National announces ACC privatisation

Written By: - Date published: 5:26 pm, October 22nd, 2009 - 59 comments
Categories: ACC, national/act government, privatisation - Tags:

acc-undermine-200National is going to privatise ACC. As part of the deal for support on its ACC cuts and levy hikes from the Maori Party and ACT, it will be privatising ACC’s Work Account (the part paid by employers for workplace accidents).

First, there will be a perfunctory report provided by the ACC Stocktake Group, a group of handpicked Righties. This report due in June next year, of course, will make all sorts of fabulous claims about the benefits of privatisation without any real evidence to back it up and claim that ACC will collapse or be eaten by wild dogs or something if privatisation doesn’t go ahead.

After the report, the Government will push through privatisation legislation (under urgency, no doubt).

Businesses (except a few big businesses and the ideologues) don’t want this. The cost of finding the appropriate private provider, the risk of the provider collapsing, and the likelihood of higher levies after a period of loss-leading make privatisation a bad deal for small and medium size businesses.

For workers this is bad news too. They will be less likely to get coverage, and more likely to have to fight an insurance company through the courts to get anything. Payouts will be smaller.

The court system will be clogged with insurers fighting claimants, ACC, and each other over who pays.

We know this will happen because that’s the experience overseas in countries not fortunate enough to have ACC.

The only people who win from this are the big Aussie insurers who stand to rip $200 million a year from our economy in profits. Ultimately, that $200 million will come out of your pocket.

[BTW, in the House yesterday, both Nick Smith and Tony Ryall admitted that the supposed ‘savings’ from National’s ACC cuts will be borne by the health budget instead. Like I said, the costs don’t disappear just because they’re cut from ACC. They haven’t even bothered to work out how big the cost to Health will be.]

59 comments on “National announces ACC privatisation ”

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  1. Lanthanide 1
    22 October 2009 at 6:01 pm

    “The cost of finding the appropriate private provider, the risk of the provider collapsing, and the likelihood of higher levies after a period of loss-leading make privatisation a bad deal for small and medium size businesses.”

    Then the small and medium size businesses can stay with ACC, which will still be an option.

    • RedLogix 1.1
      22 October 2009 at 6:29 pm

      The whole point of privatising the worker accounts is that it guts the profitable part of the business out from ACC and gives it to private companies. Otherwise why would these private insurers do it? It then leaves the rest of the business in an unsustainable loss making position.

      Which National can then kill off at their leisure.

      • Gordon Shumway 1.1.1
        22 October 2009 at 7:21 pm

        Redlogix – putting aside whether or not privatising ACC is a good idea, you’re looking at the issue from the wrong perspective if all you’re considering is “profitability”.

        It’s also wrong to say the REASON for privatising any part of the ACC is to “give” it to private companies. You might disagree with, or fail to understand, the reasons, but you can at least acknowledge that the Leftwing isn’t the only side trying to serve New Zealand’s best interests.

        In deciding whether government should or shouldn’t be doing something, whether or not it’s profitable isn’t necessarily a major consideration.

        FYI, often private enterprise can do things more efficiently (= profitably) than government because of specialist knowedge (e.g. through international networks), nimbleness, willingness to take risks, etc. That’s one of the reasons why private enterprise can be willing to pick up former government enterprises even if they are not showing a track record of profitability. Will less on its plate, Government can then concentrate resources and attention on other areas, such as education etc.

        • Daveo 1.1.1.1
          22 October 2009 at 7:26 pm

          But if you read the PwC report you’ll see that it’s cheaper than comparable privately operated systems such as Australia’s. Against every international benchmark ACC comes up tops.

          Because, while the private sector is more efficient at doing some things, there are other areas where it’s better off with the public sector. The actual evidence tells us ACC is the latter.

          • logie97 1.1.1.1.1
            22 October 2009 at 7:58 pm

            It may be a long bow to be drawing, but is there anything to learned from the “Leaky Buildings” debacle. Is there any possibility, given the trail of history of fraud (e.g.Equiticorp) liquidations and major failings of local investment organisations/pension funds, where some less than scrupulous insurer or employer sees a bad risk coming up and simply changes its trading name and “writes off” its liabilities and starts trading under another name. What risks to its employees then… I smell a rat around here somewhere.

        • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.2
          22 October 2009 at 8:00 pm

          but you can at least acknowledge that the Leftwing isn’t the only side trying to serve New Zealand’s best interests.

          Why? When it’s fairly obvious that the political right don’t give two hoots about NZ and care only for themselves.

          • Galeandra 1.1.1.2.1
            22 October 2009 at 9:47 pm

            The proper noun you require is hooton, isn’t it? As in ” don’t give two hootons about NZ’?

  2. CMR 2
    22 October 2009 at 6:29 pm

    Great! I was becoming concerned that the present government did not possess the courage to do this. ACC truly is a misconceived, mis-administered welfare agency. I hope the government doesn’t follow Shipley’s government’s duplicity and pin the “tail” of ancient claims on the productive contributors of today.

    • RedLogix 2.1
      22 October 2009 at 6:32 pm

      I take it that then you would be happy then to restore the right to sue for accidents?

      Are you a lawyer CMR?

    • Daveo 2.2
      22 October 2009 at 6:42 pm

      Really? That’s not what Price Waterhouse Coopers said. Piss off back to talkback until you get yourself informed.

      • Gordon Shumway 2.2.1
        22 October 2009 at 7:23 pm

        Daveo – if Price WaterhouseCoopers come up with some suggestions on, for example, reform of the tax system, would you accept those suggestions verbatim? Or would you “piss of back to talkback”, as you so eloquently put it?

        • Daveo 2.2.1.1
          22 October 2009 at 7:30 pm

          PwC obviously has a commercial bias, so I’d take that into account. That’s why it’s such a big deal when they actually come out in favour of public ownership.

          Face it, the evidence we have is that ACC is as efficient or more efficient than any other comparable system. So how’s it going to squeeze out another $200m in profit for the insurance industry? Simple, up go the levies and down goes the coverage.

  3. bobo 3
    22 October 2009 at 6:45 pm

    So is the average worker going to get back their right to sue back then.. if this gov is all about choice….

  4. Hemebond 4
    22 October 2009 at 6:55 pm

    Is there a really good article that explains exactly how well ACC is running and what National have done to convince everyone it’s going bankrupt? I have several work colleagues that believe Nationals changes are fantastic for everyone.

  5. Swimmer 5
    22 October 2009 at 7:32 pm

    Well we never saw that coming now did we 🙄 I shudder to think how this is going to pan out in the next two years.

    • Ron 5.1
      22 October 2009 at 8:07 pm

      It’ll pan out the same way as last time.
      Workers will get screwed, businesses will waste resources trying to work out which is the best cover and then find out their workers aren’t covered when they need to be, Labour will get back in and put things back the way they were and we’ll all breath a sigh of relief.

  6. Nick C 6
    22 October 2009 at 7:53 pm

    Dear Marty G

    Stop lying. National are not ‘privitising’ ACC, they are opening it up to competition. There is a difference.

    http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2009/10/manipulation-of-language.html

  7. Lindsey 7
    22 October 2009 at 8:08 pm

    Amazing how Rodney is spinning this as people getting a choice in ACC providers. The choice is for the employer, not the employee!

  8. Rodel 8
    22 October 2009 at 8:17 pm

    Just another John Key ‘confirm and deny’ policy.

  9. gingercrush 9
    22 October 2009 at 8:57 pm

    Hmm I agree in principle to opening up the employers account to insurers. I think it can give lower compliance costs for employers and gives far more choice which is important.

    But as the past week has proven for me and my partner. Insurance companies are absolute assholes. That you weren’t the one causing the accident doesn’t matter. Hell they don’t even seem to investigate the actual crash. They merely treat you like a common criminal expecting you to remember when you got your speed fines etc and then find any excuse to refuse paying up.

    If this happened last week I would have said a huge yes to ACC being opened up to competition. I still think its right. But to actually have experienced the wrath of insurers and how they operate. I am very weary.

    • logie97 9.1
      22 October 2009 at 10:54 pm

      Ginger – so the ideologue in you says toe the party line. But the realist in you says otherwise. Congratulations on admitting your parties’ shortcomings and welcome to the real world.

