Local Bodies: Let’s Bring Our Banking Home!

Written By: - Date published: 10:45 am, June 30th, 2014 - 76 comments
Categories: greens, russel norman - Tags: , , ,

Russel+Norman+New+Zealand+Gears+Up+General+srkwBzF8K4XlReposted from Local Bodies.

In the 1980s and early 90s the wisdom of the day dictated that our small (in a global sense) New Zealand owned banks were unsustainable. We lost the BNZ to the National Australia Bank group and our Trust Banks to Westpac. All 600 PostBank branches around the country were closed down by 1988. The consequences of those decisions saw huge profits and dividends head across the ditch, contributed to our huge Current Account deficit and allowed the Australian banks to become the most profitable in the world at a time when many were being bailed out.

These same banks have shown their gratitude by maximizing their profits through dubious means and paying local CEOs excessive salaries. Inland Revenue managed to claw back billions of avoided tax through legal action and exorbitant default fees (that have cost New Zealanders about $1 billion) are being challenged through a class action.

Russel Norman revealed an unhealthy relationship between our Reserve Bank and Westpac (the Government’s sole banker) when the Reserve Bank Governor was caught out attempting to play down Westpac’s profits to smooth through an ongoing relationship that hadn’t been tendered for.

Ongoing pressure from the Greens has finally seen both the Reserve Bank and the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment agree that the Government’s master banker should be decided by a fairly tendered process.

Russel Norman was pleased with this decision because, “Ideally, our Government’s banking should be done by a New Zealand bank. This now becomes a possibility.”

Banks should be supporting our economy but over the last twenty years the Aussie ‘big four’ have been sucking it dry. It’s about time we restored some real competition and brought more of our banking home!

76 comments on “Local Bodies: Let’s Bring Our Banking Home! ”

  1. blue leopard 1

    Good idea – it beggars belief that this is not the case already. What have successive NZ politicians been thinking? Time for New Zealanders’ interests to be prioritized by NZ politicians. It is not that hard is it?

    • Chooky 1.1

      +100…just one reason why i will be voting Green!

    • Tracey 1.2

      and why people need to move their accounts, if they want money in nz banks…

      Kiwibank
      Tsb
      Coop bank, formerly psis

      Lets not forget fay richwhites involvement in the sale of bnz, only to pull out and become a buyer.

      • Once was Tim 1.2.1

        +1
        except that temporarily, PSIS still has an unfortunate relationship with BNZ which I hope will end as soon as poss.

        • Tracey 1.2.1.1

          What is the relationship cos the website states

          ” That means that we’re not owned by a big overseas company or the Government. We’re owned by our customers—

          • Once was Tim 1.2.1.1.1

            They’re currently paying them fees – they use BNZ as an interbank facility. For every PSIS account number, there is an equivalent BNZ one.
            This will eventually go as far as I know, when interbank/gateway facilities are properly set up.

            E.G. if I want to transfer money from say ANZ or Westpac to the PSIS, one specifies the BNZ account number.
            PSIS at one time also had their own ATMs. They’ve recently signed a contract with Westpac for PSIS customers to use Westpac ATMs (previously ANZ/NAT ones). Unfortunately it means that Westpac clips the ticket.

  2. Jack 2

    Mindless Government handling of our Banking Institutions, BNZ was basically raped and pillaged and went down the gurgler in no time after being privatised and somehow the Government still held onto liability.

    We did have a strong Banking & Insurance Sector at one stage with the likes of BNZ, National Bank of NZ, Auckland Savings Bank, NZI Insurance & South British Insurance, now all gone.

    Unfortunately NZ can not repair the damage done by poor Government decision making.

    • blue leopard 2.1

      “Unfortunately NZ can not repair the damage done by poor Government decision making.”

      Where there is a will there is a way.

      There is never only one option available there are always alternatives.

      The damaging consequences of poor government decisions can be rectified.

    • Gosman 2.2

      National Bank was owned by Lloyds bank from the UK. Why was that different than an Aussie owned bank?

      • mikesh 2.2.1

        NBNZ originally had a predominantly NZ shareholding. Lloyds aquired a small holding in 1919, and obtained full control in 1966 as NZ shareholders sold their shares to them in order to obtain the overseas funds necessary to purchase Holden Kingswoods.

