Landlord lobby group hopes National Government will ditch warm flat requirement

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, September 7th, 2020 - 56 comments
Categories: housing, housing insulation, national, poverty, same old national, uncategorized - Tags:

I suspect this is not the sort of endorsement that is actually helpful.

But a landlords’ organisation has told their members to hold off making their flats warmer and drier until after the election.

From Ben Leahy at the Herald:

Landlords should wait to see if National wins October’s election before spending money refitting their rentals up to new heating standards, a lobby group for property owners says.

The comments by the NZ Property Investors Federation have been labelled “deeply disappointing” by the Labour Party and questioned by the Real Estate Institute and the NZ Green Building Council.

The advice comes after National under new leader Judith Collins confirmed to the Herald it would tear up new Healthy Homes standards recently brought in by the Labour-led Government.

The standards require – from July 1, 2021 – that all rentals be fitted with insulation, heating and ventilation within 90 days of an existing tenant renewing their lease or a new tenant moving in.

Spokesperson Andrew King presents the proposal as giving tenants more choice.

King said he would personally install a heat pump straight away if his tenant wanted it and was willing to pay a higher rent because the tenant was the customer and needed pleasing.

Kris Faafoi’s response is typically blunt:

I would find it deeply disappointing if landlords were being given advice to hold off work that ensures they are providing safe, dry, healthy accommodation for fellow New Zealanders on the basis that a more malleable government might get into power and scrap basic standards that would see New Zealand’s poor track record on healthy housing vastly improved”.

The state of some of our rental properties is appalling and contributes significantly to adverse health and education outcomes for too many of our children.  The greater good argument behind the reforms is overwhelming, or should be unless you are missing a heart.

Andrew King’s endorsement of National’s policies is actually doing the left a favour.  He is clearly showing who is looking after the interests of landlords and the interests of ordinary people.

56 comments on “Landlord lobby group hopes National Government will ditch warm flat requirement ”

  1. tc 1

    You've nailed it Mickey as one for those 'missing a heart' which befits the image Jude's projecting.

  2. Ad 2

    A great time to knock on doors and ask for a vote.

  3. Sabine 3

    The standards require – from July 1, 2021 – that all rentals be fitted with insulation, heating and ventilation within 90 days of an existing tenant renewing their lease or a new tenant moving in.

    is this enforced by government or is it like the insulation warmer house (Since 1 July 2019, ceiling and underfloor insulation is compulsory in all rental homes where it is reasonably practicable to install. It must comply with the regulations and be safely installed.) where the tenant is supposed to enforce it by complaining to the Tenancy Tribunal when the Landlord does not fit the insulation/fan? And was that extended out to 21? I thought these were to be done by 2019? Different rule?

    https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/maintenance-and-inspections/insulation/#:~:text=Insulation%20is%20now%20compulsory%20in,regulations%20and%20be%20safely%20installed.

    “If tenants think their rental property doesn’t meet the insulation requirements, they should talk to their landlord first. If they can’t resolve the issue themselves, there are several options available, including mediation.”

    edit:add link

    • RedLogix 3.1

      The term "reasonably practicable to install" is an important consideration. Not all buildings can be easily retrofitted with insulation that fully complies with the current standards.

      For instance cathedral ceilings where it would require either the removal of the roof, or the complete reinstallation of a new lower false ceiling are major expenses. Or where the existing ceiling has beams or wooden features that should be retained, but make installing new insulation very hard. There are dozens of examples of why it's not always practical to retrofit an older building to fully comply. It may well be possible to make worthwhile improvements, but demanding every home built in NZ over the last century or more, suddenly perform like it was built last year is not reasonable.

      And adding more insulation is not always the whole answer. As it happens we have two older units side by side and some years back we went to the expense of adding full spec insulation to the walls to one of them as I was rennovating it. I have to say the end result was disappointing, I could never really tell the difference between the two.

