Journalists react to attack on media freedom

Written By: - Date published: 3:33 pm, March 13th, 2008 - 58 comments
Categories: Media, national, slippery - Tags: , ,

freedom_ot_press_01.jpg Yesterday in Parliament, Winston Peters tabled a letter of protest from the Herald journalists’ chapel to APN chief executive Martin Simons.

The letter related to Simons’ meeting with John Key to draft a ‘clarification’ for the Bay Report’s quote of Key saying he “would love to see wages drop.” The Bay Report was then forced to run this ‘clarification’ despite the paper’s staunch backing of the story at all levels. The Herald journalists’ letter reads:

Dear Mr Simons,

I am writing to express the concern of the Herald Journalists Chapel over the “clarification” published in yesterday’s Bay Report newspaper.

We understand that the item, regarding comments attributed to John Key in the December 20, 2007 edition of the paper, was inserted on your instructions.

It is not necessary here to traverse the facts of the original news article or the need or otherwise for the clarification.

Our concern arises from your management interference in an editorial decision of a newspaper. Our concern is heightened by the fact that your action was on behalf of a political party. We clearly have no objection to your conversing or corresponding with politicians. Our concern is that you have acted as the conduit for an approach which ought properly to have been made to the reporter and/or editor/s concerned. It might have seemed a small matter since the paper concerned is a local one. However, the potential effect is to portray all New Zealand newspapers owned by APN as subservient to political interference. The risk is that readers will perceive the Herald, which has previously carefully guarded its political independence, as open to National Party influence.

We would appreciate hearing your view on this matter and ask that in future you respect the tradition of editorial independence.

We are circulating this letter to other journalists at the Herald and within the union because of the widespread concern among journalists about the matter.

It’s one thing for a politician to contact a journalist or an editor if they feel they’ve been treated unfairly, but to get management to interfere in the editorial process is completely out of line. APN management have overstepped the mark too. It is a gross breach of media freedom for a proprietor to decide to kill a story because it upsets a political ally, and worse to gag journalists when they object.

The Herald’s journalists deserve to be congratulated for standing up to their management in support of media freedom.

58 comments on “Journalists react to attack on media freedom ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. roger nome 1
    13 March 2008 at 3:31 pm

    I wonder what the free speech coalition (aka fat tory boys for plutocracy) think about this?

  2. r0b 2
    13 March 2008 at 3:42 pm

    To the authors of this letter – bravo. After all the misguided fuss about freedom of speech last year, here we have an actual genuine issue. A reporter and editor appear to have been silenced by the APN management after political pressure from John Key.

    Everyone who spoke up so vigourously for free speech last year should speak up again on this issue! Except – ummm – The Herald, obviously – since in this case their management is the party gagging journalists. Oh the irony.

  3. Patrick 3
    13 March 2008 at 3:46 pm

    Wow, this is incredible. Congratulations to The Standard crew and the authors of this letter, for sticking to their guns. This is very unjust and is a story that deserves to be told.

  4. out of bed 4
    13 March 2008 at 4:02 pm

    First they came for the journalists

  5. Ari 5
    13 March 2008 at 4:04 pm

    It’s nice to see someone in the Herald actually understands what Freedom of Speech is about.

  6. Psycho Milt 6
    13 March 2008 at 4:04 pm

    The risk is that readers will perceive the Herald (…) as open to National Party influence.

    Wot – is he trying to say the Herald isn’t the publishing arm of the National Party? I find that difficult to believe…

  7. Benodic 7
    13 March 2008 at 4:05 pm

    John Boscawen’s just released on this in support of the journalists.

  8. higherstandard 8
    13 March 2008 at 4:09 pm

    Two comments

    – It is not surprising, to me at least, that the Herald chapel (EPMU) is giving this legs

    – Do you realise that many people of the centre when they first visit this sight will see your cartoons and consign the site to the extreme left and leave rather than reading the posts.

    Out of bed suggest you go back for a nap

  9. insider 9
    13 March 2008 at 4:16 pm

    I don’t think it is good the management interfered. It’s not usual, particularly in NZ where we don’t have aligned papers and interfering proprietors in the Maxwell, Black and Murdoch mould.

    However, they do own the paper and ultimately have the right to decide what does and doesn’t get printed, and will bear any financial penalty or reward. Do you want to deny them their ownership right?

  10. Benodic 10
    13 March 2008 at 4:18 pm

    Just kidding. John Boscawen’s nowhere to be seen. He stands for freedom of capital not freedom of speech, just like our friend Insider.