  3. Chooky 3

    @ Jack..”.BNZ was basically raped and pillaged and went down the gurgler in no time after being privatised and somehow the Government still held onto liability”

    ….we dont want this to happen to Kiwi Bank!…Key’s Govt has already had Goldman Sachs do an evaluation of Kiwi Bank!

    • infused 3.1

      Kiwibank is hopeless.

      Couldn’t get a mortgage with them. Pain in the ass to see a banking manager, who is generally just a teller at the post shop.

      Even more useless for business.

      TSB went out of their way for me. However, TSB are useless for business as well.

      Currently with ANZ for business, but I will be looking around soon.

      • blue leopard 3.1.1

        The bank didn’t give you a mortgage so it is useless?

        Give us a break

        ‘TSB are useless for business as well’

        No reasons supplied

        • infused 3.1.1.1

          Their rates were higher, higher deposit. You can’t just walk in there and talk to someone.

          Then you get TSB who basically bent over backwards for us.

          Reasons? The fact that no system can integrate to their bank feeds is a killer right there, and that the web banking interface is like something from the 1980s.

          Just read, can now integrate with their bank feeds for Xero.

          • blue leopard 3.1.1.1.1

            Your criticisms seem to be about superficial issues.

            My understanding of local banks is that having such is more likely to keep the money – and profits – in the country, is more likely to have expertise of local conditions and more likely to support and encourage local businesses.

            I have, however, been looking around for information on the advantages of local banks (banks in a country rather than foreign ones) to support my case and have been completely unsuccessful in finding relevant sites (!) – they are all about why local banks are good for the individual (or not) rather than the advantages to the country. 🙁

            This article: ‘The Top 5 Reasons to Choose a Community Bank or Credit Union” whilst not about national vs foreign banks lists the types of advantages I see accruing to New Zealand from having people invest in a NZ Bank as opposed to an overseas one.

            • infused 3.1.1.1.1.1

              Not really superficial issues. They were key issues to me. I guess they are different to everyone.

              My main issue was that TSB was more interested than Kiwibank. Which blew my mind at the time. I went to TSB next as it’s a NZ based bank and was quite amazed with their service.

              I’ve already banked with most of the rest, so I know what they are like.

              I’d happily use Kiwibank if it was any good… thus far that hasn’t been the case.

              • blue leopard

                Yes, sorry, service is important! Only superficial in relation to arguing the point as to whether having New Zealanders using a New Zealand bank is advantageous over them using a foreign bank.

                I somewhat agree re your criticisms re service – I think the fact that Kiwibanks are positioned in shops tends to distract from the service aspect of banking. The bank staff are often swapping roles between shop assistant and bank teller – although to put a good word in: Kiwibanks are open way later than other banks – they are very much more assessable than other banks (where I live, you are hard pressed to catch other banks open …ever!)

              • Chooky

                …for big loans/transactions you have to deal directly with bank managers in the city ….but once this is negotiated the interest rates are very good( way better than Oz banks) ….and the service is very good in the provinces… in the little Kiwbank /PO shops….also for travelling overseas Kiwibank provides the best most easy secure cards and travel banking rates and safety/guarantees….way better than the Oz banks which are a rip off imo

              • Tracey

                what do you mean you were amazed by their service?

        • infused 3.1.1.2

          Good discussion though. Just emailed TSB to ask for a meeting to look at the pros/cons of moving my business to them.

          • blue leopard 3.1.1.2.1

            Hope you choose to go local – my link above may provide you some food for thought. (Not sure whether TSB is a ‘community bank’ but it is certainly a locally (NZ) owned one.)

          • Macro 3.1.1.2.2

            I’ve banked with TSB for years. I lived in the country, and had little access to any banking facilities. If you need to deposit cash which occasionally is the case then you can do that thru any Post Office. Other than that I don’t go near any bank. All on line and any ATM works. They are just a phone call away if you need assistance and there is never any waiting and always resolve the issue there and then. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

      • Chooky 3.1.2

        We had no difficulty with Kiwibank….and a much better deal than with the Oz banks!

