Much ado about nothing

Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, December 16th, 2022 - 54 comments
Categories: act, david seymour, jacinda ardern, labour, Parliament, uncategorized - Tags:

 This week’s big news is that Jacinda used unparliamentary language to describe David Seymour.

She had just been subject to a series of soundbite questions covering all sorts of topics.  The initial question “[d]oes she stand by all her Government’s statements and policies?” meant that questions could be wide ranging and that her chance to prepare properly were lessened but she answered concisely and clearly.

As she sat down she made what was clearly meant to be a private comment to Grant Robertson describing Seymour in accurate terms.  Funnily enough I thought about the same phrase as I watched Seymour’s performance.

A journalist picked up on what was said, texted Seymour who then raised a point of order and the rest is history.

The comment must have been really quiet.  Like most of Twitter I replayed the video and did not hear anything.  But Ardern did acknowledge that she used this phrase.

Ardern’s comment was entered into Hansard.  She apologised privately and publicly to Seymour.  They then both signed a printout of Hansard containing her description of him.  The printout has been framed and put on sale on Trademe.  Currently the best bid is $50,100.  Proceeds are to go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

This episode has attracted some international attention although more in the line of bemusement rather than condemnation.

Locally the normal talking heads have dined out on the topic.  As yet Bryce Edwards has not announced that this incident may be the cause of Labour losing the next election but such a column cannot be far away.

On twitter there has been some outrage expressed by some whose usernames include the words “Cindy” and “Stalin”.  But lots of support has also been expressed.  It appears that Ardern’s description of Seymour is one that many will agree with.

The public reconciliation was very nice.  It is good for people to set aside their differences and do something positive in a year that many of us have struggled with.

So this is something incredibly rare for the Standard to say about Seymour.  His signing the framed Hansard passage with Ardern and offering this for auction for a very good cause was very well done.  I am not sure but this may be the first time Seymour has ever been praised on this blog.

Merry Christmas everyone.  Look after yourselves and your whanau.  It has been a tough couple of years and we all need to get a break and look after each other.

54 comments on “Much ado about nothing ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Robert Guyton 1
    16 December 2022 at 8:19 am

    A journalist texted Seymour?

    • Gosman 1.1
      16 December 2022 at 8:34 am

      Is that a problem?

      • Incognito 1.1.1
        16 December 2022 at 9:04 am

        Only when it involves an earpiece or microchip. Other forms of remote control such as cell phones are permitted in The Chamber of The House of Representatives. I have texted MPs many times while they were debating.

      • Robert Guyton 1.1.2
        16 December 2022 at 9:41 am

        Not if you favour snitches.

    • Ed1 1.2
      16 December 2022 at 10:32 am

      I thought the initial reports said that Ardern had texted Seymour to apologise when it was brought to her attention in Hansard, and that was the first MPs had heard of the comment as it was only audible to Hansard. He then went out of his way to repeat the words the next day to ensure that they were recorded again. Seymour is showing PR skills built up from having now been in parliament for quite some time – the selling of a transcript nicely distracted from how little work he must have done to have been so readily corrected on facts by the prime minister across a range of questions

  2. tsmithfield 2
    16 December 2022 at 8:31 am

    I agree it was a total beat up, and of no consequence whatsoever so far as voters are concerned. In fact, many may like to see that she is normal like the rest of us.

    The only comment I would make is I wonder what the reaction would be like if Seymour had been heard referring to the PM as an "arrogant bitch" under his breath.

    • roy cartland 2.1
      16 December 2022 at 10:12 am

      There would have been widespread condemnation through MSM, and definitely on this site. Allegations of egregious sexism and dishonourable behaviour. Seymour would have lost much of the credibility he's been building up over the last few years, and he knows it.

      Interestingly, I would have agreed with all of it (the condemnation), as I agree with her comment about Seymour. Surely what you're getting at is the apparent double standard. In this case I think it's justified.

      • tsmithfield 2.1.1
        16 December 2022 at 10:18 am

        "There would have been widespread condemnation through MSM, and definitely on this site."

        Yes, that is what I would have expected as well.

        But, I wonder if all that clamour that would have resulted would have in itself been subtely sexist. Because what it would have implied is that those making the clamour in some ways view Jacinda is a weak female unable to stand up for herself.

