Luxon has been Susied on National Radio

Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, June 22nd, 2022 - 68 comments
Categories: Christopher Luxon, health, Media, national, same old national, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, uncategorized - Tags:

The country is in the middle of a wave of influenza that is putting significant strain on the health system.  And Covid has not gone away.  Numbers continue to be stubbornly high.

National are focussing their attacks on this.  Chris Luxon was interviewed this morning on Radio New Zealand by Susie Ferguson.  His solutions were neatly wrapped up in three bullet points, fast track nurses into residency, stop wasting money on the new Health bureaucracy,  and bring back health targets.

Susie Ferguson delved deeper into these bullet points.  How for instance can we attract more nurses to New Zealand when Australia offers significantly higher wages.  Shouldn’t we also increase nurse wages?

It is here that Luxon started to get unstuck.  He is very good at sounding all managerial on it but get him off his talking points and he flounders.

He claimed that a fast track to residency for nurses was more important than offering them good wages.  They will somehow bypass superior wage offers in Australia and Canada as long as they have certainty about their immigration status.  They are on the work to residency pathway which allows them to enter the country and after spending some time to then apply for residency.  But Luxon thinks it should be straight to residency.

It is here that the interview became interesting. Because Susie Ferguson started to ask him some very pointed questions.

SF – But also they [Australia and Canada] do pay them more, bottom line.  So are you saying that you wouldn’t be pay them anything more?

CL – What we wouldn’t be doing is spending billions of dollars on a health structure that is going to need …

SF – Can we focus on the nurses please.  Would you pay them more money or would you not?  Simple question.

CL – We would stop spending the money building bureaucracy and management in Wellington.  We would put that money into the front line to make sure we improve services, hospitals, Doctors, Nurses, and we get them here.  But we are 4,000 nurses short right now and we could solve this by opening up our immigration settings, making New Zealand attractive to Australia, Canada and other places.

SF – … are you undertaking that if you become leader of the Government next year you will pay Nurses more?

Luxon continued to talk about anything but wage increases for nurses.  The collective sign you heard at this time was the whole country losing the will to live as they waited for Luxon to simply say “yes” or “no”.

He was then asked about tax cuts.

SF – But the thing about this here is that under your proposal thousands of top earners like yourself will get thousands and thousands of dollars as a tax cut so wouldn’t that then pay essentially a chunk of  nurses wages or to put a chunk more money into the health system.

CL – Susie what we are saying is that at the moment we have a Government that is making it up on the fly.  A week out from the budget they put a cost of living package together …

Then about health:

SF – Would you Mr Luxon want to commit to inflationary spending increases for the health system?

CL – Well what we are saying is we would be increasing health spend and education spend each year that I am in Government.

SF – To an inflationary level?  You would match that?

CL – We have been very clear we would increase the budget each and every year in health and education.

SF – Ah but that is not the same thing. Would you match inflation?

CL – What I said to you Susie is we would increase budgets each and every year and what we would be doing …

SF – But if it is not an inflationary level adjustment Mr Luxon then it does mean that it’s going backwards.  So would you fund it to an inflationary level?  Or Not?

SF – We would make sure we have got what we need to deliver the outcomes we want to see …

Luxon then talked about delivery implementation and execution.  He really loves his management buzz words.

The take away is clear.  In power National will allow health funding to dip below the rate of inflation just as it did last time it was in power.

This is why we had sewerage running down the wall in Middlemore Hospital.  It is why the health system needed dramatic and prolonged budget increases to get it functioning more efficiently.

As for the criticism of the new bureaucracy well it will be replacing 21 individual health boards.  I thought that National would approve of this.

It irritates me every time National attacks on health.  The system is large and complex.  To achieve meaningful change requires the application of extra resources over a long period of time.  It takes years to construct buildings and train staff.  Nothing happens over night.

And National’s proposal, to seek out “efficiencies” will only mean price cutting and further undermining of a system that is struggling but still works remarkably well.