      I fully support the idea of improving building performance across the board, but a 'one size fits all' regulatory approach is going to get push back from the many cases where the fit is a bad one.

      • Sabine 3.1.1

        so many words, so little meaning.

        I repeat it again so that you understand

        is this the same rule that was set about a few years ago and did it get extended

        is this to be enforced by the tenant in absence of Government?

        but i play your game, how many Cathedrals serve as rentals for the very poor and the soon to be very poor?

        but Churches that have been converted by private owners somehow can have insulation. SO maybe its not that it is too hard, its just that some don't want to upgrade their hovels form the 18th century into the 21th century cause profits.

        https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/renovations/103625196/three-kiwi-families-and-their-divine-church-conversions

        have a lovely day Red.

        • RedLogix 3.1.1.1

          A 'cathedral ceiling' is a building term that has nothing to do with converted churches. It's the very common arrangement where instead of having a flat ceiling with a large void above, instead the sloping roof rafter beams are left exposed as a feature and the ceiling boards are fixed above them.

          Another term is 'vaulted ceiling'. They can be very fancy, but they're also very common in all types and standards of building.

        • Sacha 3.1.1.2

          is this the same rule that was set about a few years ago

          No. This is what comes next.

      • Draco T Bastard 3.1.2

        It may well be possible to make worthwhile improvements, but demanding every home built in NZ over the last century or more, suddenly perform like it was built last year is not reasonable.

        Yes, even houses have a use by date. If a house can't be brought up to modern standards then its use by date has obviously passed and it should be torn down. Doing so would be cheaper for the community in the long run.

        And, no, that's not an excuse for landlords to demand a profit from government largess.

        • RedLogix 3.1.2.1

          If a house can't be brought up to modern standards then its use by date has obviously passed and it should be torn down.

          That would include a lot of buildings dating from the 70's and 80's.

          And the reality of rentals is that many are buildings that are in the last 20% or so of their economic life. Many landlords actually invest quite extensively in renovating their older units, and while it's reasonable to demand that they are improved, to insist they must all be brought up to 2020 standards is not always practical.

          • Draco T Bastard 3.1.2.1.1

            That would include a lot of buildings dating from the 70's and 80's.

            I've lived in houses from that era – many had a use by date sometime in the 1990s. The shortcuts used while building them have left them as death traps. I have seen places where structural walls didn't have the necessary structure. In one place one of the structural walls was, quite literally, hanging from the ceiling while being propped up by the gibboard and, yes, it had been like that from new.

            Many landlords actually invest quite extensively in renovating their older units,

            Many do but, from what we're seeing in the news, many more don't.

            to insist they must all be brought up to 2020 standards is not always practical.

            If it's not practical to bring them up to modern standards then they're past their use by date as they are, quite simply, not suitable for living in. That's really what the standards are for, to define what is the minimum standard for a house to be lived in.

            • RedLogix 3.1.2.1.1.1

              And what are we to do about the very large number of privately owned homes that do not meet 2020 standards? Give them all 90 days to get up to spec or throw the occupiers out into the street?

              FFS there is a reason why improved building code standards are not necessarily made retrospective.

          • Ad 3.1.2.1.2

            One of our rentals is from the 1880s and it now needs re-pointing in places. But the timber in the basement is from an old ship so it's Ironwood or Jarrah or something ridiculously dense. It's due for a good-sized revival so there's a fair bit of money going into it in the next three months.

            Another one is from 1970 and it's brick with concrete block base. Even that one needs a bit of pointing now. But otherwise it's carpet and a new washing machine.

            Most householders struggle to keep up their existing one house given how expensive upgrades are now – even the minimum 5% of the value of the house per year isn't really affordable now.

            I got through a fair bit of my annual maintenance list for our main house in Level 4 lockdown, but that was still doing something on the list every day.

      • bwaghorn 3.1.3

        I've pink batted 3 house with no crawl space . It's not a big job to take off the iron install the batts and ut it back on . Of course paying a pro will come with the added cost of scaffolding but it ain't that hard.

