Labour’s cabinet

Written By: - Date published: 1:48 pm, November 2nd, 2020 - 78 comments
Categories: grant robertson, jacinda ardern, Kelvin Davis, labour, phil twyford, uncategorized - Tags:

The cabinet has been announced and it is a reasonably remarkable shake up.

Some highlights:

  • Grant Robertson will be Deputy Prime Minister, Kelvin Davis having previously declared that he did not want the position.
  • Andrew Little picks up Health.
  • Phil Twyford is demoted to outside of Cabinet and Michael Wood picks up Transport.
  • Carmel Sepuloni gains the Arts.
  • Nanaia Mahuta is Minister of Foreign Affairs and retains Local Government.
  • Poto Williams picks up Police.
  • Peeni Henare enters Cabinet and picks up Defence.
  • Ayesha Verrall enters Cabinet and is an associate Minister of Health with responsibility for Public Health.
  • Michael Wood enters Cabinet and picks up Transport and Industrial Relations.
  • Kiri Allen enters Cabinet and picks up Conservation.
  • David Clark returns to Cabinet [and Meka Whaitiri becomes a Minister outside of cabinet].
  • Red Deb becomes an Undersecretary for Revenue.

This represents considerable change and is more radical than many were thinking would happen.  Jacinda Ardern is clearly in control.

78 comments on “Labour’s cabinet ”

  1. Visubversa 2

    Great to see Michael Wood in Transport. As the proposed Light Rail for Auckland runs through a lot of his electorate, it will help to get this much needed project back on track.

  2. Darien Fenton 3

    Great to see also Michael Wood in Workplace Relations. Unions can work with him. He is one of us with a long history in standing up for workers. Not so sure about ACC which has a very important connection, but has been given to another minister. We will see.

  3. Dennis Frank 4

    Other interesting selections:

    Nanaia Mahuta will be Foreign Affairs Minister. She is New Zealand's first female Foreign Affairs Minister.

    Kris Faafoi retains Immigration and Broadcasting, and also becomes Justice Minister.

    Willie Jackson will be in Cabinet and have Maori Development.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/jacinda-arderns-new-cabinet-revealed-grant-robertson-named-as-deputy-pm/PH6Q5CCAUOJXLST43YFU3ZX6ZI/

    Willie is at #15 but he's so sharp he ought to be top ten. Mahuta doing foreign relations will be intriguing! A lateral thinking move, that one…

    • Patricia Bremner 4.1

      Nanaia Mahuta has worked over a huge area very effectively. She would be one of the most able in forming and retaining relationships. I am pleased for her and for us. She will be an excellent representative, completely genuine and dignified.

      • left for dead 4.1.1

        heartyes

      • RobbieWgtn 4.1.2

        If Mahuta is the answer to Foreign Affairs Adern wasn't asking the right question

        • xanthe 4.1.2.1

          what was the question?

        • Patricia Bremner 4.1.2.2

          What should the question be? Our direction may be more pacific area for the next 3 covid years.

        • left for dead 4.1.2.3

          Who is Adern @ "RobbieWgtn".Are you not thinking of the Nat tractor driver (farting out of his mouth) up the steeps of Parliament.

        • Gabby 4.1.2.4

          Is that question 'Who's the grey haired guy who looks best in a flash suit?'?

        • RobbieWgtn 4.1.2.5

          https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/11/03/a-curates-egg-cabinet-much-of-it-is-bad-parts-of-it-are-excellent/

          "No amount of fluffing-up the elevation of Nanaia Mahuta to Minister of Foreign Affairs – “the first woman in our nation’s history appointed to hold the portfolio” – can disguise the sheer awfulness and irresponsibility of Ardern’s decision.

          The job should have gone to David Parker: not only because he has earned it many times over, but also because, in the years between now and the next election, New Zealand is going to need a truly outstanding Foreign Minister. Regardless of who wins the 3 November presidential election, the conflict between the USA and China is going to ramp-up into something with the potential to inflict huge damage on this country and its economy. New Zealand needs a Foreign Minister of vision, courage, verbal felicity and real, on-the-ground, experience. Mahuta, sadly, has not distinguished herself as a person over-endowed with any of these qualities"

    • Bruce Ellis 4.2

      There also seems to be some good groupings of environmental (including conservation and climate change) that will hopefully see some real push in these areas.

