Mea culpa

Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, August 2nd, 2020 - 33 comments
Categories: Andrew Little, election 2020, greens, jacinda ardern, labour, national, Politics, Simon Bridges, todd muller, uncategorized - Tags:

Three years ago I wrote a post “Ok, I’m pissed off with the Labour caucus again. Time to switch“. While I am still totally surprised at just how successful Jacinda Ardern has been at pulling both the country and the Labour caucus together, I am absolutely delighted by it.

At the time I pretty convinced that it was something more like what recently happened in National caucus when they rolled Simon Bridges just before the election. A vain desperate attempt by caucus MPs to stop the polls dropping to zero and losing them their jobs. I said…

I think that Andrew Little standing down was a mistake. I can’t think of anyone in the Labour caucus capable of doing anything much between now and the election.

The Standard: “Ok, I’m pissed off with the Labour caucus again. Time to switch

I really wasn’t that far off. The only thing that allowed the formation of a government was the disintegration of possible electoral partners for National as this seating arrangement makes absolutely clear. There was a two seat majority with a coalition between Labour and NZ First and with a confidence support agreement with the Greens.

National must deeply regret their leaking (however it happened) of Winston Peter’s superannuation details in 2017 in a repeat of their 1997 and 2008 vendettas. It didn’t dent the NZ First vote and it did mean that neither the leader nor the most of the NZ First party could realistically tolerate working with National.

Wikipedia: “Results of the 2017 New Zealand general election

In my post I was deeply suspicious of of the leadership change happening just before the election when the caucus could elect a leader of the caucus without any input from members or unions. That had been a hard fought battle inside Labour to get more of a party that represented its members and supporters rather than those who were ambitious to get a set in parliament.

On the other hand I hadn’t realised that Andrew Little was planning on actually stepping down from the caucus leadership voluntarily and was actually nominating Jacinda as his choice of a successor.

Andrew Little is someone who I have a lot of respect for as a politician. The evidence is in the way he has continued the work of recent ministers in fixing the mess left in Justice and the Courts by previous ministers (like Judith Collins) who’d pursued idiotic short-term objectives rather than required work. Just the long overdue increase in the number of places for full-time judges in the district and family courts would have to be the top of my list. Trying to run a court system with temporary judges and increasing judicial delays would have to be just about most stupid thing I could conceive of.

If I’d realised that he’d stood down voluntarily in favour of Arden, my attitude would have been different. Little would know the seasoning of his then largely untested caucus colleagues better than I did. What was even more interesting was the way the vote went

As Ardern was the only officially nominated candidate, she was universally elected as party leader and took over Little’s role as Leader of the Opposition as well. Kelvin Davis was then elected unopposed as deputy leader filling the vacancy caused by Ardern’s elevation.[3] At 37, Ardern became the youngest leader of the Labour Party. She is also the second woman to lead the party after Helen Clark. Ardern’s tenure as leader began just eight weeks before the 2017 general election, and at a press conference following her election as leader, she said that the forthcoming election campaign would be one of “relentless positivity”.[4]

Wikipedia: “2017 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election

As Todd Muller found out, being an opposition spokesperson is several orders of magnitude less difficult than being the caucus leader – opposition or government. He’d have also found it even as a government minister was way harder.

Mickey was clearer about the process a day later.

Clearly Andrew stood aside because he thought it was the best thing to do for the Labour movement.  He is an exceptional person who gave the leadership his all and decided yesterday to be substituted because he thought the team needed fresh legs.  He will be an outstanding Minister of Labour in a future Labour Government and we need him to strengthen the Labour movement.

And now we need to stand behind Jacinda Ardern and make sure she is the next Prime Minister of New Zealand.  She has the potential of being an exceptional one.

The Standard: “Solidarity Forever”

My biggest issue wasn’t with Ardern, her potential was obvious and had been for year. My issue was that I thought she was being shoved into the higher levels of the political process when she may not be ready for it. Clearly I was wrong. I’m still delighted.