        • Draco T Bastard 3.1.3.1

          Walls are the hard part but even that's not hard any more.

          Of course, that won’t help if the walls are rotten which can be a high probability for older homes, say, from the 1970s/80s.

          • infused 3.1.3.1.1

            that stuffs shit. you can't run any wires once thats put in place.

            • Muttonbird 3.1.3.1.1.1

              As if landlords do any work on their houses.

              That’s not the Kiwi way.

            • Draco T Bastard 3.1.3.1.1.2

              Well, you can, depending on if there's underfloor space or an attic to run the wires in. Just means that the connection boxes are going to be on the wall rather than in it and the wires running in some sort of channelling up/down the wall. Won't look the best, but it would still work.

  4. "Landlord lobby group hopes National Government will ditch warm home requirement"

    Its a 'rental' or 'flat' to the landlord and homeowner class..its 'home' to the life time renters….maybe if we started acknowledging that fact then the conversation (and maybe …action) around housing could finally start moving forward at something other than a (pre global warming) glacial pace.

    Language matters.

  5. Tiger Mountain 5

    As if any more evidence was needed that neo rentiers with their “ex staties”, and some professional landlords too, have really got it in for tenants. Recall when student allowances were raised by $50pw? Within hours certain Wellington Student accomodation prices rose by $50pw!

    Rent Control now!

    Massive State house and apartment build now!

    • Draco T Bastard 5.1

      Massive State house and apartment build now!

      This.

      We actually need enough state housing to replace all present rentals.

      • millsy 5.1.1

        You would think that private landlords would be on board with more state housing, given that the lumpenproetarians they complain about, would be in the state houses and not tarnishing their retirement investment portfolios.

    • bwaghorn 5.2

      I bet not one person has ever thought 'I want to buy a rental because I care about people that need to rent' it's always about making a $ or paying the bills while you are of6 doing something else.

  6. Tricledrown 6

    Yeah that is utopic dreaming unfortunately.

    A combination of a capital gains tax ,a building warrant of fitness,building more state houses,building more affordable houses,having a one stop building code/development/resource consent,engineering/architectural certificates.

    Is desperately needed.past efforts of building large numbers of state houses in one area has lead to longterm endemic poverty.

    Their needs to be a balance for the best outcomes.

    • left_forward 6.1

      Really hard to follow your sentence construction – but if I get it, then I don't!

      Caring for your fellow human beings is not uncommon – doing the right thing is not some unattainable ideal – just do it FFS.

  7. Cricklewood 7

    All well in good installing heat pumps but gotta make sure people can actually afford to turn them on first…

    • greywarshark 7.1

      Yes Cricklewood – the most important thing, and this rarely gets mentioned! When it comes to warm houses, because of concerns about I think P10 pollution in the air and bad health for the chesty, we end up with solutions that tick the boxes, but don’t warm the fingers. Smoke and mirrors!

    • Shanreagh 7.2

      Great point. I am ever hopeful that there will be the appetite from Govt to undo the energy 'reforms' (Bradford's bulldust) where there is every person and their dogs clipping the ticket between the power creators and the power users. Many home owners have to watch energy consumption very carefully so no different from their neighbours who rent.

      This is long overdue and a large elephant in the room for many households.

      When we were discussing the Tiwai situation a few months ago a poster had the idea that this power could be used to lessen the cost of power to Southlanders and Otago residents to provide a welcome attraction/incentive for people to move there. Treating people equally when their circumstances are not equal is the very worst response but this is what happens. For people to live in warm houses down south costs much more than in Auckland yet energy costs the same more or less.

      We also need to get rid of the faddism that is our response to energy use. Since I have been a homeowner in Wellington (40 years) we have gone from gas everything to wood burners to heat pumps and now to solar. Typically these heat one or two rooms optimally. Meantime no research is being done on whole house heating systems (say boilers/radiators) so that the costs to install can come down, nor working out how to retrofit villas close to the ground so that black plastic can be used, let alone under floor insulation. This has been my cracked record for the last 30 or so years.

