National’s Dirty Politics Machine Attacks Complainant

Written By: - Date published: 6:43 am, June 28th, 2017 - 85 comments
Categories: bill english, David Farrar, Dirty Politics, national - Tags: , ,

While Bill English has “nothing to add” except the “this just an employment dispute” lie, the National Party’s Dirty Politics Machine has been fired up. Yesterday it was feeding its social media troll army a nasty talking-point to pass around in order to discredit the worker who Todd Barclay – allegedly – illegally spied on.

Hollow Man Matthew Hooton fabricated the framing on Monday’s Radio New Zealand Nine-to-Noon show when he told the audience . . .

. . . Todd Barclay came to believe – one way or another – that they [Barclay’s staff] were saying things about him that are outrageous . . . There was a huge cultural conflict between these people and this led him, I believe, to think it’s a good idea to tape these people . . .

. . .  thus leveraging his RNZ spot to broadcast that Barclay’s – alleged – criminal behaviour was – one way or the other – justified.

Yesterday, newsroom.co.nz ‘s Melanie Reid reported, inter alia, that NZ Police had re-opened its investigation, that the compainant had been re-interviewed, and that contents of one of the conversations – allegedly – illegally recorded by Todd Barclay had involved a discussion about “sex and drugs”.

Nek minit –

Then up pops John Key’s favourite fluffer –

. . . essentially, a variation of “she deserved it” and a sick distraction from the fact that it is a crime to intentionally intercept private communications you are not a party to regardless of the content of those communications.

Unless Hollow Man Hooton and Fluffer Farrar have heard Barclay’s – alleged – recording(s) or been told the content, upon what basis do they feel entitled to state by innuendo that Barclay’s – alleged – victim had been so unprofessional and out-of-control as to be accusing Barclay of being a drug dealer?

NZ Police need to speak to both of them. And soon. It’s possible these Dirty Politics Machine principals could confirm the recording(s) exist and/or that the content has been widely shared. Does their associate Cameron Slater have copies? Has the material for their innuendo come from the 9th Floor? Did it come from Ministerial Services? More likely, Hooton & Farrar have “nothing to add” to the investigation and have been deliberately spreading a lie. In which case, NZ Police need to remind them of the possible consequences of using their public platforms to maliciously attack a complainant in a criminal investigation. It amounts to intimidation.

Of course, this assumes that NZ Police is actually serious about its investigation. As unlikely as that may be, if it is true, its not beyond the realms of possibility that Hooton and Farrar could, potentially, find themselves in the dock alongside National Party Board Member Glenda Hughes facing a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

85 comments on “National’s Dirty Politics Machine Attacks Complainant ”

  1. Ed 1

    How Farrar and Hooton are treated as civilised commentators, I do not know.
    Quite repulsive people.
    It’s amazing what people will do for money.

    • tc 1.1

      A sure sign RNZ is compromised by griffin allowing itself to be a DP soapbox for fluffer and hollow hypocrite hootsman.

      A half decent broadcaster would purge these leeches from its programs.

      • Ed 1.1.1

        Sadly you are so accurate.
        Even John Campbell succumbed to 90 minutes of flag waving, rather than doing any investigative journalism last night.

        • tc 1.1.1.1

          yes and why proper public broadcasting is urgently required if truth is to be valued above the agenda of wealthy powerful entities and the people/parties in power they own.

          English is now owning DP behaviour so this PM gig is working well for him so far as a legacy of the shonky one.

      • Gosman 1.1.2

        Once again who would your prefer to be the commentator from the right on that particular segment if not Hooton?

        • Muttonbird 1.1.2.1

          Josie Pagani.

        • left_forward 1.1.2.2

          It doesn’t matter who – as long as they have values that honour and dignify people.

          • Gosman 1.1.2.2.1

            Except you as a hard core leftist likely think most right leaning people are excluded then.

