Man ban – Geddis on DPF

Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, July 4th, 2013 - 108 comments
Categories: dpf, feminism, labour, spin - Tags: ,

Andrew Geddis has indecent fun as he schools DPF – extracts below but go read the whole thing on Pundit:

NZ Labour – as crazy as the UK Tories

According to the NZ Herald, which has sourced its story from goodness knows where, the Labour Party is to consider at its annual conference a rule change that will mandate an element of gender equality in its candidate selection processes.

Over on Kiwiblog, DPF is having a right old chortle about this proposed “man ban”. (Get it? “Man” rhymes with “ban”! It’s a (snortle, chuckle) “Man (giggle, shnuffle) ban”!!!).  …

… in 2010, Cameron strengthened his position even further, announcing that because not enough women candidates were being chosen, he would impose all-women shortlists for the 2015 election.

Asked why the system should not be left as a “meritocracy,” he said: “It doesn’t work.
“I have a lot of sympathy with that view but, and it’s a really big but, we tried that for years and rate of change was too slow.

“If you just open the door and say ‘you’re welcome, come in,’ and all they see is a wave of white [male] faces, it’s not very welcoming.

“Changing a political party and getting things done is never easy. I had had to change the way we select and promote women. I have given the party a big shock on this issue.

“We have to recognise that the rate of change wasn’t fast enough. We weren’t going to be representative enough as a party, so I took the view that we had to give things a big shift and a big shake-up.

“The end result at this coming election is a party that is much more balanced.”

So there you go. NZ Labour – shifting so far to the left and so blinded by ideological fervour that they are doing the same thing as the UK Conservative Party is doing!

Oh – as for why Labour might want to do this? Well, as of the end of 2012, there were 2,254,200 women in New Zealand, compared to 2,181,500 men. Yet only 13 of Labour’s 33 MPs were women. See the difference there? …

And perhaps, whisper it softly, that is why DPF has reacted so strongly to Labour’s proposed rule change. After all, better to shriekingly decry your enemy than to look at your own side and ask “why?”

108 comments on “Man ban – Geddis on DPF ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. BM 1
    4 July 2013 at 4:20 pm

    Actually it just goes to show you how pathetic the conservative party is.

    Another thing, it’s England, we’re not English.

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 1.1
      4 July 2013 at 4:22 pm

      You’re not a Labour voter either.

      PS: We? You and someone else you represent? How many people have you got in there?

      • BM 1.1.1
        4 July 2013 at 4:24 pm

        How do you know that, have you been spying on me?

        Edit:
        I’ve noticed that many of the Poms living in NZ can’t seem to get past the fact that NZ is no longer part of the empire or that we no longer look at England for direction and advice.
        When I write we, I mean the people of NZ.

        • the pigman 1.1.1.1
          4 July 2013 at 4:29 pm

          🙄

        • One Anonymous Knucklehead 1.1.1.2
          4 July 2013 at 4:36 pm

          😆 way to miss the point BM, which is that in your dreams, and only in your dreams you speak for us.

        • fender 1.1.1.3
          4 July 2013 at 4:38 pm

          “How do you know that, have you been spying on me?”

          You forgotten what you spat yesterday ?

        • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.4
          4 July 2013 at 5:00 pm

          I’ve noticed that many of the Poms living in NZ can’t seem to get past the fact that NZ is no longer part of the empire or that we no longer look at England for direction and advice.

          Really, Amazing. Especially considering that National brought back in the Queens honours system and we still hear whinges from the National party about dropping having to go to England to settle our legal disputes.

          It seems that National think that we are still part of the Empire.

          • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.4.1
            4 July 2013 at 5:02 pm

            We are: US, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ.

          • Boadicea 1.1.1.4.2
            4 July 2013 at 5:54 pm

            TV One News has a Colonial Cringe streak running through it. Very many 6pm buletins have a English royal family or similar story. Peter Williams (Paul Henry’s side man) usualy fronts.
            Radio NZ’s Mora “show” fills its gaps with content from the Torygraph.
            The hiring of English Civil Servants, often dud, is another sign of the Colonial Cringe that is pervasive in Wellington, IMHO.
            Both Labour people and Natz often promote an idea or solution on the simple basis that it is used in England. Cringe worthy.
            The sooner Kiwi’s go and declare the country a Republic the better for its self-esteem.

            • Populuxe1 1.1.1.4.2.1
              4 July 2013 at 6:26 pm

              What an ironic thing to say given your nom de plume, but still a crock of shit. I have yet to see any evidence that the self-esteem of Australia and Canada in today in any way influenced by sharing a monarch with Great Britain.

        • Rogue Trooper 1.1.1.5
          4 July 2013 at 5:24 pm

          so, you concede that ‘english’ attitudes persist, particularly among the influential conservative lobby.