      Of course if we were to develop whole house heating systems to suit our housing stock we still have to be able to afford to pay for it out of household budgets.

  8. greywarshark 8

    Pretty stark evidence of the 'climate' we are in.

  9. Tricledrown 9

    DTB it's much cheaper to bring most houses up to modern standards than demolish and rebuild.

    Consenting and design costs start at $150,000 before any work is started then the cost of demolition $25,000 plus.

    More than a major renovation repiling proofing recladding etc.

    Older houses are built better than most modern houses especially since the destruction of the building code in 1991 by National and subsequent tinkering by both Labour and National.

    Leaky buildings is a $50 billion problem that hasn't been fixed yet.

    The building code only requires the workmanship and materials to be guaranteed for 10 yrs when in the old days a house was made to last 50 years most lasting more than a 100 with regular maintenance!

    I have a 135 year old house it has had about $60,000 dollars of work done on it another $40,000 to be spent .For me to build an equivalent new home would cost over $550 ,000. Its built of rimu and Kauri timber which is far stronger and more durable than any modern timbers.

    • Climaction 9.1

      lol. modern timbers.

    • Draco T Bastard 9.2

      it's much cheaper to bring most houses up to modern standards than demolish and rebuild.

      For most its an option. For those it isn't then the house needs to come down and be replaced because doing so will be cheaper in the long run with healthier families living in them.

      The building code only requires the workmanship and materials to be guaranteed for 10 yrs when in the old days a house was made to last 50 years most lasting more than a 100 with regular maintenance!

      Yes, the continuing cheapness that modern capitalists demand so as to make a higher profit. Pine used to be grown for thirty years before it was cut so it would be suitable for building as the wood gets stronger as the trees age. Now it's down to 18 as there's more profit in it.

      Could you imagine the people own the forests waiting 400 years for rimu to mature so that we could have good timber to build our homes?

  10. Byd0nz 10

    Better to have a Govt that would regulate rent to match a tenants income with any landlord disagreeing, buy the property off them and add it to Gvt housing stock. Who needs more than one house anyway.

    • Michael 10.1

      Couldn't agree more. Govt needs to drive slumlords out of business altogether not make excuses for them and passing laws they have no intention of enforcing.

    • greywarshark 10.2

      One of the problems with treating rentals as cash cows, is the expectation of what would be considered a 'good' return. Buy it cheap, and charge market rates would be beaut for a while. But then because it was cheap and not in good order, money has to be spent on it. The landlord is not prepared to take a drop in his return in order to bring the house up to reasonable standard, he wants to keep milking the property and the tenant. So the place deteriorates if there is no government intervention to ensure repairs and maintenance are carried out.

      The other thing is that with the rising prices in the house market, a property can be revalued each year and the rent expected being set at a percentage of valuation, must go up to meet this required return. If house rents had provision that they must be worked out on historical value plus work carried out, that would lead to a much lower rent.

      At present the ability to raise the rents at will, for no extra expenditure except perhaps rising rates, makes housing very attractive. The ability to get increased profit for no outlay encourages more people into the housing market, demand pushes up prices, increasing values push up rents and there is a nasty feedback loop here. Government must take steps to stop this loathsome business practice – they must control this swingeing, financial finagling.

  11. Cricklewood 11

    Pretty much, I can picture politicians patting themselves on the back at getting Slum Lords in say Cannons Creek to install heat pumps. Then wandering off saying Job well done we've made those homes so much healthier with barely any thought given to the fact the Tennant's wont be able to afford running them.

  12. Michael 12

    Landlords don't have too much to fear from Labour govts either. As someone earlier in the thread pointed out, there's no appetite to actually enforce any of these new requirements by government so the status quo will continue.