  10. toad 10
    22 October 2009 at 10:30 pm

    Yep, Marty. Business lobbyists are severely dividided on this.

    The ideolugues, who believe it will work, versus the pragmatists, who know on the evidence from the experiences of 1999-2000, that it does not work.

  11. BLiP 11
    22 October 2009 at 10:45 pm

    And, once again, on the very day bad news is announced by National Ltd® where’s that nice Mr Key – he’s off on holiday!

    Gotta protect that brand, eh fellas?

  12. Libertyscott 12
    22 October 2009 at 10:57 pm

    The title of the post is a complete lie, and you know it, like I’ve said here.

    http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2009/10/manipulation-of-language.html

    Was NZ Post privatised? Because it’s been open to private competition since 1998.

    Was Solid Energy privatised? Because private coal companies can mine in New Zealand.

    Was Genesis, Mighty River Power and Meridian privatised? Because privately owned power generators can freely compete with them.

    Was TVNZ privatised? Because there is an free market to establish television channels.

    etc.

    So why lie blatantly and claim ACC is to be privatised? The press statement talks about competition, there is nothing about selling ACC.

    Isn’t it just because you find it easier to gain public traction by claiming it is privatisation (‘a bad thing’ to many people) rather than opening up a monopoly to competition (‘a good thing’ to many people)?

    Come on be honest, you’re just spinning this because there is likely to be more public sympathy for the government if you told the truth.

    • BLiP 12.1
      22 October 2009 at 11:17 pm

      What part of the word “privatisation” do you not understand?

      • Libertyscott 12.1.1
        22 October 2009 at 11:26 pm

        Oh dear.

        Privatisation = sale of government owned enterprise or organisation.

        Which part of that definition do you not understand? Is it too simple for you?

        Let me continue.

        Air NZ had its entire domestic business opened up to competition in 1983, under the Muldoon government, but was it privatised then? No.

        Telecom’s statutory monopoly was abolished in 1989, but was it privatised then? No.

        Opening up a market that a government entity has a total monopoly on, to other providers is not privatising that entity, it is called introducing competition.

        How hard is that to grasp? That is why I don’t believe the use of the term is accidental – it is deliberate, for propaganda purposes.

        • Daveo 12.1.1.1
          22 October 2009 at 11:32 pm

          From Wikipedia:

          Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector (government) to the private sector (business).

          In a broader sense, privatization refers to transfer of any government function to the private sector including governmental functions like revenue collection and law enforcement.

          (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privatization)

          Sounds like you need to work on your definitions.

          • Libertyscott 12.1.1.1.1
            22 October 2009 at 11:50 pm

            Wikipedia is not a recognised source of dictionary definitions, and I don’t think the Wiki source – “Chowdhury, F. L. ‘’Corrupt Bureaucracy and Privatisation of Tax Enforcement”, 2006: Pathak Samabesh, Dhaka” – is likely to be an appropriate source for a definition applied in the New Zealand context.

            New Zealanders know privatisation as a “sell off”, you know that. You’re just trying to excuse the use of a “negative” term to describe something typically seen as “positive” (regardless of the merits of it).

            • Daveo 12.1.1.1.1.1
              22 October 2009 at 11:54 pm

              That’s the best you’ve got? That ‘New Zealanders’, by which you mean yourself, don’t traditionally understand it like that.

              Well I’m sorry, but the left’s technically correct on this one. It’s privatisation, we’re going to keep calling it that, and we’re right.

              I’m just amazed you don’t see the propaganda aspect of National referring to it religiously as ‘competition’ rather than ‘privatisation’. You don’t think they’ve paid thousands of dollars and spent hours in focus grouping to agree on that wording?

            • BLiP 12.1.1.1.1.2
              22 October 2009 at 11:59 pm

              Spin, spin little spinner that you are. Don’t like wikipedia? Here’s three more, direct from capitalist web sites.

              Privatisation
              Involves a private enterprise or syndicate purchasing a government asset or service.

              Privatisation
              A procedure to pursue a free-market economy for state-owned companies, and make them available for new investments by inviting private businesses to assume part or full ownership and management.

