National spams the Beehive

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, November 27th, 2017 - 90 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, bill english, David Farrar, democracy under attack, dpf, national, Parliament, Politics, same old national, the praiseworthy and the pitiful - Tags:

Her Majesty’s opposition is doing what it said it would do and creating more tension and more pressure in Parliament for the Government.  Bill English said it was not National’s job to make Parliament run properly and the last week has shown that National is It has lodged a multitude of questions, 6,254 to be precise, through the parliamentary written question system.

MPs are clearly doing this to stress the system. Ministers’ offices with brand new or even skeletal staffing are meant to produce pristine responses in a short time frame to some pretty naff questions.  Like how many papers has the Minister has read in the past seven days.  Or how many phone calls did they make or receive in a three week period.

Each question needs to be considered properly and the relevant information needs to be screened to see if there are valid reasons to withhold any piece of the information.

It would be one thing if there was even a remote possibility that the questions would unearth information that would let the opposition do its job properly of holding the Government to account.  But so far the quality of questions is poor and apart from clogging the system up there appears to be no reason for the questions.  Even National’s pollster agrees that the  questions seem silly, and are over the top.

But National is complaining that Labour, and in particular Trevor Mallard did it too and asked 8,791 written questions in July 2010. He did but if you have a look at the questions many of them were discrete questions asking for the roles of each school and the expected total operational funding for each school.  It is easy to imagine what use the information could have been put to.

Besides even if National’s criticism is correct it does not justify their behaviour.  Labour did it too is the sort of excuse a primary school kid would use.  And if the behaviour is stupid it does not matter who is doing it.

The current batch of questions appear to be revenge for Labour fobbing off originally poorly drafted questions.  The system relies on sharp precise questions being asked.  But many of the original questions were in the form of “what reports, briefings, memos, meeting notes or aide memoires if any did the Minister receive between 23 October 2017 and 13 November 2017 by title and date”.  Talk about a fishing expedition.

If they want the information then they can use the Official Information Act.  Then in a more measured way their requests can be answered.  But using the short cut Parliamentary question system to clog up Ministers’ offices shows a complete disregard for the intent of the system.

And instead of the opposition trying to get its head around how for instance it should respond to the proposal that there should be a political consensus on how child poverty should be addressed it is designing scores of questions so that Ministerial staff are too busy answering stupid questions to doing anything meaningful.

If this keeps up it is going to be a long three years.

90 comments on “National spams the Beehive ”

  1. One Anonymous Bloke 1

    National are down, and trying to get up. The best way to kick them back down again – and keep them there – is start passing the legislation needed to repair their malicious vandalism.

    Once a full accounting has occurred, there will be plenty of ways to expose this vandalism. The Prime Minister has already made reference to the school property portfolio and no doubt there are many other examples.

    The sooner the government realises that the National Party is the NZ equivalent of the Tea Party the better. Drag them screaming into the sunlight.

  2. alwyn 2

    Why don’t people who are actually interested in the facts read this item by Graeme Edgeler on his Legal Beagle blog.
    https://publicaddress.net/legalbeagle/questions-but-no-answers-with-thanks-to-david/
    It is, as is usual with Graeme, a reasonable and accurate review of the situation.
    Can you really justify the attitude of the current Ministers?
    Actually that is probably a silly question. The current Ministers can do anything they like because they are OURS.
    Idiots perhaps but still OURS.

    • mickysavage 2.1

      Que? Edgeler appears to be agreeing that the system should be used for short concise questions and not fishing expeditions. And you ignore the fact that the various Ministers are just setting their offices up and do not necessarily have the staffing ability to answer hundreds of questions.

      • Matthew Whitehead 2.1.1

        No, my reading of Edgler’s position across blogs and twitter is that diaries should be proactively released and National shouldn’t even have to resort to written questions, (although they should be able to ask about diaries in written Qs if they can’t wait for the normal release timetable for some reason) as they were under previous Labour governments. It’s ridiculous and unfair that National got away with refusing to publish their own ministerial diaries under Key, (there is literally a written question where Joyce outright said “I don’t see any public interest in answering questions about my ministerial appointments”) but Labour honestly should have pulled this stunt themselves years ago, because there is no reason why Ministerial diaries shouldn’t have been proactively published this whole time, like they used to be.