  13. mpledger 13

    The thing is that any improvements are not just for the current tenants but for all subsequent tenants. To say that they shouldn't have to put in a heat pump/insulation etc because this tenant doesn't want it, doesn't mean the next tenants won't desperately need it.

  14. RosieLee 14

    1+v

  15. RosieLee 15

    ‘I don’t want a heat pump’ said no rental tenant ever.
    Well, this tenant is really concerned. My place is warm and dry, insulated to the new standard, and I keep it well-ventilated. I live in a temperate climate and seldom have to use my heater in winter. I do not want a heat pump and I cannot afford anything which may cause the rent to rise.
    Surely this can be dealt with on a case by case basis.

  16. Cricklewood 16

    Perhaps, but I'll bet we see the market flooded with cheap heat pumps that are poorly suited to NZ conditions and the houses they are trying to heat.

    Basically these requirements are a shitty bandaid trying to cover the fact Slum Lords only exist because successive govts have failed to build social housing instead fisting over huge amounts to the slum lords by way of accommodation supplements etc.

    Its a massive wealth transfer to the landlord class and it needs a Labour Green govt that are prepared to really transformative in terms of social housing. Given Labours track record since Lange I dont think its likely.

    • RosieLee 16.1

      Absoeffinlutely.

    • Foreign waka 16.2

      Yep, that is sadly true. It seems there is a lot of talk but no action. We do know that laws can be pushed through within 24 hours, don't we. So one could argue that decisive action is actually possible. Of cause only if it helps with public relations and the right audience.

    • millsy 16.3

      Heat pumps are a scam as far as I am concerned. In my experience they are hugely expensive to run.

      • Shanreagh 16.3.1

        And that is the crux of the problem. No matter how the upgrade happens and with what, heat pumps still cost money to run, ie to bring out any benefit of having a heat pump you still have to pay for it. Our energy costs are horrendous. As I said above the energy market is a mass/mess of ticket clippers all the way through with cost & several pluses then left to the poor, in many cases literally, consumer to pay. This hang-over from the time of Max Bradford needs a serious political investigation.

        If this is the current mode/fad then at least make it economic for tenants & people on fixed incomes to afford. If we can make it affordable for all then so much the better.

  17. Austringer 17

    One of my lads got this one Bedroom flat last year, in a long, ago homestead home converted years back into five flats of differing size. His, One bedroom flat cost him $260.00. PER WEEK, with exploit bonded cost added and agents fee on top. This agent assured my lad, the place has been re-decorated with new carpet and shower replacing the old outdated bath. So, my lad, dad come and see my new flat, well I ask, did they import the painters, being a retired Tradesperson, the painting cheap water paint, one coat all over every room, rolled with a heavy pelt roller, shocking, then the refurbished ex bath now shower room, hot water trickle full blast cold water. Where is the hot water tank son, in the hall, so open the cupboard on the floor is the water tank from day one of the building!s birth. So gets on the phone sitting in the lounge looking to talk to the agent to find who owns this tenement that would if brick not be found out of place in Glasgow!s Gorbals of the sixties, that!s private commercial information that I cannot share. Where is the heating for this slum, where is the hot water pressure for this slum, I ask the owners about these things he says but it!s up to them to alter these faults says this land agent, I can!t force them, then why advertise this modern renovated flat. My lad is back home with me this winter, and I see this tenement in it!s entirety is on the market.

    .

  18. NZ has too many amateur landlords who don't know wtf they are doing, view tenants with hate and suspicion, and don't want to pay a cent to maintain their property to a habitable standard. We need a "Rental home standards" agency that inspects properties and helps landlords to comply with the law. And if they fail to comply then face penalties. This agency should carry out random checks, or checks on request of landlord or tenant. Remove any right of the landlord to enter the property. Take the owner/ renter asymmetric power dynamic out of the equation and have the relationship managed by a government agency

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    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
    4 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 ...
    6 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • 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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