      Haven't seen your posts for awhile and apologies for being somewhat off topic, but what did you think of the New Plymouth result. Cheers

      • Dennis Frank 4.2.1

        Yeah sometimes feels right to disengage awhile, Bruce. I liked the switch to Labour here. Thought the Nat fella a typical dork. I've never been pro-Labour as such (nor ever pro-Nat) but I like the fresh approach Ardern is taking & hope she transcends her default to neoliberalism this term.

        A point worth noting is that the Green candidate here had to pull out. Since the couple of thousand votes the Greens would have pulled away from Labour eclipse the winning Labour majority of around 1500 it's feasible the Nat nonentity would have survived the landslide…

    • Marcus Morris 4.3

      Very pleased to Willie there.

  4. tc 5

    Good to see a shakeup and I see others have had portfolios removed. Bye Phil.

  5. Kay 6

    David Clark set an extremely low bar for a Health Minister.

    Little must've volunteered, I don't think it's the first choice for most aspiring Ministers. He just might surprise us all.

    • Craig H 6.1

      I think David Clark got more done than people give him credit for, but his reputation certainly took a hammering from his actions just before and during the first Covid lockdown.

      • greywarshark 6.1.1

        That's a thought, if Clark wanted to clear his head he made an unfortunate choice at that particular time. It probably reflects how closely involved Ministers are with their own business, to the exclusion of other aspects, because the work expands to fill their days and nights.

      • Peter 6.1.2

        In our political climate we're far less interested in effectiveness and getting stuff done than reputation. Headlines is the go.

        Any Minister not in the headlines and getting column space apparently is doing nothing. Any Minister in the headlines is there because someone wants to bitch about them.

    • Marcus Morris 6.2

      I have heard that David Clark was a very effective Minister of Health who let himself down with those incidents involving Covid. If you source your information I will do some more research as well.

    • Patricia Bremner 6.3

      Kay I heard or read that Andrew will be in charge of Disabilities. He is genuine in all he does, so that has to be better than the current situation hopefully.

    • Grafton Gully 6.4

      "We are an evidence-based health promotion organisation, influencing all sectors that contribute to health and wellbeing."

      https://www.hpa.org.nz/about/our-role

      "Influencing" sectors not good enough – more carefully targeted legislation like Clark's Smoke-free Environments Act is required.

      Little strikes me as a determined, level headed, get on with it sort of guy, so I'm hopeful he will tackle NZ's heavy burden of preventable disease.

  6. anker 7

    Some real surprizes. Little = Health Mahuta = foreign affairs.

    • Tiger Mountain 7.1

      With the multiple unions involved in Health, more coordination could only assist. Mr Little knows a bit about unions and the managerial approach of DHBs.

      Ms Mahuta will likely raise things with US State Dept. that they barely know exist!

  7. froggleblocks 8

    Meka is outside cabinet.

    [Thanks have corrected – MS]

  8. Craig H 9

    Kelvin Davis as Minister for Children and Poto Williams as Associate Minister looks like a good team. Poto promoted to cabinet and Minister of Police is also recognition of her skills.

  9. Stuart Munro 10

    Nothing particularly frightening I think. More of interest will be what they set out to do, and the extent to which they are able to achieve it.

    If we are reading entrails, Mahuta for foreign affairs suggests a less Eurocentric focus. Phil Twyford's star appears to be waning.

  10. anker 11

    David Seymour banging on about Labour's lack of talent……….Yeah like Aysha Verrall.

    Seymour needs to watch himself. He is in danger of becoming the new Simon Bridges. Yaps about everything. Good for very little

    • Patricia Bremner 11.1

      David's crowd shoot you know!! (probably from the mouth or hip and hopefully into their own feet). haha!!

    • Dean Reynolds 11.2

      Seymour's in danger of becoming the new bow tied cockatoo – Peter Dunne was returned in 2002 with a gaggle of oddball MP's with very little in common except that they were all right wing crazies. His caucus soon fell apart & the same will happen to Seymour.

      Incidentally, Jon Young the Nat's recent ex MP for New Plymouth, is the son of Ven Young, (one of Muldoon's cabinet) & the sister of Audrey Young, political reporter for the 'Herald'.

      • Marcus Morris 11.2.1

        That's interesting. Didn't realise that Audrey Young was so "well connected" but it explains a lot.

        I turned the Panel off this evening after I heard Stephen Franks' opening comments and wont bother listening when and if he is on again. A right wing prat. We dont need another Michelle Boag.

    • Peter 11.3

      That is a real slur on David Seymour. You have not been paying attention.

