Mistakes, I’ve made a few

Written By: - Date published: 2:22 pm, April 26th, 2008 - 91 comments
Categories: blogs, dpf, election 2008, national - Tags: , , ,

David Farrar’s three more prominent weaknesses came together in a speculator PR disaster yesterday. The weaknesses are his ego, his trick of using pictures of naked women to boost hits on his site, and his reverse midas touch, whereby every he touches turns to, well, it doesn’t turn out well.

See, Farrar led the campaign for his friend and ex-ACT MP Stephen Franks to become National’s Wellington Central candidate. Naturally, he’s pleased with himself that Franks was selected and regularly mentions Franks to remind everyone that he (Farrar) is an important guy who can get things done in the National party.

Yesterday, Franks put up on his blog a fake video of a supposed traffic control system in Denmark whereby topless women hold up speed limit signs to get people to slow down. Farrar saw that and re-posted it because it reminds people of his link to Franks and furthers the ‘nude girls=hits’ ploy he uses.

And then things started to go wrong, just as they did with Farrar’s involvement in the Free Speech Coalition, the anti-EFB marches, when he ran the numbers for English against the Brash coup, when he ran Mark Blumsky’s Wellington Central campaign in 2005, and the time he tried to eat a plate because he thought it was chocolate.

A number of Kiwiblog viewers were very upset to see Franks and Farrar acting like horny teenagers. They demanded they take down the misogynistic video. But that would have meant Farrar admitting he was wrong, and that’s something an ego cannot take. A National voter, Adam Prouse, wrote to Franks trying to make him see that posting videos of topless women on his blog was not the kind of thing that would help him win Wellington Central. The plea was ignored. But Prouse had also emailed senior National staff and the Herald. Next thing you know Franks and Farrar are in the Herald defending posting soft-porn.

Seven months until the election, and that’s Franks sunk. Ironically, no-one would have seen the video if had only been on his blog, no-one goes to it, but Farrar made it into national news. The reverse midas touch strikes again.

91 comments on “Mistakes, I’ve made a few ”

  1. spanner 1

    What’s all the fuss about, I mean too say boobs on bikes and homosexual parades are not deemed offensive? Who are the hypocrites. Won’t have to worry about this in this country. I mean too say fuel is going to be that bloody expensive we will all commute on horseback. Will the horses be charged a fart tax?

  2. Gooner 2

    Topless women is soft porn?

    Gawd, what planet are you on?

  3. What? The internet has pictures of naked woman??? Why didn’t someone tell me? I’m just thankful their are no left wing sites likes that, the thought of Marion Hobbs and Ruth Dyson and our PM topless is not a pretty one.

    Seriously, I’m surprised that Labour hasn’t started banning websites, they normally think they know, what is the best for our little minds.

    PS: Do you have a link to David’s site.

  4. Tane 4

    Brett, once again you miss the point entirely. The issue here is not that the internet has images of topless women – the issue is that Stephen Franks, a candidate for political office, thought it was a good idea to post them on his website.

    With political judgement like that you have to wonder why National made Franks their candidate for Wellington Central. Grant Robertson is going to wipe the floor with him.

  5. I have no problem with someone running for office, putting pictures of topless woman on his/hers website.

    Why would you?

    Are nipples that offensive to the left?

    Seriously, for myself it all comes down to the policies of the person running for office.

    But hey if the left wants to complain about breasts, then that is your right in a free society.

  6. Almost as bad as Mike Williams (who must be on the verge of becoming punch drunk) allowing another huge lie to be told this morning. Apparently he gets by on 25k a year from his job as president. Failing to mention the 200k in jobs for the boys labour appointed directorships was a huge mistake. Compounded by his claim to give most of it back to Labour.
    Some people never learn, surely harry will sack him now?

  7. Tane 7

    Brett, I won’t go into the mysogynistic subtext of the video because I doubt you’ll understand it, but purely in terms of politics it’s not a good decision.

    While a few sweaty right-wingers over at Kiwiblog might find the video a riot, there are enough people who will find the video offensive that it could damage your chances. A smart political operator would steer well clear of it. Franks clearly isn’t that smart.

  8. The first bit of your reply sums up the Labour party to a tee. Patronizing and thinking because people don’t agree with us, they just don’t understand the issues.

    This is why come November, your party is gone. I would say, that video will do no harm whatsoever to the National Party.

