New Zealand believes Labour are better economic managers than National

Written By: - Date published: 7:51 am, July 28th, 2020 - 51 comments
Categories: business, capitalism, jacinda ardern, Judith Collins, labour, national, paul goldsmith, same old national - Tags:

I was astounded when Labour scored 61% in this week’s Newshub Reid Research poll.  But that astonishment was dwarfed by this result:

Neale is right.  There is this constant rule throughout English speaking western democracies.  The electorate always believes that tories are better with the economy.  Apparently being a cheerleader for capitalism is better than being a critical manager but this is as solid a political rule as Judith Collins will engage in dirty politics.

For the first time in Aotearoa New Zealand this mantra is in tatters.

It is not hard to see why.  Not only has the Government kept us safe, so far from Covid, but its quick targeted response has protected many jobs and kept many businesses afloat.

National’s response so far is to propose more roads, many more roads.  And Paora Goldsmith has this utterly bonkers desire to slash spending to get debt to GDP under 30% within the next decade, if in power.

From Thomas Coughlan at Stuff:

National’s draft debt target would require it to slash government borrowing by $80 billion leading to what could be some of the harshest public service cuts seen in New Zealand history.

National finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith last week told a gathering of financial sector professionals that his party wanted to get net core Crown debt, the main way of measuring public debt, to below 30 per cent of GDP within a decade.

“Our sense is we need to demonstrate a path back below 30 per cent, in the first instance, within a decade, give or take a few years,” he said.

“It is difficult, given the extent of the global uncertainty, to plot an exact path right now. But we would commit to setting that out clearly in our first budget.”

This time last election Labour had a fully costed and worked through alternative budget.  All that I have heard from National recently is crickets, and roads.

At a policy level I am not surprised that the population trust Labour more than National with the economy.  But this is an unprecedented event and is why National has no chance of winning this election.

51 comments on “New Zealand believes Labour are better economic managers than National ”

  1. Devo 1

    The interview they had on Newshub was hilarious and sad (at 1:49):

    Q: That's kind of your only line isn't it, that you can run the economy better?

    (Goldsmith enthusiastically agrees!)

    Poor guy is out of his depth

  2. Muttonbird 2

    I get the feeling most of National's front bench and certainly the rest of the caucus are terrified of Collins' rule. She'll be trying to micro-manage but she's distracted right now trying to dig up dirt and land hits on the PM. Her colleagues will be too afraid to speak let alone develop anything resembling policy or vision.

    They look in complete disarray.

    National will be pinning their hopes on fake Facebook ads and Topham Guerin’s ‘Love, actually’ videos.

    • ScottGN 2.1

      Collins all consuming preoccupation with the PM, the insinuations and sly digs, the so-called fighting talk is going to be her downfall. The country is just not listening to any of that. Meanwhile she hasn’t articulated anything that her ministry would do to her us out of the shitfight covid has put us in. If she keeps this up the defeat will be historic.

  3. mac1 3

    The German army had a military tactic called 'schwerpunkt' where you defeated the enemy by attacking at their strongest point in the centre, surprising them- whereupon they capitulated.

    National has done this to itself by failing to demonstrate competency in its strongest bastion. "If all else fails retreat to the bastion of belief in financial superiority.' Those walls have been broached, internally, by poor leadership and tactics, dissension and poor morale, desertion, self-protection, lack of discipline, training, quality selection of its troops, disastrous promotion of the under-qualified…………

    The trumpets are sounding, Jericho has fallen.

    • The schwerpunkt was not about attacking at the enemy's strongest point, – that would be madness. It was about identifying a weak point in the enemy's line and concentrating overwhelming effort at that point.

      I agree that National is in disarray though and doubt whether it is capable of directing a focused effort anywhere.

      • mac1 3.1.1

        Thanks, David Smith, for correcting me on that- an obvious misreading of mine from probably fifty years ago. Never too late, eh?

  4. Hunter Thompson II 4

    I have the impression many people thought that because John Key had made all that money on Wall Street, he could "fix the economy".

    It's strange that he never did it when he had the chance.

    By the way, does anyone remember the Porter Project from 1991? No, neither did I. The report sank without trace after costing taxpayers $1.5 million.

    • Dennis Frank 4.1

      Yeah, I was sceptical at the time & dismissed it as capitalist hoopla. However I did eventually get the gist: Porter's thesis was all about the comparative advantage of nations. So play to your economic strengths.

      Not quite worth $1.5 million in view of the fact that nations had always done so. But politicians always need economists to point them in the right direction, so Bolger & co would have been relieved of the task of having to pretend to think for themselves.

    • Chris 4.2

      A very initial on the face of it glance the perception is that national should be better at managing the economy because they traditionally represent wealth and big business. But it doesn't take long after realising whose interests right wing politics serve to know that of course it's left wing governments that should logically manage the economy better because left wing governments traditionally (and generally) serve the interests of citizens. History also supports this.