      Seymour needs to watch himself? He has been yapping for years about anything he knew would get a headline. The nitty gritty stuff like their education policies? When was the last time you heard him on about those? And getting rid of school zoning in Epsom? You know real stuff.

      No he was in the Deep South capitalising on racist attitude to steal National votes. It worked. That's the game he plays.

  11. Rosemary McDonald 12

    I don't see an Ass. Min. Health (Disability).

    Last innings it was initially Julie Anne Genter's potato, which she flicked it off to an equally unenthusiastic Jenny Salesa.

    • Patricia Bremner 12.1

      Andrew Little I believe.

      • Rosemary McDonald 12.1.1

        Hon Andrew Little

        Minister of Health Minister Responsible for the GCSB Minister Responsible for the NZSIS Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry

        https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300147750/cabinet-reshuffle-andrew-little-new-health-minister-but-chris-hipkins-will-take-on-covid19-response

        No mention of Disability… which for many years has had an Associate Minister of Health assigned this role.

        • Craig H 12.1.1.1

          Minister for Disability Issues is Carmel Sepuloni.

          • Rosemary McDonald 12.1.1.1.1

            Minister for Disability Issues is Carmel Sepuloni.

            ODI sits within MSD.

            For many if not most people with disability, the Ministry of Health dictates and controls what (if any) supports they get.

            That is why successive governments have had and Associate Minister of Health with specific responsibility for Disability. Just like they have one for Maori and Pacific interests.

            • weka 12.1.1.1.1.1

              What's the ideal here? A new department, and merge WINZ and ACC for income issues (and maybe put DSS in there, and let disabled people make their own choices about how to spend the funding). Do you think a new department would circumvent the cultural issues at MoH, or that they would just import them with managers and staff?

              • Rosemary McDonald

                Do you think a new department would circumvent the cultural issues at MoH, or that they would just import them with managers and staff?

                Nothing but a complete purge of anyone who has worked for MOH prior to say 2017 would work. Get them out…all of them…and when rehiring make damn sure that one in four new staff either has a disability (not covered by ACC) or is very close to someone with a disability (not covered by ACC).

                All new policy has to be from a rights-based perspective. Establish entitlement to funded supports…none of this 'you may be eligible but you you're entitled to nothing' shit that has fueled over twenty years of meglomaniacal bureaucracy.

                These petty minded pen-pushers…be they work directly for the Ministry or for one of their contracted providers (like the NASCs or Enable)… must be made to respect clinicians and allied professionals. If an OT, after hours of measuring and testing and observing form and function of a client puts in a request for funding for a particular wheelchair or other bit of kit…then they really need to stop being power crazed arseholes and fund the fucking thing.

                Seriously…somewhere deep in the bowels of the MOH accounting/budget system will be a number that truly represents the actual cost of their administrative system that seems to has saying "Funding Declined" as its default setting.

                These people revel in kicking folk when they're literally down.

  12. observer 13

    It's fun to review the changing attack lines from the opposition over the past 3 years.

    First it was stardust, the part-time PM. Then they grudgingly acknowledged her leadership – but it was only her, they said. Then they expanded that to 2 people ("it's only Ardern and Robertson, they've got nobody else"). Then it was "17 empty chairs" (Todd Muller's line), so I'm not sure who had become the 3rd decent Minister. Eventually they went full-on "what have the Romans done for us?", basically saying "Apart from Ardern and Robertson and Hipkins and Woods and so on, who have they got?".

    Twyford was their last bullet. Fired.

    Meanwhile, National's "strong team" became such a joke they had to take it off their own billboards.

  13. Scott 14

    Am interested in people's comments/what people know of those who missed out, particularly from the 2017 cohort.

    Nothing for Kieran McAnulty?

    Or Jo Luxton? Like the idea of more provincial representation.

    Still the odd old-timer there being looked after.

    Why did Jenny Salesa get dumped?

    Would have been happy for Twyford and Clark to not have anything – don't care how unlucky they may have been.

    And Jackson as Maori Development? I know he's been very strategical for the party but I don't trust him to not get caught up in controversy and undo everyone elses good work.

    • Zuszsa 14.1

      I'm surprised that Kieran McAnulty didn't pick up something. I thought he was one of the standouts of 2017 mob and is well suited to a regional development/rural affairs type role.

      Kiri Allen is the other 2017 standout, pleased for her.