  9. randal 9

    the tories are all pillow huggers and nipple suckers at heart…boobies in other words…they likea bit of fladge and big fat mommas to dsicipline them because their own parents were busy doing something else instead of giving them the requisite amount of love needed to produce well formed human beings.

  10. Tane 10

    No Brett, I just find there’s no point arguing gender power relations with people like yourself – you can’t change someone’s worldview via a brief conversation online. Plus, I’ve found your comments here universally ill-informed. Not in the “I don’t agree with you” kind of way, more like “wow, he really doesn’t understand how politics works”.

    And while I don’t think Franks’ video will knock National’s support, I do believe it’ll hurt his chances in Wellington Central.

  11. Gender Power relations!! HaHa! Your having a laugh?

    So I don’t understand how Politics work huh? Tyopical response from someone from the left.

    Anyway, I do understand how business works though.

    I have been lucky enough to work with some pretty powerful woman in my career, and if anyone bought up the line “Gender Power Relations” they would laugh you right out of the office.

  12. randal 12

    anyone who has read the theory of business by Thorstein Veblein knows how business works and it isnt nice so I wouldn’t claim to be special if I were you bd

  13. Business can be nice, if you are lead by the right people, and believe me the right people wouldn’t use the words “gender power relations”

  14. infused 14

    Fuck your a git. The video is old as. You sure are desperate to score some points.

  15. r0b 15

    the right people wouldn’t use the words “gender power relations’

    That’s an interesting personal opinion there Brett.

    But this concept isn’t as obscure as you might think. The phrase “gender power relations’ generates a mere 22,700 hits on Google. Limiting it to the “.com” domain and we have 1,990 hits.

    Following a few at random we see that the phrase is used in the British Journal of Management (note PDF):

    http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2008.00570.x

    and on business related sites like:

    http://www.allbusiness.com/business-planning-structures/starting-a-business/3900117-1.html

    So I’m led to conclude that maybe your personal opinion isn’t the absolute last word and authority there Brett.

  16. Did I say it was?

    I’m going by my own personal experiences and the managers that I have worked under.

  17. randal 17

    that explains a lot…

  18. Santi 18

    Tane, are you sexually repressed or inhibited?

    What’s wrong with you? Have you lost your taste in women for the sake of being PC? Has the socialist brainwash taken away your masculinity?

    About time you unleash the man in you (if there is any..)

  19. spanner 19

    Tane represents the new age soft made in New Zealand PC male wimp.

  20. randal 20

    and you guys represent the big swinging dicks from a forex firm? how manly…

  21. Lyn 21

    Hmm – judging by the comment thread Tane is the most attractive person on here. I guess there are people who like to get their jollies through ancient video of boobs online and then there are people who like to, y’know, interact with actual women. Guess who’s currently in with the best chance???

    Plus I’d say Stephen Franks (with DPF’s help) has probably just kissed goodbye to a good chunk of the boob-owning vote in Wellington central. Things just haven’t been the same since us pesky chicks got enfranchised…

  22. If Franks gets in, or if he doesn’t, will depend on his policies, not because he had a video of a topless woman. If anyone decides not to vote for someone because of that, I feel sorry for them

  23. spanner 23

    “pesky chicks got enfranchised ”

    Lyn;great to see feminism alive and well in Wellington Central. What else would one expect in the region where soft males and hard females decry the male image.

  24. Lyn 24

    Brett – you have a naive view of politics. Media trumps policy every time. Granted, it’s not the way I’d have it under normal circumstances, but there it is. I’d have to go with Tane on this. If the video hadn’t made the Herald thanks to DPF no one would have cared.

    Spanner – I’m not in the Wellington Central electorate so I couldn’t comment on the region’s feminism or gender-roles. If you’re upset that females decry the male image, I’ll leave you to have a little cry about it, you poor wee thing. It’s just sad that you think women exercising basic civil rights – free speech, voting etc – makes us hard. Who exactly counts as a “real” woman with you? There don’t seem to be many (read any) options left there….

  25. spanner 25

    Real women don’t push minority agendas that are detrimental to the majority of society. Real women hate the power of the people.Real women are not highly skilled liars.

  26. Lyn 26

    Sorry – slightly confused – you’re suggesting that real women are despots? This is getting weirder and weirder.

  27. ak 27

    “boob-owning vote” – love it!
    As we see above, the tories retain the dickhead vote….

  28. randal 28

    you betcha…

  29. Absolute Power 29

    “This is getting weirder and weirder.”