        Now we have a Labour government that has promised to be better on open government and more transparent, but it’s being slow on releasing its ministerial briefings, has been trolling National to be more specific in their questions about meetings, and has no immediate plans to reform the OIA. None of these are an acceptable start on this issue- I have a half-drafted post about the OIA and keep getting overwhelmed when I look at it.

        Labour should just announce a plan to proactively release diaries on a reasonable delay and form-answer all these questions with that plan. Then if the question spam continues after that, it will be very clear that the problem is National. This “the other side did it too!” nonsense is no excuse.

        • Bill 2.1.1.1

          That was my thought too.

          Publish all appointments/events attended and be done with it.

          • Matthew Whitehead 2.1.1.1.1

            Yep. Then if they keep spamming questions after that you can totally slam them in the media and/or adjust the rules to put a maximum number on questions for each member so they have to use them effectively.

          • mickysavage 2.1.1.1.2

            I agree with that as a proposition. My comments were addressed at the general criticism of the Ministers response, not to the specific proposal that their diaries should be published.

            The questions are much wider than who Ministers are meeting with.

            • Matthew Whitehead 2.1.1.1.2.1

              They are? I had been relying on coverage of the questions which focused exclusively on the ones being spammed being about meeting times. What else are they spamming?

          • mpledger 2.1.1.1.3

            All appointments and events from all MPs, not just ministers.

        • Carolyn_Nth 2.1.1.2

          That’s an informative explanation. And publishing diaries seems like the way to go.

        • John up North 2.1.1.3

          Yep, we were promised better transparency then the previous nats government (the most transparent govt eva! JK).

          Best to be pro-active otherwise the opposition will run them around putting out fires.

          Good summary by Edgler and Matthew hits it on the head with para’s 2 and 3.

    • Ad 2.2

      Edgler: “By rights, they should have asked more.”

      Really? Rights? In parliament? What a beltway tosser to suppose such nonsense.

      By rights from the Ministers being asked, they are doing the right thing requiring the requester to be specific.

      Questions should be about a matter relevant to the portfolios for which they are responsible.

      National have taught Labour for 9 years on this topic, and are going to have to figure something smarter out.

      If National think Labour are going to hang themselves by their own rope of virtuous disclosure, exposing the day to day goings-on of their diaries, they have got to be kidding themselves.

      Labour should have their information streams ruled as tightly as a South Canterbury dairy farm irrigator system. And most of that will also be bullshit.

  3. roy cartland 3

    Surely the Speaker can make some kind of ruling? As in areas of law, ‘frivolous or vexatious’ behaviour ought to be punished for being so. These are highly paid representatives for Chrissake.

    • David C 3.1

      Roy ,
      You want Mallard to rule that National asking a few silly questions is vexatious when Mallard himself filed over 300 vexatious questions a day for a month?

      • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.1

        Were Mallard’s questions vexatious? Or did he originally ask: “what are the budgets and roles of all schools?”, and was told he had to ask for each one individually?

        I suspect the latter.

        • David C 3.1.1.1

          …and Labour is playing that same game and here we have a post whining about National asking questions in response to that.
          Of course this is after Labour and the Greens campaigned on openness and honesty.
          Hypocrisy much?

          • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.1.1.1

            I expect them to pay more and better attention to OIA requests than the equivalent of:

            “How tall are you? Where is your hat? Where is your other hat? Where is your third hat? Where are your red socks? Where are your blue socks? Where are your shoes? Where are your kidneys? When did you last blow your nose? Who haven’t you seen today? How about yesterday? Why is the sky blue? How many footsteps do you take between your office and the toilet? What is your favourite colour?”

            As the “story” says, the government should simply respond by making all Ministerial diaries public.

          • Samwise 3.1.1.1.2

            What questions didMallard ask tat were “vexatious”, David. It’s easy to make that claim without backing it up.

        • alwyn 3.1.1.2

          You may be right. If so there should be such a general question on the Parliamentary website at some date before the specific questions about each school in turn.
          I can’t find any such thing although someone with a better knowledge of searching the website may be able to.
          Have you tried looking for such a question?

          Trevor had obviously not gone to much trouble when he created the questions of course. He simply merged a list of school’s names with a standard request and generated the lot.
          Thus you got a set of questions where the word “school” was often there twice.
          I wonder whether he ever read the answers?

      • roy cartland 3.1.2

        Not at all. I want The Speaker of the House to put an end to trivial and vexatious behaviour that so obviously and expensively wastes parliament’s time.