              Privatisation
              When sector cannot be specified. Including general state enterprise restructuring or demonopolisation programmes; planning, programming, advice.

    • Daveo 12.2
      22 October 2009 at 11:27 pm

      It’s really simple. Those are all examples of SOEs acting like private companies and facing competition.

      When you take a public service like the ACC work account that used to be operated by the state, and you now have the private sector provide it, that is privatisation. The asset may not be sold, but the scheme has become privatised.

      Even Merrill Lynch understands that, and referred to it as privatisation in their report that said the insurance industry stands to make $200m a year out of it.

      When Labour ended competition of ACC it was called re-nationalisation. What’s the opposite of nationalisation? Oh yeah, that’s right, privatisation.

      Just think about it for a second scott. And then ask yourself why National have tried so hard to get the media calling it ‘competition’ rather than ‘privatisation’.

    • Armchair Critic 12.3
      22 October 2009 at 11:30 pm

      “…you’re just spinning this…”
      Takes one to know one. Pot, kettle etc.
      “…there is likely to be more public sympathy for the government if you told the truth”
      And there is likely to be less public sympathy for the government if they told the truth. Actually, I would just like to see them stop lying about there being a crisis in ACC. If they were to tell the truth they would have to say that what they are doing will increase costs and decrease cover/service. Hardly a good way to sell policy – better to stick with lies.
      And you can stick with semantics – call it whatever you want, and I will do the same. The essence of it is that we get less for more. Thanks Notional government, I’m (not) loving it.

    • Armchair Critic 12.4
      22 October 2009 at 11:35 pm

      And the plural of “was” is “were”. Use “was” when discussing one thing. Use “were” when discussing two or more things. If you don’t understand this, I doubt you can grasp much about privatisation, either.

    • Ag 12.5
      23 October 2009 at 2:05 am

      The difference is that the examples you give are quite different from the provision of universal public insurance.

      It’s a moot point whether a number of postal services are cheaper than one. In some countries, postal services might be a natural monopoly, which means either public ownership or regulation is likely required.

      But if private competition with ACC would eventually cripple the public option by having all the lesser risks go private, then the public option may well become insolvent and we will probably have to reintroduce the right to sue. That’s great for the lawyers, but it will end up costing New Zealand more than a publicly run ACC, and the cost to insure companies against lawsuits will likely rise (because someone has to pay the lawyers).

      ACC is a good deal for both workers and employers, because it keeps settlements reasonable and protects both from the predations of the legal community.

      Captcha: public (!)

  13. Libertyscott 13
    22 October 2009 at 11:39 pm

    Daveo: So they ARE all state owned – but facing competition. Not privatised.

    Like ACC will be, for only ONE part of its business.

    Nobody is saying the ACC work account will be privatised, just others will be able to provide a parallel service and employers can choose those providers. Many may not.

    It is still competition. Is it privatised when ACC has 90% of the business, 60% of the business, 40% of the business?

    Are you saying ACC is that bad, that many employers will leave it en masse?

    Besides which, much of ACC wont face competition. Non-work accidents remain with the state owned monopoly.

    National have called it competition because, it is. The “renationalisation” was the re-regulation, I’m not approving of that terminology either. Merrill Lynch is hardly known for it’s expertise in public policy, so if it makes a mistake, so be it.

    You can privatise ACC and retain a monopoly, you can privatise ACC and open it up to competition, or you can retain ACC and open it up the competition.

    The third is happening.

    That’s where the debate should lie, but calling it privatisation is fiction. Every privatisation in New Zealand’s history has involved a sale – there is no sale here.

    • Daveo 13.1
      22 October 2009 at 11:48 pm

      You just don’t get it. It’s a public service whose functions are being farmed out to the private sector. Workers will now no longer have their accident insurance provided by the state, it will be provided by a private insurer making a profit.

      That fits the commonly accepted definition of privatisation, and it’s the definition used by John Key’s old employer, Merrill Lynch. It’s also the definition used by everyone who refers to Labour re-nationalising ACC.