Hats off to Susie Ferguson for actually asking the hard questions.  How can tax cuts be implemented but the quality of Government services not be affected.  To the rest of the media please take note.  The country deserves to hear from the major parties what they are proposing and not allow the reality of what they are suggesting to be smothered by corporate speak.

68 comments on “Luxon has been Susied on National Radio ”

  1. Matiri 1

    I heard him too this morning, shame more people don’t listen to Morning Report!

    NB Sewage running down the walls, sewerage is the infrastructure.

    • Ross 1.1

      Yeah it does feel good to blame National. Alas the reality is different.

      Raw sewage is leaking down the inside of walls in Whangārei Hospital's medical wing.

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/sewage-leaking-into-whangarei-hospital-medical-wings-walls/NQQLYOTQ7ESDYVBY4JA4VYQJFU/

      • Peter 1.1.1

        “Raw sewage leaking down the inside of walls in Whangārei Hospital's medical wing?”

        That's the DHB that had Shane Reti on its board for three terms.

        All the while with National MPs for Whangarei and Northland electorate.

        • alwyn 1.1.1.1

          Perhaps they did.

          However the report linked to is at the end of last year. Four years into the Labour Government. Sigh.

          Reti was a Ministerial appointment to that Board of course. Appointed by the Clark Labour Government apparently. And he ceased to be on the Board about 15 years ago by the look of his history

          Still you can try and blame him I suppose. Makes you look silly of course.

          • Peter 1.1.1.1.1

            Reti, and his years and years of Nat MPs ensured there was no way shit would be down the walls in 2021.

            Suggesting that shit doesn't just suddenly happen if everything is 100% is not blaming Reti. It's simply pointing out that if he and his colleagues were half as brilliant as the hopeless they make the current lot out to be, the shit wouldn't have happened.

      • Louis 1.1.2

        "Raw sewage has been leaking into the walls of Middlemore Hospital's Scott building, on top of all the other problems with its buildings"

        https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/353602/sewage-leaking-into-middlemore-building-s-walls

  2. Leighton 2

    Has Luxon yet done an interview in which he has successfully held his own when asked to go beyond his bog standard talking points about how hopeless/wasteful/"woke" the current government is? It seems that every time he is pushed by an interviewer he ends up taking a position that the vast majority of the electorate disapprove of.

    The difference in aptitude between him and Ardern (who has to answer tough questions much more often) is so profound that it is hard to understand how the polls can be where they currently are.

    • Grafton Gully 2.1

      Sure but people confused and disheartened by Ardern's cleverness and grip on the data will, like me find comfort in a seemingly well meaning guy getting interviewed and trying to do his best against point scoring smartypants interviewers. Simple to understand and leaves me feeling cheered up that's what I want, like the "less educated people" in the Reuter's Institute Report 2022.

      "Meanwhile, the proportion of news consumers who say they avoid news, often or sometimes, has increased sharply across countries. This type of selective avoidance has doubled in both Brazil (54%) and the UK (46%) over the last five years, with many respondents saying news has a negative effect on their mood. A significant proportion of younger and less educated people say they avoid news because it can be hard to follow or understand – suggesting that the news media could do much more to simplify language and better explain or contextualise complex stories."

      https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2022/dnr-executive-summary

      • Joe90 2.1.1

        Luxon gets >$300k pa. For that money, doing his best just isn't enough.

        For that money he should at the very least be well meaning, well prepared, and have a grip on the data.

        Instead, we get an ill prepared, jargon spouting nitwit easily bested by someone well below his pay grade.

        • Grafton Gully 2.1.1.1

          Agree with para 3, but these qualities might be appealing if you went through school unprepared in the same class as the prepared and felt shit because of it, clung to easily memorised lines to numb the confusion and learned that charm and cunning can determine pay grade.

  3. pat 3

    You know you're in it up to your neck when the likes of Luxon is polling as the next PM….the future is bleak.

    • tc 3.1

      Totally expected with the media not asking luxon the obvious questions like Susie just did.

      Unlike key luxon can’t boycott RNZ at this point so the owned media compensates with no hard questions and fluff.

