Must watch TV tonight

Written By: - Date published: 12:37 pm, August 29th, 2013 - 80 comments
Categories: equality, tv - Tags: ,

Inside New Zealand: Mind the Gap: A Special Report on Inequality

Bryan Bruce’s new documentary on Inequality in New Zealand will screen tonight (Thurs 29 Aug) on TV3, 7.30pm (Click for sneak preview).

Bryan’s last documentary INSIDE CHILD POVERTY triggered a nationwide debate on the plight of our poorest children when it was broadcast in November of 2011. Now the veteran investigative journalist is back with MIND THE GAP in which he reveals why inequality is bad (even for the rich) and what we can do about it.

80 comments on “Must watch TV tonight ”

  • Comments are now closed

  2. geoff 2
    29 August 2013 at 7:42 pm

    Pretty fucking good so far!
    The right wing nutters will be positively frothing over this one.

  3. Colonial Viper 3
    29 August 2013 at 8:17 pm

    can’t get to a TV but I hear it is good. Go Helen Kelly!!!

    • Pete 3.1
      29 August 2013 at 8:19 pm

      Hopefully it’ll be available on demand. It’s very good so far. I agree with the idea of a Tobin tax.

    • karol 3.2
      29 August 2013 at 8:20 pm

      I forgot. Was watching Citizen A. Will catch the doco on plus one.

    • Comrade Coba 3.3
      29 August 2013 at 10:35 pm

      Time for a militant male figure to front the CTU. Hard core action is needed if Nact get back in next year. Helen has been great however while we are changing leaders.

      • karol 3.3.1
        30 August 2013 at 7:56 am

        So you’re saying it’s not a job for a woman? What century are you living in?

        Helen continues to do a great job.

      • Rosie 3.3.2
        30 August 2013 at 9:56 am

        Er, Comrade, clearly you’ve never been in the presence of Helen Kelly. Either that, or you’re just being a dick on purpose.

  5. Paul 5
    29 August 2013 at 8:56 pm

    Best documentary in NZ for 20 years.
    How did the corporate media allow its telecast?
    Destroyed the neoliberal lie.

  6. Linz 6
    29 August 2013 at 9:02 pm

    Maybe I’m being overly optimistic, but I have the old Bob Dylan song running through my head, The times they are a-changing.

  7. BM 7
    29 August 2013 at 9:08 pm

    Shame everyone was watching police 10-7

    • vto 7.1
      29 August 2013 at 9:15 pm

      http://thestandard.org.nz/keys-earthquake-fun/#comment-687717

      What happened to you on this thread today BM? You and your general approach to issues were exposed as a complete and utter sham and you ran away.

      • BM 7.1.1
        29 August 2013 at 9:20 pm

        Coding.
        It would be great to sit around and argue all day but work needs to be done.

        • vto 7.1.1.1
          29 August 2013 at 9:24 pm

          ha ha yeah right.

          The thread is still there and there are many posters and facts and arguments for you to answer – all of which expose your total nonsense and lack of thinking.

          Why not go back now and try to answer them? You know, for your own credibility like

          • BM 7.1.1.1.1
            29 August 2013 at 9:28 pm

            As enjoyable as that sounds, I will have to pass.
            I’m about to turn off the computer for the night and go have a read.

            • vto 7.1.1.1.1.1
              29 August 2013 at 9:48 pm

              ha ha. owned

            • Paul 7.1.1.1.1.2
              29 August 2013 at 9:51 pm

              Do it tomorrow then.

            • felix 7.1.1.1.1.3
              29 August 2013 at 9:53 pm

              Still be there tomorrow. Guess you can answer it all then, eh?

              Unless you’re too busy tomorrow of course. And the next day. But then you won’t be able to trool the standard all day I guess, being so busy and all.

              • North …
                30 August 2013 at 6:10 am

                Cop out BM. I guess you’ll be like the PM and fastidiously ensure that you NEVER see the programme. Moral cowardice.

  8. Rhinocrates 8
    29 August 2013 at 9:17 pm

    I can just imagine Russel Brown’s response – first, he suggests a mediocre band and links to a couple of vids, then he plugs his own show, then he brings up some minor point about how the media handling has been less than perfect… but oh, who gives a fuck?

    Sorry, but Hard News doesn’t seem to have gone into an entropic decline so much as driven off a cliff. What the Hell happened? Really? It was good once, really good.

    • Sanctuary 8.1
      29 August 2013 at 9:30 pm

      you got the right thread brother?