      Let’s spell it out for you simply. ACC the bricks and mortar institution is not being privatised, but the ACC scheme is. That’s what we’re talking about when we say ACC is being privatised.

      I actually think the problem here is you’ve just taken a very narrow and inadequate definition of the term ‘privatisation’.

  14. Libertyscott 14
    22 October 2009 at 11:57 pm

    Daveo: You are wrong. A private insurer may NOT necessarily provide accident insurance for an employer and by extension a worker. It will have a choice.

    You have at least admitted ACC is NOT being privatised.

    However, you are wrong. The scheme is only being opened to competition, for one account. It is entirely plausible that if ACC was an excellent performer levying employers according to risk and operating at very low margins, that it could face no competition, or that competition may only win a small fraction of the business.

    In NZ the postal service was once a “public service” until 1987, was it privatised since then? No.

    Same applied to NZ Railways until 1983 when it ceased to be a government department, was it privatised in 1977 when trucks were allowed to haul freight in competition with it for distances beyond 40 miles (but not beyond 150km)?

    • Daveo 14.1
      23 October 2009 at 12:04 am

      You really don’t seem to get it do you? The ACC scheme is being privatised, first the work account but possibly others according to Key.

      Merrill Lynch understands it, the insurance industry understands it, why can’t you?

      I realise there’s going to be a “public option” with the work account, but that’s within a privatised system where workers will have no choice over who their provider is. I remember well having my employer tell me who my accident compensation provider was back in 1999.The fact there was a public provider within the privatised market made no difference to me.

      Your comments about how ACC will compete and show its worth are absurd. You don’t understand that it’s not that ACC the corporation is great at competing in a private market, it’s that the ACC scheme performs efficiently as a government monopoly. Remove the government monopoly and you remove the source of the efficiency.

      I fail to understand why you keep banging on about SOEs and comparing them to core public services like ACC. Frankly I’m bored of your semantics. I’ve shown you that what’s happening to ACC’s work account fits the definition of privatisation. End of argument.

  15. Libertyscott 15
    23 October 2009 at 12:05 am

    Daveo:

    “I’m just amazed you don’t see the propaganda aspect of National referring to it religiously as ‘competition’ rather than ‘privatisation’. You don’t think they’ve paid thousands of dollars and spent hours in focus grouping to agree on that wording?”

    Yes, you both play propaganda. You know you’re doing it on this, by refusing to mention the words monopoly and competition, and stretching privatisation to mean “NOT selling a government asset” but allowing private providers to compete with it.

    The games continue whichever side is in power, playing with language, but unable to call a spade a spade.

    I think calling it competition and greater private sector involvement in the ACC sector is rather balanced and honest, and I’m no Nat.

    • Daveo 15.1
      23 October 2009 at 12:08 am

      No, you’re a guy with a personal political interest in privatisation, but you realise the public won’t go for it. So you call it competition. Don’t pretend you’re neutral here.

      Anyway, I’m bored of your semantics. I’ve shown it’s privatisation, that’s the end of the argument. Others can make up their own minds.

      • Libertyscott 15.1.1
        23 October 2009 at 12:25 am

        You can’t accusing me of hiding what I support, I DO support all ACC accounts being open to competition and then privatisation of ACC, and return of the right to sue.

        I’m not concerned about whether the public “goes for it” or not at the moment, I’d just like an honest debate.

        • BLiP 15.1.1.1
          23 October 2009 at 12:48 am

          You’re not interested in an honest debate. You are seeking to supplement your ill informed, half-literate and deceitful post on your own weird little site. I suggest that you accept you have made a twat of yourself both here and on your site and quietly go away with your tail tucked firmly between your hind legs. Perhaps its too much to expect that you have learned your lesson on this occasion but I am sure there will be plenty more opportunities to come.

          • Libertyscott 15.1.1.1.1
            23 October 2009 at 1:07 am

            “Learned my lesson”? Oh yes, how dare I challenge the intellectual giants of the left on The Standard, I’m not worthy.

            I’m not the only one to say this, and wasn’t the first on this thread to challenge you on it.

