Liberalism Uber Alles

Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, June 13th, 2018 - 32 comments
Categories: business, capitalism, infrastructure, liberalism, Privatisation - Tags: ,

I’m hazy on all the shenanigans around NZ Post over the years, but it looks like things are coming to an end, and that the functions of NZ Post will be wholly carried out by private business concerns in the near future. Think Oamaru – where post is delivered by a taxi company.

Dunedin is about to lose four Kiwi Bank/NZ Post branches. The Kilbirnie branch in Wellington is also closing meaning the loss of some post office services in the local area.

It’s looking very much like the final chapter in the same old sad story of liberalism. Take a service. Remove it’s monopoly status and strip it of its assets. Allow private concerns to “cherry pick” the more profitable aspects of the business (the Oamaru example), and keep the vicious downward spiral of gouging and stripping going until there is “unfortunately” no option besides termination of the publicly owned and run service – or the residues of what once was a publicly owned and run service.

In a few years, the state will (as tends to happen) have to step in and pick up some of the pieces that private businesses will have let ‘drop to rot’ on the basis of unprofitability.

This demise of NZ Post was guided by (Sir) Michael Cullen in his previous role as NZ Post board chair between 2009 and 2016 (He was preceded by Jim “neo-liberalism has failed” Bolger who was chair from 2001).

In 2009, the NZ Post group posted a net profit of $71.8 million.  $89 million in the last six months of 2016 off the back of asset stripping (or “downsizing” and “rationalising” if you prefer) that was accompanied by a $14 million profit in the area of “mail, parcels and logistics“. And whatever was left by last year (it gets murky) returned a profit of $6 million that the board released in a press statement proclaiming a $13 million loss – go figure.

Actually, it’s fairly easy to figure. There is an ideological imperative at work, and the ideology will bend reality to provide justification for continuing down the route determined by ideology.

Jim Bolger said liberalism was a failed experiment or some such. Jacinda Ardern made noises about how liberalism had failed. But when judged on what is done rather than on what is said, it would seem that NZ’s political classes are as wedded to the liberal or neo-liberal project as ever.

So next year, if you don’t have internet or your own transport, phone a taxi using the same privatised infrastructure that provides internet access, and jump in the back seat of a cab with sacks of letters and small parcels, to ride across town to wherever it might be you can still pay bills at the counter. Because this is the best that the 21C has to offer (in NZ).

 

32 comments on “Liberalism Uber Alles ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. adam 1
    13 June 2018 at 11:44 am

    Before people jump in and start talking about volume of mail. I’d like to point out that the ‘gig economy’ relies on many more packages being sent, and whilst this may not be traditional letter, a package was still core business of post.

    So in the area of volume, the argument can be made that post is not diminishing.

    So we are back to ideological purity ,and wrecking being a core component of that ideology. Any muppet can prove the state has failed, all you have to do is destroy that part of the state from inside government. The last national government is a classic example. Along with what is happening right across the Western democracies.

    And of course NZ post is a very good example of that process. My guess is some apologist will say why not pay bills online, but can everyone do that? The simple answer, as proven by the last census, is no.

    Just jumping in Bill, like the post by the way.

    • Hooch 1.1
      13 June 2018 at 12:37 pm

      You’re right. If anything postal/package volumes should be increasing with the rise of online shopping.

      I find it bizarre that these closures happen, whenever I visit a post shop there is usually a long queue. They provide a multitude of services other than ‘posting letters’ and then the added business of a kiwibank branch.

      And it’s shameful that Cullen has presided over this sort of neo liberal nonsense. Appointed by national and accepting their honour of a knighthood after they were abolished during his time in government as well. I can only assume he’s part of the right wing Labour Party.

      With all these closures do they still need a massive office space on the waterfront in Wellington?

  2. Siobhan 2
    13 June 2018 at 11:59 am

    Exactly.