      • pat 3.1.1

        It appears it matters not whether 'the hard questions' are asked or not…if there is dissatisfaction with how things are under the incumbent (and without doubt , there is) then the (obvious) alternative will benefit, irrespective of their competency.

        A sad state of affairs.

  4. Muttonbird 4

    When one nurse has residency fast tracked, how many family members come along with that nurse, or is the nurse to be separated from family, indefinitely?

    We simply do not have the infrastructure for another imported wave of cheap labour, plus extended families.

    • Populuxe1 4.1

      We do if they're distributed properly. Everyone can't live in Auckland and Wellington. If anything now is a good time with house prices dropping.

      • mpledger 4.1.1

        The thing is affordability isn't dropping because of interest rates. It's a lose-lose situation. Sellers don't win, buyer don't win (unless the buyers didn’t sell in the same market). And there is a 3 year stand-down for new migrants IIRC.

    • Margaret Costello 4.2

      With the present two years work in NZ as a nurse, then apply for residency. The nurse will have the immediate family arrive, sometimes a nurse also. Then marriage, then baby with NZ birth certificate, NZ passport, then Grandparents to mind baby, then with the residency, and experience in NZ in NZ hospitals, often initially Aged care, then Public Hospital experience and study days attended, /CV endorsements are sent to Australia, and the whole family move to Australia via their NZ residency. That was always their endgame. The weather weather and the tropical fruit and vegetable and a large community that their own South Kerulla, India, is one example of the journey, as observed many times by NZ Public hospitals. National/Luxons call to immediate residency, with mean the time until they leave for Australia will be much sooner. Hence very little help with NZ recruitment and retention That is why the immigration of nurses should remain at 2 years, not direct residency IMO

  5. Ad 5

    +100 Mickey neither Ardern, Hipkins nor Little would turn up to a health debate unprepared with strong brief.

  6. "The collective sign you heard at this time was the whole country losing the will to live as they waited for Luxon to simply say “yes” or “no”.:

    A helluva thing to wake up to this morning… Despite her best abilities, Luxon ducked, dived weaved,spun,pirouetted, and dodged her bullet-questions like some super-powered meta-human gifted with super speed…

    Some takeaways from his behaviour;

    1. He's no longer Some rank amateur. He's a fully fledged,well oiled politician.

    2. I doubt his deflecting will work well against PM Ardern next year in the Leaders debates. This kind of equivocation will not go well for him.

    3. Will Nats polling remain at their current level when the public see he can't deliver a straight answer? Will swing voters put up with it?

    If Luxon's party strategists think this is a workable strategem,they are playing a game of roulette. And the House usually wins…

    • Sacha 6.1

      I doubt his deflecting will work well against PM Ardern next year in the Leaders debates.

      Why not? He only has to keep it up for 30-60 seconds at most before the format moves on. Just like regular 'news' clips. Voters will focus on his demeanour, not what he says.

      • Hanswurst 6.1.1

        Maybe. On the other hand, nobody ever gave Key the sort of treatment that Jack Tame and Susie Ferguson have, so Luxon might find that the manner in which leaders' debates are moderated has also moved on. A style once successful won't necessarily be so forever. Luxon is no better or worse than Key was at the same stage, but it may be a case where the man hath come (again), but the hour is long gone by.

        Then again, he may also win.

    • Patricia Bremner 6.2

      Yes he is oily Frank. Slippery and says what he thinks is going to be acceptable. Very shallow coat of paint on any ideas.

      Someone we know is right wing was shocked by his arrogant "It will be great when we win Government and can please ourselves. People are tired of this Government"

      Where is the "Do what the Electorate wants??" Oh that's right, they want the vote only…… after that… we are on our own.smiley

    • Peter 6.3

      It'll take more than collective sighs. Go to the local bowling club, say "Three Waters" and listen to what easily outdoes collective sighs.

  7. Ross 7

    How can tax cuts be implemented but the quality of Government services not be affected.