  11. mike 11
    13 March 2008 at 4:20 pm

    Good grief. You have to laugh, of course the “Herald journalists chapel” is going to try and smear National.
    Did the FOC blow a whistle and shout “everybody out trouble at mill…

  12. out of bed 12
    13 March 2008 at 4:20 pm

    HS it was a tongue in cheek comment

  13. Phil 13
    13 March 2008 at 4:30 pm

    “He stands for freedom of capital not freedom of speech”

    Any particular reason why you can’t stand for both? I sure do…

  14. Tane 14
    13 March 2008 at 4:30 pm

    However, they do own the paper and ultimately have the right to decide what does and doesn’t get printed, and will bear any financial penalty or reward. Do you want to deny them their ownership right?

    In a democracy the news media does not exist to line the pockets of its corporate owners. Freedom of the press is about journalists having the right to challenge power, not about the right of the powerful to silence journalists.

  15. higherstandard 15
    13 March 2008 at 4:33 pm

    Out of bed ….. so was mine

  16. Tane 16
    13 March 2008 at 4:33 pm

    “He stands for freedom of capital not freedom of speech’
    Any particular reason why you can’t stand for both? I sure do

    Sometimes these two interests intersect, sometimes they don’t. That’s hardly controversial. From what I’ve seen of Boscawen he stands purely for the former but uses the latter for PR reasons.

  17. insider 17
    13 March 2008 at 4:37 pm

    “In a democracy the news media does not exist to line the pockets of its corporate owners.”

    So why would a company bother owning such business? Why do we have ads and reality programmes on TVNZ? WHy isn’t the media operated by a series of altruistic, unpaid collectives?

  18. Robinsod 18
    13 March 2008 at 4:38 pm

    Mike, HS – Journalists who are members of the EPMU are very aware of the potential for conflict of interest and very careful to avoid it. I should know, I used to be one of them when I was a journo – it’s a shame that partisan hacks like O’Sullivan don’t have similar integrity.

    On the matter of the letter, my mate at the herald told me they were very clear they wanted it to stay as an internal document so they would not be seen as politicising a media-freedom issue – I considered putting it on my blog but decided not to based on that discussion. I would guess that someone at the Listener would have passed it onto Russell Brown (the first person to publish it).

  19. Tane 19
    13 March 2008 at 4:44 pm

    So why would a company bother owning such business? Why do we have ads and reality programmes on TVNZ? WHy isn’t the media operated by a series of altruistic, unpaid collectives?

    Um, because we live in a capitalist society? But in case you hadn’t noticed, we also live in a democracy, and in our democracy there are conventions that proprietors do not interfere in the editorial processes of their news outlets in order to protect the right of journalists to report the news freely. Again, this is hardly controversial.

  20. Steve Pierson 20
    13 March 2008 at 4:44 pm

    HS. “Do you realise that many people of the centre when they first visit this sight will see your cartoons and consign the site to the extreme left and leave rather than reading the posts.”

    but it’s got pretty colours

  21. insider 21
    13 March 2008 at 4:46 pm

    Tane

    Incidentally, the concept of freedom of the press does not exist for the benefit of journalists. To say “Freedom of the press is about journalists having the right to challenge power” is a particularly arrogant, media centric view of the universe. Fortunately it is not one that I have actually encountered from journalists, although the antics of some popular broadcasters probably comes close.

    Media freedom is there to benefit you and me as the media are seen as proxies of the people. Media get benefits from this but it is not done for them in their own right, it springs from your right and mine to access and disseminate information that is in the public interest.

  22. Steve Pierson 22
    13 March 2008 at 4:49 pm

    insider. did you read that in a book on media theory? cause if you did, Tane might be the one who wrote it.

  23. Robinsod 23
    13 March 2008 at 4:52 pm

    it springs from your right and mine to access and disseminate information that is in the public interest.

    Good point insider but how do you reconcile that with your support of the political interference at the Herald?

  24. insider 24
    13 March 2008 at 4:54 pm

    Steve

    Well if he did I would be concerned, because he has in just a few posts moved media freedom from seemingly a right to only a convention, which doesn’t imply a good grasp of the subject (no offense Tane _ I just don’t agree with your analysis).

    If you are trying to allude that he has some professional standing, I think he undid that with his phrase on power I critiqued above, which was a political statement more than an academic one.

  25. Tane 25
    13 March 2008 at 4:54 pm

    Insider, clearly I was not saying media freedom exists purely for the benefit of journalists. The public benefits from journalists being free to report the news – I thought that was obvious from my comments.

    My point stands: if our democracy is to function properly then journalists need to be free to report the news free of managerial interference. My right to a free press trumps APN’s property rights any day of the week.

  26. r0b 26
    13 March 2008 at 4:57 pm

    In a democracy the news media does not exist to line the pockets of its corporate owners.