I concluded my post with that I’d vote Greens – which I did. However I also voted for Jacinda Ardern because I’m at the very edge of Mt Albert electorate. But even if I wasn’t so lucky to actually be in my preferred home electorate and preferred MP, I tend to view a electorate vote for minor parties as being just way to waste a valuable vote.

I concluded with words that are just true today as they were then.

However I would urge people to just vote to get National out of government. Their economic and social management over the last 9 years has been appallingly short-term. It is storing problems for the future for our countries kids and grandkids. Time to get rid of them.

The Standard: “Ok, I’m pissed off with the Labour caucus again. Time to switch

Michael Cullen wrote a very good op-ed piece on the NZ Herald yesterday which is unfortunately hidden behind a paywall – “National’s plan for roads shows it’s trapped on a highway to the past“. It discusses their roading wish list of roading that doesn’t make sense, that would take a decades to even start, and their pretence of funding these completely uncosted projects using funny money processes that would only fool technical illiterates like Damien Grant.

I still haven’t decided who I’ll be sending my party vote to this election. As much as I’d like to vote Labour, I suspect that my best support for Labour could be to vote Green. But I’ll decide closer to the election.

By my electorate vote will be for Jacinda Ardern. Great communicator and it appears appears that she has been growing into he role as the conductor of the caucus and the audience faster than the job has been expanding in these troubled times.

33 comments on “Mea culpa ”

  1. georgecom 1

    I remember when I heard that Andrew was gone and I am fairly certain the news release said he had stepped down as he saw the writing on the wall. He has been a very capable minister in this government and could easily take over from Ian Lees Galloway I believe.

  2. Yup, electorate vote for Duncan Webb in ChCh Central, but party vote to the Greens.

  3. Just Is 3

    No election is a forgone conclusion.

    I watched a TV interview with Ardern in 2008/9, in regard to the changes Key had made to the pay and working conditions for Film Set Workers for the Hobbit movies.

    It was first time I had seen her.

    I was extremely impressed with the way she put forward her argument, there was No agression, just simply arguing facts and fairness while smiling as opposed to Keys resposne of aggression and arrogance.

    My immediate thoughts were:

    This the next Leader of the Labour Party.

    I new nothing about her, her qualifications, veiws or exactly where she sat Politically, but her demeanor and intelligent responses revealed a person with Leadership qualities I hadn't seen in political circles, ever, at least, in NZ.

    I was living overseas at the time of the election in 2017, there had been a few news slots in the local media covering the late change in Leadership of NZs opposition party 8 weeks before an election, the commentary questioned how a party could win an election by changing the Leader with the election so close, most had written her off.

    The rest is history.

    During the last 3 years we've seen those qualities, the refreshing change to the way politics was pursued, and how this has now rubbed off onto many other members of the party.

    The Corona Virus response has been the measure of that Leadership, along with the previous disaters of the CHCH Mosk attacks and White Island.

    It has also given the Govt an opportunity to change the whole Style of Politics, negativity is negative, "you catch more flies with honey than you do with lemon juice", and that may be the winning element.

    Not to mention the catastrophic implosion of National.

  4. JanM 4

    Andrew Little is an outstanding example of a politician and leader who is there 'for the greater good' not for the satisfaction of his own ego, He deserves the massive respect of all of us.

    • Mika 4.1

      After Ardern, I'd say that Little is an outstanding performer of this government. He has shown that "leadership" can come in many forms, and is not all about self glory. He has shown the leadership that stays and supports, doesn't walk away, that works with the team for the collective good rather thanfor personal glory, the leadership that sees the skill, talent and potential of others, and promotes them, yet remains to support.

  5. Ad 5

    Good on you LP.

    I could probably go back and do a few on some of my old posts.

  6. Reality 6

    Andrew Little is exactly what we need to see more of in Parliament. His intelligent foresight in knowing Jacinda should be leader, his straightforward manner, his getting on with the job of working for New Zealand etc.