    Quite easily I imagine. But don’t worry, National will undoubtedly provide a comprehensive and fully costed economic policy prior to the next election. Just as they did prior to the 2020 general election. That policy was reviewed by independent economists.

    I would’ve thought that those on the Left would be delighted that everyone earning over $14,000 will receive a tax cut under National.The implication that we cannot afford to give the low paid a tax cut is rather sad.

    • Leighton 7.1

      Yep, tax cuts for the poor is what this is all about. I'm sure the extra $105 a year that our full time minimum wage earners can expect under National's tax plan will more than make up for the inevitable reduction in public services.

      • Leighton 7.1.1

        Interestingly on this point, National is actively trying to deliberately obscure the extent to which their tax plan favors the ultra rich. Their online tax savings calculator does not factor in the effect of abolishing the 39% top bracket, which is part of National's policy. This makes it look like Luxon and his mates will only benefit by the same amount as a "working man" on $78k per year, which is of course complete bullshit.

    • Craig H 7.2

      Having spent many hours tinkering with the Treasury tax tool, the lowest bracket is the biggest one in terms of revenue, so it's not surprising nobody wants to touch it.

  8. Sanctuary 8

    Interesting meta about Luxon's technique is he uses a debating style very common amongst Evangelicals/creationists – the Gish gallop. Basically, you send out a constant stream of talking points that half and no truths.

    • Robert Guyton 8.1

      Gish gallop – much favoured by Fonterra and Dairy NZ fronts-people as well. You "win" the debates, from the crowd's point of view, wherever the crowd is unaware of how Gish gallop works. That is, most crowds.

      • JO 8.1.1

        Also much favoured by certain radio 'hosts' who seem to believe that the faster they speak and the more ground they cover, the more people will give up and agree – the Gish Gallop could go with the Goebbels Gavotte – say an awful lot often and fast on as few breaths as possible to minimise pauses for listeners to think, and you'll convince many distracted people to believe you might be telling the truth. Heck, you don't even need to believe it all yourself, just wave your personalised pretension pennant and go for it.

        Sanctuary's great link explains far more than a strong aversion to Luxonspeak:

        A Gish Gallop tries to create the illusion of authority and an incredible weight of evidence by sheer quantity alone, without any quality to back it up. To supporters, the illusion works, but those who disagree with the Galloper’s points often find the amount of repetitive assertions and non-explanations offered tedious to deal with.

    • tc 8.2

      Mostly that works as the current crop lack the motivation and skills to de-frock nationals latest emporer.

      Saw Beatson do this to English years ago requiring a yes/no…eventually double dipton caved and told a truth that very few people saw on the old freeview public tv channel.

  9. Bruce Ellis 9

    Good post and it was a painful interview to hear. Well done Suzie.

    We also need to remember that keeping Health expenditure up with inflation is not enough as it doesn't allow for rising needs from an aging population and from high levels of immigration. I haven't heard anyone put this point to him.

    • Barfly 9.1

      Yeah and no one has noted that medical inflation runs at a much higher % than general inflation.

      • Patricia Bremner 9.1.1

        True Barfly.

      • Poission 9.1.2

        Medical inflation is a symptom of Baumols cost disease.Wage costs meeting a Pareto curve of 80% of costs.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baumol%27s_cost_disease

        A good test is the increase of costs for vehicle accidents when,accidents and subsequent claims decreased.

        https://www.acc.co.nz/newsroom/media-resources/road-injury-statistics/

        • Nic the NZer 9.1.2.1

          This theory is saying despite significant advances in medical outcomes, health care has not experienced labour productivity gains?

          • pat 9.1.2.1.1

            How or why would you expect productivity improvement in 'caring' labour….it is a time intensive activity where the outcomes are improved by greater engagement…not conducive to improved productivity.

            • Nic the NZer 9.1.2.1.1.1

              If productivity improvement in healthcare means anything it must be related to improving health outcomes. Contrary to the conception your putting across of health care this has been achieved (the improved outcomes over more recent decades) by improvements in health science, not by medical practitioners introducing more time intensive practices. If anything, the privatization of health policies have attempted to reduce the amount of engagement involved in medical practice.