            • McFlock 1.1.2.2.1.1

              That’s not our problem. If you guys can’t put forward a right wing commentator who thinks about more than their personal paycheque, perhaps you should reconsider your position.

              • Gosman

                That’s not how free speech or giving differing perspectives air time works. As much as you may dislike Hooton and Farrar their views are shared by a significant section of society. These people’s views should be heard especially on a State funded media outlet.

                • Muttonbird

                  Ironic that their position undoubtedly is to scrap all public broadcasting. Where then would these two send their invoices if not to the NZ taxpayer?

                • weka

                  “As much as you may dislike Hooton and Farrar their views are shared by a significant section of society.”

                  You think that a significant section of society think that Dirty Politics is a valid and useful political tool? What are you basing that opinion on?

                • McFlock

                  Is that what I said? No.

                  All I said was that if you can’t nominate a right wing commentator who isn’t a corrupt fuckwit, maybe you’re on the side of the baddies.

            • left_forward 1.1.2.2.1.2

              No, not at all. We have seen throughout history, ‘Dirty Politics’ occurring on the left and the right.

              • Gosman

                I’m curious about what you regard as dirty politics on the left.

                • left_forward

                  Some exponents through the ages… Stalin, Mao, Blair – I’m sure you know this.

                  • Gosman

                    You’re comparing the excesses of Mao and Stalin to what Tony Blair and the current government does are you?

                    Also as far as I was aware Tony Blair is regarded as right wing by leftists like you.

                    • left_forward

                      No, just some examples – the degree of excess is irrelevant – and yeah Blair is probably more right. But I concede to Carolyn’s more accurate view below. Dirty Politics probably doesn’t exist on the left.

                  • Carolyn_nth

                    Nah. The Hager definition of “dirty politics” as practiced under John Key, was a two track thing: talk positive in public; have a well-oiled smear machine operating at a distance from the PM, but linked to his office.

                    Stalin and Mao were all one track of nasty stuff as policy as far as I’m aware. Blair was just a deluded fool linked to the MSM and populist politics, trying to balance neoliberal and some weak social welfare policies.

                    I’m not sure there is a two track approach on the left.

                    • weka

                      +1

                      in this case, we have Bill English trying to appear like everything’s good, while the henchmen run damage in the background. It doesn’t even matter now whether there is direct communication out of the PM’s office to the cabal, their lines are well rehearsed enough.

                    • Gosman

                      There is. You are just too biased to see it.

                    • In Vino

                      No bias – just no evidence. For once in your internet life, Gosman, can you actually provide convincing proof of one of your assertions? Proof of that two track approach on the right?

        • ankerawshark 1.1.2.3

          Glenys Dickson or Mr Davey……they would be good right wing commentators….

          I am impressed particularly with Mr Davey’s ethics and code of conduct (there is more known about how he proceeded rather than Glenys at this stage which is not to cast any aspersions on her.

        • Brigid 1.1.2.4

          Glenys Dickson

    • Jack P 1.2

      IT’s the right wing media portraying them as commentators. It is like CNN, CBS, MSNBC, ABC, Fox which is successful. The states are loaded with mainstream media hype (fake news) and it is very prevalent in New Zealand unfortunately because kiwis are a trusting sort and the wool is being pulled over their eyes. I haven’t watched TV in 4 years since the last election because Key got off the hook with Dirty Politics because of the media. Sorry guys, but its the media that will try to sway the public by telling only half truths or not giving any coverage at all. A true investigative journalist could have kicked Key out after the South Canterbury Finance debacle. Instead he was protected by the media.

  2. riffer 2

    Indeed.

    Certain websites should surely be expecting a Netsafe HDCA warning? That’s how it works isn’t it?

    Sauce for the goose, and all that…

  3. Tamati Tautuhi 3

    The Slime Element and a Stasi like approach has entered the National Party over the past 9 years ?

    Hooton, Farrar and Slater are part of the National Party’s Slime Network spreading propoganda and misinformation.