      I believe Jenny Salesa is to be asst speaker. She didn't set the world alight as a minister, but she didn't appear to be as incompetent as some. A minor mystery.

      • Tricledrown 14.1.1

        Looks like Labour are going for hard working MP's for cabinet those who can't keep up with the workloads have been set aside.

        Every Party has it's high performing MP's and Parties can't afford to have underperforming Cabinet members.

      • newsense 14.1.2

        McNulty chief whip. All I heard about him was his ute. What's his background?

  14. DS 15

    Hipkins staying on at Education is disappointment. Students' Associations will need to do some lobbying to twist his arm on restoring universal student membership.

    (Getting backbench MPs to spam the private members bills might be a start).

  15. Ad 16

    Deborah Russell deserved more, a lot more.

    Competent, bright.

    Could have given her Tertiary Education and IRD for a reasonable package.

    Talent wont wait around forever.

    • Anne 16.1

      The problem with Kieran McAnulty and Deborah Russell is they're Pakeha. They were sacrificed to diversity. When diversity wins over talent then something is not quite right.

      • RobbieWgtn 16.1.1

        When diversity wins over talent businesses are uncompetitive & fail. The inconvenient truth is that its private enterprise & profits which ultimately fund society, incomes, welfare/charity, Central & local govt….

        • Draco T Bastard 16.1.1.1

          Profits don't fund society. In fact, they're a tax on society.

          When the economy is drained of money, which is what profits do, then the economy grinds to a halt.

      • observer 16.1.2

        Salesa is out, Tinetti and Wood are up, David Clark is back and McAnulty is the chief whip, and in a majority government that's a position arguably more important than some ministerial roles. So I doubt it's as simple as "diversity over talent".

        Two thirds of caucus had to miss out.

        • RedBaronCV 16.1.2.1

          With such a large number of MP's I'd be more impressed if they formed them up into interest groups to support the various ministers maybe with special interests of their own to be expert in. Nats are very good at rolling out incremental small pieces of change rather than blockbuster stuff and frankly labour needs to do the same. It's the sort of small stuff that can make a big difference and needs champions. Plus Labour needs to have a good cean out of a lot of the board appointments etc that still hangover from the Nacts. And a Mobie restructure.

        • Anne 16.1.2.2

          Not as simple as that observer.

          As a long time member of the Labour Party, I have witnessed the fallout from an over indulgence in bias masquerading as diversity. Diversity is not wrong. I'm all for it. But when it interferes with the smooth running of an organisation it can have detrimental effects.

          A good example was the so-called man-ban of 2012 I think it was. Firstly it was unnecessary because the number of women in the Labour caucus was steadily increasing and was only just short of the 50% ratio when the remit was dropped on the conference floor. Secondly the stalwarts extended it to include all committees from parliamentary Labour committees down to the individual Labour electorate committees. It was absurd to the point electorates faced the prospect of losing valuable activists and workers simply because they were male. Many electorates such as the one I belonged to didn’t have enough women willing to serve on the committees anyway.

          Fortunately commonsense finally prevailed and the autocratic nature of the man-ban remit was quietly dumped by the electorates and normal transmission resumed.

      • Patricia Bremner 16.1.3

        Kieran was given a job, Deborah Russell needs to learn discretion is the better part of valour.

        No person in this cabinet was picked because they were brown. That is a slur. With 64 people to choose from, some were always going to miss a slot this time round, and Jacinda said non- preforming ministers would lose their jobs. Hard work will be rewarded then.

        • Anne 16.1.3.1

          No person in this cabinet was picked because they were brown.

          I did not say they were selected because they were brown.

          Someone commented on the fact that two widely recognised talented MPs from the 1917 intake were not included. I ventured to suggest that the reason was the desire for a diverse range of ministers and the two in question were both Pakeha. Pakeha have been the dominant force inside Cabinets since forever.

          I am not against diversity – quite the opposite. But there are occasions when it can be taken a little too far. That doesn't seem to be the case in this instance, but I gave an example @ 16.1.2.2 where, imo, it did go too far and ended up causing problems at a local level at the least.

          Btw, I don’t indulge in racist slurs.

    • Cantabrian 16.2

      Couldn't agree more Ad.

    • Mika 16.3

      I've seen a prickly side to Deborah Russell. She attended a meeting I was involved with, and on which she disagreed with the meeting organisers (fair enough), but entered the building absolutely bristling with animosity. Another Labour MP was also in attendance, and also in disagreement, but was able to be warm and gracious to meeting organisers whilst making her opposing view. The three of us on the door at this meeting were all Labour party members or voters, and were quite taken aback by her manner. I'm sure she's very clever, but she may just not have the required EQ.