      The main right wing response to this doco will be to try and ignore it, just like the way that champion of liberty Farrar strenuously ignored the GCSB bill. The answer is to sharpen up those fake gmail addresses and get concerned trolling on kiwiblog folks!

      Anyway, I am going to get a red tee shirt made that says “I am a Socialist”. I feel socialism’s day is coming again!

      • Rhinocrates 8.1.1
        29 August 2013 at 10:04 pm

        Sorry, just rather disillusioned with the bourgeois liberals. Probably rather belatedly. I had my hopes of being an aspiringly secure middle class type myself once.

        Turns out I’m one of the precariat, since I don’t work in the media.

        Otherwise, I agree.

  9. NZFemme 9
    29 August 2013 at 9:43 pm

    Extended interviews with a few of the economists are available:

    https://www.facebook.com/mindthegapextra

  10. Pete 10
    29 August 2013 at 9:50 pm

    And here’s what David Cunliffe said on Facebook:

    Who else is tuning in to watch Bryan Bruce’s doco ‘Mind The Gap’ at 7:30 on TV3?

    Remember the days when families could live off one income?

    The graph shows a market failure which has made this near impossible for most families. We’re working harder and longer than ever before, but wages have remained flat. The failure of wages to keep up has meant many families are living in poverty. It hurts me to think that 270,000 kids live in poverty in this country. Part of the solution is a Living Wage for all Kiwi workers, and fairer workplace laws.

    I’ll lead a government that is prepared to tackle this injustice head on.

  11. chris 11
    29 August 2013 at 9:57 pm

    Excellent documentary. Sadly it will go whoosh over the heads of a lot of kiwis.

    None so blind etc. etc.

  12. geoff 12
    29 August 2013 at 10:32 pm

    I’m still a little stunned that that was an actual show on the actual telly in ackshul NZ.

    That was fantastic.

    Somebody buy that man an Emersons.

    • Colonial Viper 12.1
      29 August 2013 at 10:55 pm

      I recommend the Porter

    • Bill 12.2
      29 August 2013 at 11:39 pm

      A pint of Lion Nathan? Nah.Where’s your principles guys! Gimme a pint of Invercargill Brew (Pitch Black anyone?) – or a pint from a fair few other other independent brewers over a (diminishing or soon to be diminished) corporate brew any day. A-hem. Cheers 🙂

      • NZFemme 12.2.1
        30 August 2013 at 12:06 am

        Yeah, but Emerson’s is just a five min drive away for me! And until I can figure out how to keep my fermenter at a more stable (warmer) temp so I can brew my own, Emerson’s will suffice. At least while Richard is still running the joint. (He is still isn’t he? Even though it’s been sold?)

        • Bill 12.2.1.1
          30 August 2013 at 1:48 am

          sheesh – did you just get me advertising? I think you did! Emersons and Invercargill Brewery and more besides, in riggers, on Lower Stuart St down towards the court. Castle Macadam Wines. (Shame on me!)

        • Pete 12.2.1.2
          30 August 2013 at 9:12 am

          If you’re after a Dunedin microbrew, what about Green Man?

  14. Ximena 14
    30 August 2013 at 12:38 am

    I’m unable to see this doco here but I get the gist of what its about. Good to see some switched-on minds in New Zealand. The socialist movement is starting to gather some strength in Australia too. We need to take a giant left hand turn away from neo-liberalism, our children and their children deserve a full-time job and their own home. Life has become to hard for those left behind in the market economy.

  15. Clement Pinto 15
    30 August 2013 at 1:01 am

    I like the idea mentioned in the doco of setting the maximum possible pay rate for any job in the country as a set multiple of the minimum pay rate.

    For example, if the minimum wage is say $15/hr (or $30,000/pa), then the nation’s max pay for any job could be say, a multiple of 50 of that (or some agreed number by an independent panel of experts or a majority in parliament)=$750/hr (or
    $1,500,000/pa).

    The only way the top max rate could increase is by increasing the minimum rate first. So, if the min goes up to say, $40,000, the Max goes to $2,000, 000

    This way, the gap between the rich and the poor will be maintained and the life will be fairer for all.

    • Colonial Viper 15.1
      30 August 2013 at 1:18 am

      You can accomplish an effective maximum pay rate by introducing a 89% income tax rate on income over 10x the average wage (which is roughly $49K pa, which translates to a threshold of around $490K pa).

