Mr Key’s Achievements

Written By: - Date published: 4:55 pm, December 6th, 2016 - 56 comments
Categories: john key - Tags:

I was tempted to just have an empty post, but John has of course had his achievements.

There are the 3 election wins, and enduring popularity, that was only now starting to decline (only 36%!).

But what he’s done with that popularity, that mandate, for the benefit of Aotearoa?

That gets a lot harder.

Giovanni Tiso got an excellent piece up straight away yesterday of ‘The man without a legacy’.  Scrupulously cultivating his political capital, never risking spending it on a vision for New Zealand.  Just keeping the books ticking over.  Even the nature of his wins (dirty politics), he’ll be hoping people don’t look too closely at.

But while there are various tributes to his economic management, the finally lowering unemployment rate, the GDP growth (driven by migration), the balanced books (eventually, and Cullen can probably take most of the credit for), there is lots in the long-term economic outlook that he did his best ot ignore.

The books balance today, but Treasury is forecasting a century of deficits due to his lack of willingness to deal with issues like superannuation, or the trade deficit.  Migration is heading our way, but not because we’ve closed the wage gap with Australia, which was their main promise when they first came in (along with raising our OECD GDP/capita ranking, which has gone up 1 to 20th thanks to Spain dropping down).

And then there’s the big issues: the housing crisis that is biting us now, but will really hurt when the bubble pops; rising inequality; child poverty; climate change; water quality and our environmental standards (and the accompanying risks to our ‘green’ brand).

All ignored.

But at least he was happy, and optimistic and kept us looking on the brighter side of life?  A failed flag referendum was his big regret, even if it would have been good if he could have helped poor kids a bit more.  Aroha from McGehan Close is forgotten.

John Key quit rugby because he didn’t like getting tackled.  And as Colin James says, there are tackles ahead, be they dealing with Winston, or having to deal with some of the long term problems he’s ignored.

So with his ‘legacy’ being popularity and winning, you can see why he made the ‘selfish calculation’ as Bryce Edwards puts it, and made sure not to tarnish that legacy by losing, or having to do a deal with Winston that would seriously undermine that popularity.

Also a good instant analysis was John Armstrong:

Mr Key’s many critics on the left will have a much harsher verdict. They will argue that Mr Key leaves a country where the gap between rich and poor has widened considerably throughout his tenure.

And that his betrayal of the means which enabled those like him to climb up the ladder of meritocracy is his true legacy.

Labour made the ladder he climbed from poverty to the premiership, giving him the welfare & education safety nets, then the 4th Labour government giving him the financial bubble that made his wealth.  And his response as the arch-politician pragmatist was to adopt whatever Labour policy he needed to beat them and pull up the ladder.

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56 comments on “Mr Key’s Achievements ”

  1. Nick 1

    Change the Government.

  2. Gristle 2

    A PM with a great legacy (and a truer measures of popularity than a poll) is identifiable would by how many people named their kid after them. How many Micheal Joseph’s were there?

    • alwyn 2.1

      ” How many Micheal Joseph’s were there?”
      Three I believe.
      When asked if he knew their mothers he replied, in his best Sergeant Schultz impersonation. “I know nothing”.
      By the way it was Michael Savage. The other mothers could spell.

    • Hanswurst 2.2

      I imagine it would be dwarfed individually by the number each of Robs, Davids, Mikes, Geoffreys, Jims, Jennies, Helens and Johns.

  3. red-blooded 3

    Key has been a consummate politician, if one defines a politician as someone who wants to gain and maintain power. He’s never struck me as a man with a strong sense of vision, though (probably a good thing, as I’m pretty damn sure I wouldn’t agree with his vision) and I’ve always thought of him as shifty and smarmy. I’m glad he’s gone.

    The big question is, what happens now? Can Labour finally break through and get their message across? One’s got to hope so.

  4. Ovid 4

    I can think of two first term accomplishments – laying fibre was a very important piece of infrastructure to set in place, although it was the natural extension of Labour’s Digital Strategy and it provides a clear contrast to Australia’s woeful NBN. The second is the NZ cycle trail. Which has provided tourism industry opportunities. I remember damning it with faint praise, but there you go. A continued commitment to the settlement process with iwi should be acknowledged, too.