    • tc 3.1

      Via taxpayer funded outlets as paid gigs, you gotta hand it to national that’s a pretty sweet deal.

      • Ed 3.1.1

        The employment of Griffin and Hosking are an affront to a democratic media.

        • Tamati Tautuhi 3.1.1.1

          Honkin Hoskings is a National Party deseminator of information, party policy and thoughts on various issues even though he is not a card carrying member of the National Party.

          • Tamati Tautuhi 3.1.1.1.1

            Hoskings and TV One the State Broadcaster do not give a balanced view of NZ Politics and Issues.

            • mpledger 3.1.1.1.1.1

              I happened to switch to tv from a dvd to look at the tv guide for that evening and was unfortunate to land on tv1 and Hoskings. He was happily saying about how there should be no food regulations and people should learn what restaurants to avoid by getting sick at them (never mind thinking through the cost that would give to the health system, ACC and lost employee days). I guess tv1 values shallow, reactionary dribble.

    • Gosman 3.2

      They are invited on specifically to discuss topics from a right wing perspective just as left wing commentators are invited on to discuss things from a left wing perspective. Why is this wrong?

      • left_forward 3.2.1

        Because their values are shit – different political perspectives can be given in a manner that dignifies people and truth.

      • Stuart Munro 3.2.2

        A genuine vox pop would be better.

        Neither left nor right reactionary is particularly original – what matters more is how it affects people on the ground.

        These opinion panels are not diverse or interesting; their role is to persuade not to discover or to inform.

      • Skinny 3.2.3

        Hooton got rightfully called out over his snake oil about the foreign student scheme on RNZ yesterday. But still he went off on a tangent making shit up.

        How Barclay wasn’t disciplined at the time for recording his staffer is beyond me. How he got selected after this totally unacceptable situation just shows the influence of big money (tobacco) that is bringing down our democracy.

        An insight into the rotten goings on within the National party.

        I now fully expert English to be replaced by Bennett or Mr Fix It Joyce as caretaker Pm till after the election in the best interests of democracy.

        • Gabby 3.2.3.1

          More the organisation skills of the Barclay family who seemed to be in the right places to cast votes for their Wee tousled Toddy.

      • weka 3.2.4


        They are invited on specifically to discuss topics from a right wing perspective just as left wing commentators are invited on to discuss things from a left wing perspective. Why is this wrong?

        Because both of them are aligned with Dirty Politics. I have zero problem with the media using RW commentators alongside LW ones. But I do have a problem with them using ones where there are such conflicts of interest. Better to use actual RW commentators not spin doctors.

    • Red 3.3

      Stasi where left wing support group where they not

  4. ianmac 4

    Would Farrar be liable for defamation charges? He does not name but it is pretty clear who he is denigrating.

  5. Muttonbird 5

    Aren’t Barclay, Hooten, Farrar, and Graham all bought and paid for by the tobacco lobby? Water finds it’s own level, I guess.

    • tc 5.1

      Whoever has the dosh and a ‘worthy’ cause gets to employ their skills.

      Hooten is a professional spin doctor with questionable morality as his behaviour over Hagers details showed.

      You dont get to be too choosy when you peddle spin and bs.

  6. Keith 6

    It does RNZ no credit whatsoever this have either of these cockroaches on their station

    Why do they seek their warped and horribly tainted opinions?

  7. Anne 7

    Like a lot of right wing “sociopoaths” they can ooze charm and goodwill. Heard Farrar on RNZ’s The Panel yesterday and he sounded like your friendly, helpful next-door neighbour. I wonder if these radio and TV hosts or their producers ever read the crap they write online, or their often sordid little twitter comments. They paint a different picture of their personalities altogether.