      It's good to see the shift show up in the poll. Now we need to cement in the reasoning to avoid this being an aberation or something peculiar to post-covid or the PM's popularity so that when things settle down we're not all back to thinking the nats do finance better than Labour. The thinking needs to be accepted as common sense and how things are.

    • Rockin Robin 4.3

      Key did fix the economy – for himself and his mates!

      [Please stick to one user name. You have now been approved as a new user on this site and your comments will appear under this user name without triggering Auto-Moderation – Incognito]

      • Incognito 4.3.1

        [Please stick to one user name. You have now been approved as a new user on this site and your comments will appear under this user name without triggering Auto-Moderation – Incognito]

  5. Dennis Frank 5

    Cool that the left hand puppet is the new people's choice, eh? The right hand has been favoured too long & ambidextrous is good. As regards supervision of the economy, check out who has that duty here: https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/about-us/monetary-policy-committee

    The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is responsible for formulating monetary policy in New Zealand, directed towards the economic objectives of:

    • achieving and maintaining stability in the general level of prices over the medium term; and
    • supporting maximum sustainable employment.

    The MPC is subject to the remit for the MPC and the MPC charter, and members must also follow the code of conduct.

    Michael Reddell wrote about it a year ago: https://croakingcassandra.com/2019/07/29/mpc-appointments-prioritising-sex-over-expertise/

    He has the insider's view, of course. Here's his current update on that: https://croakingcassandra.com/2020/07/27/empty-vessels/

    You’ll recall that the Governor and Minister got together to blackball anyone with current monetary policy or macro expertise from serving on the MPC. That gap is really starting to show up now.

    As an outsider, I advise waiting until the recession bites. Could actually be good to have non-economists in charge, eh? The luminaries selected will get their chance to shine through the incoming economic crisis. Are they up for that? Labour's lustre depends on them rising to the challenge!

    • Tricledrown 5.1

      Dennis Frank picking one minor issue from a blog .

      Reddell complains more about Nationals policies such as poor productivity and having high immigration he is highly critical of Nationals reliance on immigration driving down productivity and wage growth.

  6. Ad 6

    This first term was a honeymoon (believe it or not).

    This next term is two babies and a mortgagee sale.

    They better be ready .

  7. Nic the NZer 7

    Agree, this clearly deserves more scrutiny. First of all the question is who actually believes (apart from Reddell) interest rate adjustments do lead the economy to minimal inflation with maximal employment. If on this basis the government favours monetary over fiscal policy leaving a bunch of unelected technocrats in charge of economic policy is this democratically acceptable.

    Finally, assuming familiarity with the idea of counter-cyclical fiscal policy, in which sense can a side be better economic managers? Over recent decades the governments budget position has mostly been due to what the economy has done to it via automatic stabilizers. At most its been discretionary at the margins so who has been running budget surplus/deficits has had the most to do with the term lengths and overlap with the economic cycle and not economic policy.

    Though it should be clear cutting spending now with an ideal of budget surplus now would be premature (pro cyclical) and likely disasterous choice.

  8. Sans Cle 8

    Running a business is not the same as running a country. Winning at capitalism is not the same as managing public finances. National supporters don't understand this difference…..until perhaps now (hopefully).

    • Just Is 8.1

      "Running a business is not the same as running a country."

      If only the general public were able to recognize the subtle difference.

      Statistically, Labour has a far better History of Economic Management

      Probably the best in my lifetime was from Micheal Cullen

    • Kiwijoker 8.2

      Goldsmith certainly doesn’t!

    • Chris 8.3

      A lot on the left don't understand it either and still defer to the idea that the nats are better at finance. We need to destroy the misconception around this and change the climate of opinion once and for all. The facts speaking for themselves is one thing, but changing common beliefs is another.

  9. Observer Tokoroa 9

    Hard Workers – ah no

    Not many will know that Sir John Key, while doing strange things to blonde kids, also set to work to raise the awesome poverty of our beautiful, beloved National beings (sarc).

    To ease the extensive Housing problems of Aotearoa, Sir John Key built one House. It took nine years.

    To ease the galloping Housing problems which flooded the nation, Sir Billy English and dear Paula Bennet, sold off the Government homes. Right under the relaxed nose of Prime Minister – John Key.

    To say that the skills of Sir John Key, Sir Jim Bolger, Sir Billy English, and Ms Paula Bennet were and are adequate – is to distort Truth Itself.

    Every time the Wealthy defend their Wealth, they destroy the real Citizens of our New Zealand.