        ….Kiwibank needs to be govt guaranteed so that it can support NZers with more risky business ventures

        • infused 3.1.2.1

          I find that hard to believe since Kiwibank always had a higher interest rate a few years ago.

        • Nakiman 3.1.2.2

          “….Kiwibank needs to be govt guaranteed so that it can support NZers with more risky business ventures”

          Government guaranteed banks is not clever. The risk to the bank is the only thing that keeps them honest and realistic. Take the risk away and they will lend money to any idiot because they cant loose. We don’t want to waste more tax payers money bailing out banks that make poor lending decisions.

          • Chooky 3.1.2.2.1

            Nakiman…you show no faith in a people’s bank run by bankers committed to serving the people of the country they represent to make wise decisions on who to lend to and who not to lend to

            …for you banks are ‘dog eat dog’…hence you say “The risk to the bank is the only thing that keeps them honest and realistic”

            ….however predator banks as we have seen in the USA which are controlled by private interest groups to maximise their profit …. use this risk to lure people and institutions into unwise loans and then turn it around on the people and gut them…the people carry the risk and the losses not the banks ….and when the whole house of cards falls over the banks expect governments and taxpayers to bale them out.

            • Gosman 3.1.2.2.1.1

              The people who work at Kiwibank are pretty much the same people who work at any other bank in New Zealand.

              • framu

                so what – the staff at many businesses are pretty much the same thing at any other business – the staff

                • Gosman

                  I’m responding to Chooky’s rather naive assumption that the people who work for Kiwibank are more committed to giving a decent banking experiences than perhaps other banks employees.

                  • Chooky

                    @ Gosman

                    …..banks should be a public service and bankers public servants…it shows how far the capitalist West has become corrupted to think otherwise

                    ….now ordinary people and whole countries have to protect themselves from predatory banks and bankers!

                    • Gosman

                      Why is it that not many left leaning political parties in NZ, not even IMP and The Greens are taking the same line as you?

                    • Chooky

                      @ Gosman re: Commitment to “Decent Banking Experiences”:

                      LEARNING FROM ISLAMIC FINANCE
                      October 22, 2013 Finance 0 Comments
                      By Dr Kamal Munir, Reader in Strategy and Policy at Cambridge Judge Business School

                      By the manner in which they managed to weather the global financial crisis and outperform conventional banks, the stability of Islamic banks has triggered a lively debate on the nature of the conventional system overall and the risks it entails.

                      Islamic finance represents one of the fastest growth fields in global finance – since 2006, the asset base has grown by 150% and is forecast to reach $1.8 trillion this year. Given the stability that Islamic banks offer, and the strict constraints under which they function, this is a tremendous achievement. Going forward, the growth rate is likely to remain steady while opportunities will multiply. Above all, the sector is likely to avoid the crises that have become the norm in conventional finance. So what is it that makes the sector so socially desirable and stable? It comes down to three key features:……

                      http://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/learning-from-islamic-finance/

                    • Chooky

                      More on banks as a public service and bankers as public servants…and it seems that such banks weather the global financial meltdowns better..reports from the IMF and World Bank:

                      GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS
                      Islamic Banks: More Resilient to Crisis?
                      IMF Survey online

                      October 4, 2010
                      Islamic banks fared differently from conventional banks during global crisis
                      Weaknesses in risk management hurt Islamic bank profitability in 2009
                      Crisis revealed important regulatory and supervisory challenges
                      A new IMF study compares the performance of Islamic banks and conventional banks during the recent financial crisis, and finds that Islamic banks, on average, showed stronger resilience during the global financial crisis……

                      https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2010/RES100410A.htm

                      http://blogs.worldbank.org/growth/what-can-we-learn-islamic-finance

        • Wreckingball 3.1.2.3

          That is a terrible idea. I don’t want the Government to guarantee dodgy investments of others. Every bank should only lend money if the risk is right. Such a policy just creates moral hazard.

          I completely agree with Nakiman.

          If a bank wants to lend someone money, it will offer them an interest rate. If another bank is willing to lend to them at a lower rate, it will do so. They are using risk vs reward analysis to work out whether to lend.