    Heres an idea from Bernie back in 2015..combine Banking and postal…especially handy for our Brave New World of low wages and the so called gig economy

    “In fact, Sanders’s idea is quite sensible. “Postal banking”—which just means that post offices run savings accounts, cash checks, and perform other basic financial services—is common in most of Asia and Europe, and only about 7 percent of the world’s national postal systems don’t offer some bank-like services. Postal banking is a really good way to reach people who haven’t had access to standard savings accounts. One estimate figures that more than 1 billion people have used post offices for making deposits.”

    https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/10/bernie-sanders-lets-turn-post-offices-into-banks/411589/

    More recently he floated the idea of suggesting the Post Office could expand into digital services and “offer a non-commercial version of Gmail.”.

    https://www.thenation.com/article/bernie-sanders-commonsense-plan-save-postal-service/

  3. Gosman 3
    13 June 2018 at 12:02 pm

    Why should the State have a monopoly on services that could be provided by private businesses? What benefit does that provide the country?

    • andrew murray 3.1
      13 June 2018 at 12:27 pm

      it provides an ease and a certainty of access for all the people that make up a society.

      The importance of these types of socially cohesive services really shouldn’t need explaining.

      • Gosman 3.1.1
        13 June 2018 at 12:32 pm

        If you want people to access a social service provided by a business then by all means subsidise that service. If you want rural deliveries in areas not currently covered by a business then pay for rural deliveries. However enforcing a monopoly just to ensure certainty of access is not a good idea. It is like using a sledge hammer to crack an egg in an egg carton. Sure the egg will be cracked but so will all the other eggs along with it.

        • andrew murray 3.1.1.1
          13 June 2018 at 12:44 pm

          I’m sorry but that’s a nonsense analogy… and to one of your other assertions, why is ‘enforcing a monopoly just to ensure certainty of access [is], not a good idea’.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 3.2
      13 June 2018 at 5:55 pm

      Why should the State have a monopoly on services that could be provided by private businesses? What benefit does that provide the country?

      Continuity and universality of service. Private companies can and do fail, as they should. There are certain services – education, communication, supply of electricity, policing, etc. that are “too big to fail”. That doesn’t mean that state has a monopoly, it means that the state has a duty to provide.

  4. Tamati Tautuhi 4
    13 June 2018 at 12:24 pm

    Gossie don’t tell me you are an expert on the Banking Industry as well, they are basically parasitic worms ?

    • Gosman 4.1
      13 June 2018 at 12:29 pm

      How are they parasitic worms exactly?

      Note no political party in Parliament has stated anything like that so your views are very much in the minority.

      [So this is day… three, four or five?…of you warbling nonsense on posts that you may or may not have read. Take a couple of days off. Come back on Friday evening or Saturday morning and don’t be an idiot who just picks up where they left off] – Bill

      • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1
        13 June 2018 at 12:57 pm

        quoting Why we can’t afford the rich” by Andrew Sayer, Richard Wilkinson

        Like rent, interest is asset-based unearned income that accrues without any effort. There may be some administration costs in providing a loan, but these tend to be low and can be charged to the borrower. Like rent, interest presupposes that those who produce goods and services for their income produce a surplus that the lenders can buy with their unearned income. Like rent, therefore, interest is parasitic on producers. As Michael Hudson puts it, it is a ‘deadweight cost’ on the economy.42 It is not merely a transfer, a zero-sum game (where gains equal losses), but a negative-sum game – that is, one that, other things being equal, leaves the economy worse off.

        Sums it up pretty well.

        The banking sector is a drain on society. Otherwise known as parasitical.

      • Tamati Tautuhi 4.1.2
        14 June 2018 at 4:02 am

        Goss are really that stupid ?

  5. andrew murray 5
    13 June 2018 at 12:44 pm

    I’m sorry but that’s a nonsense analogy… and to one of your other assertions, why is ‘enforcing a monopoly just to ensure certainty of access [is], not a good idea’.

  6. Antoine 6
    13 June 2018 at 12:47 pm

    I think this is all a bit dramatic. I really don’t see a big problem with providing post services out of a shop rather than a Government owned post office. Is the service so much worse?