            Most of your examples to support your case do quite the opposite, blatantly. The evasiveness is astonishing. If you can find examples where NO private ownership is introduced into a government owned entity is called partial privatisation, I’ll reconsider my position. There are none in New Zealand. Just because the Nats called it “renationalisation” didn’t mean it was right.

            However, you’ve now degraded to name-calling, insults and a veiled threat. That speaks volumes.

            • BLiP 15.1.1.1.1.1
              23 October 2009 at 2:22 am

              Your constant shifting of the goal posts on your definitions speaks larger volumes.

        • Skyler_ak 15.1.1.2
          11 November 2009 at 9:26 am

          “You can’t accusing me of hiding what I support, I DO support all ACC accounts being open to competition and then privatisation of ACC, and return of the right to sue.”

          Why on earth do you want to do that? Have you not seen the documentary Sicko? Be careful what you wish for…. it just might happen.

  16. Libertyscott 16
    23 October 2009 at 12:09 am

    Oh and if you use your Wiki definition you’ll find none of that remaining article supports your definition. The types of privatisation talk of issuing shares, sale or vouchers (free shares).

    Can you identify another case in New Zealand (or another country) where this sort of introduction of competition is called privatisation?

  17. Libertyscott 17
    23 October 2009 at 12:20 am

    What entities are you talking about that were “privatised” but remained government owned?

    You gave no examples.

  18. Libertyscott 18
    23 October 2009 at 12:45 am

    Yes, let’s examine all of them to see if they answer my question:

    1. “USA” example said “Most privatization programs begin with a period of partial privatization in which only non-controlling shares of firms are sold on the stock market” so it is about a sale. Fail.

    2. “India” example said “Privatization in India is mostly limited to the diffuse sale of minority stakes in firms” so it is about a sale. Fail.

    3. “Bangladesh” example in the text talks about the Jute industry and starts with “In 1982 the military regime in Bangladesh privatized 31 of the 62 mills in the jute industry, while retaining the remainder in the public sector” which was about returning ownership of jute mills nationalised (by force) previously to their original private owners. Fail.

    4. “China” example is about introducing partial and full private ownership of state owned enterprises. Fail.

    5. “Australia” example is about Telstra, which was a partial sale. Fail.

    6. “Chile” is about part sale of Sipetrol, so introducing a private owner into the company. Fail.

    7. “Peru” not a reliable source, being a US Democratic Party forum quoting what others say about Peruvian retirement. Needs more information.

    8. “Russia” not enough information, article requires payment.

    So at best, 6 out of 8 examples you give back up my definition that privatisation is about ownership, not about competition. However, I would like more information about whether the Peruvian and Russian examples are about a transfer of ownership or leaving the state involved as it, and letting competition in and calling it part privatisation.

    All references to privatisation I find support it being about sale, introducing private capital or distributing shares to the public.

    • BLiP 18.1
      23 October 2009 at 1:09 am

      Perhaps you might like to do your own research before simply mouthing the Crosby/Textor spin lines. But, carry on if you wish, there’s something satisfying in watching you continue to make a complete twat of yourself.

      You asked for examples where privatisation occurred but the government kept a controlling interest. The fact that you cannot see that those example provided show exactly that is indicative of your confusion on this matter – confusion driven by the fact that you now know you are on very shakey ground with a tremulous definition of what privatisation is. You are further confused if you think, as you seem to, that this is anything other than the commencement of the full take over by the private sector of ACC.

      Where on Earth do you get the idea that privatisation must always involve the creation of shares? As the definitions provided to you above, privatisation is defined by private sector business groups as involving the take-over of some or all or the functions previously provided by the state. It might, perhaps, lessen the impact on New Zealanders if National Ltd® were to get some cash for the ACC functions being privatised but John Key is simply giving them away to his mates. This makes the privatisation of ACC even more galling.

      Why don’t you pop down to the book shop and purchase a fourth form economics textbook and do some reading. You could even write a practise essay on the benefits the privatisation of the blood testing services in Auckland has had on locals. You’ll then be able to sit back and watch the same impact on efficiency and delivery of service as ACC falls into the hands of foreign owned multinationals.