  7. Dennis Frank 7

    Big Norm: "there are four things that matter to people: they have to have somewhere to live, they have to have food to eat, they have to have clothing to wear, and they have to have something to hope for.” https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/01-08-2020/the-famous-words-that-norman-kirk-did-not-say/

    George Andrews, to whom he said that, corrects the PM!

    I know because Norm said them to me when I interviewed him when leader of the opposition in 1969 for the NZBC. The misquote is pale beside the original.

    I got close to Norm in 1969 when I was working for Checkpoint and TV’s Gallery. My wife, Ann, was seven months’ pregnant when she came with me to the Labour Party conference at the Wellington Town Hall in May. Norm noticed us as we were leaving, and came over to ask when the baby was due. We said July. Norm replied that he was expecting a grandchild around the same time. We should get in touch to wet the babies’ heads.

    Our son Julian was born on July 19. The following week Norm took leave from the House to come to our Thorndon flat. Somewhere I have my photo of Norm in front of our fireplace, cradling Julian in his big arms.

    He even provides an audio clip of Big Norm saying it on the Spinoff, to prove his memory is correct.

    When he died in August 1974, I was a reporter on the documentary series Inquiry. Joe Cote and I made a tribute programme for Norm – returning to the rural communities that had helped elect him. I remembered Norm’s remarks about what mattered to people and retrieved the tape.

    I chose those words and laid them over footage from his visit to Taranaki in the Inquiry episode The Late Mr Norman Kirk. the first time those words were broadcast was on that programme, two weeks after Norm died. I deployed them a second time to open the Big Norm LP that I produced later that year for the Labour Party.

    Not directly relevant to your post but does provide interesting historical context in a tangential sense! 😊

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1

      there are four things that matter to people: they have to have somewhere to live, they have to have food to eat, they have to have clothing to wear, and they have to have something to hope for.

      A good government will ensure that the first three are there without question and then encourage people to create their own hope, to build their dreams.

  8. mosa 8

    " I still haven’t decided who I’ll be sending my party vote to this election. As much as I’d like to vote Labour, I suspect that my best support for Labour could be to vote Green. But I’ll decide closer to the election "

    To get a truly progressive transformative government after September 19th is to ensure the Greens make it back to form a coalition government and have a place in cabinet including the deputy PMs position.

    Most of the centre vote has been captured by Jacinda's warm loving embrace so it is beholden on those of us who care about wanting to ensure a Green agenda is on the table in any negotiations which means Winston is absent and Labour does not form a majority government with no need for a environmental programme for the next three years.

    In Christchurch east it will be Labour ( Poto Williams ) for the electorate and a party vote for the Greens.

    • lprent 8.1

      To get a truly progressive transformative government after September 19th is to ensure the Greens make it back to form a coalition government and have a place in cabinet including the deputy PMs position.

      It'd be nice for them to get experience – something that they are very limited on right now. But as much as anything else it will be more of the same, probably without NZF to blame for their failures. It'd be a new experience for the party and especially for their members – and I suspect that they will be useless at it in their first term in cabinet.

      I want to keep the Greens in play for the reasons that you allude to. After all my first vote back in 1978 was a Hail Mary for the Values party. But my votes in 1981 and 1984 after the 1981 tour were for Labour because we needed to get the dead weight of Muldoon's National off our backs.

      Any actual change was better than none. The reason that cabinet has been eluding the Greens is simply because they are perceived by most politicians as being a pain to deal with. They tend towards idealism to a degree that makes compromises on core parts of the political process difficult. Try envisaging a Green MP in charge of the Courts and the Justice system and you can probably see what I mean.

      But I have a current selfish motivations for possibly voting Green as well.

      The Greens need to be kept in play because politics is too important to be be left to just two monolithic parties. If not in this election, then in the next election, Labour is going to need coalition partners.

      The same applies to NZ First and maybe Act as well – despite how much I don't like them (especially the latter). They represent parts of the political thought in NZ that is distant enough from the two central parties that it could never get itself effectively represented inside of one of them.