  4. infused 4

    The tender is 10 years. So why hasn’t TSB or another bank gone for it?

    That’s the question you should ask.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1

      They’ve lost the Waitemata Trust’s phone number?

      They won’t touch ex-National Party MPs with a barge-pole and if you don’t offer them a directorship or two you don’t get the contract?

      It’s a red herring offered in bad faith?

    • alwyn 4.2

      I can’t find an unambiguous statement on-line at the moment, probably because I am not putting the right question into Google but I don’t think either Kiwibank or TSB could handle the contract. It really is a huge amount of processing and splitting it up would probably just end up costing more.

      I do remember a couple of years ago the CEO of Kiwibank saying that they could not handle the work and that they wouldn’t be tendering if it was opened up. I doubt if that has changed in the interim. Kiwibank is much larger than TSB so there is no way that TSB could do the work either.
      It is an enormous contract and only the major banks could take it on.

      • infused 4.2.1

        Is Kiwibank bigger than TSB? Where can I find the info?

        • alwyn 4.2.1.1

          You can find the accounts on line if you want to.
          Just google something like “New Zealand TSB balance sheet” or something similar for Kiwibank.

          In 2013 end of year Kiwibank had about $12.5 Billion in deposits while TSB had about $5.1 Billion reported in their 2014 Annual Report.
          I realise that that is only one number but it is indicative of their relative size.

          Westpac New Zealand were about $50 Billion.

  5. mikesh 5

    Overseas banks are “sucking us dry” because they have the right to create money, a right which strictly speaking should belong to the state. The benefits from money creation come from the fact that though the process is costless the money can be lent at interest. That interest, or at least a portion of it, should go to the state.

  6. DH 6

    Has Labour said anything about Kiwibank….?

    For Kiwibank to expand it needs more capital, from what I’ve read it’s growth is constrained by the RBNZ rules on capital adequacy for trading banks. It could easily be double its present size if National hadn’t turned off the tap, they knowingly curtailed Kiwibank’s growth.

    • Chooky 6.1

      Safeguarding from overseas predators and supporting Kiwibank growth in NZ needs to be Labour Party issue….

      • Chooky 6.1.1

        …it would be interesting to hear what Jim Anderton has to say about Kiwibank as it is now ….and as he envisioned it when he set it up….it was a very popular move on his part to set it up

        • DH 6.1.1.1

          I’d think he’d feel both vindicated and disappointed.

          Kiwibank bruised a lot of overblown egos so it was probably inevitable that National would sabotage it. I can still recall when it was set up. The avalanche of jeering, sneering & snide remarks about “Jim’s Bank” was quite vomit inducing. Those muppets all got egg on their faces when Kiwibank made a profit so it’s a safe bet they’d be keen on seeing Kiwibank’s demise. The Nats can’t sell it, even they’re not that stupid, so they just hobbled it.

  7. vto 7

    “Banks should be supporting our economy but over the last twenty years the Aussie ‘big four’ have been sucking it dry”

    Exactly.

    • Draco T Bastard 8.1

      ^^ that is a must read

      This strategy on the part of the TBTF banks is what they try to pass off as the normal “business cycle,” which is nothing more than a means of acquiring the fruits of labor at fire sale prices. There have been 19 recessions since the creation of the Federal Reserve System, all designed with this result in mind, just as the financier Andrew Mellon notoriously proclaimed, “During depressions, assets return to their rightful owners.”

  8. Chooky 9

    Seems like there are changes afoot for Australian Banks..big Oz banks under Tony Abbott’s govt could be allowed to merge……how will this affect New Zealand?

    ‘Big banks could be allowed to merge’ June , 20,2014

    …. the Finance Minister has unveiled his changes to Labor’s reforms to the financial planning industry.

    And on another front, the four pillars policy that has restricted our big banks from merging or taking each other over could be set to crumble.

    WikiLeaks has revealed the Federal Government is involved in secret trade negotiations with the United States, Europe and a host of smaller nations that could swing open the doors on deregulation of the sector.

    http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2014/s4030010.htm

    • Colonial Viper 9.1

      Seems like there are changes afoot for Australian Banks..big Oz banks under Tony Abbott’s govt could be allowed to merge……how will this affect New Zealand?