    If Glenys Dickson learned of Barclay’s conduct involving “sex and drugs” she would not have been doing her job if she hadn’t expressed her concerns. Having been through a similar experience I can imagine how her detractors are getting at her. The spreading of lies and innuendo is only part of it. There are methods of harassment and intimidation that are almost impossible to prove because they occur when there are no witnesses. It is the victim’s word against the protagonists’ and since they usually have the power or seniority… their word is always believed.

  8. Pete 8

    I don’t know what the “Fluffer” in Farrar meant. When we were kids a ‘fluff’ was a fart.

    My observations suggest Farrar is far more solid that that.

  9. weka 9

    Unless Hollow Man Hooton and Fluffer Farrar have heard Barclay’s – alleged – recording(s) or been told the content, upon what basis do they feel entitled to state by innuendo that Barclay’s – alleged – victim had been so unprofessional and out-of-control as to be accusing Barclay of being a drug dealer?

    Yes, very odd that they went there so quickly after the initial Newsroom report.

    On the other hand, it’s possible that Barclay was dealing drugs and that the staff in Gore had legitimate concerns. Who would know?

    • Penny Bright 9.1

      In my view, Glenda Dickson was a ‘whistle-blower’ NOT a ‘snitch’.

      IF Todd Barclay’s activities were affecting his ability to do his job as MP for Clutha/Southland – then Glenda Dickson was right, in my opinion, to ‘blow the whistle’.

      Penny Bright
      2017 Independent candidate for Tamaki.

      • Draco T Bastard 9.1.1

        RWNJs really don’t like people who point out that they or their leaders are wrong and so will attack them mercilessly as we’ve seen over this and other incidences by National over the last few years.

      • Anne 9.1.2

        Precisely Penny Bright @9.1. She was a whistle-blower.

        I guarantee it was the first time in her life she found herself in a position where she felt she had to do it. And for her efforts she has been denigrated and obviously ‘sent to Coventry’ by those she once trusted and respected. The sense of betrayal must be profound.

        • bwaghorn 9.1.2.1

          whistle blower huh? her first response was to take the money , she’s just scrambling up a slippery pole now trying to look good

          • Anne 9.1.2.1.1

            Actually most of it was severance pay bwaghorn. I’m assuming she was working under a specific contract with Parliamentary Services.

            She also received a “top up” which came from the former PM’s Parliamentary Service fund. That was the hush money bit. I know from experience the way superiors effectively bully a whistle-blower into submission. In my case, the managers took out a caveat preventing me from discussing the matter with anyone. In Glenys Dickson’scase they paid her off. I expect she was given no other option.

            • bwaghorn 9.1.2.1.1.1

              ” I expect she was given no other option.”
              whistle blowing is standing up to the bullies and burning the house down as you leave , not going for severance pay

              • weka

                This is a pretty clear case of standing up to bullies. I’m sure if National had done the right thing she would have taken the settlement and left it alone. They didn’t and so she took the matter further much later. I wouldn’t call it whistleblowing, but it was still a good stand.

              • Anne

                You have no idea bwaghorn. If you stand up to those kind of bullies they chop your head off. No-one stands by you. Your peers run for cover fearing the same will happen to them. Bizarre things start to happen and you begin to fear for your safety. You have a mortgage to pay off and maybe other debts so you stick it out for as long as you can. There comes a time when you have no choice but to accept a severance pay-out for the sake of your sanity.

                And if you are a woman then the harassment is worse because they know they can more easily get away with it. If you call them out they use the… “she’s just a neurotic female who is making up stories” line of defence. And they are almost always believed.

      • Cinny 9.1.3

        x infinity Penny

  10. Penny Bright 10

    ‪The RULES covering the Leader’s Budget.

    Speaker’s Directions which sets out the amounts for Leader’s funding, and what it can and can’t be used for.‬
    ‪ ‬
    ‪https://www.parliament.nz/media/3661/speakers-directions-2014-including-amendment-directions-2015-and-2017.pdf‬

    (Haven’t yet studied this information – just got it.