  2. karol 2
    4 July 2013 at 4:28 pm

    Hmmm. So, if the men are the majority of Labour MPs, how many of the neoliberal old guard would be gone if the Labour candidates for 2014 are 45% female?

  3. mickysavage 3
    4 July 2013 at 4:31 pm

    It is a proposal at this stage. This means that it will need to be discussed at various levels of the party and voted on eventually at Annual Conference.

    The issue is a proper one to raise. Labour should be representative of the community at large and right now it is male dominated.

    The proposed rule change may or may not be the best way to achieve the end goal which I am sure no one in the party opposes but this is why the discussion and debate are important.

    Meanwhile Slater’s and Farrar’s spin is frankly disingenuous in the extreme.

    And it is not really a leak. The proposed rule has been circulated as far as I can see amongst all members and no doubt will appear on Labour’s website soon. It is as much a leak and the slightly early release of the Kitteridge Report.

    • Brett Dale 3.1
      4 July 2013 at 4:42 pm

      So micky if you wanted to stand as a labour party candidate and not move from
      where you are now living, but were told you couldnt because you were a man, would
      you be happy?

      Man lucky for the late David Lange, that labour didnt have this policy.

      • One Anonymous Knucklehead 3.1.1
        4 July 2013 at 4:45 pm

        It’s all about you and your privilege. How could it not be?

      • BM 3.1.2
        4 July 2013 at 4:46 pm

        Or Big Norm.

        • One Anonymous Knucklehead 3.1.2.1
          4 July 2013 at 4:51 pm

          Or all the brilliant female candidates we actually missed out on.

      • Lanthanide 3.1.3
        4 July 2013 at 5:50 pm

        Pretty sure you don’t have to live in an electorate in order to stand for it.

        • McFlock 3.1.3.1
          4 July 2013 at 5:51 pm

          Look at blinglish 🙂

        • weka 3.1.3.2
          4 July 2013 at 9:51 pm

          “Pretty sure you don’t have to live in an electorate in order to stand for it.”

          Yeah you do. But the definition of ‘live in’ is pretty loose. You have to have a home there that you stay in sometimes.

          • karol 3.1.3.2.1
            4 July 2013 at 9:56 pm

            And yet, some MPs don’t seem to stay in their electorates long enough to know of the existence there of the country’s most prominent German entrepreneur.

          • Bunji 3.1.3.2.2
            5 July 2013 at 10:19 am

            No you don’t. You have to be nominated by people who live in the electorate, you don’t have to live there yourself. (Just ask Maggie Barry or any number of others who promise to move into the electorate if the good burghers vote for them)

            That said, it’s a good look if you want to get in.

    • weka 3.2
      4 July 2013 at 4:57 pm

      “Meanwhile Slater’s and Farrar’s spin is frankly disingenuous in the extreme.”

      Would be nice to see a slew of posts in the leftwing blogosphere about how the rightwing doesn’t want women in parliament. I’m sure there’d be some good subject lines.

      • chris73 3.2.1
        4 July 2013 at 5:09 pm

        oh but we do, I especially would like to see Judith Collins running the country…

        • weka 3.2.1.1
          4 July 2013 at 5:17 pm

          Collins doesn’t count as women you idiot.

          • chris73 3.2.1.1.1
            4 July 2013 at 5:25 pm

            Shes all women as far as I’m concerned but I guess in comparison with Labours offerings… 🙂

          • Rogue Trooper 3.2.1.1.2
            4 July 2013 at 5:27 pm

            barely counts as a … oh wait, …behave. (moment of weakness, not at the knees).

        • Suitably Clueless 3.2.1.2
          4 July 2013 at 5:49 pm

          I just threw up in my mouth a little at that thought.

      • BM 3.2.2
        4 July 2013 at 5:10 pm

        Why do the right wing not want women in parliament.?
        I don’t care if some one has an inny or an outy, it’s if you’ve got the skillz that matters.

        Like Chris said I’d love to see Judith take over from Key, she’s really got what it takes.

        • weka 3.2.2.1
          4 July 2013 at 5:19 pm

          “Why do the right wing not want women in parliament.?”

          Yes, why do the rightwing not want women in parliament. I’d like to know. Because today you are all arguing something that prevents more women in parliament.

          • chris73 3.2.2.1.1
            4 July 2013 at 5:26 pm

            No, we’re arguing against discrimination

            • weka 3.2.2.1.1.1
              4 July 2013 at 6:03 pm

              No. You’re arguing FOR discrimination, you’re just too stupid to see it or too disingenuous to admit it.

              The system is stacked against women. Labour want to set that right, so that we get a balance of genders in parliament to reflect the population. YOU don’t want that to happen, you prefer to stick with the system that promotes men above women. That’s discriminatory.

              • chris73 …
                4 July 2013 at 6:21 pm

                “YOU don’t want that to happen, you prefer to stick with the system that promotes men above women. That’s discriminatory.”