    My big criticisms are 3 strikes legislation, the handling of Pike River, the handling of the Christchurch rebuild/insurance payouts, partial asset sales – which made no economic sense, charter schools, the closure of night classes, double bunking in prisons, eliminating the sickness benefit, selling state houses, allowing a property bubble to get out of hand in Auckland, selling out employment rights to Warner Bros, the 90 day trial, the national shame of homelessness, boom-bust dependence on milk and failure to diversify the economy, uninspiring options in the flag referendum and I’m sure if you gave me five minutes I could vent my spleen over more.

    All in all, I don’t think Key was a malicious PM and I think he did temper some of the more right-wing excesses of his caucus. Perhaps that’s why he suffered such a poverty of ideas.

    • And…. like Key with his bicycle path, Hitler was with his autobahns…. so what ?

      Most sociopathic political leaders do something of use as a side issue in sometime of their miserable political lives.

      Its the colossal damage they create in the meantime and the years and years it takes to clean the damn mess up they’ve gone that is the focus.

      The only achievement he ever made was to pave the way for the obscenely wealthy to suck yet more and more from the NZ public.

      AND create a memorial out of Pike River instead of doing what he said he would do.

    • gsays 4.2

      Hi Ovid, while you are catching yr breath, I will add:
      Environment Canterbury,
      The unprecedented use of urgency in parliament,
      taking obfuscation and ‘I don’t recall/remember’ to new heights, sending us into Afghanistan,
      massive increase of state powers to surveil the citizenry…

  5. Mr Keys achievements?… um..

    .

  6. esoteric pineapples 6

    “His successor has some serious issues to overcome, the biggest one being Not Being John Key. The same problem Opposition leaders have had.”

    I don’t think the Opposition leaders have that problem at all because they have never sold themselves as an alternative version of John Key.

  7. BM 7

    Setting up NZ long term ,getting the important stuff done instead of playing Santa Claus with taxpayers money (WFF ,interest free loans)

    http://www.infrastructure.govt.nz/

    • One Anonymous Bloke 7.1

      Empty rhetoric is the best you can do, That’s not a question.

    • mauī 7.2

      Setting New Zealand up for what exactly…?

    • adam 7.3

      You been struggling now for a couple of days Bm, I think you should take a wee rest and get your head back together. I know you’r heart broken you’r best buddy is gone, but go through the stages of grief, it will help.

    • NZJester 7.4

      John Key and his government played Santa Claus with Tax payer money all the time. He sold off valuable public assets, a lot for less than there real worth. They spent $11.5 million of taxpayer money on a Saudi farm. They wasted a lot of public money on all those failed Charter Schools. They wasted money on privately run prisons.
      Those are just the ones I can think of right now, but are only the tip of the iceberg.

      • BenM 7.4.1

        Sky City and Rio Tinto are two more recipients of Key’s generosity.

        But one could argue that this isn’t playing Santa Claus. Santa gives out presents for being good. Key gave out presents for being evil (or at the very least for being rich).

  8. Jum 8

    Key was America’s man for corporates (TPP being just one item on his instruction list from his visit to the American Fed). That’s all I need to know. Key took out one leg of the stool of govt/ business/worker – the working person’s rights to living wages – by deliberately seeking to reduce them. He destroyed the balance of our democracy.

    Yes I was shocked by Key’s resignation, knowing what a vain beast he is wanting to beat Michael Joseph Savage’s time in government, although for every good thing Savage brought to New Zealanders John Key took it away, under urgency. As National/Act representative Matthew Hooten readily acknowledged on Radio NZ on Monday politics, National was formed to get rid of Labour because it was fighting for ALL New Zealanders’ well-being. Key has already succeeded in reversing that. So, why would he bother to stay on?

    I’m ashamed Kiwis actually imagined he gave a damn about them. He donned a mask and played a role. Key, like Lange, played the host while business destroyed NZ egalitarianism under English/Joyce and Douglas/Richardson in the 80s and 90s.

    How could anyone have not understood that simple game plan by Key.The Queen’s going to be talking to him tonight, no doubt to organise his knighthood. What an insult to Sir Ed.

    The one thing above all that ‘sticks in my craw’ is the person on Radio NZ this morning from Key’s Helensville electorate saying that Key was an honest man. Crap. He was a multi-talented liar that, with the quiescence of the easily swayed ‘celebrity media’ types skewed New Zealand’s future.

    Hollow Men: Tell a huge lie often enough and people will believe it.

