National’s Auckland Central problem

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, August 3rd, 2020 - 45 comments
Categories: election 2020, national, Nikki Kaye, same old national, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

And I thought last week was a bad week for National.

It looks like they are facing even more problems.  This morning in paywalled articles Bernard Orsman and Richard Harman have laid open a really messy situation relating to National’s Auckland Central candidate selection.

The basic issue is that instead of the usual five candidates being shortlisted National’s head office has chosen only two, National’s current Manurewa candidate Nuwanthie Samarakone and Emma Mellow, a communications manager with ANZ Bank.

Samarakone has support from head office, Mellow has local backing.  At the best of times this is a recipe for disaster

There are other disaffected potential candidates including Rob Thomas who was a very effective Waitemata local board member from 2016 to 2019 before retiring and who polled second in the 2016 local board election.  National is not that blessed with candidates that it can ignore someone like Thomas or slight him by not putting him up at least for pre selection.  And the rules seem clear.  If they have five acceptable candidates they have to select from that group.

I cannot imagine why head office would support Samarakone.  She is already National’s Manurewa candidate. If they did select her for Auckland Central then there would be a vacancy in Manurewa and given the timing it would be possible they would not be able to select a Manurewa candidate.  And helicoptering her in to what is already a difficult campaign for the right will not help their chances.

As a sign of a complete break down of discipline weaponised leaks to the media appear to be business as usual for National.  For instance this email from a disgruntled member was reported in the Herald:

“[T]his mucking around in Central by the supposed party leaders really pisses me off.

Why didn’t they just put up the top five candidates and let us choose the best one.”

Or this email sent last night by Samarakone to party members after a slightly compromising photo of her was circulated to party members which was also leaked, this time to Politik:

I understand that there are a few National Party members from other electorates who are unhappy with the Auckland Central selection process and have decided to attack the reputation of successful nominees through misrepresentation and untruths. I understand that some delegates have been sent a photo of me taken while I was competing in the fitness realm a few years ago, making utterly false and defamatory claims about what that photo represents.

I am always up front and transparent. Yes I am committed to being fit and healthy, and am proud of the discipline I bring to my work and my personal life. I was a ballet dancer for 17 years under the Royal Academy of Dancing (UK) and retired hurt. Fitness, dance, hiking across our beautiful New Zealand walks and general well-being is a huge part of my life. I am disciplined, fit, resilient and train hard for the events in which I have participated. I proudly own ail those experiences which have given me the strength, the resilience and the tough mindset to withstand the pressures of politics.

However I have no tolerance for people who seek to bring others down through personal attacks, and who damage the integrity of the National Party in the process.”

Messy, messy, messy. I can pretty confidently say that the National candidate whoever he or she is will have no chance.

This could bring up the interesting spectacle of traditional National voters contemplating a vote for Chloe Swarbrick.  Or they could vote Helen White’s way because of a perception that Chloe is too radical although to be frank I think Chloe is a very effective MP and a potential future leader of the Greens.  But whoever the next MP for Auckland Central is, it will not be a National MP.

45 comments on “National’s Auckland Central problem ”

  1. Anne 1

    The trouble with right wing parties is they tend to be 'top down' instead of 'bottom up' parties. In other words their policies and decision making comes mainly from those in powerful positions and are filtered down to the membership as a fait accompli.

    But this time the top dogs have tried to sidestep the normal selection process to suit their preferred outcome. Some members have chosen not to play ball.

    They might be compliant in other respects but messing with members’ personal political ambitions is not one of them.

    • Sacha 1.1

      The Nat party rules have allowed less head office involvement in electorate candidate selection than Labour's have. Hence why this is a bigger story on the right than it might seem. Goodfellow has some splaining to do.

      • Incognito 1.1.1

        I think National HQ is desperate to put a youngish ‘urban’ female candidate in Auckland Central and Manurewa is unwinnable. They must be hoping for a split vote allowing the Nat candidate to slip through. The Nat leadership probably also has data (internal polling?) and info (from Matty?) that grassroots members are not privy to. The Nat Party has always been about ‘do as you’re told’ by the ‘Boss’.

    • Nick 1.2

      Probably not that compliant in other areas such as donations either.

  2. Tiger Mountain 2

    National’s Manurewa, and would be Auck. Central candidate, Nuwanthie, comes from the “fitness realm” excellent…not quite the “overall wellness” or thinking straight realm though!

    From an outsiders perspective it looks like a basic–‘we gotta have a woman to go against Helen and Chloe’ type approach from Nat HQ.

    Selections can be tricky for all parties, particularly as the end of the list approaches. The Nats excel in going for ex coppers, mini authoritarians and provincial boofheads with few skills apart from being born into prominent tory families.

    One might think they would pay close attention though to what is possibly the headline seat, Northland notwithstanding, of the 2020 General Election. Their ex Deputy leader Kay’s footprints are still all around Freemans Bay!