                – Don’t blame me for Labours discriminatory treatment of women 🙂

          • BM 3.2.2.1.2
            4 July 2013 at 5:40 pm

            Maybe I have a bit more of a respect of the skills women have than what you obviously do.

            I’ve met a few women business owners, very impressive and confident individuals.

            If I told them that I think we should change way things are done because they’re women and there’s not as many women business owners therefore the rules need changing because obviously women can’t cut it in this environment otherwise there would be a even split of male/female business owners they’d kick me in the balls and stamp on my face

            And I’d deserve it.

            • McFlock 3.2.2.1.2.1
              4 July 2013 at 5:49 pm

              I’ve met a few women business owners

              My emphasis added.
              If society were a meritocracy, you would have met more than “a few”.

            • weka 3.2.2.1.2.2
              4 July 2013 at 6:09 pm

              “If I told them that I think we should change way things are done because they’re women…”

              But see here you are completely missing the point. The change isn’t needed because there is something wrong with women. It’s needed because there is something wrong with men. Or, to put it more kindly, there is something wrong with the system that men set up to their own advantage. You want to pretend that the system is gender neutral, but it’s not, and women voters know that.

              Of course if you present the concept to women in the patronising way you have, then of course they won’t like it. But if you demonstrate how teh system is unfair, many women will recognise this because they’ve lived with it their whole lives.

              • BM …
                4 July 2013 at 6:23 pm

                Yes, it’s all the fault of Men.

                Why, why, why is the Earth cursed with this cancerous race, oh the pain and hardship these creatures have caused.

                Evil, through and through

                • One Anonymous Knucklehead …
                  4 July 2013 at 6:30 pm

                  Childish, empty, pointless, worthless gimps like you don’t speak for men. That’s just the way things are, get used to it.

                  • BM …
                    4 July 2013 at 6:53 pm

                    I recommend you put on a coarser hair shirt and up the self flagellation to at least 4 times daily.

                    You’ll feel a lot better.

                    • One Anonymous Knucklehead …
                      5 July 2013 at 7:11 am

                      😆 Do you think I feel guilty by association with people like you? 😆

                • weka …
                  4 July 2013 at 6:36 pm

                  “Yes, it’s all the fault of Men.”

                  So you agree there is a problem then.

                  I assume you can’t respond to my actual points so you have to create false hyperbole around them. Gee, a feminist being called a man-hater for pointing out sexism in society.

                • Pascal's bookie …
                  4 July 2013 at 6:37 pm

                  Why are there so few women MPs in National?

                  • BM …
                    4 July 2013 at 6:44 pm

                    They’re not good enough or not interested.

                    • Pascal's bookie …
                      4 July 2013 at 7:01 pm

                      What is it about being a woman that might make them not good enough?

                    • BM …
                      4 July 2013 at 7:13 pm

                      Nothing about being a women, might be more to do that there weren’t as many women applying to be ministers, might also be the guys were better suited or had better skills.

                      Hypothetically speaking
                      Just say only 10 women put their names forward to be mps, 9 were selected, would you still accuse National of being a sexist woman hating party ?

                    • weka …
                      4 July 2013 at 7:45 pm

                      “might also be the guys were better suited or had better skills.”

                      Continuously for twenty years? Why would that be? Because more men are better than women?

                    • RedBaronCV …
                      4 July 2013 at 8:21 pm

                      Actually it’s lack of socipaths

                    • felix …
                      4 July 2013 at 9:14 pm

                      Come on weka, that’s not fair.

                      You know right-wing philosophies collapse as soon as you factor in time.

                    • QoT …
                      4 July 2013 at 11:15 pm

                      might also be the guys were better suited or had better skills.

                      Like Aaron Gilmore, for example.

    • Colonial Viper 3.3
      4 July 2013 at 8:11 pm

      The issue is a proper one to raise. Labour should be representative of the community at large and right now it is male dominated.

      I would tend to disagree strongly. If you seriously want the Labour caucus to “be representative of the community at large”, then half of them need to be earning less than $41,000 pa, the median full time wage.

      Because currently all MPs in Parliament are earning in the top 1%. And that’s not at all representative, is it.

      • weka 3.3.1
        4 July 2013 at 8:19 pm

        That argument only works if you think that gender is something that is constructed by society (like low incomes) and can be changed. Ah well I supposed the Labour Party could endorse gender reassignment surgery instead.

        I think in fact you would agree that the situation of MPs being out of touch with low income earners should change, right? Rather than not changing it, and not changing gender equity.

  4. mickysavage 4
    4 July 2013 at 4:38 pm

    If I can make one further comment on this issue it shows that the Labour party does not handle social media well.

    It puts this out with no thought about how it should be presented. It is a clean hit to Slater and Farrar who then get in first and add their spin onto it.