    A.

    • Bill 6.1
      13 June 2018 at 5:41 pm

      The full gamut of service isn’t available through all “shop” locations.

      Taxi companies (and whatever others) delivering letters and parcels are not providing or maintaining the basic service infrastructure that made their business possible.

      And how is it a “bit dramatic” to comment on the ideological drives behind decisions that lead to the privatisation of what some would argue to be core public services?

  7. Draco T Bastard 7
    13 June 2018 at 12:54 pm

    The problem with NZ post is that very few people send letters any more. Because of this it simply doesn’t have the scale to keep the postal service going. With text and email available that sends instantly across the world there’s no need to keep the postal service going either.

    There’s only couriers left but having that as a state monopoly would save millions per year and probably allow for new services such as free delivery from the local super-market which would save us even more.

    So next year, if you don’t have internet or your own transport, phone a taxi using the same privatised infrastructure that provides internet access, and jump in the back seat of a cab with sacks of letters and small parcels, to ride across town to wherever it might be you can still pay bills at the counter.

    Sorry Bill but the world is moving away from retail stores. I disagree with the privatisation as it’s simply a way to steal from everyone else but paying at the counter is going the way of the dodo. I’m truly amazed that people are still building retail stores as if things are going to continue on as they did last century.

  8. opium 8
    13 June 2018 at 6:16 pm

    Sadly NZ post has become a joke lately.Letters & parcels are now a 3-5 working day service from Auckland to Whangarei,which I found out when I complained about a parcel that arrived at Auckland airport ,Sunday lunch time but wasn’t delivered till Friday.They are giving away their parcel work due to to understaffing & a can’t do atitude & they will be stuck with the unprofitable rural deliveries for decades yet probably.Parcels are the future but NZ Post just can’t be bothered to up their game & compete with the couriers.Sad really.Such is the reality of NZ today.

  9. SPC 9
    13 June 2018 at 6:16 pm

    The future is universal access to internet (requirement for rentals …) and secure banking/payments on-line.

    NZ Post has always used private contractors to provide services such as carriage of mail between cities (air, train and truck/van), urban parcel delivery and rural mail delivery. And this was long before the arrival of courier services where they had private sector competition.

    That, with the decline in mail volumes, they have begun to use use other transport services within the urban area to deliver mail is unsurprising (an alternative to the cost of buying up a fleet of vehicles – replacing bikes because the delivery runs are so much larger and they now include smaller parcels).

  10. AsleepWhileWalking 10
    13 June 2018 at 7:20 pm

    NZ Post could have pivoted out of the obviously dying practice of letter conveyance long ago.

    To some extent they responded to the trend of online overseas purchases but their service is expensive compared to say Ship2U.

    There is a company called Shiply (UK) in which you load in what you want shipped, and companies bid for the job so you can choose the price/delivery time. Think they are well positioned to create something similar with shipping to NZ.

    Another idea would be a service where instead of posting a letter you wrote/printed/posted, NZPost could take your email and turn it into a physical letter on your behalf. Handy for stuff that must be posted like Work and Income letters, property inspections etc.

    Another idea would be to become a mail forwarding office (handy if you live overseas and need a NZ address). There is a Jville company that does exactly that.

  11. Ad 11
    13 June 2018 at 7:37 pm

    “…(I)f you don’t have internet or your own transport…”

    … you are suffering a massive disability on par with not being able to read.
    In which case you have problems on a scale that will already need MSD to assist you.

    Your nearest library will have internet, and you really will need to learn.

    If you have no library within walking or cycling distance, and no internet, you will need a whole bunch of public services similar to that of real isolated rural poverty.

    That’s not an argument against NZPost, it’s an argument against poverty and deprivation itself.

    • Pat 11.1
      13 June 2018 at 10:59 pm

      I suspect you are under 40 with that line of reasoning…there is a sizeable cohort out in the real world who have no ability (even if access) when it comes to online operations…and they are not going to learn (or avail MSD or anyone else) at this late stage whatever you may think.

