New Zealand Service in Afghanistan Concludes

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 17th, 2021 - 44 comments
Categories: afghanistan, International, uncategorized, war - Tags:

In the beginning New Zealand contributed to the Afghanistan War with noble intent and notable heroism. They built schools, rebuilt parts of towns, did good humanitarian work. This is particularly the case in Bamiyan, where New Zealand led the Provincial Reconstruction Team – our biggest deployment.

New Zealand also deployed the SAS in 2001 and Willie Apiata later won the Victoria Cross for actions in 2004.

But consistently it started turning sour, both for New Zealand’s effort and for the wider campaign.

Both Australian and New Zealand armed forces got pulled into a moral morass of military defence and retaliation. In New Zealand’s case Sir Geoffrey Palmer led the commission of inquiry and former Supreme Court Judge Sir Tom Arnold was highly critical of the NZDF but found that the operation in which there were civilian casualties had been justified under international law. The other casualty was Nicky Hager whose home was raided by the Police. After the damage had been done to our civil liberties he got an apology.

Like the Prime Minister I want to honour the intent and effect of NZDF men and women who sought to make communities in Bamiyan more secure and to put in place elements of an improved future.

Did we do any good? Reports of how well we did in assisting Bamiyan are hard to find and honestly are unlikely to find the light of day now as this NZHerald note attests.

Too often we stumbled.

Every military intervention is hard, gets more complex, and rarely plays well in the media. Ten of our soldiers are dead, and many more wounded. I’ve never been a soldier so I am loathe to criticise our overall effort.

We were a small part of a longstanding United Nations-mandated effort at national reconstruction now coming to rapid conclusion.

And yet here we are 18 years later and it’s time for the results. It’s as bad as it can be.

The great majority of all of this military and reconstruction effort was from the United States military.

More than 2,300 U.S. personnel have lost their lives there; more than 20,000 others have been wounded. The United States government has spent close to $1 trillion on the war.

At least half a million Afghans – government forces, Taliban fighters and civilians – have been killed or wounded. Just a few Afghanis have found their way to New Zealand and settled as refugees.

The United States-led military effort has been unable to end the violence or hand off the war to the Afghan authorities. There’s no bargaining power left for the United States as Afghanistan is left to itself once more.

I’m not going to do a counterfactual of any kind about what kind of United States-led intervention or U.N.-led institutional effort might have been better. Too easy.

But here’s the bookends: after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States, Washington forcibly removed the Taliban from power. 17 years later, President Donald Trump signed a peace agreement with the Taliban. However the muteness of that agreement on the future of power sharing, rule of law, and women’s rights have left a forecast of chaos at least as enduring as that formed through war.

That’s an exceedingly poor result for that amount of cost of time, money, and effort.

Many of Afghanistan’s remaining educated people continue to leave, as they did once the Soviets left many decades ago. The country has still not found peace. People have lost faith in institutions, tend only to trust people from their own tribe, and tend not to trust offers of international assistance.

Even after 18 years of what was by the end fairly small New Zealand service, I’m too depressed writing this to even come to any conclusions.

44 comments on “New Zealand Service in Afghanistan Concludes ”

  1. Tiger Mountain 1

    New Zealand should not participate in Imperialist wars, invasions or occupations, or clean ups of such activity–unless the country concerned credibly, and actively invites our presence, and it is genuine peace keeping and assistance rather than making up the numbers and PR for 5 Eyes or the USA Military.

    In New Zealand the Afghan conflict affected our local politics–the rough and tumble between Labour and the Alliance party, and internal struggles of the latter. This was a shame as the Alliance largely was responsible for Paid Parental Leave and Kiwibank. Afghanistan was only a trigger for already existing differences, but it sure exposed the lefts inability to balance international solidarity with local tactics, and Jim Anderton’s anti communism surfaced again!

    But the obvious losers are the people–women and children in particular–of Afghanistan. Another failed state and miserable lives for millions.

  2. Adrian Thornton 2

    @Tiger Mountain +1 " New Zealand should not participate in Imperialist wars, invasions or occupations, or clean ups of such activity–unless the country concerned credibly, and actively invites our presence"

    Enough said.