    Imagine if Julie Fairley or QOT or Karol had a chance to be the first to comment on it how different the debate could be.

    • Brett Dale 4.1
      4 July 2013 at 4:44 pm

      I would say Julie would be against it, QOT would be for it, Karol would think its the
      greatest policy in all humanity.

    • fender 4.2
      4 July 2013 at 4:46 pm

      So very true.

      “Imagine if Julie Fairley or QOT or Karol had a chance to be the first to comment on it how different the debate could be.”

      Yes PLEASE.

      • weka 4.2.1
        4 July 2013 at 5:15 pm

        +1 Great point micky. Of course that would mean Labour acknowledging that people who read blogs do in fact vote.

      • karol 4.2.2
        4 July 2013 at 8:33 pm

        Hmmm. I guess I am at a disadvantage in commenting on this as I am not familiar with how the Laboour Party selection processes work in practice. if I was going to post on it, I would look at the evidence for and against such quota systems in other countries, as here.

        It’s list of pros and cons of quotas is useful. And this kind of discussion:

        From this website it is possible to see how many countries have adopted reserved seats quotas, legislated candidate quotas and political party quotas. However, from the figures of women’s actual political representation, the website does illustrate that quota requirements are not actually always implemented. The web site reveals discrepancies between quota requirements and actual representation. Since the website only gives information about quotas rules that have been adopted, and not about the compliance in practice in individual parties, it is not possible to make conclusions about the connection between types of quota provisions and women’s representation — other than that many quota provisions are not properly implemented. And yet, women’s representation might increase as a result of the very debate about introducing quotas. But further research is needed about the implementation of quotas.

    • Ant 4.3
      4 July 2013 at 4:47 pm

      It’s like 1 step back, 2 steps back at the moment.

      It would be funny if this kind of stuff wasn’t contributing to a NACT 3rd term. 😐

    • Ad 4.4
      4 July 2013 at 5:17 pm

      You are so right.

      This is the first major “policy” since the Kiwipower thing, and it’s all in how it lands in the first 2 hours. That’s the turn of the debate.

      There’s stuff all men over 35 that vote Labour anyway, so it’s not like it can do too much more damage to increasing their male vote.

      A hesitation I have is that we have seen the party President strive and fail to give local electorates more say in how the Party runs things- so far to little practical effect. When New Lynn for example complained about how their MP was treated under freshly minted rules, New Lynn electorate got its head caved in. Which makes it hard to trust that another instrument will not be used as simply a disciplinary mechanism to get rid of those who don’t toe the Leaders’ line.

      I sincerely hope Shearer has a major knockout policy in the wings to supercede this debate, or we will see this gender thing echo through Leighton Smith and the rest for weeks.

      • Colonial Viper 4.4.1
        4 July 2013 at 8:01 pm

        There’s stuff all men over 35 that vote Labour anyway

        What the frak?

    • The Fan Club 4.5
      4 July 2013 at 5:20 pm

      None of those mentioned are particularly Labour friendly (& in fact range from “willing to live with Labour” through to “unable to shake obsession with supposed neolib boogeyman” to “hates current party with vemon”. It’s probably worth realizing that there just aren’t any reliably labour friendly bloggers with any pull.

      (also, really, this is kinda an inevitable side of effect of a democratic party, and could have happened at any point since a few months before regional conferences. Not much you can do about that.)

    • AmaKiwi 4.6
      4 July 2013 at 6:05 pm

      Another Labour public relations disaster to distract the public from the Nat’s fiascoes.

    • QoT 4.7
      4 July 2013 at 11:22 pm

      I wasn’t aware Labour had actually put this out, mickey (as opposed to maybe DPF or Slater getting their hands on a copy of someone’s conference papers?) – but if so, I completely agree. Hell, get a Labour MP like Sue Moroney or better yet some savvy Young Labourite to front the issue, put it in plain “it’s just a procedural tweak which gives party members more of a say if they want to promote talented women to caucus” language, boom.

      Now we’re stuck with fucking “manban” and the neckbeards of Twitter whinging because someone somewhere might do something which slightly erodes their manprivilege.

      • karol 4.7.1
        5 July 2013 at 7:35 am

        Or the likes of Josie Pagani reinforcing the narrative that’s already taken off in the MSM, because, god forbid that Labour do anything that might upset the status quo.

        Agree with Micky. The problem now is not only that women are under-represented in Labour’s caucus, but that there is now all this re-active hysteria about Labour attempting to do anything to make the caucus more gender-balanced.

  5. Brett Dale 5
    4 July 2013 at 4:58 pm

    If tvnz covers this, and doesnt put labour’s spin on it, next poll they will be below 30%

  6. The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 6
    4 July 2013 at 5:05 pm

    9% of the population is incontinent. Who represents them?