  12. Venezia 12
    13 June 2018 at 8:54 pm

    In the last week I have discovered that a post box which for years had been sited in my local mall at the Paper Plus shop, has gone along with the closure of Paper Plus shop. On that occasion I had ” return to sender” mail which had arrived at my place for other (unknown) people. I have been told by the mall that NZ Post refused to site the Postbox anywhere else in the mall, although there were several shops willing to host it. I have in the past used it for posting lots of items, plus the purchasing the limited range of postal supplies stocked by PP. Especially in the CHC winter weather, it is very convenient, as I do other shopping in the mall, and often noticed elderly people doing the same. There is a post shop further down the village, but crossing a very busy road to get there, plus the 10 continuous days of cold, raining weather we are not yet out of, is a real disincentive. So to me this says that NZ Post does not care about providing a service any more. They can go to hell.

  13. WILD KATIPO 13
    13 June 2018 at 10:29 pm

    L0L ! , – neo liberalism ,… the grab bag of assorted crumb peckers at the bottom fervently believing that if they keep their heads down, ingratiate themselves to some bastard who determines if they continue to have a contract or not , and not raise any objections if the boss roots their wives ,… they will continue to survive yet another day to repeat the same old degrading lifestyle they have coweringly come to accept…

    Bloody hell.

    The Aussies are laughing at us.

    Just look at their 90% ownage of our former NZ banks !

    Kiwi suckers !!!

    Yet most of em are like THIS :

    The Featherbrain Championship – YouTube
    Video for front bar featherbrained kevin bloody wilson▶ 4:20

  14. NZJester 14
    13 June 2018 at 10:41 pm

    The bringing in of private companies to the post business was meant to add competition to bring costs down. It did the opposite with costs going up instead of down for the average kiwi as the private companies lured away all the big fish leaving NZPost with all of the unprofitable parts and a lot of the profitable bits stripped away meaning they had no choice but to put the price of postage up.
    To post something a few years back I only had a short walk down the road to the nearest post box by the local Dairy. They removed to one up our street by our dairy meaning a 5 min walk there and 5 min back stretched to a 30 min walk there and 30 min back to the nearest post box. The reason they gave was that our post box was hardly used, but I was posting DVDs back nearly every other day to a postal renal service and would often meet others posting letters. One time a few months before they removed it I got there just before the pickup van and I saw him open it up to pull out a half-full sack. So saying it was underused was a lie as it was not a small bag. Even the dairy owner commented to me that he used to sell a lot of stamps every day while it was out the front of his shop and the sale of those stamps dried up after they removed the box.

    • WILD KATIPO 14.1
      13 June 2018 at 11:15 pm

      There’s another ‘primitive’ aspect to all of this… snail mail is pretty immune to all the hacking , crashing and convenient excuses of the modern day now privatized former SOE’s… and hence their political masters…

      Its pretty foolproof in a very rudimentary fashion.

      And guess what , – not only did it furnish a service for those elderly who are not and don’t care to be ‘computer literate’…. but it also furnished jobs for those involved in the industry. And the discretionary part of those wages often went towards supporting other local businesses.

      So now we have a WINZ who DEMANDS everyone is computer literate , a smaller earning workforce , more unemployed and major inconvenience to those who simply prefer to use snail mail to reply to those businesses in a leisurely fashion for those un-pressing matters.

      But the real reason is the takeover of NZ Post and dismantling of KiwiBank by foreign banking interests.

      Particularly Australian banking groups.

      AND THAT ,… is at the very heart of the attack on first NZ Post,… and then KiwiBank.

  15. Tamati Tautuhi 15
    14 June 2018 at 3:59 am

    Global Banking Cartels, should be some work there for the Commerce Commission ?

  16. opium 16
    14 June 2018 at 8:17 am

    I am currently tracking a parcel that arrived in NZ on 8/6/2018 13:10 but it still hasn’t been delivered.