      Let’s say you earn an extra $1M pa over this threshold…you’d only get to keep $110,000 of it.

      Of course this will inevitably lead to all kinds of gaming, including CEOs in Auckland being contracted to corporate subsidiaries based out of Delaware, etc.

      One way to combat this is to withdraw the operating licenses for organisations with set ups deliberately designed to evade these tax rules.

      • Epping Road 15.1.1
        30 August 2013 at 9:17 am

        What “operating license” do you mean, do you propose the government should issue operating licences to businesses so that they need the government’s permission before they can employ anybody? Good thinking genius, yeah that will definitely work.

        • framu 15.1.1.1
          30 August 2013 at 9:57 am

          maybe, just possibly, settle down a tiny bit

          so the words “operating license” might have conotations – but, do we or do we not have laws that require businesses to be registered and behave in certain ways?

          Sole traders are of course a bit different in regards to registration – but they wouldnt be included in the scenario CV is outlining

          think of that as the “operating license”

    • Bob 15.2
      30 August 2013 at 10:46 am

      CP – Good idea, as long as this was linked to the minimum paid wage within a company rather than the minimum wage set by the Government. This way good employers can pay their CEO more if they pay their staff more, rather than waiting for the Government to raise the minimum wage.

      The only issue is, then you would have people complaining that inequality is growing by a factor of 50 i.e. for every $1 a minimum wage worker gets, a CEO could get an extra $50, thus growing inequality by $49 in one foul swoop.

  16. Steve 16
    30 August 2013 at 7:09 am

    Good on Bryan Bruce for producing a documentary that cuts through the neo-lib bullshit and exposes the lies that we have been force-fed for the last 30 years.

    I sense the winds of change are at last blowing through this country. People have a keen sense that the current consensus is not working. The left must articulate a new way forward that throws the neo-lib idea on the scrap heap where it belongs.

    The fear of the old guard is palpable as more and more of their lies are being exposed.

  17. karol 17
    30 August 2013 at 8:05 am

    The doco didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. But I think it’ll be news for a lot of Kiwis. It’ll be news many Kiwis will either not accept, or forget about once they get back to their daily activities.

    However, it’s the steady drip that changes cultural attitudes. The doco explained the issues clearly and in terms that are easy to understand. It supported the argument with visual images that are more likely to stay in people’s minds than words alone: the family living in tents, the guy keeping a record of his household’s budget, the graphs of wealth being sucked upwards while the middle-class is under pressure, the figures of benefit fraud compared with tax evasion…. etc, etc…

    The doco needs to continue to be widely available so people can continually be reminded of the reality of a large income/wealth gap, the damage of a “me” society, and a need for a “we” society.

  18. Anthony Blomfield 18
    30 August 2013 at 8:44 am

    was a bit surprised so far many assumptions with not a huge amount of Facts.
    i.e. He just suspects the new Class System as working how he Supposes.

    Blaming poverty on Roger-Nomics and Neo-Liberalism seems sad.

    There are many factors.

    • Colonial Viper 18.1
      30 August 2013 at 8:48 am

      Rogernomics and neoliberalism being the most powerful of them.

      I’m surprised at how many assumptions you present yet so few facts, Anthony Blomfield.

    • karol 18.2
      30 August 2013 at 9:06 am

      A 1 hour TV programme cannot present all the facts and evidence without sending people to sleep. The experts interviewed and stats presented indicate solid evidence behind the claims made in the programme.

      You want evidence?

      NZ world leader in inequality:

      Aotearoa New Zealand has one of the worst rates of income inequality compared to other developed or wealthy countries. In two decades from mid-1980’s to mid-2000’s NZ went from being one of the most equal to become one of the most unequal countries in the developed world.

      Inequality increased faster than in any other OECD country.

      Most of the increase was due to larger rises in overall incomes for the top 20% of income earners.

      Incomes for the bottom 20% actually decreased over the two decades from the mid-1980s.
      […]
      [sources]
      Inequality: A New Zealand Conversation

      Household Incomes Report 2012

      Social Report 2010 – Income Inequality

      Inequality in NZ: How bad? Does it matter? What can we do about it?

      Children’s Health Monitor on Inequality

      OECD on NZ Income Inequality

      OECD 2011 Divided We Stand

      OECD 2008 Growing Unequal?

      Inequality a New Land Crisis Max Rashbrooke (ed)

      Closing the Gap (NZ) on the evidence and claims in the book The Spirit Level.

      Are you proud to be a Kiwi? Of course you are! New Zealand has been a great place to live, work and bring up children.