  7. tracey 7
    4 July 2013 at 5:17 pm

    Why is it such a big deal that a party wants to encourage 50% of their representatives to be women? I’ve seen candidate processes in the National party (from a family member who once stood against Doug Graham) and they were viscious spiteful and very personal affairs.

    • weka 7.1
      4 July 2013 at 5:21 pm

      Because the rich white men’s club stops functioning properly once you get too many women around.

      • Rogue Trooper 7.1.1
        4 July 2013 at 5:29 pm

        struck with the c-spanner in the waterworks.

      • Colonial Viper 7.1.2
        4 July 2013 at 5:52 pm

        Because the rich white men’s club stops functioning properly once you get too many women around.

        That’s why you call Shipley, Gattung, Wong, Rankin and Rebstock in. No shortage of women around who know how to work with the rich white mens clubs.

        • weka 7.1.2.1
          4 July 2013 at 6:12 pm

          Precisely, and don’t forget Collins. And no shortage because the number of positions available is relatively small.

    • infused 7.2
      4 July 2013 at 9:03 pm

      It’s not encouraging, that’s why. It’s enforcing.

  8. gobsmacked 8
    4 July 2013 at 5:35 pm

    Hmm. On the one hand, there’s a “here we go again” element to this – as Mickey Savage says, Labour social media acting like snail mail.

    On t’other hand, Labour – and leftish parties generally – have always had internal debates and remits that can create an easy headline in talkbackland (voting age 16, decriminalise weed, etc). Always have, and (IMO) always should.

    I don’t think that’s Labour’s real problem. Far worse *facepalm* comes from senior MPs constantly screwing up, not ordinary party members discussing internal stuff. Self-discipline in caucus is way more important that regimenting the conference. For starters, the MPs are in the spotlight every day, not once a year.

    So yeah, not bothered about all-women shortlists, more bothered about the blokes currently in charge.

  9. burt 9
    4 July 2013 at 5:54 pm

    Social engineering…

    Well, as of the end of 2012, there were 2,254,200 women in New Zealand, compared to 2,181,500 men.

    OK woman, you are in a ballot to see if you are allowed to vote this year, 72,700 of you are going to miss out because it’s simply wrong that more woman vote than men. !!!!!!

    • weka 9.1
      4 July 2013 at 6:14 pm

      You got the argument round the wrong way burt. Those extra 72,700 women mean we should have MORE female MPs than male (not less voters). But because we’re talking about gender equity we’re willing to do a 50/50 split.

      • The Fan Club 9.1.1
        4 July 2013 at 6:17 pm

        Er, no, we’re not willing to do a fifty-fifty split (at least, not in the nzlp.) 50% is a floor, not a ceiling, for women’s representation.

        • weka 9.1.1.1
          4 July 2013 at 6:20 pm

          ‘we’ – I was talking about women, not the Labour party.

          • The Fan Club 9.1.1.1.1
            4 July 2013 at 6:23 pm

            And I was pointing out that a fifty-fifty split isn’t the goal for the nzlp, which is, after all, the party taking a tone of flack for standing up for feminist principles.

  10. AmaKiwi 10
    4 July 2013 at 6:16 pm

    There are fewer women in politics because we are wise enough to see the fruitlessness of trying to work within this dysfunctional, dictatorial system.

    I would never stand for office. It’s an exercise in futility. I post here on the recommendation of my therapist. It works! I’ve cut my medication in half.

  11. The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 11
    4 July 2013 at 6:18 pm

    It’s every man’s right to have babies:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R79yYo2aOZs

  12. Simeon 12
    4 July 2013 at 6:33 pm

    We will only see how serious they are with this if a woman is chosen to be the candidate for Mt Eden or Mt Roskill.

    • gobsmacked 12.1
      4 July 2013 at 6:38 pm

      I assume you mean Mt Albert.

      There was at least one strong female contender for the Labour nomination there. She lost out to a less capable man, who happened to be the leader’s mate.

  13. vto 13
    4 July 2013 at 8:29 pm

    who’s the author of this man ban spam?

    • Mary 13.1
      4 July 2013 at 8:42 pm

      Farrar followed closely by Slater. Looking forward to shrill from Odgers next.

  14. infused 14
    4 July 2013 at 9:02 pm

    Good old Labour, actively helping National win 2014.

    • karol 14.1
      5 July 2013 at 7:38 am

      I’d say it’s more the MSM, picking up on some misogynist whalespew, that is actively contributing to National’s election campaign.