      • Peter 16.3.1

        She should be made aware of your observation. I think she is entitled to her feelings and the expression of them. She is also entitled to know "this is what it looked like and felt like."

        At the same time as she may have been doing that and alienating and pissing 10 people (voters) off, some other MP may have been sweating bricks and by their demeanour and display convinced 3 people (voters) of their worth and the party's worth. You can't afford to have someone drilling holes in the bottom of the wake.

      • Cantabrian 16.3.2

        Doctorates can do that to people. I've noticed that in myself since I got one and often you have to reign yourself back and remember some humility.

      • Anne 16.3.3

        I went to a campaign function a few weeks ago where Deborah Russell was speaking. I saw no signs of 'prickliness' but it doesn't mean to say it hasn't happened. I'm sure most people are guilty of it from time to time.

        As Ad said @ 16, talent does not wait forever, and while its still early days for Deborah, she is a very talented MP with a lot of extremely valuable expertise in the field of taxation in particular.

        • Peter 16.3.3.1

          You are right about things happening and everyone being guilty of this and that. We all ebb and flow, and beauty or not is in the eyes of a beholder – who might just be having a prickly day.

          No-one is onto it every single moment of every single day but 'you don't get a second chance to make a first (and lasting) impression" waits for no woman.

  16. Don't forget everyone that the ministers are elected by the caucus and then the PM allocates portfolios. This might explain why McNulty, Debra Russell and Duncan Webb missed out.

    [Corrected minor error in user name]

    • Rapunzel 17.1

      Not "missed out" there are only so many places but they still have important roles :"McAnulty is the chief whip, and in a majority government that's a position arguably more important than some ministerial roles."

  17. gingercrush 18

    Does the caucus not vote for people into the cabinet. Like is that not a thing anymore?

    • zuszsa 18.1

      I didn't think this happened anymore. I'd be interested in finding out for sure

    • Ad 18.2

      Not on a majority this big, led by a PM riding this scale of victory.

      The list was just presented.

      • Craig H 18.2.1

        Mike Williams said this morning that he thought Jacinda may have followed Helen Clark's model of giving a list of around 17 names and inviting Caucus to add the rest.

      • Patricia Bremner 18.2.2

        No Ad, Jacinda said she had met with all applicants for positions to discuss strengths and preferences… so the list was not compiled in isolation.

  18. Maurice 19

    The appointment of Select Committee chairpersons will be just as interesting.

  19. Brokenback 20

    Faafoi as Minister of Justice ?????

    Clear indication that the much needed urgent reform of the Courts, Criminal Procedures Act , Misuse of drugs Act , archaic Evidence Act and blowtorching of the Crown Solicitor have been consigned to the ‘do Nothing perhaps they won’t notice ‘ box.

    The outcome of the Dotcom fiasco and the revelations of the Crown’s machinations coming out of the Abuse in Care enquiry mean throw away Kris is in for a rough ride straight off the starting line.

    Megan Woods , is completely out of her depth in dealing with Energy , arguably the critical sector to be dealt with[ constructively] if transformation and sustainability are to have any meaning other than catchy slogans .
    Housing as well ?? This will not end well .

    The detractors are seriously under-estimating the intelligence & capability of Nania Mahuta -she will be fine . Her BS detector will be a very useful tool in dealing with her ministry although she would be much better utilised in dealing with any of the critical internal ministries riddled with neo-lib toadies. Unfortunately we can’t have a confirmed lefty rocking those foundations.

    I’ve posted previously on this Cabinet being the mark of Arden’s political nous and we have a clear perception now of what she stands for.

    Neo-Liberal/Blairite/ Tory with a red dress.

  20. newsense 21

    Faafoi's proposal for broadcasting didn't immediately make me think Justice. But we'll see…solid work overall from Ardern and caucus.

    Mahuta a bold choice, who may be missing the rollodex Peters had, but certainly brings plenty of quality to the job.

    Someone told me Phil Goff's genius was to never forget anyone, make sure that cards were sent and that kind of thing. Will be a challenge to approach places and build relationships with those that might have greeted Peters more readily, but the Labour vote will give her authority too. A very symbolic and interesting appointment. It lifted me to hear it.

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    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
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    6 days ago
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  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
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  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
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  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
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  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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