        • Incognito 2.1.1.1
          16 December 2022 at 10:26 am

          You are trying to spin hypotheticals about much ado about nothing aka diverting. In some ways you are implying that you are a weak commenter unable to stick to a topic.

        • Chris 2.1.1.2
          16 December 2022 at 10:45 am

          If support for Labour or Ardern go up in the next poll it may suggest they could benefit by injecting a little mongrel into how they deal with the opposition, just to help provide a little balance to the kindness theme, the latter for too many seems to be wearing a bit thin.

          • Anne 2.1.1.2.1
            16 December 2022 at 11:52 am

            I've been saying it to Labour for years but nobody listened. A little bit of mongrel, when it is appropriate, is no bad thing. It makes them look like one of us.

            • Jimmy 2.1.1.2.1.1
              16 December 2022 at 1:53 pm

              They have Willie Jackson and Kelvin Davis (and probably others) for the mongrel. Jacinda shouldn’t go mongrel.

              • Incognito …
                16 December 2022 at 3:37 pm

                Zip it, sweetie.

                • observer …
                  16 December 2022 at 5:08 pm

                  Zip it, sweetie.

                  Exactly. We don't need these "what if?" hypotheticals. We don't need to invent what Nat/ACT people would say. We just need to remember what they actually said. I've already mentioned several on these threads. Again …

                  "You back the rapists" – John Key, to Labour, in Parliament.

                  Ardern apologised on the same day. Key took one month.

                  Don't believe me, look it up. Compare. So let's stop imagining and start remembering.

                  • Jimmy …
                    19 December 2022 at 8:51 am

                    Has Jacinda apologised to that KFC worker yet?

                    • Incognito …
                      19 December 2022 at 9:33 am

                      Ok, troll, I’ll feed you, a piece of rope.

                      Was that KFC worker an MP at the time? And did the PM say anything to them while in the Debating Chamber?

                      If both answers are “yes” then you may have a point. If not then you’re simply trolling and one step closer to a well-earned long holiday.

                    • observer …
                      19 December 2022 at 9:53 am

                      Imagine having your home raided, your reputation defamed, your phone records seized and spending vast amounts of money, time and energy clearing your name. But don't imagine: Nicky Hager, John Key, look them up.

                      You think Ardern has done anything like that? No. You know she has not.

                      I repeat: compare reality.

                    • observer …
                      19 December 2022 at 9:59 am

                      Another one for Jimmy the Amnesiac:

                      Camera operator Bradley Ambrose was investigated by police – and newsrooms were searched by police officers – after the "teapot tape" in 2011.

                      After PM John Key called it “News of the World tactics," Ambrose sued for defamation and John Key settled out of court in 2015 – and with an apology.

                      https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018649006/a-win-for-media-and-the-public-which-came-at-a-cost

  3. Gosman 3
    16 December 2022 at 8:43 am

    This is a great bit of PR for David Seymour. He come out of this whole thing with his reputation boosted and the photos of him with the Prime Minister likely enhances his standing among many.

  4. Anne 4
    16 December 2022 at 8:56 am

    Yep. 10 out of 10 from me. For someone who usually turns the TV off at the mere sight of Seymour's face this indeed a first. smiley

  5. Peter 5
    16 December 2022 at 9:54 am

    The country is in the crap. There's poverty and lawlessness, and despair, and mental health issues, and homelessness, and dire shortages of staff for medical services, dramatic need for workers in other fields and an on-going pandemic and its affects. There are signs the world is ending.

    Then something serious comes along. A politician in an aside describes another politician.

    A journalist who no doubt strove through school, was the apple of her/his parent's eye, they were so proud with achievements culminating in the glorious job of being a journalist, in Parliament to boot, had their Pulitzer Prize moment. The crowning impactful moment of glory which will not be matched, cannot be matched in a career.

    This journo, with better hearing than the best bat heard the comment and school prefected to David Seymour. My mate in Hawera would say, "It seems to be one of those 'Get a fucking life' situations."

  6. Thinker 6
    16 December 2022 at 10:23 am

    From a glass-half-full perspective, if bear-ups like these are what ACT has to do to get attention, where are their policies?

    Ditto an article on radio nz website this morning "C… Luxon's bold vision pale on detail:" Rest Assured we will have policy " that has a bit of a comedic undertone.