  17. jcuknz 17
    14 June 2018 at 5:56 pm

    I do not believe that ‘old folk’ are computer illiterate since I am 86 and have been using them since I came across a ZX80 and shared it with seven others back in 1983 or ’84.
    Instead of belly-aching at the changes do something about it.
    If a shop gives you bad service then do not patronise it …. simple!
    If you know somebody who doesn’t have a computer then offer to help them if they trust you.
    Personally I had a term deposit with Kiwibank and have cancelled it since it was shortly up for renewal. If the closure of the Post Office I occasionally use does not occur I will reconsider the matter in a few months.
    If you believe in supporting NZ there are a lot of outfits other than the Aussies, why I went to Kiwibank in the first place. Credit Unions, Southland Building Society Bank and similar.
    I have a cheque book but it gets used once every three months or so to pay my rates and I really do not need it for that.
    Most bills big or small get paid by credit card or auto payment from my cheque account.
    Fees for old folk when your pension is paid into a bank are mostly very reasonable or not at all.
    Treat your credit card as a monthly account and it costs you very little.
    Live within your means and do not use it to buy nice things you cannot really afford.
    Once I was hammered by the rat race but with self-discipline I have got over that horrible state of affairs.

CommentsOpinions

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

FeedsPartyGovtMedia

  • Fast-track projects released

    The 149 projects released today for inclusion in the Government’s one-stop-shop Fast Track Approvals Bill will help rebuild the economy and fix our housing crisis, improve energy security, and address our infrastructure deficit, Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop says. “The 149 projects selected by the Government have significant regional or ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago
  • Ruakākā recreation centre opened

    A new multi-purpose recreation centre will provide a valuable wellbeing hub for residents and visitors to Ruakākā in Northland, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Ruakākā Recreation Centre, officially opened today, includes separate areas for a gymnasium, a community health space and meeting rooms made possible with support of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Extra Government support for farmers and growers in Southland and parts of Otago

    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson announced up to $50,000 in additional Government support for farmers and growers across Southland and parts of Otago as challenging spring weather conditions have been classified a medium-scale adverse event. “The relentless wet weather has been tough on farmers and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government welcomes move to delay EU Deforestation Regulation

    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay today welcomed a move by the European Commission to delay the implementation of the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by 12 months, describing the proposal as a pragmatic step that will provide much-needed certainty for New Zealand exporters and ensure over $200 million in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Response to Ministerial Inquiry into School Property

    The Government is taking decisive action in response to the Ministerial Inquiry into School Property, which concludes the way school property is delivered is not fit for purpose. “The school property portfolio is worth $30 billion, and it’s critically important it’s managed properly. This Government is taking a series of immediate actions ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Government support for residential construction market announced

    The Government has announced a new support programme for the residential construction market while the economy recovers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk say.    “We know the residential development sector is vulnerable to economic downturns. The lead time for building houses is typically 18 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New appointment to the EPA board

    Environment Minister Penny Simmonds has confirmed the final appointee to the refreshed Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) board. “I am pleased to welcome Brett O’Riley to the EPA board,” Ms Simmonds says. “Brett is a seasoned business advisor with a long and distinguished career across the technology, tourism, and sustainable business ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Strengthening resilience with critical road improvement projects

    The Government has approved a $226.2 million package of resilience improvement projects for state highways and local roads across the country that will reduce the impact of severe weather events and create a more resilient and efficient road network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Our Government is committed to delivering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Doubling road rehabilitation this summer to prevent potholes

    Kiwis will see fewer potholes on our roads with road rehabilitation set to more than double through the summer road maintenance programme to ensure that our roads are maintained to a safe and reliable standard, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is a key ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Sir Jerry Mateparae appointed in Bougainville post-referendum moderator role

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the announcement of Sir Jerry Mateparae as an independent moderator, to work with the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government in resolving outstanding issues on Bougainville’s future.    “New Zealand is an enduring friend to Papua New Guinea and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Latest census data highlights New Zealand’s growing ethnic diversity