    And Helensville? Seriously? Of all the electorates his money could have bought, He chose Helensville to fight HELEN Clark. How gullible Kiwis are.
    I wonder who’ll hoodwink us next? Double dipton English, Coleman the taker-away of home help for the olds? Collins? Really? Adams who was advantaged by the Plains water irrigation legislation? Water, the lifegiver to everyone on earth, now seen as a money spinner.
    Please, Kiwis, do your fxxking homework on these politicians. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese.

    • garibaldi 8.1

      Spot on Jum.
      It’s like Wall St. has told John his job is done.
      Let’s hope the momentum to wrest control away from the one-world globalists will continue to grow and we can rid ourselves of them.

      • KJT 8.1.1

        Next possibility.
        Key got the sack because he failed to deliver the TPP to his corporate US bosses?

        Why keep a puppet, that doesn’t deliver?

    • { ‘ I’m ashamed Kiwis actually imagined he gave a damn about them. He donned a mask and played a role. Key, like Lange, played the host while business destroyed NZ egalitarianism under English/Joyce and Douglas/Richardson in the 80s and 90s. ‘ }

      Exactly.

      Key was nothing more than the malignant vector for the virus that is neo liberalism.

      To which this country is now so delirious with that disease that it can no longer tell when the next injection of odious virus filled serum is about to be introduced into its veins.

  9. Muttonbird 9

    It is instructive that John Key supporters here come up with next to nothing in their desperate attempts at writing his political eulogy.

  10. Anne 10

    Glad to see Bryce Edwards didn’t fall for John Key’s faux explanation for his decision to walk…

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11761271

  11. David C 11

    Well in 8 years as PM Key has raised Nationals popularity and squashed Labour down to almost half what it was in ’08. That and seeing off 4 Labour “Leaders” in that time.

    As core political business goes that is quite an achievement.

    • Molly 11.1

      As core governance goes it is an embarrassment.

    • And ?… and ?… so what ?

      You count that as an achievement , you worm?

      You like a one party state where the media is censured? Worse still , – run by private interests that only report on and create biased accounts only favoring a leader and their party ?

      You think political vacuums are a good thing , you anti democratic neo liberal fascist?

      That all you’ve got?

      And by the way – National isn’t as ‘ popular’ as you’d like to make out. As you will soon see once the great pretender leaves these shores to watch National crash and burn.

      Not that he would give a damn. Ironic that the last laugh from the Smiling Assassin was against his own political party.

      How ironic it is….

    • garibaldi 11.3

      Well David C when there is total domination of the world through American Corporate Capitalism and Militarism, you might be able to look around and realize the world has been destroyed . That is what our wonderful moneytrader Wall St puppet wants. That’s the core political business he stands for.

  12. Tanz 12

    HIs biggest achievement has been keeping all of Labour’s policy intact, and then adding some more Labour like policies of his own.

    • Draco T Bastard 12.1

      Hahahahahahaha

      No, he hasn’t done just that – he’s seriously attacked poor people and made them poorer while enriching the already rich at the expense of the poor.

  13. ropata 13

    Yes, the Gnat caucus was itching to dismantle Kiwibank, KiwiSaver, WFF, and sell off anything that wasn’t nailed down. But Key was ever the pragmatist and knew that would not fly with the Kiwi voter and enable him to maintain his mild everyman image.

    Key’s pragmatism produced a weird mix of misguided and pointless right wing policies like asset sales and charter schools and slashing the public service, alongside important infrastructure investment in transport and fibre broadband.

    • { ‘ Key’s pragmatism produced a weird mix of misguided and pointless right wing policies like asset sales and charter schools and slashing the public service, alongside important infrastructure investment in transport and fibre broadband. ‘ }

      Yeah , – its called the ‘appeasement ‘ approach.

      • ropata 13.1.1

        I think Key has always been a numbers man and when Farrar’s moles reported that the odds were against him continuing as the beloved saviour of Aotearoa and white collar bank accounts, Key’s nose twitched and he abandoned ship

  14. AmaKiwi 14

    Hundreds of millions of taxable dollars left NZ shores forever when Key removed the lid on how much money the rich can put into a trust each year. (I recall it was around $23,500.)

    We will never know how many millions (or billions) are gone forever. It was Key’s greatest contribution to the millionaire class. They could put their money in an overseas trust in a no-tax country and let it grow unhindered by the inconvenience of paying NZ taxes.

    That’s what “honest John” did for the working people of NZ.