    See what YOU can find! 🙂

    Penny Bright

    2017 Independent candidate for Tamaki.

  11. I have to admit to suffering complete consternation at this. The Nats ask Hooton and Farrar to do something to get this seemingly never-ending daily shit-fest off the media’s radar. Hoots and Farrar come up with the so-cunning-you-could-etc plan of putting it out there that Barclay is also an alleged drug dealer. Wouldn’t somebody among the Nats look at that plan and go “Er, what? You’re suggesting what, now? Maybe you misunderstood – we want you to make this go away, not fuel it! What’s wrong with you, man?” Well, apparently not, because here are Hooton and Farrar giving the media today’s fresh dip-the-Nats-in-shit topic. I give up, it just makes no sense.

    • tc 11.1

      Its not about sense its about muddying the waters with spin and bs.

      Todds expendable as hes no longer standing. You can see how they miss eades command post to set the tone and direct traffic.

    • weka 11.2

      That’s pretty much what I thought. They want to spin that Barclay’s a drug dealer, what are they on?

      However they may also be conceding that this won’t go away, so plan B is to smear Dickson and co even if that damages Barclay further (although at this stage it’s moot whether his reputation can be further damaged. I guess it might affect employment prospects).

    • KJT 11.3

      But! But. Barclay is a drug dealer. He worked for a tobacco company.

  12. North 12

    Think I heard somewhere that today’s guests at 4.00 pm on The Panel RNZ are Grande Dame Boagy of the National Party and her bestie Brian Edwards. Presumably Barclaygate will rate a mention.

  13. Et Tu Brute 13

    I’m of two minds. It is against the law. He was wrong. He handled it badly. I don’t like him. But also, I do get the argument about being in his shoes. Not an excuse, but as the victim of harassment I get it. You know someone has a grudge and are making your life hell with unwarranted accusations. You don’t have enough to take it to court. Do-gooders want to ease the tension by saying you’re imagining it. Stirrers want to tell you what’s being said, but not go on record. Random people suddenly turn hostile. I’d like to say I’d ignore it and try to get on with life as everything falls apart, and hope it didn’t effect me. But I also am not sure I would take the high ground. Barclay could have just fired his staff and cleaned house. For an MP that is easy. He stuffed up by making it complicated. For people who aren’t MPs, we can’t get rid of ex’s, employees, bosses, neighbours etc… nearly as easily.

    • McFlock 13.1

      Even if the rumours put about by hooten and farrar are true, there’s still the point that someone with a degree in commercial law, corporate experience, and previous experience in the offices of multiple ministers should have:
      a) known that unlawfully intercepting a communication is highly illegal and immediately endangers your position in any employment dispute; and
      b) been competent enough to resolve the issue in a legal and upstanding manner.

      As it is, any doubts his electorate official had about his suitability and competence to be an MP have been thoroughly validated.

    • Red 13.2

      First time ever ETB I agree with you, albeit that’s not a ringing endorsement on this site, so take cover 😀

      • weka 13.2.1

        The difference between what ETB just wrote and what you write (e.g. the comment I just moderated, see OM for the warning), is that ETB wrote a considered argument based on their experience and opinion. Nothing there that is even remotely on a moderation radar, and in terms of commenting I’d rate it highly in terms of contribution to the site. You on the other hand look like you are running round take pot shots at lefties. Not only is it boring, you will eventually get the attention of a moderator. I don’t mind short, sharp witticisms so long as they’re not a pattern of trolling. You’ve been here long enough to know these differences.

    • Sacha 13.3

      Barclay could have easily and quickly got rid of his staff under parliamentary services rules rather than spy on and complain about them. The power in that relationship goes strictly one way.

      There seems to be a basic clash of expectations between him and others in his local party apparatus about what an MP does. Like treating constituents with respect when they visit your office. Like turning up to events you’re the keynote speaker at rather than going out partying then calling in sick.