      But now we have some of the highest levels of social problems–drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, imprisonment, obesity, teenage pregnancies, infant mortality–in the developed world.

      And also, in the developed world, we now have one of the higher income gaps.

      Watch the video below, where Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, authors of “The Spirit Level”, explain why poor social outcomes are a direct result of income inequality.

      But, I guess some people would rather just ignore the weight of evidence showing the damaging impacts of a high level of income inequality?!

      • Anthony Blomfield 18.2.1
        30 August 2013 at 9:27 am

        I guess I agree the state of things is not so great.

        I still believe it is the remanding Government Regulations no?
        and not a consistant justice system that are at fault?

        i.e. Giving Corporates Tax Payers Money should be a criminal offense.

        second Governments should have to be accountable for every law they pass.

        PS: One way to address this 1% of people in the world control most them money is to remove the Government regulation that they enforce what is the Legal Currency of the country.

        Open up free markets to print and distribute other currencies to citizens or allow citizens to trade to each other in any currency. This would effectively make the fortunes of many “Wealthy People” null in some circumstances.

        But all that said… Good to see a Documentary addressing real issues in NZ.

        And I think the Selling of the State assets how National has done is sad.

        But I just did not like tying it all in to “Rogernomics” failed.
        Open to debate

    • risildowgtn 18.3
      30 August 2013 at 10:08 am

      Evidence of these factors??

  19. Winston Smith 19
    30 August 2013 at 8:47 am

    Must have a word with my National paymasters about their slip in allowing this sort of program on tv, you know being that TV3 is in the pocket of the govt

    • Colonial Viper 19.1
      30 August 2013 at 8:49 am

      The fact that a single exception is so notable, proves the rule.

      • Winston Smith 19.1.1
        30 August 2013 at 10:05 am

        Well I wasn’t happy about INSIDE CHILD POVERTY playing before the election and JC attacks on JK (though that appears to have abated) suggests National are slipping when it comes to controlling the message

        What are we paying these guys for if this is what they produce?

        • fender 19.1.1.1
          30 August 2013 at 11:06 am

          “What are we paying these guys for if this is what they produce?”

          Exactly what Key will be asking, considering Mediaworks were given a $45 million loan!

          • Winston Smith 19.1.1.1.1
            30 August 2013 at 12:38 pm

            Exactly! Heads need to roll and I still haven’t recieved my pay yet from Crosby/Republican/National, its not good enough

            • fender 19.1.1.1.1.1
              30 August 2013 at 12:48 pm

              You didn’t really expect them to keep their word and cough up your pay did you?

              Many business owners will tell you that it’s often the richest that are most reluctant to pay their bills.

  21. shorts 21
    30 August 2013 at 9:13 am

    the beauty of this documentary was its simplicity – simple plain language that anyone could understand… now if only enough can view the thing so it doesn’t just end up as a piece of content to be added to NZOnScreen as a historic artifact of how we once were

    Thank you to TV 3 for showing the doco at a family friendly time

    • Rosie 21.1
      30 August 2013 at 10:06 am

      +1 shorts. There was information within the doco that many readers here would be familiar with already, but for me hearing it put so plainly was really helpful. Bryan Bruce has a knack of getting info across clearly, without cluttering his message. So many interesting points to last nights show.

      Should be compulsory viewing for all NZ households, especially those one’s who continue to live in a bubble and think that nothing has changed.

  22. framu 22
    30 August 2013 at 10:05 am

    my only two complaints..

    1)the bits with people dressed up as zombies – waste of time that could have been used better

    2) the making of an argument, which opens the door to an obvious and on the surface easily believable rebuttal, but not firmly closing the door on said rebuttal

    but hey – have i made a doco and got it on TV? – well no i havent.
    And i get that a 1 hour (well about 45min after adds) cant deal with everything

    Is there an online resource to add depth? It feels like that would be neccessary for such a wide ranging topic

    It feels like a common thing from the left – presuming that the wider audience is already up to pace with an issue, then gifting the naysayers a free go to attack through lack of time to add the required detail

  23. burt 23
    30 August 2013 at 10:51 am

    Brilliant…(not)
    It was very unbalanced. Poorly presented as a series of patsy questions with little or no critical analysis of the conclusions.

    One thing that struck me was close to the end – The idea that we shouldn’t follow economic theory is very valid and should be explored more – however the kicker which showed how bias the presentation was followed that…

    We shouldn’t follow economic theory – it should follow us – followed by we should legislate to put morality back into business….. So we don’t follow a prescription for how our economy works – but we create a prescription in law for it ….