      • luva 18.1.1
        23 October 2009 at 5:45 am

        Why do you have to resort to personal insinuations and comments about someones intelligence to prove you are right. I do find that quite juvenile and petty. I also see you have changed again from calling the government National Inc to National Ltd. Not quite sure what you are proving there.

        Economics is not and never will be a science. What you think is an economic benefit is not necessarily what your neighbour thinks is an economic benefit.

        Back to privatising I see Labour has now proposed selling quite a few state assets as it is not in the public interest to own them. They have recognised that in these dire economic times when debt is spiralling it is best to concentrate on core services and get rid of things that are not really performing. I see they all so talking about cuts to funding as this is now absolutley necessary to balance the books.

        Unfortunatley it is the Labour government in the UK that is proposing these measures. Not our 27% opposition. They, unlike our Labour party, have some intellectual honesty and are at least trying to make the difficult decisions needed to get debt under control.

        If only our Labour party could recognise the same and come up with some solutions to fill the huge holes that are appearing in all the goverment accounts.

  19. Rodel 19
    23 October 2009 at 10:53 am

    Douglas and Prebble managed to worm their way into the Labour caucus by deception and then reveal their true right wing colours and it took a while before Lange and the left put a stop to it.
    The same thing has happened with National. Key, with his multinational string pullers is actually the real ACT leader and the gullible nats haven’t yet realised it.
    Hide, the tail and Key, the dog are all of the same animal.
    Do we have to wait till NZ is destroyed before the nats who really care about our country – and there are some- put a stop to these idiots.

  20. Ixion 20
    11 November 2009 at 5:20 pm

    Support the motorcyclists. They’re fighting your fight.

    Parliament grounds . Nov 17th , high noon.

  21. David Kerstens 21
    19 November 2009 at 11:32 pm

    Privatization of things such as POWER…HOSPITALS…PRISONS…ACC… is aways a bad idea.

    NATIONAL is going to privatize ACC… sell it off for a ****load of money to someone interested in making money therefore ACC will be giving less compensation payouts to poor working class New Zealanders because its not owned by a government that cares about poor people having expensive accidents. I have noticed ACC has been charging more already since NATIONAL took power. NATIONAL doesn’t care about helping poor people having expensive accidents… NATIONAL CARES about MONEY.

    NATIONAL privatized our New Zealand owned Dams a while ago. Now we have Contact Energy and Trustpower, two privately owned power companies. Have any of you National/Act voters noticed that power costs more than it did when it was publicly owned under Labour. Either you don’t care because you earn alot and like the better tax rates the rich get from National/Act and you don’t care about the majority of working class with expensive power bills and people with disabilities getting lesser sickness benefits OR you’re to stupid to realise anything that matters and you get bored of whoever’s in Power and think “DUHHH TIME FOR A CHANGE IM GONNA VOTE NATIONAL”

    NATIONAL will not hesitate in trying to privatize prisons and our entire health system. Look at the cost of healthcare in America… You really don’t have to be Einstien to get it. Imagine handing prison inmates to a Private institution intested in MONEY…. alot of people in prison are not guilty because the majority of people are stupid and the jury is made of random people and it’s very likely that these people in prison will be colder and hungrier and more vulnerable because warmth and food and prison guards cost MONEY

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  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    52 mins ago

  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 hours ago

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 hours ago

  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 hours ago

  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 hours ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 hours ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 hours ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    8 hours ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    9 hours ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    10 hours ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    12 hours ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    13 hours ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    20 hours ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    21 hours ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    21 hours ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    21 hours ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    21 hours ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    21 hours ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    22 hours ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    22 hours ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    23 hours ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    24 hours ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    24 hours ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    24 hours ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    24 hours ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    24 hours ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 day ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    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. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
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  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
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  • Judicial appointments announced
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  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
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  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
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  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
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  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
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  • Taupō takes pole position
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  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
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  • Government backing mussel spat project
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  • Government focused on getting people into work
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  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
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  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
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  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
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  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
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  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
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  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
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  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
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  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
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  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
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  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
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  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
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  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
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  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
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  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
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  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
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  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
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  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
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  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
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  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
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  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
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  • Navigating an unstable global environment
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  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
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  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
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  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
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  • Joint US and NZ declaration
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  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
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