      NB the Ruling Elite WANT “too big to fail” to continue.

      When GFC 2 hits, these huge merged banks will come crying to the taxpayer for bailouts, holding a gun to our heads saying if they don’t get the money they want, they will crash the economy.

      • Chooky 9.1.1

        “they will crash the economy”…or takeover and own the country!….poor Greece and its experience with Goldman Sachs

        …….all the more reason for a New Zealand government backed Kiwibank for New Zealanders ….which is insulated from the overseas predator banks and their thieving funny money…not so funny men!

        • srylands 9.1.1.1

          “poor Greece’s ” Government should not have developed a sense of entitlement and lulled the population into thinking their crazy policies of the last 30 years could continue without awful consequences. Simple as that.

          • Chooky 9.1.1.1.1

            @ srylands……Greek govt certainly helped by Goldman Sachs to dupe the people

            ‘Greek Debt Crisis: How Goldman Sachs Helped Greece to Mask its True Debt’

            By Beat Balzli

            Goldman Sachs helped the Greek government to mask the true extent of its deficit with the help of a derivatives deal that legally circumvented the EU Maastricht deficit rules. At some point the so-called cross currency swaps will mature, and swell the country’s already bloated deficit.

            http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/greek-debt-crisis-how-goldman-sachs-helped-greece-to-mask-its-true-debt-a-676634.html

            • Tracey 9.1.1.1.1.1

              slylands doesnt link concepts. He doesnt “get” that a country of people who had no mortgages and no credit cards until the 80’s became an overspending government by 2008 but the two are not connected by a single feature: banking system he champions. Pity him but thank god his wife is a greenie so the children have a chance at humanity

            • Gosman 9.1.1.1.1.2

              That is like blaming the person who lent a car for the crime that was committed using it. The Greeks were the ones responsible for getting in to debt. Noone else spent the money.

          • Draco T Bastard 9.1.1.1.2

            http://rwer.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/why-europes-austerity-experiment-is-doomed-to-fail-7-graphs/

            Growing government debt thus appears to be more a symptom of the crisis than a cause. Its rise began after the crisis in both countries, not before; and the one that hasn’t deliberately attempted to reduce government spending by austerity is the one whose public debt ratio is no longer rising.

            Greece got fucked over by the ECB putting in place policies that you advocate for.

          • Colonial Viper 9.1.1.1.3

            “poor Greece’s ” Government should not have developed a sense of entitlement and lulled the population into thinking their crazy policies of the last 30 years could continue without awful consequences. Simple as that.

            Actually, the Greek elites were bought and paid for by international banking, and they subsequently sold out their fellow citizens. Further, Greece signed away its currency sovereignty, and allowed itself to be subject to debt in a foreign currency that it did not control.

            You really should update your pro-German pro-EU propaganda, they’re a couple of years out of date.

          • Chooky 9.1.1.1.4

            @ Sryslands …too simple to just blame the Greek people and their government

            From the Guardian and the USA:

            ‘Goldman Sachs faces Fed inquiry over Greek crisis’

            The investment bank’s work with the Greek government in the early part of the decade is now under scrutiny as Athens struggles with huge debts

            http://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/feb/25/markets-pressure-greece-cut-spending

            From Aljazeera : ‘The Bank that Rules the World’

            http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2014/06/goldman-sachs-bank-rules-world-2014613175932453607.html

            From alternet: ‘ “The Role of Goldman Sachs

            Greece was able to “hide” its deficits thanks to Goldman Sachs, which had sold financial derivatives called credit-default swaps to Greece between 2002 and 2006. The credit-default swaps operated a bit like subprime loans, enabling Greece to lower its debts on its balance sheets, but at very high borrowing rates. Goldman Sachs had sales teams selling these complicated financial instruments not just to Greece, but to many gullible municipalities and institutions throughout Europe (and the United States), who were told that these deals could lower their borrowing costs. For Greece, the loans blew up in 2008–2009, when interest rates rose and stock markets collapsed. Among those involved in these deals included Mario Draghi (now President of the ECB), who was working at the Greece desk at Goldman Sachs at the time. While these sales generated huge profits for Goldman Sachs, the costs are now being borne by ordinary Greek people in the form of punishing austerity programs. (For more on Goldman Sachs’s role, see part four of the PBS documentary “Money, Power, Wall Street.”)”

            http://www.alternet.org/economy/which-way-out-greek-nightmare-and-crisis-europe

          • framu 9.1.1.1.5

            no its not as simple as that – but we know you like things to be simple – its all you can cope with

            or is this more of your “listen my opinion – its self evident fact” language fuckwittery?