    Sadly, I have to disagree with you there Tane. It shouldn’t be that way, but it all too often is. Let’s consider…

    Freedom of the press is about journalists having the right to challenge power, not about the right of the powerful to silence journalists.

    That’s the ideal end of the spectrum. Insider states the pure capitalist’s end of the spectrum:

    Insider: However, they do own the paper and ultimately have the right to decide what does and doesn’t get printed, and will bear any financial penalty or reward. Do you want to deny them their ownership right?

    So those are the two extremes (1) freedom of the press is a fundamental cornerstone of democracy, vs (2) freedom of the press applies to everyone that owns one (Rupert Murdoch decides what’s news).

    In the real world societies get media that lie somewhere in between these extremes – in short societies get the media that they put up with.

    I believe that for NZ society, this case (Key and the APN gagging a journalist) has crossed the line. I don’t think we want a society where political interference in a journalist’s right to speak is OK. And I think that we should speak up about it.

  27. insider 27
    13 March 2008 at 4:58 pm

    Sod

    Go back and you will see I said I ddin’t like it and it was unusual. But I also recognise that it is the ultimate right of an owner to do what they want with their assets.

    Are you proposing that that principle should change?

  28. Tane 28
    13 March 2008 at 5:01 pm

    Insider, you seem agitated. Just to put your mind at ease, I’m not an academic. Steve was joking.

    Regarding whether freedom of journalists from managerial interference is a right or a convention, it is both a right and a convention because the two are not the same thing.

    I view it as a human right for journalists to report the news freely and for citizens to have their news unfiltered by corporate interests. So do others, and so there is a convention that media owners should not interfere in the editorial affairs of their news outlets.

    Pretty simple really.

  29. Tane 29
    13 March 2008 at 5:03 pm

    “In a democracy the news media does not exist to line the pockets of its corporate owners.” Sadly, I have to disagree with you there Tane. It shouldn’t be that way, but it all too often is.

    Agreed r0b, I was talking about the ideal role of media in a democracy and what we should expect from it, not about how media companies actually behave. Believe me, I could tell you a few stories.

  30. insider 30
    13 March 2008 at 5:08 pm

    rob

    Generally I’d agree but I’m not sure if they are both extremes of the same continuum. # 1 is not an extreme at all. Much of our society functions around that assumption. I’d see the extremes as being : proprietors have no right to editorial input and journalists have no right to expect independence from proprietor pressure.

    In the UK you have a long history of intereference but that is balanced by the diversity of media. We don’t have that which is why proprietor interference is generally bad, but denying that they have the right is naive.

    Tane

    I was surprised at what you originally said. Suffice to say if I thought you had meant what you subsequently said, I would not have picked you up on it.

  31. insider 31
    13 March 2008 at 5:10 pm

    Not agitated at all Tane. I think we are agreeing more than disagreeing.

  32. Steve Pierson 32
    13 March 2008 at 5:10 pm

    insider. it’s not the ultimate right of an owner to do whatever they like with their property. this is not some libertarian wet-dream we’re living in. ownership is created, defined and constrained by a system of laws and right both legal and moral.

    I shouldn’t have to spell this out in extreme examples but I will, and no doubt you will say i’m being weird for comparing these extreme exmaples to the present case, which I’m clearly not doing. Anyway, i do not have the right to starve to death a dog I own, I do not have the right to produce nuclear devices in my factory if I choose. why? because my ownership of these assets is not a right to do whatsoever I please with them.

    the right of journalists to report to the public free of political interference by politicans and their owners is a moral right within our society that ought to and usually does constrain interference by media owners in the day to day operations of journalists working in their organisations.

  33. Robinsod 33
    13 March 2008 at 5:11 pm

    Insider – when it comes to the media then yes. There are plenty of limits on property rights that are there for the public good. APN cannot, for example, extend its buildings without consent. They cannot remove the brakes from their fleet and legally drive them on the roads. A free media is a public good. As a nation we allow APN to profit from providing this media but should be able to censure it when it gets involved in direct political manipulation of our news.

  34. r0b 34
    13 March 2008 at 5:12 pm

    Believe me, I could tell you a few stories.

    Maybe I’ll get to hear them one day…

  35. Brownie 35
    13 March 2008 at 5:15 pm

    Being a leftie, I gotta say that if this is true (and I await Simons response), I would be bloody disappointed. No matter what our affiliations, the press should remain free of interferance.

    Lets await the evidence and subsequent responses.

  36. Robinsod 36
    13 March 2008 at 5:18 pm

    Don’t you mean “rightie”? Or can I welcome you into the fold of the good and the great…?

  37. insider 37
    13 March 2008 at 5:18 pm

    Please uncle Tane, please tell us a story now. Pleeeaaase!