              • pat

                Those improved outcomes have come with increased expectation/demand that impact productivity negatively….we can so we must, irrespective of productivity and the private sector is no paragon, indeed the most privatised healthcare system in the world is also the most expensive in terms of cost to GDP.

                • Poission

                  The US also has some of the least outcomes in terms of life expectancy etc.see links and data models at world in data below.

                  Very hard to do comparative analysis though.

                • Nic the NZer

                  I'm unconvinced productivity has any useful meaning regarding health care. I claim this thought experiment demonstrates its not productivity being measured at all.

                  Take NZ and its health care system and measure its level of productivity by some measure (like cost of health care provision per capita). Now imagine we swap NZs population with a much younger population but make no changes to the health care sector. We can even keep the same staff as necessary. What happens to NZs cost of health care provision per capita? Obviously it goes down, maybe by quite a lot.

                  Note this is basically the setup used in Poission's links for some measures which also demonstrates an older population is more expensive to treat.

                  https://ourworldindata.org/financing-healthcare#how-strong-is-the-link-between-healthcare-expenditure-and-life-expectancy

                  In this thought experiment we didn't change the productivity of the health care sector at all. They remained exactly as productive with both populations. So all that was measured was the age of the population by proxy with their health care costs.

                  • pat

                    Yes , a change in demographics would impact demand upon health care however I would argue that does not equate to a change in productivity , but on reflection there are elements of health care where productivity may be increased…e.g currently the home care service provides in home care for many elderly/disabled but it is administered from Auckland and the carers spend unnecessary travel time between clients due to poor logistics planning, accentuated by inadequate staffing levels…the replacement of local health care with helicopter and ambulance transfer to metro hubs is another example…it seems to me that productivity has been sacrificed to reduce investment.

                    • Nic the NZer

                      "Yes , a change in demographics would impact demand upon health care however I would argue that does not equate to a change in productivity"

                      This is the point of the thought experiment. If this is true then we can't measure healthcare productivity via cost of health care provision per capita, or measures which look like it. The analysis in that link talks about productivity (marginal productivity) but what is being measured may be just increased costs with population aging, and that extending life spans at birth leads to an older population.

                    • Sacha

                      transfer to metro hubs is another example…it seems to me that productivity has been sacrificed to reduce investment.

                      Not about 'productivity'. Clinical safety demands that practitioners undertake the same procedure a certain number of times in a year. Small population centres cannot offer that for rarer ones.

                      Delivering harm or death more efficiently counts for nothing.

          • Poission 9.1.2.1.2

            Its labour intensive and increased health spending moves to a limit (where the laws of diminishing returns occur) such as old age.

            In most countries with market economies, the market for healthcare is only one of many markets competing for the same resources; because of this the prices for healthcare services are affected by productivity changes in other markets. Economic theory suggests that, if the productivity of the healthcare industry increases slower than that of other industries (a probable scenario given that healthcare provision is particularly labour-intensive), then prices in the healthcare sector are likely to grow faster than inflation, and expenditure as a share of income is thus likely to grow (this argument is known as Baumol’s ‘cost disease’). The graph from Culyer and Newhouse (2000) shows that in the U.S., over the course of the 20th century the growth in the consumer price index for all goods and services (CPI) was lower than the growth in the medical consumer price index (MCPI).

            https://ourworldindata.org/financing-healthcare#when-did-the-provision-of-healthcare-first-become-a-public-policy-priority

            • Nic the NZer 9.1.2.1.2.1

              This Baumol concept has some pretty fundamental issues being applied herein. For a start we need to find an independent variable relating productivity which measures volume of output and if your comparing across industries then that measure needs to be compatible between those industries. On the other hand with no independent variable for productivity you could just be measuring wages in two industries and then applying a somewhat arbitrary preference for which industry you assess has become more productive.