  3. Adrian Thornton 3

    Meanwhile in the USA and their endless wars re; Afghanistan…

    If you have a NYT sub..

    U.S. Has 1,000 More Troops in Afghanistan Than It Disclosed
    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/14/world/asia/us-troops-afghanistan.html

    Or if like me you don't…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vSyBl491-c

  4. mickysavage 4

    Seriously good piece of writing Ad. You managed to capture a long piece of history very elegantly.

  5. RP Mcmurphy 5

    so why was the US there in the first place? 1. Afghanistan had become a narco state and flooding the world with heroin. 2. The taliban were not as wise as their name implied. trying to wrap all this up in verbiage is not serving any purpose. The fact of th ematter is that the US is able to drone strike any combination of forces there now and will continue to do so.

  6. Gosman 6

    Couple of things in the plus column

    – Afghanistan has had nearly 20 years without the brutal and backward Taliban running the majority of the country. As a result a generation has grown up which has seen a better way of doing things.

    – Afghan territory has not been used as a safe haven for Islamic terror groups to plan and train for attacks against Western civilian and military targets.

    Both of these outweigh most of the negatives. Perhaps it could have been done in a different manner but I'd like to know what anyone would have done differently if you were in charge.

    • Adrian Thornton 6.1

      " Afghanistan has had nearly 20 years without the brutal and backward Taliban running the majority of the country"…and how exactly how do you think the Taliban came to run the country with it's brutal repression of the population?

      US intervention of course….

      " The mujahideen were eventually able to neutralize Soviet air power through the use of shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles supplied by the Soviet Union’s Cold War adversary, the United States."

      " The quality of their arms and combat organization gradually improved, however, owing to experience and to the large quantity of arms and other war matériel shipped to the rebels, via Pakistan, by the United States "

      https://www.britannica.com/event/Soviet-invasion-of-Afghanistan

      Did you forget that important part of the timeline?

      You like Rambo… seem to forget lessons history taught to you only yesterday..

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsCNZN3v2l0

      • Pierre 6.1.1

        I still maintain that the Afghan communists did more to develop the country and advance civil liberties in 14 years of socialist construction than the following 29 years of Taliban/NATO occupation. There was already a generation which saw a better way of doing things, they built for themselves a secular and democratic republic. But even now the state backed by the western powers is the 'Islamic Republic of Afghanistan'. I see no progress there.

        • Gosman 6.1.1.1

          Yeah that's why the Soviet Union invaded in 1979 because the Afghan Communists were doing such a bang up job /sarc

      • Gosman 6.1.2

        Incorrect. The US did not fund the Taliban. They funded and supplied the Mujahideen some of who went on and worked with the Taliban. However the Taliban itself was a creation of the Pakistani intelligence services totally separate from any significant US involvement.

        • Adrian Thornton 6.1.2.1

          No you are wrong and just quibbling over semantics, the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan was a direct result of US intervention on behalf of the Mujahideen,

          That the Pakistani intelligence services had or didn't have any hand in the rise of the Taliban is not the issue…the known facts, the Taliban is a splinter group built off the back of the successful US back Mujahideen,

          "The group was formed in the early 1990s by Afghan mujahideen, or Islamic guerilla fighters, who had resisted the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (1979–89) with the covert backing of the CIA and its Pakistani counterpart, the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate (ISI). They were joined by younger Pashtun tribesmen who studied in Pakistani madrassas, or seminaries; taliban is Pashto for “students.” Pashtuns comprise a plurality in Afghanistan and are the predominant ethnic group in much of the country’s south and east. They are also a major ethnic group in Pakistan’s north and west."

          https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/taliban-afghanistan

          What part of these facts are incorrect?

          https://www.britannica.com/topic/mujahideen-Afghani-rebels

          https://www.britannica.com/topic/Taliban

          • Gosman 6.1.2.1.1

            The Taliban was formed to fight the various other factions that made up the mujahideen. The US lost interest in Afghanistan post the collapse of the Soviet backed regime in the mid 1990's. That was one of the reasons the country fell in to a prolonged civil war.