        • Patricia 3.1.2.1

          Agree, Roy. Lots of work to get through by the Government without these infantile questions taking up valuable time and money. About time that National MPs got cracking on some real work and earned their money.

        • Baba Yaga 3.1.2.2

          You mean the same speaker who alone asked 7,000 questions in one month in 2010? Despite Mickey’s heroic attempts to spin Mallards antics…

          “Labour is getting off to a poor start on transparency. ”

          https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99254200/labour-promised-transparency-in-government-but-they-seem-to-be-buckling-on-that-early

          • Otto Mann 3.1.2.2.1

            “You mean the same speaker who alone asked 7,000 questions in one month in 2010? ”

            Citation please?

            • Baba Yaga 3.1.2.2.1.1

              The citation is the link I provided, from which I quote:

              “In July 2010 Labour asked 8791 questions in a single month.
              More than 7000 of those questions came from MP Trevor Mallard alone.”

              • Unfortunately, that Fairfax article is meaningless because it doesn’t tell us what those questions were about.

                Considering it was the year of National’s second tranch of tax-cuts, they may well have pertained to economic/fiscal issues.

                Or 6,000 questions on how long is a piece of string.

                We don’t know.

                So your reference to Fairfax’s statement is meaningless because the statement itself is meaningless.

                • Baba Yaga

                  “Unfortunately, that Fairfax article is meaningless because it doesn’t tell us what those questions were about. ”

                  Irrelevant. If it’s spamming by national, it was spamming by Mallard.

        • James 3.1.2.3

          Perhaps by ordering that they answer the question in the first place ?

          • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.2.3.1

            Cynical move, eh: end the practice of publishing Ministerial diaries, then exploit the rules you changed once in opposition.

            “I don’t see any public interest in answering questions about my ministerial appointments”

            The Right Honourable Stephen Joyce.

            Does it bother you at all, being so transparent?

  4. David C 4

    Labour are sagging and near breaking point and its only a couple of months into a three year term.
    Openness and honesty have gone out the window with Labour failing to live up to the ideals that the Greens campaigned on.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99254200/labour-promised-transparency-in-government-but-they-seem-to-be-buckling-on-that-early

    • Carolyn_nth 4.1

      Seriously! These same KB troll lines were floated yesterday on open mike and debunk. Mallard’s questions were very specific on an issue.

      How is openness helped by asking questions to block up the system and suck up people’s time, contributing towards openness? Openness requires good faith questions by the Nats, aiming to hold the government to account on specific issues. Not clogging up the system with spam.

    • Matthew Whitehead 4.2

      Labour aren’t sagging, this is normal teething problems for a government, it’s just the first time we’ve had both huge technical coverage of government and an energized opposition at the time of a new government. This is a problem that was originally caused by National shutting off publication of the information they are now making shrill noises about trying to get.

      Labour supporters, however, need to be asking them to get out of their own way by fixing National’s dumb changes to the rules and going back to proactively releasing ministerial diaries.

      • David C 4.2.1

        Mathew.
        Sounds like a bunch of amatuers that dispite having 9 years in opposition to prepare have been caught with their pants down.

        “oh fuck…you mean I have to do some work now?”

        • Carolyn_Nth 4.2.1.1

          Seriously?! Do you recall when the Nats came into government in 2008?

          They had expended all their efforts on strategies to topple the Clark government, from spin to dirty politics, they were totally unprepared for office.

          They had no detailed policies or plans, and had to focus on soft news PR, to cover their asses.

          And we got the Jobs Summit as an event to make it look like the Nats were doing something – eventually we got a cycle-way, but little improvement on jobs across the board.

          John Key was not ready for the hard questions. He didn’t perform that well in the House initially, but was pretty good with the infotainment media spots. He was carefully managed as to which interviews he was allowed to do. His speeches were a bit laboured.

          In contrast, the Labour-led team have plenty of well worked out policies to put into action. They just are not as good at the devious game-playing that the Nats are into.

          • Muttonbird 4.2.1.1.1

            That’s right! The cycleway was the flagship policy of the new government. Pretty much sums up Key’s legacy right there.

          • Baba Yaga 4.2.1.1.2

            “Labour developed a coalition through negotiating around policies and principles, ”

            No. Labour were simply the recipient of the preference of a politician who holds to old adage ‘revenge is best served cold’.

            I have been following politics for 40 years, and I’ve never seen a government to rival this one for the number of flip flops, lies and sheer incompetence in such a sort period of time.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 4.2.1.2

          🙄

          Keep up the bitter whining at your defeat. The electorate loves whingers.