    Dear Lyn,
    I thought the very same thing when reading the book .
    AP xx

  30. Lyn 30

    I fear you are indeed correct – still – no surprises ay?

  31. spanner 31

    Lyn – that Heather Simpson is a real women eh Lyn, pity no one ever gets to see her in public. She must have a social phobia or something like that?

    AB – bet you didn’t know how weird the ideologies are that run this country and it’s no wonder the family unit is in disarray mate. Good book dude. It all makes sense now.

  32. Lyn 32

    Just for the record my previous comment was directed at ak. AP – can’t comment on the book – haven’t read it.

    Spanner – what Heather Simpson appearing in public or not has to do with any previous comments made by anyone in this thread is well over my head. Perhaps you’ll elucidate?

  33. mandy 33

    Spanner –
    Heather Simpson not appearing in public says a lot about politics that you really don’t know about.

  34. spanner 34

    Lyn I will make clear my point. This thread is about what is deemed inappropriate action by Franks and Farrar regarding posting a video of topless ladies in Denmark. At least these ladies put a public face to their message unlike that Heather Simpson who wields enormous power in New Zealand. Some like to influence from behind the scenes and others like putting their boobs in your face to make their point. The honey or the hag deary?

  35. r0b 35

    Sapnner’s gone quiet all of a sudden. Perhaps he doesn’t like the odds. Or maybe he’s looking up “elucidate” in the dictionary. Spanner, check under “e”.

  36. spanner 36

    rob you dimwit “elucidate?” What was my first line to Lyn?

    ” Lyn I will make clear my point ” = elucidate. Try again boyo.

  37. r0b 37

    Be calm dear tool, blog comments don’t necessarily appear in exactly the same sequence that they are written. My post of 9:41 was written before I saw yours of 9:38. I’m glad you found it though, we should all try and learn a new word every day.

  38. Had a look at the Danish speed bandit video. Nothing offensive there, I’m afraid. Let’s not be too precious.

  39. Lyn 39

    Well – the relevance of the comment is still in question given that the “topless ladies” were paid to be part of an ad campaign by the Danish government – this is hardly grass-roots activism. They weren’t “putting a public face to their message” – they were just collecting a paycheque. I guess you’d have a name for that – wouldn’t you. Your comments about Simpson sound like old-fashioned misogyny to me.

  40. spanner 40

    Sorry Lyn, but I am far from the “old-fashioned misogyny” club deary.That is so yesterday. Helen Clark’s inner circle are irreconcilable on their conquest for Absolute Power.This has made them totally irrational.

  41. I see the Standard is still covering the big issues…….and what pairs of attractive issues they are..( school boy snigger,snigger).

  42. r0b 42

    Spanner, sorry to pick on you, but “irreconcilable”? Please go back to the dictionary. You’ll find that one under “i”.

  43. Lyn 43

    Well – not that your comment has any relevance to the Danish boobs video. I’d say you’re going to have put up a detailed, explicit argument right here and now to explain what you mean, no one’s going to read it, and this thread has died in the arse.

    And you do realise that calling me deary makes you sound like the Wicked Witch of the West in the Judy Garland Wizard of Oz, don’t you?

  44. spanner 44

    Lyn – I am not the Witched Witch that has scattered all the thistle seeds.

  45. woppo 45

    Offensive? More dorky ‘n dumb. Perfectly understandable that noted children’s entertainer The Blessed Virgin DPF finds this antediluvian tosh a bit of a giggle, but surprised to discover that beneath his lawyerly exterior Franks is just another sad little dweeb.

  46. Lyn 46

    Spanner – still going down the obscure path there. My previous comment stands.

  47. burt 47

    Offensive…

    Steve I think you need to get some perspective. But I really don’t want to discourage you from posting on things other than John Key so …

    Great post, yes should be banned, corrupting our children and immoral.

    Perhaps we could get together and call ourselves the exclusive moralists and start a campaign against bare breasts and enforcing speed limits. You might need to start your campaign next year as this is an election year and any marketing or promotion you do will get you all tangled up in the EFA. If you post your bank account details on here I’ll make an anonymous donation to our cause.

  48. Um fools, it was a tory that complained to the Herald.

  49. Sceptic 49

    You guys are completely right. Farrar has made a whole lot of mistakes and had his share of failures.

