 at 10:50 am

      You’re correct, this is just the end stages of a decades long neoliberal market led gang bashing.

    • Mike Smith 8.2
      17 April 2013 at 11:05 am

      The commenters on Farrar’s Kiwiblog post put some useful context around these raw numbers – inflation running at 17% in the 1980’s, and privatisation of Contact in the late nineties. I think the same old blame-shift is starting to run out of steam

      • Rob 8.2.1
        17 April 2013 at 4:28 pm

        The issue that steams people up is that the title of this post is “Key’s power price record”. Everybody (except it seems the author) knows that the current farming of energy users was in place well before this Govt came about, and that people have very litle faith in labours ability and conviction to do anything about if they are to be re- elected.

  9. Draco T Bastard 9
    17 April 2013 at 11:36 am

    Green Party Press Release

    The low headline Consumer Price Index change hides significant rises in electricity prices, the Green Party said today.

    Statistics New Zealand Consumer Price Index (CPI) data shows that electricity prices were up 5.2 percent for the March year, meaning prices have risen 18.8 percent since National took office.

    • prism 9.1
      17 April 2013 at 12:55 pm

      DTB
      Yes that’s a point – I think that the inflation index is averaged out isn’t it? So that can mean that a shortage or glut of cabbages can affect the food part, and obscure the energy part. (Cabbage availability did affect the CPI one year – way back.)

      • DH 9.1.1
        17 April 2013 at 2:16 pm

        “Yes that’s a point – I think that the inflation index is averaged out isn’t it? ”

        They use a weighted average format. Electricity is part of the Housing and household utilities group and has an individual weighting of 3.5. Translated that roughly means a 10% increase in power prices would add 0.35 to the CPI.

        The CPI is a terrible measure of inflation for households because they spread it across all types of households to get broad inflation rather than targeted. Rent for example has a weighting of 7.85 and no-one spends only 7.85% of their income on rent.

  10. aerobubble 10
    17 April 2013 at 4:17 pm

    Under Labour electricity price went up 70%+ at a time of interest rates hitting? 10%?
    Under National electricity prices have gone up 20% in a time of deflation….

    Key spin.

  11. Green machine UpandComer 11
    17 April 2013 at 11:14 pm

    As the Dompost editorial stated, Labour has absolutely no credibility on power prices – they were much much higher under Labour, always.

    Further, the Green’s policies will push power prices through the roof.

    CPI is way down, the economy is doing pretty well.

    I really hope the snivellers keep banging on about what colour the phone was that Key used to maybe call a directory 🙂 keep up with the negative pettiness, that’s always a real vote winner and is about all Labour is good for these days 🙂

    • Colonial Viper 11.1
      18 April 2013 at 12:21 am

      CPI is way down, the economy is doing pretty well.

      price increases are down because unemployment is high, few are spending money, and the same high dollar which gives you cheap iPhones is crushing our export jobs sector.

      Your analysis is plain sad, actually.

      Further, the Green’s policies will push power prices through the roof.

      National’s will push them higher, and give the difference to foreign shareholders.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Fast Track Projects advisory group named
    The coalition Government has today announced the expert advisory group who will provide independent recommendations to Ministers on projects to be included in the Fast Track Approvals Bill, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones. “Our Fast Track Approval process will make it easier and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pacific and Gaza focus of UN talks
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters says his official talks with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York today focused on a shared commitment to partnering with the Pacific Islands region and a common concern about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.    “Small states in the Pacific rely on collective ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government honours Taranaki Maunga deal
    The Government is honouring commitments made to Taranaki iwi with the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its first reading Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the commitment the Crown made to the eight iwi of Taranaki to negotiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Enhanced partnership to reduce agricultural emissions
    The Government and four further companies are together committing an additional $18 million towards AgriZeroNZ to boost New Zealand’s efforts to reduce agricultural emissions. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the strength of the New Zealand economy relies on us getting effective and affordable emission reduction solutions for New Zealand. “The ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • 110km/h limit proposed for Kāpiti Expressway
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) will begin consultation this month on raising speed limits for the Kāpiti Expressway to 110km/h. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and this proposal supports that outcome ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-18T02:13:59+00:00