  3. Gabby 3

    Got to wonder what other rules Goodfellas and his mob are playing fast and loose with.

  4. Also on interest is that former candidate Mark Thomas (1996 and 1999, plus local govt tilts) also sought nomination in first process. As did Sarah Trotman, current Waitemata local board member. But why were the two of them not allowed to proceed through?

  5. novacastrian 5

    "National voters contemplating a vote for Chloe Swarbrick"…

    Oh please Micky, enough already with the green delusions.

    Any true National voter will continue to vote National, regardless of the candidate. Any disenfranchised National are most likely to vote for the Labour candidate, whose shown to be a left leaning centralist.

    I can't envision any situation where a National voter is likely to go, "hmmm maybe I'm going to vote for the most extreme far left candidate just for shits and giggles".

    Do you honestly think voters of of this electorate, either Labour or National with million dollar plus real estate, and more swank European SUV's than you can poke a stick at, are seriously going to vote for a 23 yo kid telling them tax is love.

    • mickysavage 5.1

      If the "wrong" selection is made then I can imagine tribal nats thinking about who they are going to vote for.

      • froggleblocks 5.1.1

        Easy – no one. Or whoever the Act candidate is.

        This really is a very loopy and silly suggestion from yourself.

        • observer 5.1.1.1

          But the whole point of MMP is that people can choose their party for the nationwide election, and then pick a candidate who they think can do the best job for the local area. That's how Nikki Kaye kept the electorate, lots of non-Nats liked her.

          Happens all over the country, Lab/Nat MPs getting rewarded for their work. National party voters in Auck Central might like Helen or Chloe more than Jack Upp-Shambles from the Nats.

        • Incognito 5.1.1.2

          So, you think that savvy but disillusioned Nat voters in Auckland Central would rather waste their vote?

          • froggleblocks 5.1.1.2.1

            It'd be idiotic for savvy Nat voters to vote for their avowed opponent, especially in the off-chance that it lets Chloe win a seat, thus all-but-guaranteeing the Greens get into Parliament at the 2023, 2026 and 2029 elections as she's likely to become a future leader of the party and once she wins the seat is unlikely to lose it.

            This isn’t a case of a Nat voter holding their nose to vote for a Labour candidate, this is a Nat voter throwing out all their hold dear and voting for a Greens candidate, because they don’t like who National put in the seat. Surely they’d just vote Act or no-one, if they weren’t happy voting Labour.

            • Incognito 5.1.1.2.1.1

              Well, I don’t claim to be a savvy National voter in Auckland Central but if the goal is to keep the Greens out of Parliament then a vote for the Labour candidate could be less of a wasted vote than voting for the ACToid or not voting at all. Use your vote(s) wisely.

              • froggleblocks

                Yes I totally agree, which is why Micky's suggestion that because they were upset with the National party selection they would vote for Chloe makes no sense: they would vote for Labour, Act or no-one ahead of Chloe, IMO.

    • Sacha 5.2

      Never seen Swarbrick for longer than a soundbite, have you.

    • Incognito 5.3

      She’s 26 years of age. The mental picture that you conjure is off-putting.

    • observer 5.4

      " Any true National voter will continue to vote National, regardless of the candidate."

      I recommend you do some homework, to find out how wrong that statement is. Like everyone else, National voters can and do split their votes. That's how (e.g.) Stuart Nash is MP for Napier, even though National won the party vote.

      https://electionresults.org.nz/electionresults_2017/statistics/split-votes-index.html

      We've had MMP for 24 years.

  6. Dennis Frank 6

    National "has reopened the selection process, pushing back the date it will have a nominee by to August 10." https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300072522/national-party-admits-breaking-own-rules-while-trying-to-replace-nikki-kaye

    Badfella, "who was on the committee that broke the rules, rejected any allegation that this was due to any intentional manipulation of the process."

    ”In the case of Auckland Central nominations, the pre-selection committee, comprising a majority of local members, and chaired by the local electorate chair, voted unanimously to put forward two candidates to delegates,” Goodfellow said.

    “In so doing it did not strictly follow the letter of our rules. The pre-selection committee has now acknowledged that and rectified the issue.”

    Looks like Badfella was absent at the time of the decision. Okay, I'm being charitable. Could be he forgot the rule. Could be he remembered it, and hoped nobody else would.

    • Dennis Frank 6.1

      Another update: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12353188

      The pre-selection committee reconvened on Friday and short-listed three further candidates – Rob Thomas, Sarah Manley and Sang Cho – to meet the party rules which state five candidates should be shortlisted for delegates to elect a candidate. The Herald understands Manley withdrew from the race on Saturday.

      And more about the hooha going on in National re fitness. What puzzles me is why some Nats think female fitness is a problem. 🙄

      The fitness photo of Nuwanthie Samarakone posing in a leotard was posted by the candidate on her Facebook page but removed when she sought the North Shore nomination in March. A National Party member said "I must have received it at least eight times", saying it had been circulating to members since the North Shore candidate selection.