    The latest 2023 Census results released today further highlight New Zealand’s growing ethnic and cultural diversity, says Ethnic Communities Minister Melissa Lee. “Today’s census results are further evidence of the increasingly diverse nature of our population. It’s something that should be celebrated and also serve as a reminder of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • FamilyBoost payments make ECE more affordable

    Parents and caregivers are now able to claim for FamilyBoost, which provides low-to-middle-income families with young children payments to help them meet early childhood education (ECE) costs.  “FamilyBoost is one of the ways we are supporting families with young children who are struggling with the cost of living, by helping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • South Pacific defence meeting fosters collaboration

    This week’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM) has concluded with a renewed commitment to regional security of all types, Defence Minister Judith Collins says. Defence Ministers and senior civilian and military officials from Australia, Chile, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga gathered in Auckland to discuss defence and security cooperation in the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Minister welcomes larger Police recruitment wings

    Associate Police Minister Casey Costello has welcomed the Police announcement that recruitment wings at the Police College will be expanded to 100 recruits next year. “This is good news on two fronts – it reflects the fact that more and more New Zealanders are valuing policing and seeing it as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Minerals West Coast Forum

    Introduction Good morning! What a pleasure to be back in the stunning West Coast at one of my favourite events in the calendar.  Every time I come back here, I’m reminded of the Coast’s natural beauty, valuable resources, and great people. Yet, every time I come back here, I’m also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Positive progress on Government health targets

    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti welcomes new data from Health New Zealand, saying it demonstrates encouraging progress against the Government’s health targets.  Health New Zealand’s quarterly report for the quarter to 30 June will be used as the baseline for reporting against the Government’s five health targets, which came into ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Supporting better access to data for Kiwis

    The launch of a new data tool will provide Kiwis with better access to important data, Statistics Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “To grow our economy and improve productivity we must adopt smarter ways of working, which means taking a more data driven approach to decision-making.  “As Statistics Minister one of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Progressing remote building inspections

    The Government is progressing plans to increase the use of remote inspections to make the building and consenting process more efficient and affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.  “We know that the building and construction sector suffers from a lack of innovation. According to a recent report, productivity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PPTA accepts charter schools

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes the PPTA putting a proposal to members at its annual conference to change its constitution and allow membership of teachers who work in charter schools. “The PPTA has had a come to Jesus moment on charter schools. This is a major departure from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New TAIC Chief Commissioner appointed

    David Clarke has been announced as the Chief Commissioner of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC). David Clarke is a barrister specialising in corporate and commercial law and he has over 20 years experience in governance roles in commercial, public and charitable sectors. He also is a current TAIC Commissioner. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government secures market access for blueberries to Korea

    The Government has secured market access for New Zealand blueberries to Korea, unlocking an estimated $5 million in annual export opportunities for Kiwi growers Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay today announced.  “This is a win for our exporters and builds on our successful removal of $190 million in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • South Pacific Defence Ministers meet in Auckland

    Partnership and looking to the future are key themes as Defence Ministers from across the South Pacific discuss regional security challenges in Auckland today, Defence Minister Judith Collins says. The South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM) brings together Defence Ministers, Chiefs of Defence and Secretaries of Defence from New Zealand, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Keytruda, CGMs, and FamilyBoost welcomed

    In a triple whammy of good news, 1 October heralds the beginning of the funding of two major health products and a welcome contribution to early childhood fees, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “Keytruda is the first drug to be funded and made available from the $604 million boost we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Children’s Unit opens at Rotorua Hospital

    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti today opened the refurbished Children’s Unit at Rotorua Hospital, which will provide young patients and their families in the Lakes District with a safe, comfortable and private space to receive care.  “The opening of this unit is a significant milestone in our commitment to improving ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minor variations no longer major problem