    • Here’s an interesting link for all the Key sycophants to have a good look at…

      And I would suggest Blip posts the ‘ Honest John ‘ list one more time with this as Keys Epitaph.

      http://aotearoaawiderperspective.com/2008/12/17/open-letter-to-eugene-bingham-or-would-you-have-voted-for-john-key-if-you-had-known/#comment-7147

      What an absolute areshole he really , really was and is….

      • ropata 14.1.1

        Hopefully this much-rumoured forthcoming book will complete Ev Gilbert’s excellent work, God rest her soul..

        • rawshark-yeshe 14.1.1.1

          Hi Ropata .. have been away … so such sad news to gather from your post … please, can you tell me when and how we lost Ev ? Thank you …

    • Craig H 14.2

      If there was ever a maximum trust settlement, it wasn’t recent. If you’re referring to the repeal of gift tax, it raised very little revenue for the government, and a lot of money was spent on professional services to avoid it.

      • John up North 14.2.1

        Yes but at it’s heart it achieved it’s goal very well, those with money could move it easily in very large licks to vehicles designed to hide ownership, concealing ill gotten gains or maybe even well deserved $$ from creditors, debtors, wives, husbands or just the authorities that may have demanded their fair share.

        Previously there was an annual limit you could “gift” not sure if the quoted sum above was correct before there was a “duty” attached to funds exceeding the limit. After the change you could move “millions” if you felt inclined.

        • Craig H 14.2.1.1

          $27000 was the tax-free threshold for many years, so people would set up a family trust and “lend” the full amount to the trust, and then forgive the loan at $27000 per annum.

  15. GregJ 15

    Perhaps “achievements” is the wrong way to think about it. Probably better to think about the impact of his premiership on the country and to separately think about his impact on NZ politics.

    I think in terms of the second it is hard to deny that he has made a significant impact on the way politics is done in NZ (I would argue, of course, mainly to the detriment of the political process in the country). The politics of populism, Dirty Politics, the casual contempt for truth, narcissistic media showboating and focus-group driven policy are hallmarks of his time – I’m not sure if his going will lead to a move away from that or not – much may depend on his successor.

    In terms of his longer term impact on the country that is obviously going to take longer to break down – I don’t think he ever really had a clear vision of where he wanted to take the country – aside from placating the middle-class and further enriching & enabling the wealthy I don’t know he had any particular plan. He seemed mainly to want to keep the boat sailing along with no real destination in sight and as long as he was popular and liked everything was OK. He had no choice but react to the Christchurch earthquake and sort of muddled through but left the heavy lifting to Brownlee (who doesn’t seem to mind if he makes himself unpopular).

    I don’t think he was divisive in the way Muldoon was but I think he cared a lot less for ordinary New Zealanders than Muldoon did and that means inequality and poverty has increased during his time straining our social fabric to breaking point. We are less unified as a nation – not one New Zealand but two.

    His biggest failure I think was more than adequately summed up by David Cunliffe

    “An inability to use his personal popularity to address the serious challenges of the long term: climate change, superannuation, real productivity growth driven by innovation and infrastructure deficits made worse by overhyped growth.”

    • { ‘ I don’t think he was divisive in the way Muldoon was but I think he cared a lot less for ordinary New Zealanders than Muldoon did and that means inequality and poverty has increased during his time straining our social fabric to breaking point. We are less unified as a nation – not one New Zealand but two. ‘ }

      Yep ,… at least Muldoon had a concept of the Kiwi battler, and yes, he was divisive, authoritarian , ( and certainly wasn’t politically correct , – though the term wasn’t in existence then – its a neo liberal construct )…

      Thing is, we operated under a Keynesian based economy then with its regulatory characteristics, which put a cap on negative exploitation of loopholes somewhat in political and economic areas… and Muldoon was a strong advocate of that and the maintaining of the welfare state.

      As has been said … there wasn’t massive differences between both National or Labour… all operated under that system.

      But then that is exactly the sort of thing said nowadays under neo liberalism as well.

      The difference was then – there was far , far less gap between the haves and have nots. Wages were OK , a family didn’t necessarily need both parents working , and per capita,.. we were regarded in many official circles as enjoying one of the best standards of living globally.

      Since then under neo liberalism , we have ranked as around 32nd – behind Mexico, … and also on a par with Albania…

      Douglas should have been charged with treason .