      • Incognito 6.1.1

        A dead cat dressed in a leotard must be a first, even for National. This story is having more lives legs than Judith chasing after missing billboards.

      • weka 6.1.2

        I'm guessing that there's been some comments on FB that misrepresent what the photo is.

        What puzzles me is why some Nats don't think sexism is a problem.

      • nzlemming 6.1.3

        They don't. It's an excuse because she's not white.

  7. Draco T Bastard 7

    However I have no tolerance for people who seek to bring others down through personal attacks, and who damage the integrity of the National Party in the process.

    I read the first part and wondered what she was doing in the National party.

    Then I read the second part and started laughing 😆

  8. weka 8

    Straight out incompetence, or they want a woman up against White and Swarbrick to lessen the chance of losing the seat? (or both).

  9. ianmac 9

    Aha. I have it. National wants Chloe to win the seat. That means that the Greens are in for sure. Judith can then use her winning eyebrows to coax Greens to share the Government on a cosy NAT-Green-ACT ticket. Fixed.

  10. Adrian 10

    Have you seen the photo in question? The first thing that came to mind is that here is someone who they think can replace Paula and can be groomed to take on Jacinda in 3 or 6 years time. Being Nats it is all about appearances, while the person in question is apparently quite intelligent, the Nats forget that Jacinda’s appeal is empathy, superb political skills and intelligence , the smile and attractive features are an add on but not the essence of her political appeal.
    They are getting so many things wrong on so many fronts, it is all knee-jerk reaction.

    • Draco T Bastard 10.1

      National think that JA's appeal is only skin deep because they, themselves, are only skin deep.

  11. Peter 11

    It isn't right for people to attack the prospective Auckland Central candidate for her fitness regimen or her looks.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12353188

    In her fair criticism though she shows she is deluded: "However I have no tolerance for people who seek to bring down others through personal attacks, and who damage the integrity of the National Party in the process."

    Let's not talk about her appearance, let's talk about the other important little thing, the "integrity of the National Party." What?

    • Draco T Bastard 11.1

      She wasn't concerned about the personal attacks unless they damaged the National Party. In other words, if the people in the National Party doing the personal attacks got caught then she had a problem with them.

    • observer 11.2

      I couldn't give a toss about some photo, and I'd be appalled if National's opponents were using it to do the dirty politics. But this is all blue-on-blue, and it shatters the only tactic Collins & co have … chuck enough mud around so the public are confused and lazy commentators say "both sides!, both sides!".

      Sorry Judith, it's your side. You called it bullying last week, what are you calling it today?

  12. Sacha 12

    Yep, party hierarchy pushing a parachute candidate according to that Herald story. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12353188

    The member said the pre-selection of Samarakone, who stood unsuccessfully for the North Shore and Takanini electorates before being chosen as National's candidate for Manurewa, was being pushed by Goodfellow and Hunt [presumably the regional chair though not otherwise mentioned].

    Last week, a source said Mellow won the backing of electorate delegates at the pre-selection meeting, while Samarakone had the backing of party board delegates.

    Another party member said: "There has been a wilful disregard of the rules by the president and regional chair. Everyone is in shock and extremely unhappy with the manipulation of the process."

    A third source said the fact members were being undisciplined and leaking material to the Herald "gives you an insight into how angry people are".

    • Peter 12.1

      "A third source said the fact members were being undisciplined and leaking material to the Herald "gives you an insight into how angry people are".

      The wider party leaks just like the caucus? Heck, that's a surprise

  13. novacastrian 13

    Mock me as you will, but at the end of the day, all the Greens will achieve in Auckland Central, is to probably gift the seat to the Nationals.

    The Greens may succeed in gaining a good number of votes in the seat, but this will primarily come at the expense of the Labour candidate.

    So it really comes down to who you want representing the seat, Labour or National, as a vote for Greens is effectively a vote for National.

  14. Scott 14

    I want to see Chloe Swarbrick win Auckland Central, but not from Labour handing it to her or doing a deal.

    Labour can never consider doing a deal because unlike National, who can only work with one part, we would be faced with the option in so many electorates.

    But there shouldn't be a reason why Swarbrick can't go out and win it the way Kaye won it from Tizard.

    And if the response, is oh but not enough people are interested in the Greens, then that's the problem they have – they need to meet their electorate rather than expect something to be given to them

    Just go an win it the way electorate MPs used to.

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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
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    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
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    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
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    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
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    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.
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    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
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    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
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
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    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
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    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
    5 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 ...
    5 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
    5 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 ...
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    5 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
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    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
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days 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
    5 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
    7 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
    8 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
    21 hours 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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
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    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 ...
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    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, ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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
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    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 ...
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  • 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
  • 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,” ...
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    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. ...
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    7 days 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 ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
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    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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  • Minister’s Ramadan message
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    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
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    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 ...
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    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
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    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
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    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
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    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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