  7. Gosman 7

    What the conflict in Afghanistan does highlight is the lie of many anti-War people who argued that the US (and by extension the West) was only involved (or even mainly involved) in the country because of some grand plan to build a pipeline from Central Asia through to the sea. Like the lie that the invasion of Iraq was all about the oil this has been shown to be nonsense.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 7.1

      Like the lie that the invasion of Iraq was all about the oil…

      What was the invasion of Iraq all about then Gosman – keeping us safe from WoMDs, or was that another lie which has been shown to be nonsense?

      2003 invasion of Iraq
      The invasion of Iraq was strongly opposed by some long-standing U.S. allies, including the governments of France, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand. Their leaders argued that there was no evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and that invading that country was not justified in the context of UNMOVIC's 12 February 2003 report.

      Blix also said that America’s pre-emptive, unilateral actions “have bred more terrorism there and elsewhere“. He accused President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair of acting not in bad faith, but with a severe lack of critical thinking.

      • Stuart Munro 7.1.1

        What was the invasion of Iraq all about

        Iraq had been on the US radar for quite some time, and oil was a consideration.

        But for W, it was personal.

        So, oil and spite, on top of policy wonks arguing for it for decades.

      • Gosman 7.1.2

        It was about the geopolitical state of the Middle East. An Iraq controlled by Saddam Hussein was incredibly destabilizing for the region. Removing him allowed the opportunity to create a counterweight to Iran AND Saudi Arabia. The US fluffed that chance though in the immediate aftermath of Saddams ouster. The country is eventually coming right though.

        • Drowsy M. Kram 7.1.2.1

          An Iraq controlled by Saddam Hussein was incredibly destabilizing for the region.

          And which countries supported/armed the Hussein regime – what was that all about? The whole miserable history of foreign ‘powers’ trying to control the geopolitics of the Middle East stinks, imho.

          • Gosman 7.1.2.1.1

            Saddam Hussein mainly got the arms for his armed forces from the Soviet bloc pre-1991.

            • Drowsy M. Kram 7.1.2.1.1.1

              Saddam Hussein mainly got the arms for his armed forces from the Soviet bloc pre-1991.

              Mainly, not exclusively.

              US and British Support for Hussein Regime

              US intelligence helped Saddam's Ba`ath Party seize power for the first time in 1963. Evidence suggests that Saddam was on the CIA payroll as early as 1959, when he participated in a failed assassination attempt against Iraqi strongman Abd al-Karim Qassem. In the 1980s, the US and Britain backed Saddam in the war against Iran, giving Iraq arms, money, satellite intelligence, and even chemical & bio-weapon precursors. As many as 90 US military advisors supported Iraqi forces and helped pick targets for Iraqi air and missile attacks.

        • RedLogix 7.1.2.2

          Yes that nails it Gosman.

          The critical players in the ME are Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Saudi.

          Iran is a very old culture built from a polyglot collection of hundreds of small mountain valley settlements. Virtually the entire nation, bar the deserts to the east, is one giant mountainous plateau, which has made Persia a very difficult place to invade. The microclimates in these valleys have sufficient rainfall to sustain agriculture, commerce and an economy. Over time they've learned to aggregate these otherwise isolated sub-cultures into a Persian identity.

          With their own language, culture and identity, plus the ability to feed and defend themselves, the Iranian's are not going away. Their leadership harbours the dream of reviving the Persian empires of old, but they currently lack the resources to reach out past their territory with much clout.

          Turkey is another seriously mountainous plateau nation, but enjoys a highly fertile, high rainfall region called the Marmara which again provides a secure agricultural base. Since their defeat in WW1 the Turks have avoided much in the way of international entanglements – but under Erdogan this is changing as their recent ventures into both Syria and Libya attest. They have options to expand north into the Balkans, west into conflict with a weakened Greece, eastward into Armenia, Azer. or Georgia (already a very unstable region), or south into Syria if the current Abbas regime falters.

          North and east bring them into conflict again with Russia and they may not feel this is wise at present. West with Greece provokes the entire EU and NATO. South into Syria and Iraq are in my view the likely options when the Americans finally lose interest in the region.