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    Sometimes you despair. You really do. Fresh off leading Labour to its ugliest election result since 1990,* Chris Hipkins has decided to misdiagnose matters, because the Government he led cannot possibly have been wrong about anything. *In 2011 and 2014, people were willing to save Labour’s electorate ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • Clued Up: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    “But, that’s the thing, mate, isn’t it? We showed ourselves to be nothing more useful than a bunch of angry old men, shaking our fists at the sky. Were we really that angry at Labour and the Greens? Or was it just the inescapable fact of our own growing irrelevancy ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • JERRY COYNE: A powerful University dean in New Zealand touts merging higher education with indigeno...
    Jerry Coyne writes –  This article from New Zealand’s Newsroom site was written by Julie Rowland,  the deputy dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland as well as a geologist and the Director of the Ngā Ara Whetū | Centre for Climate, Biodiversity & Society. In other ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away.
    Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away.For the last couple of weeks its felt as though all the good things in our beautiful land are under attack.These isles in the southern Pacific. The home of the Māori people. A land of easy going friendliness, openness, and she’ll be right. A ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Speaking for the future
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.MondayYou cannot be seriousOne might think, god, people who are seeing all this must be regretting their vote.But one might be mistaken.There are people whose chief priority is not wanting to be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • How Should We Organise a Modern Economy?
    Alan Bollard, formerly Treasury Secretary, Reserve Bank Governor and Chairman of APEC, has written an insightful book exploring command vs demand approaches to the economy. The Cold War included a conflict about ideas; many were economic. Alan Bollard’s latest book Economists in the Cold War focuses on the contribution of ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    3 days ago

  • Willis fails a taxing app-titude test but govt supporters will cheer moves on Te Pukenga and the Hum...
    Buzz from the Beehive The Minister of Defence has returned from Noumea to announce New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting and (wearing another ministerial hat) to condemn malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government. A bigger cheer from people who voted for the Luxon ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • ELIZABETH RATA: In defence of the liberal university and against indigenisation
    The suppression of individual thought in our universities spills over into society, threatening free speech everywhere. Elizabeth Rata writes –  Indigenising New Zealand’s universities is well underway, presumably with the agreement of University Councils and despite the absence of public discussion. Indigenising, under the broader umbrella of decolonisation, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the skewed media coverage of Gaza
    Now that he’s back as Foreign Minister, maybe Winston Peters should start reading the MFAT website. If he did, Peters would find MFAT celebrating the 25th anniversary of how New Zealand alerted the rest of the world to the genocide developing in Rwanda. Quote: New Zealand played an important role ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • “Your Circus, Your Clowns.”
    It must have been a hard first couple of weeks for National voters, since the coalition was announced. Seeing their party make so many concessions to New Zealand First and ACT that there seems little remains of their own policies, other than the dwindling dream of tax cuts and the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 8-December-2023
    It’s Friday again and Christmas is fast approaching. Here’s some of the stories that caught our attention. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered some of the recent talk around the costs, benefits and challenges with the City Rail Link. On Thursday Matt looked at how ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    3 days ago