              As Piero Sraffa investigated a similar concept in his work on 'Production of Commodities by Means of Commodities'. Ultimately he concluded that the value of capital could not be determined independent to the profit level. I'm going to suggest similar issues exist comparing productivity across industries. Productivity becomes particularly difficult to interpret where your not counting numbers of standard widgets or where quality is a factor. The usual fallback is to a price measure but now why should this be independent from labour cost?

              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piero_Sraffa

              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_capital_controversy

              If we assume a relatively fixed return on capital inside an industry then the price level of an industry isn't exactly independent to the wage rate in that industry basically because all income eventually gets paid as a wage/(or as profits). This is a bit of a problem if your trying to look at how wages compare to productivity, you may simply be measuring the price setting power of the good produced. In terms of the research your referencing this considers only the US CPI vs the US MCPI. Maybe the medical insurance industry in the US has more price setting power than other important goods and as a result medical professionals get paid more.

              The other issue here is the assumption that the medical industry is constrained in its output by some productivity limit. To me this appears to simply be incorrect. If the health budget was enlarged it would provide more health services at least in some areas, this is just a basic fact of health services being rationed. This doesn't imply that health services are performing close to a productivity limit but a somewhat lower budget limit.

              • Poission

                For a start we need to find an independent variable relating productivity which measures volume of output and if your comparing across industries then that measure needs to be compatible between those industries.

                That is the difficult argument as the health sectors argue for wage parity and equity from sectors that do have large productivity gains.If they are arguing for parity with similar sectors in say Queensland,where there is to be a large health spend (funded by coal royalties) then they should also look at the problems in that jurisdiction such as large power hikes (caused by increased coal royalties and increased prices) 20% rent hikes in the last 12 months due to internal migration,cold mouldy uninsulated homes due to cold wet weather.Higher food costs etc.

                Arguing that we need increased funding to retain staff from immigration is weak,as are difficulties at hospitals in winter,with delays to elective surgery,as this would be expected following a pandemic and with a naive population at risk from influenza.

                There may be efficiencies unmasked from a centralized organization,mostly in debt management and administration,then again looking at RCA etc it usually comes at cost plus.

  10. mary_a 10

    I listened to Susie Ferguson interview Chris Luxon this morningindecision Wasn't sure if I was supposed to laugh at Luxon's comic value, or cry at the tragedy of his inability to correctly respond to basic questioningcoolfrown

    Will Susie be at work tomorrow I wonder, after beating her head so hard after Luxon's "visit"? Her frustration at his pointless answers was clearly audible to me.

    At this rate, next year's election debates should be entertaining as well as interesting. Ardern v Luxon … the PM will own National's leader. Then there will be Robertson v Willis, same outcome there as well I'd say. Bring it on with the popcorn.

    • Patricia Bremner 10.1

      laugh We have a stock of lollies Yep. Bring it on.

    • Yes, the election 'contest' will be no contest if judged solely on the head to head debates.

      Jacinda owned Chrissie in the House today, as did Hipkins with Mercenary Mitch and Grant with Nicola. There’s not a lot of depth in the opposition.

      Unfortunately, I can't see the international economic situation getting any better in the next 12 – 18 months, and the government will inevitably get blamed for the stress this country will be under.

      So it'll be relatively easy for a coat of paint like Luxon to grab headlines, with the aid of a compliant MSM.

      The election debates will be one-sided and entertaining, but are unlikely to determine the outcome of the election. More's the pity.

      • satty 10.2.1

        Agreed. Especially, food prices and – for all those petrol-dependent / addicted car drivers – petrol prices will have a bigger impact on the election than some election debates.

      • peter sim 10.2.2

        Well put and apposite.

  11. georgecom 11

    moving nurses to the same status as doctors will HELP the nursing crisis to some extent. So will paying nurses more. So will training more nurses in NZ. What Luxon says won't solve things in itself.

    As for Health NZ, Luxon is saying its a waste of money. A big part of the budget allocation was wiping DHB debt, that debt accumulated during the last National Government. So his solution is scrapping HNZ and keeping DHB's in debt? Perpetuate the same ongoing problems. Continue with DHB's in debt and never clearing that debt.