  38. Scribe 38
    13 March 2008 at 5:21 pm

    rOb,

    I enjoyed our discussion on this topic last week, even though we disagreed. And, as I said at the time, if the Herald journos were concerned, this letter was necessary.

    http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=1323#comment-22147

  39. Brownie 39
    13 March 2008 at 5:23 pm

    lol! Sod – was a “slippery mistake!”

    Rightie absolutely!

  40. Robinsod 40
    13 March 2008 at 5:26 pm

    Damn – I thought we’d converted one! Are you sure? You’re not just feeling a little bit lefter than before? Just a little?

  41. Occasional Observer 41
    13 March 2008 at 5:38 pm

    What an astonishing coincidence. The EPMU releases a letter criticising the Herald, and the Standard are the first people to get hold of it!

    Could it possibly be that the same people who wrote the letter, also wrote the Standard?

    Could the journalist whose impartiality the Standard has championed be the same journalist who is a high profile Labour Party member, and whose father stood twice as a Labour Party candidate?

  42. James Kearney 42
    13 March 2008 at 5:42 pm

    The letter was posted by Russell Brown on three days ago.
    http://publicaddress.net/system/topic,991,hard_news_call_it_what_you_like.sm

    It was also raised by Winston Peters in the house today.

    You’re a conspiracist OO.

  43. James Kearney 43
    13 March 2008 at 5:46 pm

    Oops this is the proper link.
    http://publicaddress.net/system/topic,991,hard_news_call_it_what_you_like.sm?p=44324#post44324

    I just had another read of your comment. Are you also saying the journalist chapel at the Herald writes the standard? What a strange accusation.

  44. Wayne 44
    13 March 2008 at 5:50 pm

    Observor. The EPMU didn’t release the letter criticising the Herald – it was written by the Herald journalists themselves and released by the chapel. Where do you get your facts from?

  45. James Kearney 45
    13 March 2008 at 5:52 pm

    Wayne- OO is another National party troll. I don’t know why he’s still allowed to post here.

  46. r0b 46
    13 March 2008 at 6:02 pm

    rOb, I enjoyed our discussion on this topic last week, even though we disagreed. And, as I said at the time, if the Herald journos were concerned, this letter was necessary.

    Scribe – me too. It’s great to have someone who has identified themselves as a journalist commenting on these issues. I wonder if there are any other journos lurking who want to come out?

  47. randal 47
    13 March 2008 at 6:57 pm

    the truth is independent of ownership and management but I suppose in this post modern age the truth is either what you say it is or what you pay for it…

  48. Russell Brown 48
    13 March 2008 at 7:35 pm

    Now Wnston’s stealin’ ma material!

  49. Russell Brown 49
    13 March 2008 at 7:49 pm

    I just had another read of your comment. Are you also saying the journalist chapel at the Herald writes the standard? What a strange accusation.

    Precisely. I write the Standard, usually after a few drinks. Didn’t everybody know?

    [lprent: are you sure? I thought I had a list here somewhere…. Somewhere under this GUI code :)]

  50. Robinsod 50
    13 March 2008 at 8:07 pm

    Yeah – I do my best work after a couple too…

  51. Dean 51
    13 March 2008 at 8:42 pm

    I love how you got the Key quote in there.

    I think it’s time you got a different drum to beat, though. Unless you think it was more than Key being, as usual, tongue tied, in which case you need something a little stronger.

  52. Dean 52
    13 March 2008 at 10:11 pm

    “I shouldn’t have to spell this out in extreme examples but I will, and no doubt you will say i’m being weird for comparing these extreme exmaples to the present case, which I’m clearly not doing. Anyway, i do not have the right to starve to death a dog I own, I do not have the right to produce nuclear devices in my factory if I choose. why? because my ownership of these assets is not a right to do whatsoever I please with them.”

    Yeah, I don’t think you get property rights at all. Much the same as you didn’t get the chart you posted a few days ago about corporate tax rates.

    This blog is by and large written by people of reasonable common sense, but I sense you have a long way to go to compare to their abilities.

  53. Craig Ranapia 53
    14 March 2008 at 1:07 am

    Oh dear… Winston the great defender of a free press — unless they’ve got the utter gall to accurately report his own statements, in which case they’re liars and traitors. I’ve got to give kudos to Fran O’Sullivan for calling Winnie’s bluff, and it would be nice if the rest of the Press Gallery would actually do the same to Peters.

  54. Ari 54
    14 March 2008 at 10:02 am

    Dean: I don’t see how you come to that conclusion at all.

    Property rights must be constrained by justice, because they can only be understood as resulting from it. Therefore no property right allows you to illegitimately undermine society or violate human rights.

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    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
    18 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
    18 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
    19 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    23 hours 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
    24 hours 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
    1 day 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
    3 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.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    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 Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
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