  10. greywarshark 10

    Here's a fight to show that Labour are better planners, more responsive to the needs of citizens and business, and more responsible than 'Make-hay-while-the-sun-shines, and burn off everything that the land and other people need to get max profit, National'. This pumped hydrolake scheme has been studied thoroughly and seems to meet all the requirements that would be placed on it by thoughtful government, (which wouldn't be National). It is capable of becoming another World Heritage spot I would think, with permanent employment for environmental guardians.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/422060/pumped-hydro-may-result-in-biggest-infrastructure-project-since-the-1980s

    I would suggest that the present government get behind this scheme 'toot sweet'. People attuned to the economy, and our present problems and future needs and able to act in a vital, intelligent and effective manner would make it a priority to quickly get onto this, read reports, consult for hidden problems, discuss all with the scientists and informed professionals. Then I would expect a quick decision of 'Yes' if the situation as voiced on Radionz this morning gives a fair summation of the worth of this new type of hydro scheme. (And for the laggers and timorous – it appears that Austral;ia is doing this already.) This is no time to follow normal neolib bureaucracy which actually is industry-driven and hesitates to do anything till it hears the okay from the business sector that they will gain profit from it – without it harming their present profits!

    But it would also mean employment in its building for the Tiwai smelter employees when it closes. They could live in a village like Twizel was and go home every fortnight for a time, or even share jobs with one person being on the work site for a month, then being home for a month, and be replaced by the work buddy. This would spread the work around and keep the unemployment affect down for all the workers. They might do casual work while at home, and tend a community garden. Some imaginative ideas, and the deterioration of morale because of unemployment would be curbed.

    But: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/422165/industry-figures-say-lake-onslow-hydro-project-not-worth-it

    • Matiri 10.1

      or Tiwai employees could live in Roxburgh which is only 2 hours to Invercargill – could go home at weekends.

    • greywarshark 10.2

      I don't think I put the link to this mornings discussion with scientist – the one I put is dated 26/7 so here is today's 28/7

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018756855/lake-onslow-hydro-project-pros-and-cons

      I didn't know what distances would be involved. The ability to go home at weekends would be good. To ensure that minimum carbon footprint went in and that everyone was on site when they should be, work buses could provide transport. The people at home would have the car then for local use, family use. Would be a good idea all round I think.

    • Gabby 10.3

      The chances of it, or any scheme, reducing electricity prices are nil to zilch.

    • infused 10.4

      Most economics/engineers think this project is fucking stupid.

      [Please provide a link to support that assertion or withdraw, thanks – Incognito]

      [No response, which means that you cannot back up your assertion. We’ll see you again on Monday Troll Day – Incognito]

      • Incognito 10.4.1

        See my Moderation note @ 12:26 PM.

      • RobbieWgtn 10.4.2

        @Infused Based on the aggregate conventional wisdom of economists & the engineers I've employed over the last 30 years that probably means it should be looked at seriously.

      • Incognito 10.4.3

        See my second Moderation note @ 12:26 PM.

  11. AB 11

    It would be interesting to know what the poll respondents believe the characteristics of a well-run economy actually are. There's a much more interesting survey to be done right there.

    But yeah – great to see Nat propaganda about their superior economic management is failing at the moment.

  12. cathy-o 12

    whoever was the bright spark who invented GDP shoulda been mercifully eliminated at birth

    • Craig H 12.1

      GDP is a metric, just one of many to choose from. Not the inventor's fault that managerialism led to focusing on it as a KPI without any thought as to other options.

  13. Brian Tregaskin 13

    A good question to ask is what actual business experience has Nationals shadow cabinet got compared to Labours ?

    Answer:-The two teams are pretty much even so that throws out the window Nationals claim we have actual real world business experience in our team compared to the other team.

    IMHO Paul Goldsmith is unproven as a Finance Minster –he could turn out great or a disaster for NZ –who knows, do we really want to find out?

  14. infused 14

    We've had very little visability if the impact of lockdown. When you had out free money, of course people are going to think you are doing great.

    Come next year I imagine people will be singing a different tune.

    The pain hasn't even begun.

    • AB 14.1

      This is the real world – you don't get to escape pain. In this instance you can choose economic pain with a juicy dollop of death and disease on top (where most of the world is headed), or just economic pain on its own (which is what we have done to date). Other options are off the table, i.e. you can't avoid both, and you can't choose death and disease while having a great economy, because death and disease terrify everyone, makes them stay at home and the economy tanks anyway.
      If you can’t avoid pain, well-functioning societies share and soften it.

      • new view 14.1.1

        AB . I like your comments, they make sense.. Especially the last seven words. Sharing the pain means either tax increases and or sharing the debt with our grandchildren, which heavy borrowing will ensure. It doesn't matter who wins this election, those feeling the pain the most will end up most likely hating the Government of the day. even those from the left. Maybe Mickey S should wait until this time next year before talking up the financial attributes of this coalition.