  • End-of-week escapism
    Amsterdam to Hong Kong William McCartney16,000 kilometres41 days18 trains13 countries11 currencies6 long-distance taxis4 taxi apps4 buses3 sim cards2 ferries1 tram0 medical events (surprisingly)Episode 4Whether the Sofia-Istanbul Express really qualifies to be called an express is debatable, but it’s another one of those likeably old and slow trains tha… ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 8
    Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro arrives for the State Opening of Parliament (Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)TL;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:New Finance Minister Nicola Willis set herself a ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand’s Witchcraft Laws: 1840/1858-1961/1962
    Sometimes one gets morbidly curious about the oddities of one’s own legal system. Sometimes one writes entire essays on New Zealand’s experience with Blasphemous Libel: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/blasphemous-libel-new-zealand-politics/ And sometimes one follows up the exact historical status of witchcraft law in New Zealand. As one does, of course. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • No surprises
    Don’t expect any fiscal shocks or surprises when the books are opened on December 20 with the unveiling of the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU). That was the message yesterday from Westpac in an economic commentary. But the bank’s analysis did not include any changes to capital ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49 2023
    113 articles in 48 journals by 674 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects Diversity of Lagged Relationships in Global Means of Surface Temperatures and Radiative Budgets for CMIP6 piControl Simulations, Tsuchida et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0045.1 Do abrupt cryosphere events in High Mountain Asia indicate earlier tipping ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Phone calls at Kia Kaha primary
    It is quiet reading time in Room 13! It is so quiet you can hear the Tui outside. It is so quiet you can hear the Fulton Hogan crew.It is so quiet you can hear old Mr Grant and old Mr Bradbury standing by the roadworks and counting the conesand going on ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • A question of confidence is raised by the Minister of Police, but he had to be questioned by RNZ to ...
    It looks like the new ministerial press secretaries have quickly learned the art of camouflaging exactly what their ministers are saying – or, at least, of keeping the hard news  out of the headlines and/or the opening sentences of the statements they post on the home page of the governments ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Xmas  good  cheer  for the dairy industry  as Fonterra lifts its forecast
    The big dairy co-op Fonterra  had  some Christmas  cheer to offer  its farmers this week, increasing its forecast farmgate milk price and earnings guidance for  the year after what it calls a strong start to the year. The forecast  midpoint for the 2023/24 season is up 25cs to $7.50 per ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • MICHAEL BASSETT: Modern Maori myths
    Michael Bassett writes – Many of the comments about the Coalition’s determination to wind back the dramatic Maorification of New Zealand of the last three years would have you believe the new government is engaged in a full-scale attack on Maori. In reality, all that is happening ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Dreams of eternal sunshine at a spotless COP28
    Mary Robinson asked Al Jaber a series of very simple, direct and highly pertinent questions and he responded with a high-octane public meltdown. Photos: Getty Images / montage: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR The hygiene effects of direct sunshine are making some inroads, perhaps for the very first time, on the normalised ‘deficit ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Oh, the irony
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Appointed by new Labour PM Jacinda Ardern in 2018, Cindy Kiro headed the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) tasked with reviewing and recommending reforms to the welfare system. Kiro had been Children’s Commissioner during Helen Clark’s Labour government but returned to academia subsequently. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Transport Agencies don’t want Harbour Tunnels
    It seems even our transport agencies don’t want Labour’s harbour crossing plans. In August the previous government and Waka Kotahi announced their absurd preferred option the new harbour crossing that at the time was estimated to cost $35-45 billion. It included both road tunnels and a wiggly light rail tunnel ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Webworm Presents: Jurassic Park on 35mm
    Hi,Paying Webworm members such as yourself keep this thing running, so as 2023 draws to close, I wanted to do two things to say a giant, loud “THANKS”. Firstly — I’m giving away 10 Mister Organ blu-rays in New Zealand, and another 10 in America. More details down below.Secondly — ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • The Prime Minister's Dream.
    Yesterday saw the State Opening of Parliament, the Speech from the Throne, and then Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s dream for Aotearoa in his first address. But first the pomp and ceremony, the arrival of the Governor General.Dame Cindy Kiro arrived on the forecourt outside of parliament to a Māori welcome. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • National’s new MP; the proud part-Maori boy raised in a state house
    Probably not since 1975 have we seen a government take office up against such a wall of protest and complaint. That was highlighted yesterday, the day that the new Parliament was sworn in, with news that King Tuheitia has called a national hui for late January to develop a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • Climate Adam: Battlefield Earth – How War Fuels Climate Catastrophe
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). War, conflict and climate change are tearing apart lives across the world. But these aren't separate harms - they're intricately connected. ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • They do not speak for us, and they do not speak for the future
    These dire woeful and intolerant people have been so determinedly going about their small and petulant business, it’s hard to keep up. At the end of the new government’s first woeful week, Audrey Young took the time to count off its various acts of denigration of Te Ao Māori:Review the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Another attack on te reo
    The new white supremacist government made attacking te reo a key part of its platform, promising to rename government agencies and force them to "communicate primarily in English" (which they already do). But today they've gone further, by trying to cut the pay of public servants who speak te reo: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • For the record, the Beehive buzz can now be regarded as “official”
    Buzz from the Beehive The biggest buzz we bring you from the Beehive today is that the government’s official website is up and going after being out of action for more than a week. The latest press statement came  from  Education Minister  Eric Stanford, who seized on the 2022 PISA ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • Climate Change: Failed again
    There was another ETS auction this morning. and like all the other ones this year, it failed to clear - meaning that 23 million tons of carbon (15 million ordinary units plus 8 million in the cost containment reserve) went up in smoke. Or rather, they didn't. Being unsold at ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Assault On Maori
    This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Even so, Christopher Luxon has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. In the NZ Herald, Audrey Young has compiled a useful list of the many, many ways that ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • Rising costs hit farmers hard, but  there’s more  positive news  for  them this  week 
    New Zealand’s dairy industry, the mainstay of the country’s export trade, has  been under  pressure  from rising  costs. Down on the  farm, this  has  been  hitting  hard. But there  was more positive news this week,  first   from the latest Fonterra GDT auction where  prices  rose,  and  then from  a  report ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    5 days ago