    From my perspective there were a large number of valid messages and thoughts we should all consider – but presented like that it came across as a partisan rave

    C-

  24. burt 24
    30 August 2013 at 10:57 am

    For example… Much was made of the decision to follow neo liberal policy in the 80’s and how wrong it was – yet there was no facts presented about how dire the economic conditions were that preceded that. NZ was a mess … we were 9/10’s broke and that was a direct result of decades of poorly though out popularism via socialism.

    If we want to make a point of taking a wrong turn – we need to clearly understand why we were at that cross road in the first place.

    • framu 24.1
      30 August 2013 at 11:24 am

      “no facts presented about how dire the economic conditions were that preceded that”

      actually burt, there was – but it was admittedly a pretty short bit

      “little or no critical analysis of the conclusions. ” – but i can agree with that. (regardless of our assumed differences)

      But i still think it was a good starting point to a topic that would take a vast amount of time to cover the ground properly

    • jaymam 24.2
      30 August 2013 at 11:28 am

      “NZ was a mess” for several reasons. What were they?
      Muldoon said “I know the New Zealand economy better than any other living soul”.
      “Think Big” was a mistake and resulted in huge borrowing. Subsidies to famers were rightly removed. NZ spent a huge amount on cars and still does. House and land prices are now the main problem why people are poor. Cheap State Advances loans and capitalising the family benefit for a house deposit, were working. Who got rid of that?

      • burt 24.2.1
        30 August 2013 at 11:32 am

        Muldoon was probably more socialist than the Labour party are today. His think big was much like the nationalise everything mentality we still see today in left leaning parties.

        So sure, his policies were a disaster – just like they would probably be today.

        The problem is half thinkers equate Muldoon with National when in reality – Labour want to repeat his arrogance of we know best and state owned everything is best.

        • fender 24.2.1.1
          30 August 2013 at 11:38 am

          “Labour want to repeat his arrogance of we know best and state owned everything is best.”

          [citation needed]

          PLEASE read this

        • Murray Olsen 24.2.1.2
          30 August 2013 at 2:54 pm

          Think Big was all about privatisation of profits which flowed from socialisation of development costs and risks. It had much more in common with such projects as the roads of national insignificance than it did with anything proposed by left wing parties. The main difference is that there was a better strategic argument for building some of the Think Big stuff, even though it was often still a not very good one.

    • beGone Craven SpyBill leopard 24.3
      30 August 2013 at 4:29 pm

      @ Burt,

      Your questioning of the dire circumstances that the Muldoon era created is something that I would like to know more about too.

      I think they wouldn’t have included this information in that documentary in order to keep the message simple and easy to understand – it was only 45 minutes of information, after all.

      I am suspecting that the collapsing of economies in the West around the 1970s had a lot to do with the boom subsiding that was created by the war.
      Also the consumerist boom possibly levelled out (everyone had bought the new consumer goods that were on offer; new stoves, fridges cars).

      I suspect that at that point, the people making the most profit needed to start accepting less, and they didn’t do so, instead placed increasing pressure on those further down the chain to take the cuts, and allow them to keep the good profits they were experiencing.

      I believe this continues to occur today; it appears that people get used to boom profits and continue to refuse to tighten their belts when the boom is over and leave the other classes to do so; thus creating more poor. Neo-liberalism was simply the mechanism that enabled this to occur. Quite frankly, I think the problems occurring today are really that simple.

      Am interested in others ideas and knowledge on this era.

  25. Sable 25
    30 August 2013 at 11:03 am

    The real problem is falling or static rates of pay, rising inflation and taxation combined with the expectation that one person will do the job of two people. As a result we are seeing large numbers of unemployed and people who are employed but are so badly paid they may as well not be.

    This is down to both National and Labour undermining working conditions by watering down employment laws. The result, predictably, is poverty at one end of the spectrum and increasingly outrageous wealth at the other.

    Just take a look at what’s happening with McDonald’s in the US. People have clearly had enough of these ugly neo-liberal policies:

    http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/18714250/us-fast-food-workers-strike-to-supersize-wages/

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    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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day 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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day 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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day 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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    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. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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
    3 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? ...
    Skeptical Science
    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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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
    6 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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 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
    7 days 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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
    5 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
    5 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
    7 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
    13 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
    13 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
    15 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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