      If that had happened , we never would have been saddled with the smiling subversive globalist from Merril Lynch.

  16. infused 16

    Hold the left out of power.

    • Keys gone , … little person ,… maybe its time for you also to dig out that dual passport and fly back to America… maybe have a few rounds of golf with EX President Obama and Ex PM Key…

      I hear they are in need of a peasant type person to fetch the golf balls from the rough.

  17. ropata 17

    How did that help NZ?

    But you could be onto something, perhaps Key’s “leadership” was just a pissing contest and a public display of his daddy issues

  18. Left Right Out 18

    What about the pandas?

  19. BenM 19

    In all seriousness, there is one good thing I’ll say about Key: he didn’t stand in the way of marriage equality. Of course he let others do all the hard work, but he didn’t try to block them, and he even voted in favour of the bill when it came before the House. It may not seem like much, but it’s better than how right-wing leaders of certain other countries have treated the issue.

  20. save nz 20

    “THE ECONOMIC ASSASSIN, JOHN KEY HAS HIT HIS TARGET, AND IS MAKING HIS GET AWAY BEFORE NEW ZEALANDER’S NOTICE

    The TPPA was secretly enacted in parliament during the death and destruction of the earthquakes (starting the day before) and the appall of having an international arms fair held in Auckland complete with a foreign, probably nuclear carrying warship (starting the day after===). FYI the US warship was “redirected to the blast zone showing it’s real priority.”

    http://kiwicando.com/tppablock/john-key/

  21. Tanz 21

    Marriage equality, my foot. Just the typical anti establishment, anti-God, progressive attempt to break up the traditional family and to undermine marriage. Such a perversion. That’s what it’s really about. The usual, agree with us or else. Why did it not go to referendum? Funny, that. Just as the elite in Britian are ignoring the will of the people on the Brexit vote. For a long time now, those in power have run roughshod over majority will. The tide is turning though, especially in Europe. Globalisation – yet another elitist, stuff the will of the people, shaft the people, idea.

    • framu 21.1

      “The usual, agree with us or else. ”

      no – thats what your doing.

      Dont like gay marriage? – dont have one

      xtians dont own or invent marriage – you dont get to claim it

      whats next – blacks dont get the same rights as whites? (its the same logic)

    • Draco T Bastard 21.2

      Just the typical anti establishment, anti-God, progressive attempt to break up the traditional family and to undermine marriage.

      The ‘traditional’ nuclear family isn’t all that traditional:

      In later years, the assumptions about the family held by Malinowski, Murdock, and Parsons have been challenged by family sociologists as well as by anthropologists, historians, feminist scholars, and others. Research in these fields has emphasized the diversity of family not only across cultures and eras but also within any culture or historical period.

      It seems that the nuclear family is the perversion.

  22. Tanz 22

    Yes, but what about the children they then adopt or have by purchase (Elton John for example), the children who have no say, and then are told ‘gay marriage’ is normal, and never ever had a say. God invented marriage, not men or women, and it was only ever meant for to be between men and women. Hence why childbearing bearing gay couples on their own is not possible. Even nature is against it.
    Ever thought of them? Nope, but then, I guess you support abortion, too, whilst the unborn have no voice at all.
    Such demented logic, the blacks and whites example.

    • Draco T Bastard 22.1

      Yes, but what about the children they then adopt or have by purchase (Elton John for example), the children who have no say, and then are told ‘gay marriage’ is normal, and never ever had a say.

      I’m pretty sure that the children in your preferred heterosexual family didn’t have a say either. And they tend to be the ones getting more abuse from their parents as well.

    • framu 22.2

      So your OK with treating people the same based on skin colour – just not on who they sleep with?

      Spare us your self annointed exceptionalism – We are a secular country and we are all equal before the law. You do not get to claim a right as your property in order to deny it to others. (which is what we used to do to black people, women and the disabled – duh)

      We all have the same rights regardless of what we believe.

      [/off topic rant]

  23. Smilin 23

    If people spent more time looking at the horror stories of John Keys tenure as PM that were his to put right for a democracy to function at this time in history
    They would have stopped listening to his bs along time before now
    and his ego mania would have died a natural death and all the disgusting abuses of power would have been the real news instead of the dancing clown stupidity we have endured for so long that has left us with chronic debt and mismanagement of this country’s resources and wealth

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    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    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
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    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 ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    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
    5 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
    10 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
    12 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
    12 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
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
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