  • ROB MacCULLOCH:  Newshub and NZ Herald report misleading garbage about ACT’s van Veldon not follo...
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  In their rush to discredit the new government (which our MainStream Media regard as illegitimate and having no right to enact the democratic will of voters) the NZ Herald and Newshub are arguing ACT’s Deputy Leader Brooke van Veldon is not following Treasury advice ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Top 10 for Wednesday, December 6
    Even many young people who smoke support smokefree policies, fitting in with previous research showing the large majority of people who smoke regret starting and most want to quit. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Wednesday, December ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • Eleven years of work.
    Well it didn’t take six months, but the leaks have begun. Yes the good ship Coalition has inadvertently released a confidential cabinet paper into the public domain, discussing their axing of Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs).Oops.Just when you were admiring how smoothly things were going for the new government, they’ve had ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Why we're missing out on sharply lower inflation
    A wave of new and higher fees, rates and charges will ripple out over the economy in the next 18 months as mayors, councillors, heads of department and price-setters for utilities such as gas, electricity, water and parking ramp up charges. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Just when most ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • How Did We Get Here?
    Hi,Kiwis — keep the evening of December 22nd free. I have a meetup planned, and will send out an invite over the next day or so. This sounds sort of crazy to write, but today will be Tony Stamp’s final Totally Normal column of 2023. Somehow we’ve made it to ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago

  • At a glance – Has the greenhouse effect been falsified?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • New Zealaders  have  high expectations of  new  government:  now let’s see if it can deliver?
    The electorate has high expectations of the  new  government.  The question is: can  it  deliver?    Some  might  say  the  signs are not  promising. Protestors   are  already marching in the streets. The  new  Prime Minister has had  little experience of managing  very diverse politicians  in coalition. The economy he  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    6 days ago

  • You won't believe some of the numbers you have to pull when you're a Finance Minister
    Nicola of Marsden:Yo, normies! We will fix your cost of living worries by giving you a tax cut of 150 dollars. 150! Cash money! Vote National.Various people who can read and count:Actually that's 150 over a fortnight. Not a week, which is how you usually express these things.And actually, it looks ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • Pushback
    When this government came to power, it did so on an explicitly white supremacist platform. Undermining the Waitangi Tribunal, removing Māori representation in local government, over-riding the courts which had tried to make their foreshore and seabed legislation work, eradicating te reo from public life, and ultimately trying to repudiate ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Defence ministerial meeting meant Collins missed the Maori Party’s mischief-making capers in Parli...
    Buzz from the Beehive Maybe this is not the best time for our Minister of Defence to have gone overseas. Not when the Maori Party is inviting (or should that be inciting?) its followers to join a revolution in a post which promoted its protest plans with a picture of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Threats of war have been followed by an invitation to join the revolution – now let’s see how th...
     A Maori Party post on Instagram invited party followers to ….  Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Join the REVOLUTION! & make a stand!  Nationwide Action Day, All details in tiles swipe to see locations.  • This is our 1st hit out and tomorrow Tuesday the 5th is the opening ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Top 10 for Tuesday, December 4
    The RBNZ governor is citing high net migration and profit-led inflation as factors in the bank’s hawkish stance. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, including:Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says high net migration and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Nicola Willis' 'show me the money' moment
    Willis has accused labour of “economic vandalism’, while Robertson described her comments as a “desperate diversion from somebody who can't make their tax package add up”. There will now be an intense focus on December 20 to see whether her hyperbole is backed up by true surprises. Photo montage: Lynn ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
    The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago

  • And I don't want the world to see us.
    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago

  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes – The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 week ago

  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 week ago

  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume III
    Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago

  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    1 week ago

  • Ministers visit Hawke’s Bay to grasp recovery needs
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Cyclone Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, to meet leaders of cyclone and flood-affected regions in the Hawke’s Bay. The visit reinforced the coalition Government’s commitment to support the region and better understand its ongoing requirements, Mr Mitchell says.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity
    New Zealand has joined the UK and other partners in condemning malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government, Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau Judith Collins says. The statement follows the UK’s attribution today of malicious cyber activity impacting its domestic democratic institutions and processes, as well ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Disestablishment of Te Pūkenga begins
    The Government has begun the process of disestablishing Te Pūkenga as part of its 100-day plan, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds says.  “I have started putting that plan into action and have met with the chair and chief Executive of Te Pūkenga to advise them of my ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change Minister to attend COP28 in Dubai
    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will be leaving for Dubai today to attend COP28, the 28th annual UN climate summit, this week. Simon Watts says he will push for accelerated action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, deliver New Zealand’s national statement and connect with partner countries, private sector leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand to host 2024 Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM). “Having just returned from this year’s meeting in Nouméa, I witnessed first-hand the value of meeting with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security and defence matters. I welcome the opportunity to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Study shows need to remove distractions in class
    The Government is committed to lifting school achievement in the basics and that starts with removing distractions so young people can focus on their learning, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.   The 2022 PISA results released this week found that Kiwi kids ranked 5th in the world for being distracted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Post-Cabinet press conference
    Most weeks, following Cabinet, the Prime Minister holds a press conference for members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. This page contains the transcripts from those press conferences, which are supplied by Hansard to the Office of the Prime Minister. It is important to note that the transcripts have not been edited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme scrapped
    The Government has axed the $16 billion Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme championed by the previous government, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “This hugely wasteful project was pouring money down the drain at a time when we need to be reining in spending and focussing on rebuilding the economy and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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