    As for waiting time targets, how will that solve things. If there are 10 people in the door at an ED probably easy to meet a target. If 510 people then it gets a whole lot harder. Achieving targets requires funding and resources to meet targets.

    9 years of a previous National Government saw DHBs significantly under funded and under staffed. No commitment from Luxon to provide that funding and staffing, not even a commitment to finding increases meeting inflation. Essentially sounds like a rehash of the Key years.

    • It is a 'rehash' of the Key years. There's no original thinking in the entire Natz party.

      As if a number (target) on a piece of paper will somehow solve wait times! The more so when Chrissie failed to give a commitment to funding keeping up with inflation.

      Under a Chrissie Luxy government we'd be right back in the Colman (sp?) era of millions needing to be cut from DHB budgets.

      Oh happy times ahead.

  12. cut the flim flam. the health department is in need of repair because the nationals party broke it into twenty parts so they could say it wasn't working and then sell the parts off to someone who could ostensively fix it.

  13. The problem that Luxative brings is that a lot of people will support him because he is not that nasty Labour lot or too cringe worthy like Collins or whoever. He can be as dimwitted and contradictory as he likes and will still get a lot of sheep following.

    A friend of mine went to a rally of his here in Nelson a couple of months ago. A guy in the audience got up and ranted about all this treaty and Maori stuff. The crowd went rah rah and cheered. Luxative said this is right though he was learning Te Reo himself. And the crowd went rah rah and cheered. A very similar thing happened with environmental issues. All I can say is God save us.

  14. Bryan 14

    And why is there this pressing need to pay nurses in DHB's/Health NZ even more.

    When the dispute over backpay of the historic pay equity deal is resolved then from March 2022 a RN with a three year degree will start on $66.5K and be on $90K base salary after completing four years service topping out at $95K base salary after 6 years service [60% + of RNs employed by DHB's are now at the top of automatic scale] with another bargaining starting I believe in October 2022.

    https://www.nzno.org.nz/Portals/0/Files/Documents/Groups/Health%20Sectors/Pay%20Equity/2022-04-08_Proposed_Nursing_Pay_Equity_Settlement.pdf?ver=SKqeoMtyWE8zKrrlFSiYYw%3d%3d

    • pat 14.1

      Apparently the pay in Australia is around 30% higher…and we are effectively the same market….whether that makes any difference I'll leave to you to decide.

      • Bryan 14.1.1

        A true genius, however I will decide when you produce more than a hearsay figure.

        • Bryan 14.1.1.1

          https://www.nswnma.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PHS-calculator-2021.pdf

          oh dear, apparently, my math for the NSW RN pay step after 6 years service translated into $NZ puts it 2% ahead on base salary or with the extra step at year 8 in NSW 12% ahead on base salary.

          • pat 14.1.1.1.1

            Apparently your math is lacking

            NZ award reg nurse 6 years experience DHB NZD 75,132
            NSW reg nurse 6 years experience AUD83928 (or 92000NZD) …your link.

            • Bryan 14.1.1.1.1.1

              Apparently you do choose to ignore the rates that have been negotiated and agreed by the parties [provided in the link] as part of the historic pay equity settlement which will be effective from March 2022.
              NZNO and PSA are not disputing these rates but will not ratify at this point in time because of a dispute over prior undertakings that were given over backpay of the pay equity settlement to late 2019. In the journey to resolving this disputed issue on 13/06/2022 all parties were in mediation in the Employment Relations Authority.
              Feel free to remain oblivious to real world events.

              • pat

                Speaking of oblivion to real world events….if you think that NZ nurses are not and will not continue to move to Australia for greater pay and better conditions I would suggest it is not me with the delusion….however in thye grand scheme of things it matters not what you or I think but what the nurses themselves think…and clearly that is pay and conditions in Australia are better, and they would know.

                “An advertisement by a recruitment company in Australia calling urgently for experienced emergency nurses in regional New South Wales offers new recruits a A$7500 ($8280) “sign-on bonus”.