    The reason he gets some level of respect from people who don’t agree with his politics is because he puts his own real name out there and lets people judge his opinions with full knowledge of his failures which are now very public. So when Farrar blogs on strategy for candidates people can take it with a grain of salt if they like because of his association with the failed Blumksy campaign.

    The problem with this blog is that we have no idea who any of you guys or girls are – so we just have opinions from anonymous bloggers with no insight as to whether or not you’ve ever had any successful or unsuccessful forays into politics.

    Farrar may be wrong a lot, he’s also failed but at least he puts his own name to his opinions.

  50. Draco TB 50

    This thread is hilarious 😀

    To the RWNJ:
    The article written by SP isn’t complaining about Franks putting a video up on his website that shows a bit of flesh. They’re just pointing out that franks made a large political mistake. The person who wrote to the NZHerald and the National party to complain (and which brought the issue to national prominence was a National voter.

  51. How bloody typical – the misogyny-defenders start screaming that “You hate nipples!” and “It’s just a joke”. How hilarious! Now as soon as it’s equal numbers female AND male nipples, and the entire thing isn’t predicated on a) teehee naked girls, how NAUGHTY, b) women only get paid attention when they’re sexually available, and c) lol stupid Europeans … sure, it might start to be funny.

  52. Steve Pierson 52

    This post is about two things: misogyny and poor poltiical judgement.

    The video isn’t exactly the most explicit material one can find on the net but it is material that many people will find offensive. Of course, the Kiwiblog Right cannot understand that many women, and men, are unhappy seeing women being objectified as they are in the vid.

    The political misjudgement, however, is the bigger sin (and the reason that I didn’t comment on the vid in and of itself, only once there was a Herald article): if you’re Franks or Farrar and you like looking at boobs and the most accessible boobs are heavily pixilated ones on the internet, then look at them in the privacy of your own home, but as you’re a political figure, don’t put that material up on your political website. And certainly don’t refuse to take it down when people are offended, and certainly don’t have yourself appear in the country’s biggest newspaper defending material that is porngraphic and exploitative.

    Amatuer, amatuer stuff and another exmaple of really poor judgement from these two. No wonder Farrar is on the outer in the Nats.

    Notice how he’s becoming more and more of a clipping service with very little insider material? That’s because he’s been cut out of the loop due to his continuing displays of poor judgement. Problem for National is he’s the best operative they have.

  53. Why would it have to be equal number on men and woman’s nipples for?

    In terms of what level it is on, I’m guessing it depends on the viewer.

    Take the brilliant programme “The Office” with Ricky Gervais. The humor of David Brent was sexist and bigoted, and some people may find part of that funny, others would understand the point him and Merchant were trying to make. Its each to their own.

    I don’t think there needs to be an equal amount of men and woman’s nipples to make it okay. As for saying he meant women only get paid attention when they’re sexually available, I dont think he meant that.

    Heck, lighten up!

  54. Steve:

    They are breasts for godness sake? Thats all! Why is it bad political judgment to have them on your website? This is really false outrage from the left.

    If a female politician wants to have a pic of a guys butt to make a point, I wouldn’t care less. You should vote for someone because of their policies, not because of a picture on a website.

  55. Steve Pierson 55

    The question is not whether it is somehow ‘objectively’ offensive but whether enough people will find it offensive that there will be negative poltiical ramfications.

    It’s bad political judgement to say to half (actually something like 55%) of voters: ‘you’re role is to give me sexual thrills’. some of them will be pissed off and that’s support and your political reputation you’re throwing away. all to post to boobs on your site. It’s not worth it.

  56. lprent 56

    Steve: Get a copy of the Herald On Sunday. You’re famous for a day.

  57. Steve Pierson 57

    sweet. cheers lynn.

  58. “You should vote for someone because of their policies”

    Couldn’t agree more –

    But the problem is Brett, instead of putting up National’s policies, Franks put this up. I really want to know National’s policies but they aren’t there – so I’ll have to vote on this.

  59. Steve:

    You are aware, that most woman probably couldn’t give two hoots about the video on his webpage, the people who were offended by it, wouldnt be the type of people who would vote for him.

    In the career path I have taken, 80% of my coworkers are female, they would just laugh it off, and if they liked his policies would vote for him.

  60. Policyparrot:

    Just go to National’s website to find out their policies, but hey if want to judge this guy by a video of topless woman then that is your right.