      MMP as we have the settings set is really hard on growing new parties to get the diversity required in parliament. It is even hard on the main parties. Just look at how the National parties liberals are slowly but surely dying inside their party.

      • Sacha 8.1.1

        Suggest a better Minister of Transport after the election than Genter will make.

      • Scott 8.1.2

        Yes and no for me

        The Green vote grew when they adopted economic policies that were left of Labour.

        But they have not succeeded in pulling Labour left – the left is now outside the party and stops Labour heading in that direction.

        And they haven't pulled the electorate left either.

        The Ardern/Robertson ministry has not blown me away with transformative economic restructuring and so much of the covid borrowing is going towards keeping businesses afloat to employ, rather than giving households purchasing power and businesses the opportunity to meet that increase in purchasing power.

        I don't want to see a majority Labour Govt and would prefer to see them in coalition with the Greens, but I don't see Labour shifting left economically in response to a minor party so would be interested if the Greens were put under some electorate pressure that could destabilise the economic radical wing within the party, leaving room for it to reemerge within Labour

        I know what people might say – Labour would never let such a wing take hold in the party. Well, neither are they going to let the Greens get hold of anything. And I'm looking for something that will shift the moderates left, which the Greens haven't done.

      • weka 8.1.3

        The reason that cabinet has been eluding the Greens is simply because they are perceived by most politicians as being a pain to deal with. They tend towards idealism to a degree that makes compromises on core parts of the political process difficult. Try envisaging a Green MP in charge of the Courts and the Justice system and you can probably see what I mean.

        How do you rate Shaw in his portfolios? Or Sage? Do you think the perception is about the party as a whole rather than the individual MPs? (Shaw and Sage both look good on holding the balance between the party values and the need to work as part of a wider political culture that has different values).

        • lprent 8.1.3.1

          I rate him and Sage for exactly that reason. With Shaw in particular because of his nuanced way of drawing blood. He has done a really good job of making himself look like the adult compared to NZF (apart from Tracy Martin and maybe Ron Mark?).

          The problem is that the Green party members often don’t value political operators who persist in getting slow shifts. They prefer the spectaculars. Despite what it looks like right now with the quite evident rot National, politics is a long game.

  9. When Andrew and Jacinda appeared at a Labour Rally in Rotorua together, it quickly became obvious she was special. She introduced herself and praised the work Andrew had done in getting the Party going in a common direction. At the end of that she received a standing ovation.

    I wrote here once that we had not seen the depth and abilities of Jacinda Ardern yet, and we would all be surprised at her genuine skills. Words to that effect.

    Someone asked "Did I know her?" I replied I had the good fortune to meet her on 3 occasions and as a person who has worked with some good leaders and motivators over the years, I quickly rated her as exceptional.

    I keep saying "We don't know how lucky we are".

    I wrote to Andrew and said although on a personal level it was hard to move aside, we would always thank him for that decision.

    He has given us a different future, with a great team and Leadership.

    "Let's keep moving" Go Labour and the Greens.

  10. Chris T 10

    "I wrote to Andrew and said although on a personal level it was hard to move aside, we would always thank him for that decision."

    Am a bit skeptical it was all his decision tbf

    • lprent 10.1

      It wasn't in that he would have been talking to others, both MPs, his staff, and for that matter activists and supporters. However from what I have heard since it was completely his decision.

      It was also viewed inside the caucus in 2017 as being a forlorn hope to get traction before the election.

      I'm not going to comment particularly on National's 4 leaders this term. But Bill English and Todd Muller's decisions appeared to be their own as well. I suspect that the latter was just shock as what the role entailed.

    • mac1 10.2

      Chris T, I have in my political career stood aside for some one who I thought could achieve easier and better what I wanted to achieve, at the electorate level. Voluntarily, willingly and with no regrets.

      When Andrew Little did the same at the level of the leader of the party I was deeply respectful of what he had done, at so much a higher level.

      People can, and do, act beyond their personal interests and ambitions, without pressure and with the greater interests of party and public alike.