    It is now easier to make small changes to building plans without having to apply for a building consent amendment, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Previously builders who wanted to make a minor change, for example substituting one type of product for another, or changing the layout of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New diplomatic appointments

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced seven diplomatic appointments.   “Protecting and advancing New Zealand’s interests abroad is an extremely important role for our diplomats,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to announce the appointment of seven senior diplomats to these overseas missions.”   The appointments are:   Andrew ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • SuperGold Information Hub live

    The first iteration of the SuperGold Information Hub is now on-line, Minister for Seniors Casey Costello announced today. “The SuperGold Hub is an online portal offering up-to-date information on all of the offers available to SuperGold cardholders. “We know the SuperGold card is valued, and most people know its use ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New fund to clean up old landfill and dump sites

    A new Contaminated Sites and Vulnerable Landfills Fund will help councils and landowners clean up historic landfills and other contaminated sites that are vulnerable to the effects of severe weather, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says.  "This $30 million fund, part of our Q4 Action Plan, increases the Government’s investment in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Increased medicines access welcomed following budget boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Foreign Minister completes successful week of international engagements

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today wrapped up a week of high-level engagements at the United Nations in New York and in Papeete, French Polynesia.   “Our visit to New York was about demonstrating New Zealand’s unwavering support for an international system based on rules and respect for the UN Charter, as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Final 2024 Action Plan focused on infrastructure

    The Government’s Quarter Four (Q4) Action Plan will be focused on making it easier and faster to build infrastructure in New Zealand as part of its wider plan to rebuild the economy, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “My Government has been working at pace to get the country back on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Four new laws to tackle crime passed in Q3

    New Zealanders will be safer as a result of the Government’s crackdown on crime which includes tougher laws for offenders and gangs delivered as part of the Quarter Three (Q3) Action Plan, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “I’m proud to say we have delivered on 39 of the 40 actions ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government partnership boosting vineyard productivity

    The Government is backing a new world-leading programme set to boost vineyard productivity and inject an additional $295 million into New Zealand’s economy by 2045, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay today announced. The Next Generation Viticulture programme will transform traditional vineyard systems, increasing profitability by $22,060 per hectare by 2045 without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Strong support for NZ minerals strategy

    Over 90 per cent of submissions have expressed broad support for a New Zealand minerals strategy, indicating a strong appetite for a considered, enduring approach to minerals development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  A summary of the 102 submissions on the draft strategy has been published today by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Snapper catch limits up, orange roughy down

    Catch limits for several fisheries will be increased following a review that shows stocks of those species are healthy and abundant. The changes are being made as part of Fisheries New Zealand’s biannual sustainability review, which considers catch limits and management settings across New Zealand’s fisheries. “Scientific evidence and information ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Reforming the building consent system

    The Government is investigating options for a major reform of the building consent system to improve efficiency and consistency across New Zealand, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.   “New Zealand has some of the least affordable housing in the world, which has dire social and economic implications. At the heart ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Cost-benefit analysis for potential third medical school completed

    The Government has announced that an initial cost-benefit analysis of establishing a third medical school based at the University of Waikato has been completed and has been found to provide confidence for the project to progress to the next stage. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti says the proposal will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government delivers sensible approach to speed limits

    The Government’s new speed limit rule has today been signed to reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions and enable Kiwis to get to where they want to go quickly and safely, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  Reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions on local streets, arterial roads, and state highways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to meet with Pacific Island climate leaders

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is travelling to Fiji on Monday to attend a Ministerial Meeting (Talanoa) with Pacific Island Countries, Australia, and New Zealand. “Attending the Talanoa will reinforce New Zealand’s commitment to supporting climate resilience in the Pacific and advancing action in the areas of climate change,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Human rights recommendations accepted

    The Government is accepting the majority of human rights recommendations received at the fourth Universal Period Review in Geneva, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We have considered all 259 recommendations from the United Nations. We are supporting 168 and partially supporting 12 of these recommendations. “Recommendations related to women’s rights, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-10-06T02:51:31+00:00