      Otherwise, who cares what the guy got up to in his own time.

      • dukeofurl 13.3.1

        Yes they do when you are an MP. Hes in the wrong job if he thinks he can be just like any other late twenties successful executive who isnt in a steady relationship.
        Rightly or wrongly he choose mainly rural conservative farming electorate, and he has to meet their expectations.
        Once the coverup began…

  14. David Mac 14

    Hootie and the Blowfish pitching Todd as a drug dealing sex fiend is odd. I can’t see how any upside isn’t swamped by the suspicions it arouses.

    They’re saying: ‘How would you feel if your PA was spreading drug/sex allegations about you?’

    Personally, I’d knock on her office door and ask “What the hell is this rumour all about?” Just like Matt and Dave would. To click a dictophone onto ‘Record’ is still just plain creepy.

    I smell a spin trap. I just haven’t worked out what way it’s going to spin yet.

  15. patricia bremner 15

    For someone to say one day
    ” Bill English should shut the f…k up”
    to come forward on another day with suggestions is odd!!
    Muddy? or “Look over here!!”
    Distraction or diversion perhaps?
    I thought….. What do they want us to NOT to look at? KEY????
    Our household is highly suspicious of their motives!!

  16. JustMe 16

    I have been wondering if Todd Barclay or Bill English have ever heard of Watergate. Because it looks like they both do not remember what happened to President Nixon sometime afterwards(the Watergate scandal).
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal
    But then it’s likely Bill English will typically respond that US laws are totally different to NZ laws. And if he does so then I will say that is a lousy cop-out/excuse.
    We must remember however that in his love affair of the United States John Key whilst pm of NZ would have happily had laws changed that favoured the US legal system(s).
    And in regards to the National government attacks on the complainant; well it does seem that whenever they are caught in a corner of their OWN making they(National)have a go at anyone and everyone else around them. It looks like a well trodden track record of bullying and intimidation.
    To date we have seen on more than one occasion Bill English blatantly lying and when he gets caught out lying he refuses to admit he has lied. He has ruined any credibility he ever had to begin with.
    Now I don’t want to get too personal about Bill English but I can only guess he doesn’t lie to the Catholic church but because he is a MP he is all fine and happy to lie to New Zealanders many of whom are not Catholics. If the entire population of NZ was Catholic then I am sure he wouldn’t happily lie to kingdom come.
    Todd Barclay probably thought that whilst an mp he could boss and bully everyone around him. But for him to feel that need to tape his staff shows he was truly insecure about himself, his position and of course the people that worked with him.
    In conclusion there is one important matter that mps no matter what political party they hark from that must know and remember and that is bullying and arrogance must never have any part in a government. That is what a future government after September 2017 needs to remember. But if they want to travel down the same path as the current government then no matter how many of us vote in time arrogance and bullying will always become part of the mixture.

    • David Mac 16.1

      Rather than Watergate, I think we’ve got a Goregate going on.

      Glenys worked for Bill for 17 years in their little community. I think it’s safe to assume they became mates. In my little community the one place I bump into people I haven’t seen for ages is the local 4 Square. Its where I catch up on the latest gossip. The Barclay family operate their local 4 Square. Bill was saying ‘G’day’ to Todd when he was an 11 year old boy topping up the Coke fridge.

      I think this has turned into the mess it has because the poo has settled in our PM’s tiny home nest and Bill has been torn between allegiances, his human fragility exposed.

  17. Tautoko Mangō Mata 17

    Move over, the “Evil Six”

    The Dirty Politics machine 2017 : “Rima Rūpahu”
    Matthew Hooton, David Farrar, Jordyn Williams, Cam Slater, Mike Hosking,

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  • 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 ...
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day 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
    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
    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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    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
    4 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
    4 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
    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 ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    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
    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
  • 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
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    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
    4 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
    6 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
    7 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
    20 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 ...
    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
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  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
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