  7. Ad 7
    16 December 2022 at 10:40 am

    It's the closest I've got to liking her. Do more Prime Minister.

  8. Mike the Lefty 8
    16 December 2022 at 10:56 am

    Did she say anything that wasn't correct?

  9. SPC 9
    16 December 2022 at 10:56 am

    When John Key and Helen Clark came together it was to ensure restraint of the hand on the cradle to grave welfare state.

    When David Bell Tea Seymour and Jacinda Ardern came together it was to reduce the number of hands in/on medical experiences.

  10. Ad 10
    16 December 2022 at 12:26 pm

    Anyone remember the amazing promises that the Sky City National Convention Centre deal was going to do for us all?

    And now it's going to cost yet another $150 million to complete it.

    And a decade later not a single benefit to New Zealand beyond the basic construction.

  11. Kat 11
    16 December 2022 at 1:23 pm

    Act supporters are hardly dissatisfied Labour supporters…..yellow up…blue down….we have seen it before….

    Very clever our PM

    • observer 11.1
      16 December 2022 at 5:16 pm

      Yes, a lot of "commentators" are missing that point.

      It does Ardern no harm to see Luxon losing out to Seymour.

      John Key could casually dismiss ACT as a minor Epsom party.

      But in 2023 Luxon is going to spend the campaign having to rule out ACT policies, Seymour as Finance Minister, Deputy PM, etc. It'll be a Waffle-thon.

  12. Mac1 12
    16 December 2022 at 3:42 pm

    I played the part of Leonato in Much Ado about Nothing and learned that Elizabethans had another meaning for 'nothing'. They enjoyed the joke!

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z3jh4j6/revision/2

    • Robert Guyton 12.1
      16 December 2022 at 5:58 pm

      Thanks, Mac1 – that's very funny -nothing/noting – how many, if any, followed your hint, I wonder?

      I did and am grateful 🙂

  13. Tiger Mountain 13
    16 December 2022 at 6:31 pm

    The mistake the PM made was apologising, in my view, but I guess what she ended up doing for a fundraiser won points with many. And she did it promptly as noted above.

    Mr Seymour is quite Trump like really–he doesn’t majorly care what you think of him.

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    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • COP28 National Statement for New Zealand
    Tēnā koutou katoa Mr President, Excellencies, Delegates. An island nation at the bottom of the Pacific, New Zealand is unique.          Our geography, our mountains, lakes, winds and rainfall helps set us up for the future, allowing for nearly 90 per cent of our electricity to come from renewable sources. I’m ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
    New Zealand welcomes the further one-day extension of the pause in fighting, which will allow the delivery of more urgently-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of more hostages, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “The human cost of the conflict is horrific, and New Zealand wants to see the violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government his condolences to the family of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut. “While opinions on his legacy are varied, Secretary Kissinger was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Backing our kids to learn the basics
    Every child deserves a world-leading education, and the Coalition Government is making that a priority as part of its 100-day plan. Education Minister Erica Stanford says that will start with banning cellphone use at school and ensuring all primary students spend one hour on reading, writing, and maths each day. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • US Business Summit Speech – Regional stability through trade
    I would like to begin by echoing the Prime Minister’s thanks to the organisers of this Summit, Fran O’Sullivan and the Auckland Business Chamber.  I want to also acknowledge the many leading exporters, sector representatives, diplomats, and other leaders we have joining us in the room. In particular, I would like ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Keynote Address to the United States Business Summit, Auckland
    Good morning. Thank you, Rosemary, for your warm introduction, and to Fran and Simon for this opportunity to make some brief comments about New Zealand’s relationship with the United States.  This is also a chance to acknowledge my colleague, Minister for Trade Todd McClay, Ambassador Tom Udall, Secretary of Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • India New Zealand Business Council Speech, India as a Strategic Priority
    Good morning, tēnā koutou and namaskar. Many thanks, Michael, for your warm welcome. I would like to acknowledge the work of the India New Zealand Business Council in facilitating today’s event and for the Council’s broader work in supporting a coordinated approach for lifting New Zealand-India relations. I want to also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Coalition Government unveils 100-day plan
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has laid out the Coalition Government’s plan for its first 100 days from today. “The last few years have been incredibly tough for so many New Zealanders. People have put their trust in National, ACT and NZ First to steer them towards a better, more prosperous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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