          Enjoy watching legislation being enacted and try not to weep.

          • David C 4.2.1.2.1

            OAB.

            defeat? LOL.

            National won the election and chose to lose the post election lolly scramble, you left wing nut jobs need to stop thinking like its FPP.

            Labour and the Greens sold their souls to Winston. Good luck with that.

            • Carolyn_Nth 4.2.1.2.1.1

              Oh dear. So much losers’ misinformation.

              No one wins the election til they can form a majority – and that’s MMP, more than FPP, which also requires a majority one way or another.

              It was the Nats that tried to get NZF support by chucking lollies baubles and trinkets at them. Labour developed a coalition through negotiating around policies and principles, and, in realtion to that, ministerial positions in keeping with the proportion of MPs and party votes.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 4.2.1.2.1.2

              Enjoy watching legislation being enacted.

              Tomorrow’s order paper includes the Healthy Homes Guarantee bill, parental leave and employment protection, amendments to trusts and financial services, conservation infringements, social security and family violence, to name but a few.

              …and all you can do is weep and watch and spew your bitterness on a blog. 😆

              • David C

                OAB.
                Sorry I cant reply at length…between work demands (bloody accountants!) and rolling around on the floor laughing at the latest GreenMP to be outed as a liar and hypocrite I just cant focus.
                Have a great day. I am 🙂

                • One Anonymous Bloke

                  Yawn. Without defence lawyers, there can be no valid prosecutions at all. You really need to wipe David Farrar off your amygdala.

            • Psycho Milt 4.2.1.2.1.3

              National won the election…

              Please do continue with this line. Tell it to everyone you know, especially people who are potential swing voters. Be as vehement about it as possible, and you’ll really be helping (well, not helping National, but helping all the same).

              I was thinking about this “We wuz robbed by Peters!” thing that National has going, and it could use a name. Fortunately the Germans have one that fits: “Dolchstoßlegende.” I expect to be using that term quite a bit in future.

            • greywarshark 4.2.1.2.1.4

              David C
              Apparently then, if Winston was looking for souls, he didn’t find any in the National camp. I think that pretty well sums up the political truth.

              • David C

                grey.
                Yes you are spot on.
                Winston didnt find any souls for sale in the National camp.

                • greywarshark

                  No we do not agree on this point David C. You added the words ‘for sale’ referring to National. I made the point that were no souls to be found in the National Camp. Your choice of skewed words shows your type.

            • roy cartland 4.2.1.2.1.5

              He just said “stop thinking like its FPP”. Brilliant.

            • Draco T Bastard 4.2.1.2.1.6

              National won the election

              No they didn’t – they lost it. If they’d won it they’d be in government and they’re not.

              Labour and the Greens sold their souls to Winston.

              No they didn’t. They negotiated a coalition.

        • Ad 4.2.1.3

          Chippie should HTFU and start figuring out how to win in the House other than through sheer majority.

        • Matthew Whitehead 4.2.1.4

          Carolyn’s reply took the words out of my mouth.

          Also, my name has two Ts. 🙂

      • cleangreen 4.2.2

        yep Matthew

        Labour need to remind national that they are “public servants” and are there paid by us to work to make Government work better for our interests not their own pea sized brains, so 100% to Matthew’s proposal.

        “Now we begin” said Jacinda four weeks ago.

        This is not the waty to make our lives better you bloody idiots nat’s.

        ” Like how many papers has the Minister has read in the past seven days. Or how many phone calls did they make or receive in a three week period.”

    • Tanz 4.3

      I can’t believe how unprepared and disorganised Labour are, also arrogant.
      Good on National for being a brilliant Opposition so far, no wonder they won the popular vote! Three years? Heck, the new govt is shaky already, I feel like we have children in charge.

  5. Et Tu Brute 5

    It is a tough one. On the one hand you want parliament to operate smoothly. On the other you do not want to limit in any way the opposition’s ability to get information out of government. Of all means to hold government to account, information is the safest (as opposed to more blunt tools like filibustering or general games in the house). The thing with a lot of questions like this is, we don’t know what they’re after until the show’s over. And the opposition shouldn’t have to explain to the government what they’re on the tail of until they’ve caught it (for obvious reasons). That said, this episode shows the current system is open to abuse. If they were to limit the number of questions, wouldn’t that just turn the MPs over to official information act requests? No easy answer.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1

      The National Party ceased the practice of making Ministerial diaries public. The solution is obvious, and so is their “game”.