      We do it because what matters are people.

    • Andrew said it was, so it was.

  11. Chris T 11

    "There had been a report MP Kris Faafoi was running the numbers for a new leadership team of Ardern and Davis, and Labour's former party president Mike Williams had earlier told media he expected Little would stand down on Tuesday."

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/95305769/andrew-little-drops-out-of-media-engagements

    • lprent 11.1

      Sure. I love the selective quoting you used.
      /sarc
      Somehow you didn't look at the paragraphs before laying out a timeline. my bold.

      Little resigned at a caucus meeting of Labour MPs in Wellington on Tuesday morning.

      The move followed revelations Little had consulted his colleagues on whether to step aside over new polling showing the party sinking to a record low result.

      Little said as leader you had to take responsibility and he did. The polls were showing a declining trend.

      "I do take responsibility and believe that Labour must have an opportunity to perform better under new leadership through to the election."

      Sources said it had become clear on Tuesday morning that Little did not have the majority support.

      Then followed by your selective quote.

      In other words, Andrew Little was looking to see if he should responsibly step aside first.

      As soon as that happens then everyone will be talking around for their plan B. What there wasn't was any move to roll him before Andrew Little started looking himself.

      Could you please desist from stupidly lying by omission. It is a waste of my time pointing out the lines just above your very deliberate selective quote in the article you linked to.

      I really don't like having my time wasted by dickhead foolery.

  12. McFlock 12

    lol reading through the comments of that post, you weren't the only one a bit wrong – I wrote that I thought they might be lucky to get 20%. Just a slight underestimate, there 🙂

    It can be interesting reading old posts and comments, seeing where one was way off or actually pretty accurate. Thank goodness were were wrong on this'un.

  13. Stuart Munro 13

    Well, the gods of luck did us a good turn in Jacinda, and she has moved Labour somewhat towards what we were hoping for in the 80s, and were cheated of. Still a ways to go though, and rebuilding prosperity is a project that will require departures from the blithe assumptions that have misgoverned us for so long.

    And more power to you, LPrent, for owning it – too many of us, as Solzhenitsyn noted, claim never to make mistakes.

    • lprent 13.1

      It is a slow process doing the shift in direction. I prefer slow continuous flows. The alternative is to do a fast shift like 1984-1994 with all of the uncured dislocations and historical structural incoherence that it left in its wake. You can map the current extremes of inter-generational welfare dependency, the housing shortages, the deficits in infrastructure, and many other issues directly to that decade.

      I'm not a great believer in revolution. It is incredibly hard to find any case in history where it produced good results in the decades following. What you tend to find is the kind of structural baggage like the economic rigidity of the slave trade that got extreme after their revolution and the consequences of which are still plaguing the US today.

      That won't be the current focus for this year or next because of covid-19.

      What is being done right now is that the government is reducing the effects of a economic shock by effectively giving time for industries and businesses that have no future time to wind themselves up. Trying to do other structural changes on top of that is contraindicated.

      • Stuart Munro 13.1.1

        I agree that change, especially rapid change, can be damaging in and of itself. But governing consistently throws up injustices or health or environmental issues that need to be resolved expeditiously. It is not an easy matter.

  14. adam 14

    I tend to view a electorate vote for minor parties as being just way to waste a valuable vote

    I'd argue way differently, for Māori a vote for Kapa-Kingi in Te Tai Tokerau makes more sense. Get one more Māori in parliament as that Davis fella is number 2 on the labour list.

  15. left_forward 15

    Nga mihi LP,

    Andrew Little and Jacinda Adern display the very qualities in leadership that we need to continue to foster in the progressive movement. Compassion for people and acting in accordance with human values, in place of self-aggrandisement. The right cannot respond, other than by attempting to undermine.

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  • 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
    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
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 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
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 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
    6 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
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 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
    11 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
    13 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
    14 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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 ...
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    7 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. ...
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  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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  • Minister’s Ramadan message
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
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