  61. “How hilarious! Now as soon as it’s equal numbers female AND male nipples, and the entire thing isn’t predicated on a) teehee naked girls, how NAUGHTY, b) women only get paid attention when they’re sexually available, and c) lol stupid Europeans sure, it might start to be funny.”

    “queenofthorns” makes a good point. It’s not about the female nudity nudity – it’s about the representation of women’s sexuality that matters – in DPF’s video the women are seen as valuable only for their boobs and appealing to be sexually available – they’re not active or empowered – they’re just there as “tits”.

    Now the video I’m about to post, contains some pretty race costumes is completely different – the women are totally empowered – belting out some good old dirty rock and roll. There’s also a pretty good looking guy that’s partially nude standing as an equal by the female lead vocalist/guitarist.

  62. BTW sorry about the grammar – still a little jaded from last night.

  63. Linda Axford 63

    Steve, you’ve provided a very humourous post regarding DPF’s ego and immaturity. These ‘girlie’ posts of his became tiring and embarrassing long ago and I hardly read kiwiblog anymore.
    Funny too, how defensive and rude he can become (calling people bastards and wankers) when someone doesn’t agree with him. As someone pointed out, what does he do in the real world where he can’t dish out ‘demerit points’?
    But, keep it up DPF, we all need a good laugh (at you) now and then!

    aladin

  64. Anita 64

    Brett,

    I’m not convinced that you’re right about the attitude of NZ women. I live in Wellington Central, and many of the people I know that I’d consider swing voters would at least roll their eyes and think a little less of Franks for this.

    I don’t think it’ll be the issue that stops them voting for him (partly because it’s so far out from the election), but if this is representative of how he’s going to present himself to the electorate he will miss out on a number of those swing voters. I know a number of people who are already saying they may list vote National but Franks is too socially conservative for them.

    The question that interestes me is “What was Franks thinking?” What is the game plan that this would be a sensible part of?

    Recaptcha: serious angle

  65. Santi 65

    Linda, are you a feminist wearing a moustache?
    Hard to envisage you any other way 🙂

  66. randal 66

    santi…are you still beating your wife?

  67. Absolute Power 67

    Randal what a nasty thing to say.Are you a High Priestess in the local witches coven?

  68. randal 68

    no Absolute Power…thats tame to what the rightwing nasties come out with. I thought it was quite apposite in the context of this discussion. Are you still beating your wife AP?

  69. Absolute Power 69

    randal, what a foul mouthed character you are.Do you pride yourself on asking cruel questions from the anonymity and comfort zone of your computer. Walk into a public bar and say that to a group of men. I will visit you in the ward later.Learn some manners you horrible little creep.

  70. randal 70

    take your cheap moral indignation and shove it where the sun dont shine. You are justa typical right wing fraud and I take no notice of you…and stop drinking!

  71. Santi 71

    Randal, I feel sorry for you limp-wristed delicate thing.

    Muster some courage and for once say express your opinion instead of repeating cliches and inanities.

  72. randal 72

    ah my little infantilised hot house flowers affronted by a bit of strong language…grow up! gosh go and tell your mummy that somebody was rude to you wah wah wah… and you can feel sorry for what ever you like cause I dont give a stuff and the more you carry on the more I laugh….hahahahahahaha

  73. Absolute Power 73

    Santi this guy or gal is mad as a March Hare.

  74. Queenofthorns 74

    Oh, Brett. “They’re just breasts!”? Spoken like a man who’s never been sexually harassed. When the rest of the world thinks they’re “just” breasts (as opposed to “not attached to a real woman” or “open for groping” or “excuses for ogling”) … well, I’m pretty sure you won’t have a point even then.

  75. Hey men have breasts too, your looking too deeply into things.I’m pretty sure a lot of straight woman would of seen a cute guy walking down the street or a cute guy in their office and think, well he looks good! there is nothing wrong with that.

    I’m sure they don’t say to themselves “I better admire the man attached to that body, otherwise I’m being sexist”

    Its human nature, and I agree with you, sexual harassment is disgusting, but if a woman does it, nothing is done.

  76. Phil 76

    No-one’s mentioned this yet;

    Wellington Central is an electorate with a large proportion of young male voters…

  77. Lyn 77

    Well – ok – but consider the bad press the party is getting. That’s gotta hurt more than just Wellington Central.

  78. Anita 78

    Phil,

    Are the young male voters of Wgtn Central the swing voters that Franks needs to attract?