  6. Anne 6

    Each question needs to be considered properly and the relevant information needs to be screened to see if there are valid reasons to withhold any piece of the information.

    It may be appropriate in the normal course of events but in this case its spam. They’re not genuine questions so the ministers and their staff can ignore them. I saw a list submitted by Chris Finlayson yesterday. It was infantile rubbish. Let em howl with rage cos the ministers are ignoring their questions, then release copies of the questions for public consumption. Once the public get to see what they’re actually doing and the puerile nature of the questioning then it will backfire big time on the Nats.

  7. Samwise 7

    Their desperation to remain relevant is making them look pathetic.

    • james 7.1

      Are you saying that opposition parties are not relevant?

      Or a party that received approx 44% of the vote of not relevant?

      Or is it just parties you do not like that are not relevant?

      • roy cartland 7.1.1

        Are you admitting that they’re desperate? Or is that a fully acknowledged thing now?

      • NewsFlash 7.1.2

        James

        NO

        YES

        NO

        Define relevancy connected to the QUESTIONS

      • Tricledrown 7.1.3

        The National Party ran out of relevance when they sat in their own bed now they have to lie in it.
        Winnie the Pooh has had his revenge after National have stabbed him in the back 4 times.
        Bungling Bill English’s dumb comment of saying he was a Maverick was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
        But Dirty deeds put an end to National.

  8. Peroxide Blonde 8

    Civil Servants are the people having to cope with the extra burden. They will get UTU in the most subtle ways.
    National will suffer.

    • Ross 8.1

      The Government might have to employ more public servants to help answer the questions. Then National will complain about a bloated public sector. They’d complain if their collective arse was on fire, they’d complain if it was put out.

  9. infused 9

    No different than when Labour spammed thousands.

    • All indications are that it is different. Labour actually asked pertinent questions while National aren’t.

      In other words, National are wasting our time and money because they’re upset that they lost.

      • infused 9.1.1

        Spin it how you want. Both sides play this game.

        • Anne 9.1.1.1

          Spin it how YOU want. But the winners used to ask pertinent questions. They won. The losers can only indulge in spam. They lose.

          • infused 9.1.1.1.1

            Until next time, rinse, repeat.

            • adam 9.1.1.1.1.1

              That you Gosman??

              • cleangreen

                Yes Gosman, and his trolls are all over the place.

                A diversion is going on here, as Natioanl know labour are now conducting a deep investigation of the financial books and finding some very stark ‘anomonies ‘ in the last administration’s (National) activities using public funds.

                So expect some fiireworks on this as most National MP’s were so used to rorting the public purse because they never thought other new Government MP’s would be able to capture the treaury benches.

                But alas Labour are invesigating them.

                In response national are using their legion of trolls to “disrupt us ‘ at the time that their national MP’s are under intense scrutiny with the financial audit of their activities in the beehive over the last nine years.

                National PM’s are freaking out as they sit there waiting for the phone to ring as it may be the Government auditor or revenue minister requiring them to come to the ninth floor for an investigation.

                • James

                  “Natioanl know labour are now conducting a deep investigation of the financial books and finding some very stark ‘anomonies ‘ in the last administration’s (National) activities using public funds.

                  So expect some fiireworks on this as most National MP’s were so used to rorting the public purse because they never thought other new Government MP’s would be able to capture the treaury benches.

                  But alas Labour are invesigating them.”

                  You put this as a statement of fact – back it up – please name some of the stark ‘anomonies‘ in the use of public funds that labour have found?

                  Or are you simply a liar ?

            • Tricledrown 9.1.1.1.1.2

              3 time looser Bill English.

        • Draco T Bastard 9.1.1.2

          No, only National plays this game.

      • James 9.1.2

        Citation needed – anything to back up that labour’s 6000 plus questions in a month were all pertinent?

  10. Jilly Bee 10

    +1 @ Ross. I was going to submit a similar post – you beat me to it. I watched Simon Bridges on Newhub last night, sheesh he’s pathetic and he sure could do with a few elocution lessons. I keep wondering what on earth he would have been like in the Courtroom arguing the case for the prosecution back in the day. If he’s making his pitch for the Nats leadership people will soon tire of his incessant bleating.