      • Grafton Gully 14.1.2

        "If you can't avoid pain, well functioning societies share and soften it" – by voting “yes” to ACT's End of Life Choice Act.

  15. This Government is winning hearts and minds through genuine efforts to deal with problems in an orderly sustainable way. Sustainable is accepted culture now.

    Labour should list all the things Labour Govts have produced over the years, with genuine reference to NOT allowing false dichotomies such as Roger Douglas ideas to be introduced, and what is in place to protect against that occurring again.

    Trust has to be won, and can not be achieved through arrogance and a "Born to rule" mentality which Judith Collins displayed when she said "We will take the country back" "We will crush them' (this government)

    This, coupled with talk of bubbles to allow foreign students in, made many nervous.

    The public has grasped that no community transmission of covid, underpins fiscal safety.

    Ballooning health costs and lock downs elsewhere cause budget blow outs not aimed at jobs. Here NZ is concentrating on how to help dislocated workers, improve surviving industry business and trade.

    People are putting schemes through a modern sustainability lens. They appear to have grasped targeted assistance, and accepted higher debt to GDP levels and the time frames involved.

    Humans are stronger together, so villages and communities are gaining credence again, and individualism is seen as selfish in the face of covid. "Kiwis are helping Kiwis."

    We need to watch the effects of our fear, as returnees have often had real trauma to deal with, which we have mainly been spared, so we should remain helpful and tolerant as their return journeys have involved lock downs cancellations visa and passport renewals isolation and all the worries that go with huge change.

    We should keep listening to the scientists and our leaders. They are doing well.

    • Grafton Gully 15.1

      "Humans are stronger together”. You are on a desert island with someone who is inconsolable, spends the days and nights in terror and does nothing to support either of you. Would you be stronger alone ?

  16. Weasel 16

    Judith Collins increases the huge trust gap between her and Jacinda as revealed in the Reid Research poll when she was caught out with her porky that no prisoners escaped when she was Corrections Minister:

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300067642/election-2020-judith-collins-says-she-was-joking-when-falsely-saying-no-one-escaped-while-she-was-corrections-minister

    Official figures show that 11 people escaped in the 2008/09 year, nine in the 2009/10 year, and four in the 2010/11 year. Asked on her way into caucus on Tuesday why she had stated that no one escaped when people clearly had, Collins said “there was the odd one that might have popped out, but they all got caught” and then said it was a joke.

  17. Stuart Munro 17

    That belief, based pretty much on Muldoon actually having learned a couple of things about economics – unheard of in his party in those days – has been perpetuated long after even the vaguest hint of economic competence had expired.

    Marx was right about one thing, and that is that economics is a major element of the political battlefield. The lazy incompetence of the Right was, in New Zealand, typically mirrored on the Left by an irresponsible reliance on a bastardised version of Keynesianism that Keynes would have disassociated himself from pdq.

    For the past fifty years NZ has produced better economic rhetoric than economic results. Our economists are the kind of charlatans who, in the company of mathematicians pretend to be philosophers, and in the company of philosophers pretend to be mathematicians. And as a result the path we take is not that of rational economic development, much less sustainable or enlightened development.

    The handling of Covid here and abroad is a benchmark for international governance it seems: citizens are to be pathetically grateful that government didn't irresponsibly kill most of us. Most other countries are doing exactly that. Building a better society has apparently been off the table since Rogergnomics.

    • greywarshark 17.1

      Stuart Good to see you regularly now. I am keeping this little gem of yours for occasional reference when I need some ironic laughter about 'da system'.

  18. Richard@Down South 18

    Bob Jones said a few years ago he personally does better when National are in power (more opportunity to snatch up an investment) but said the economy in general does better under Labour

  19. Weasel 19

    According to Pattrick Smellie on BusinessDesk, on the Reid Research poll, not one National MP would get into parliament, including Paola Goldsmith. Can someone explain then why would Goldsmith cede Epsom to ACT, especially given if ACT gets ~3% of the vote but don't win Epsom, then National might then get one list MP?

  20. National has always been an arranged marriage between landed property owners and and bank funded townies. They have a common objective. Keep non capitalists, and non farmers out of wealth accumulation. The wealth deprived are not worth considering.

    That is what economists promulgate. They have the nerve to let the chattering classes to call them "experts". Sigh.

    It is long overdue that we all grew up. Especially the the shareholders organisation and the so called "tax payers union", I am not holding my breath. Sigh.

  21. Draco T Bastard 21

    The electorate always believes that tories are better with the economy.

    And its always been a fictitious belief fed by the lies in the MSM.

    Conservatives are always the worst possible economic managers because all they care about is making themselves, and others of like mind, richer. They simply don't care about anybody else or the economy.

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    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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 ...
    6 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
    6 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 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
    14 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
    15 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    6 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
    6 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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  • 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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  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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  • Minister’s Ramadan message
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
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