            Ever thought your ideas are so powerful they dont need to be debated?

            Oh – thats right, still waiting for you to respond to my challenge over on the roading post – go on, give us an answer

        • srylands 9.1.1.2

          Well you have it, don’t you? It is a dog but you have it nevertheless.

          • Chooky 9.1.1.2.1

            …are you saying Kiwibank is a ‘dog’ ?

            • blue leopard 9.1.1.2.1.1

              …rather a nice loyal dog than a money grubbing fat cat cross two-headed snake GM hybrid thing

            • felix 9.1.1.2.1.2

              Chooky, if Kiwibank was sucking billions out of our economy srylands would be in favour.

              • Chooky

                yes agreed….and going into whose pockets?…theft from the people!….we have to watch our Kiwibank ….where is Labour on this and where is Jim Anderton?

              • Gosman

                Kiwibank has sucked 10 ‘ s if not 100’s of millions of dollars out of the NZ economy. You just aren’t aware of it.

                • Draco T Bastard

                  The Australian banks pull billions of dollars out from the NZ economy every year.

            • srylands 9.1.1.2.1.3

              Yes. It has never paid a dividend.

              Also, compared to the other banks it has a high proportion of low margin customers. So it has had two impacts:

              1. Sucked up a vast amount of taxpayer capital without returning a dividend (the taxpayers have no choice – charming)
              2. Increased the profitability of the Australian owned banks.

              ANZ shareholders have much to thank Jim Anderton for. As a test – when did you ever hear of ANY of the big Australian banks whinging about “unfair” competition from the “Government owned” bank? That’s right never. Because they all want it to remain.

              The unintended consequences of socialism writ large 🙂

              • MrSmith

                Kiwi bank have 1.39% of market share SS, so why would the ozzies banks be worried, now if Kiwi bank had 10-20% of the market share then we could start to compare them.

                Should we trust the ozzies though? Probably not and after reading the papers today I see one of their most trusted is just about to go to jail, tie your kangaroo down sport .

              • KJT

                Why are they working so hard to remove Kiwibank, then!

                Hint. All bank fees dropped, and all the extra little charges that banks apply in Australia have not been used here..

                • MrSmith

                  Actually the truth is KJT kiwi bank have over 10% market share now , not bad for a bank that was set up 12 years ago, that’s what they are worried about.

  9. greywarbler 10

    Jim Anderton is trying to save a white elephant in Christchurch ie the ancien cathedral.

    That’s a very interesting image of Russel Norman. Pieces of him stand out from the dark background, shows off his green tie well.

  10. Gosman 11

    Kiwibank was in no position to take on the work of being the banker to the government even if it wanted to at the last time the contract was renewed. Even now it is not really able to do so as the core banking application is not robust enough. They are currently looking to upgrade to SAP which is a major undertaking. This will take a couple of years and cost over 100 million dollars likely. Only then could they tender for the job.

    • dimebag russell 11.1

      @grossman
      you are the one that needs an upgrade from being a SAP.
      Kiwibank can do what ever it is directed to do.

  11. MrSmith 12

    The current banking system should be burned, then buried along with religion and then only talked about in history books, when this finally happens people will look back in wonder, as we do now, at those who once thought the world was flat.

    Another thing that bugs me is the media asking the local banking economists for their opinions. For fucks sake, apart from the fact they have know bloody idea, what’s going to happen, and if they did will just spin you a line, because these people don’t work for the general public , for christ sake it’s like asking the fox how things are going since he moved into the hen house.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 27

    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 hour ago
  • Ticket To Anywhere

    You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 hours ago
  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    19 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    24 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T01:31:59+00:00