    • Puckish Rogue 10.1

      “he sure could do with a few elocution lessons. ”

      I think both john Key and Jacinda Ardern have shown that elocution isn’t all that important

  11. mary_a 11

    In attempting to hinder the democratic process of governance, what the vindictive behaviour from Natz MPs is achieving is making complete fools of themselves. Their petulant aim will backfire on them, as public begin to finally realise the caustic, unscrupulous side of the Natz opposition.

    • Tanz 11.1

      It’s what a decent Opposition does, instead of all the in-fighting and backstabbing Labour did during their nine years. Also, National know they are the rightful government, the government that 44 per cent of people voted for, rather than
      a mere 36 percent. They are the biggest Oppostion in thirty five years, and they have most of the electorate seats. Speaks volumes…

  12. AB 12

    Ignore it. Get on with passing legislation that permanently reduces the relative wealth and power of their supporters. This is what they dread, this is why they are bleating that they ‘really’ won. Give it to them with both barrels.

  13. Seaweed 13

    I have a question for the national party that I would like answered sooner rather than later… Feel free to deluge them if you get the urge…

    Dear Name of Politician,
    Please tell us what knowledge you had, or what part you played in the national party’s Conspiracy to Obstruct, Prevent, Pervert or Defeat the Course of Justice in the Barclay illegal recordings matter….

    A.Voter

  14. mpledger 14

    We can all play at information overload.

    https://fyi.org.nz/request/6892-cost-of-requests-made-to-government

    I was thinking of doing it question by question but that just seemed mean.

  15. cleangreen 15

    Very true AB & mary-a,

    As the parliamentary sitting period is about to end this week, and regarding national’s attempt to close down the new labour coalition Government by jaming them with 6200 spam questions, and stoping the “100 day pledge to pass 17 goals” I offer the answer.

    Either extent the sitting time this year to deal with the emails and the 6200 emailed questions or; Jacinda needs to quicky show Government “leadership” and need to rush through an urgency bill to reverse the national party changes they (national) placed to allow this attempt to close down the new government, and restore the former system preventing this “tea party style” abuse of our parliamentary system..

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/11/how-the-government-s-tracking-on-its-100-day-plan.html

    “The Government is going all out to tick off all 17 goals on its 100-day plan.

    A hundred days. Just over three months. It sounds like plenty of time until you blink and realise a month has passed since the Government was sworn in. They have until February 3.”

  16. cleangreen 16

    This morning we are hit with a very ugly scene on Radio NZ;

    Guyon Espiner is gleefully presenting his now standard pactice of being a ‘soft antaganist’, – and not acting with a “balanced fair independant” policy but rather turning into another national clingon” byn only interviewing the opposition party and not the Government Ministers in an even handed manner with “broadcasting neutality.”

    The new Minister of Broadcasting Claire Curran must remove Guyon Espiner, and the CEO of RNZ now, as the front theme planners for RNZ.

    This can be done easily as Hon’ Claire Curran reforms our “publically funded broadcasting media RNZ/TVNZ to become a “balanced, fair, presenter of public affairs” under the Broadcasting Act.

  17. mac1 17

    Further frivolous and vexatious information seeking got a short reply of thanks but no thanks from the GCSB. Bill English might be in a ‘hard place’ in Opposition, but is he a ‘rock’?

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/11/gcsb-refuses-to-provide-proof-bill-english-is-not-a-rock.html

    This response seems a fair way to deal with similar vexation from the National party spamming.

    Another response might be to limit written questions to those which are firstly written by the MP in longhand, in blue or black ink, on proper letterhead issued by the party Whip who has to sign out the paper and account for it, (as do supervisors in National’s beloved NZQA exams), and secondly signed by the MP.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • At a glance – Does CO2 always correlate with temperature?
    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 ...
    2 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 hours ago
  • Relentlessly negative
    Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 hours ago
  • Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    Bryce Edwards writes –  It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 hours ago
  • Promiscuous Empathy: Chris Trotter Replies To His Critics.
    Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played. “Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
    6 hours ago
  • Don’t run your business like a criminal enterprise
    The Detail this morning highlights the police's asset forfeiture case against convicted business criminal Ron Salter, who stands to have his business confiscated for systemic violations of health and safety law. Business are crying foul - but not for the reason you'd think. Instead of opposing the post-conviction punishment and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 hours ago
  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    6 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    7 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    8 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    11 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    11 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    11 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    12 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    13 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    14 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    16 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T08:48:37+00:00