                “[That’s] just to sign on the bottom line. Add to that free accommodation, free flights, support to get education and increase your skill and knowledge and experience. New Zealand at the moment cannot compete with that.”

                A doctor who has worked in the sector for more than 10 years said he knew of around 10 nurses – a mix of colleagues and friends – who had left New Zealand for jobs in Australia over the past three months.

                One nurse, who the Herald agreed not to name, said his pay increased 30 per cent when he moved to Australia earlier in the year. Better pay was one of several reasons why he moved.

                Pay slips seen by the Herald showed the nurse was paid $39.80 per hour in New Zealand per hour and A$47.37 in Australia. He said another bonus was that a small part of his salary was exempt from tax.”

                https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/nurses-broken-sector-faces-thousands-vacancies

  15. Bryan 15

    https://www.nswnma.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PHS-calculator-2021.pdf

    oh dear, apparently, my math for the NSW RN pay step after 6 years service translated into $NZ puts it 2% ahead on base salary or with the extra step at year 8 in NSW 12% ahead on base salary.

  16. JustMe 16

    For almost 40 plus years the NZ National Party has beaten the same Blame Game Mantra Drum to the point of nausea

    That is they will never stop beating a repetitive mantra that truly needs to be consigned to the past but National just DON"T GET IT i.e figure out how to move with the times and reality.

    Their best approach to matters is to blame everyone else but the faces staring back at them in the mirror of their feeble lives.

    They now have a leader that has resulted in them scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to leaders. Their current leader is one John Key put forward and he(Luxon)has the foul stench of Key even when it comes to his appearances in the media and his 'beating of an outdated National Party Mantra Drum'.

    More than 20 years ago I worked with Jim Bolger's cousin who was a 'true blue' National Party supporter. He kept up the beating of the National Party Blame Game Drum to the point that I asked him if there was ever a policy in a National government that he didn't agree with. He would give reason for the policies of a National government by blaming a previous Labour government for all the woes in the world.

    It made me think that whilst this and previous Labour governments were not perfect and is the human frailty of life make mistakes that National and their supporters deem themselves as being incapable of making mistakes and therefore taking responsibility and accountability for whatever mistakes they have made whilst in government.

    This inability by National to take responsibility and accountability is what renders them, in my opinion, as un-electable at say the next election.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 16.1

      This inability by National to take responsibility and accountability is what renders them, in my opinion, as un-electable at say the next election.

      Yep, no acknowledgement or repudiation of past mistakes. Imho politicians are not inherently untrustworthy, but some are (considerably) less trustworthy than others.

      Revealed: Trust in politicians at lowest level on record
      When IPPR asked the question in May this year [2021], just after the Greensill scandal, a clear majority (57 per cent) said they thought politicians were ‘out for themselves’, suggesting that distrust in politics had already become the norm.

      This new norm – voters' low expectations of (self-serving) pollies – will suit some more than others.

      Trust is political [9 February 2022]
      Altogether, in principle, trust is political and, in practice, trusting is a political experience.

      Trust as a political game of allegiance and alliances is perhaps most evident when we look at the so-called dark sides of trust and its, at times, foul relationship with power (Möllering, 2019) in organisations (Skinner et al., 2014) and across multiple levels.

      In general, in as much as trust is an attitude with behavioural consequences that actors can actively promote or prevent, in themselves and others, trusting is a manifestation of power and ultimately a political choice – a vote.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    60 mins ago
  • Relentlessly negative
    Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 hours ago
  • Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    Bryce Edwards writes –  It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 hours ago
  • Promiscuous Empathy: Chris Trotter Replies To His Critics.
    Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played. “Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
    3 hours ago
  • Don’t run your business like a criminal enterprise
    The Detail this morning highlights the police's asset forfeiture case against convicted business criminal Ron Salter, who stands to have his business confiscated for systemic violations of health and safety law. Business are crying foul - but not for the reason you'd think. Instead of opposing the post-conviction punishment and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 hours ago
  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    3 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    8 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    8 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    8 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    9 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    10 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    11 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    13 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T05:46:39+00:00