  79. Lyn:

    This is not going to hurt National at all, in Wellington Central or anywhere else.

    The only people who really seem to be worried about it, are a few posters here on this website.

  80. James Kearney 80

    The only people who really seem to be worried about it, are a few posters here on this website.

    and the New Zealand Herald.

  81. randal 81

    Franks has breasts on the brain…must either be compensation for being deprived of enough to drink or time on the breast as an infant or no proper exposure to reality as an infant…either way his regressive procliivities are on full display with his obsessive desire to get even…for something! and the few posters on this site who carry the standard for decency are rather puzzled at how the anti’s can be so dismissive of this site yet spend so much time trying to negate it…so which is it?

  82. Phil 82

    Anita,

    Yes, they probably are one group that could be called swing voters…

    Captcha; “Santa Taxed”
    Is nothing sacred and tax free to this government?!

  83. Phil 83

    Randal,

    You are a fuck-tard. Your capacity for thought and intelligent comment is right up there with D4J. I cannot recall a single instance of useful posting from you.

    Why you haven’t been booted from this site is a mystery to me…

  84. Anita 84

    Phil,

    Hm… I’m kinda surprised that young men would look like a potential swing group to National. National seems to be focussing very hard on “middle NZ”, middle class and upper working class families who may have traditionally voted left but can be convinced that Labour has abandoned them.

    I know National needs to do as good a job as ever of picking up young men, but I haven’t seen any signals that they think it’s the area of potential swing that’ll win them the election.

  85. randal 85

    keep going phil..your endless shrieking fools no one. being affronted by the truth is a sure sign of immaturity unless its just a troll pretending…howzat!

  86. Phil 86

    Anita,

    I don’t know if this is a National campaign strategy, or just Franks. I suspect the latter.
    However, National has always viewed young voters as being ‘theirs’ until being usurped by the Greens relatively recently. It would not suprise me in the slightest to see them actively try to woo back support

  87. the funniest quote of the day must go to Brett Dale for this beauty

    “The humor of David Brent was sexist and bigoted, and some people may find part of that funny, others would understand the point him and Merchant were trying to make. Its each to their own.”

    Is that the point of the office? Each to their own? Here was stoopid boob-owning little me thinking the point of the Office was the humour of discomfort. David Brent is so painfully awful he is humourous. He is an example of everything that is so moronic about people like him…who still think naked women wobbling their boobs is funny or clever.

  88. I guess you just brought too much irony to your understanding of the office bean. Well you and every other office fan. Imagine – we must have been wrong all along…

  89. Ted 89

    http://bp2.blogger.com/_pPJCTZCK8js/SBWnlRPiPUI/AAAAAAAAAH0/YUnM_0VXBeE/s1600-h/Eugène_Delacroix_-_La_liberté_guidant_le_peuple+copy.jpg Thought you guys might find this funny, it’s how I imagine the French revolution would have gone down if Franks and Farrar were leading the charge.

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    Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”. As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    16 hours ago
  • Winding back the hands of history’s clock
    Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    17 hours ago
  • Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
     Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    17 hours ago
  • Business confidence sliding into winter of discontent
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    18 hours ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll results
    Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
    20 hours ago
  • New HOP readers for future payment options
    Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
    21 hours ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
    1 day ago
  • At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
    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 ...
    1 day ago
  • Road photos
    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago
  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    2 days ago
  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    2 days ago
  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    2 days ago
  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    2 days ago
  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    2 days ago
  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    2 days ago
  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic plan, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago
  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    3 days ago
  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    3 days ago
  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    3 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    3 days ago
  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    4 days ago
  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago
  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    5 days ago
  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago
  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    6 days ago
  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago
  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    7 days ago
  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago
  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    1 week ago
  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
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    2 days ago
  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
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    2 days ago
  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
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    2 days ago
  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
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    3 days ago
  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
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    3 days ago
  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
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    3 days ago
  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
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    3 days ago
  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
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    4 days ago
  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
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    5 days ago
  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
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    5 days ago
  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
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    5 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
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    6 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
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    6 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
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    7 days ago
  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
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    1 week ago
  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
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    1 week ago
  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
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    1 week ago
  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
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    1 week ago
  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
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    1 week ago
  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
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    1 week ago
  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
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    1 week ago
  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
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    1 week ago
  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
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    1 week ago
  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
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    1 week ago
  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
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    1 week ago
  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
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    2 weeks ago
  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
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    2 weeks ago

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