          Everyone senior in the geopolitical world understands that the Saudi regime is a psychopathic regime of uber-violent crazies. People only tolerate them because of the Hajj and oil. Moreover the Arabic Saudis absolutely loath the Iranians – it's an ancient blood feud that has nothing to do with the West. The only thing really defending them is many hundreds of kms of some of the most hostile desert in the world – and Iraq. It's very much in the Saudi interests to ensure Iraq remains destabilised and not fall under the control of the Iranians. The Turks they might tolerate.

          Iraq itself is a geopolitical basket case – it's agricultural base is constrained to a narrow strip of land between the Euphrates and the Tigris which is wonderfully productive, but extremely exposed and impossible to defend. Culturally there are major divisions between sectarian factions that have seethed for centuries.

          Now play in the fact of the US becoming rapidly less invested in the region because shale oil means they're no longer dependent directly on ME oil. But then factor in that both Europe and especially China are still heavily dependent on it.

          Historically the ME has always been one of the three most volatile regions of the world, and understanding the map, the terrain, the agriculture, the cultures and the history is a deeply complex stew of competing interests. I've not even scratched the surface above. How all of this plays out in the next decade is impossible to predict, but if I had to put money on it – I'd have Saudi and Iran extending their proxy war in Yemen, both of them acting to de-stabilise Iraq, and Turkey responding by moving south to 'intervene'.

          Afghanistan in the meantime will remain the geopolitical arse of the universe. As it pretty much always has been. (No offense given to the people, who have suffered much.)

          • Adrian Thornton 7.1.2.2.1

            Not exactly sure where you get this notion from?….
            " Now play in the fact of the US becoming rapidly less invested in the region because shale oil means they're no longer dependent directly on ME oil. But then factor in that both Europe and especially China are still heavily dependent on it "…I don't think the people running the US military industrial complex have got that memo.

            A Mutual Extortion Racket: The Military Industrial Complex and US Foreign Policy – The Cases of Saudi Arabia & UAE
            "
            These mutually-beneficial relationships have contributed to a vicious cycle of conflict and human rights abuses across the Middle East and North Africa, including increased exports of arms and defence services to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates which began under the Obama administration and have ramped up under President Trump."
            https://ti-defence.org/publications/a-mutual-extortion-racket-the-military-industrial-complex-and-us-foreign-policy-the-cases-of-saudi-arabia-uae/

            Syria;
            The Times describes the CIA program as “one of the most expensive efforts to arm and train rebels since the agency’s program arming the mujahedeen in Afghanistan in the 1980s.”
            https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/08/04/syri-a04.html

            It seemed for a while that Trumps instincts were to withdraw from the ME, that is until until he actually came face to face with the US war machine (with, unfortunately, strong pro war support from the US liberal media)… seriously can you imagine another sitting POTUS coming out with this pearl..
            U.S. military leadership want more war to keep defense contractors "happy": Trump

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5N5mExbx_o

            Could add plenty to that list, but got to go…

            • RedLogix 7.1.2.2.1.1

              Arms industries everywhere will continue to line up to do business with the hyper-wealthy Saudis and UAE – that's very unlikely to change. If it's not the US or the EU, the Russians and Chinese would rush to fill the vacuum.

              But in terms of the US having an appetite for another Iraq war – forgeddaboudit.

              • Adrian Thornton

                " But in terms of the US having an appetite for another Iraq war – forgeddaboudit"…I am not so sure about that, exactly who in the halls of power with actual power to wield in the US (on both sides) has not been (if they were from any other country in the world) an extremist in their foreign policy actions and/or views at some recent time in their career?

                And let us not forget, one of the internal braking systems when it comes slowing down and even stopping (once) US led foreign interventions/wars (since the late 1960's anyway) the US Liberal media, has forsaken this role and has now become bloodthirsty as any right wing media I can think of.

                None of that sounds like a successful recipe to satisfy the apparent insatiable hunger for endless conflict that has been a hallmark of the American Empire…though I would sorely love to be proved wrong on this.

    • McFlock 7.2

      Dunno about "all about" the oil.

      I tend to view US policy as an extreme example of political chaos: innumerable competing, conflicting, and contradictory interests (some internal to the decision-making community, some from non-governmental lobbyists) pushing the ship of state in different directions, with the net force direction hopefully propelling the ship in that direction without crushing the hull.

      Was oil a factor in consideration for either war? Probably. Was it an argument against? Probably nope.

      I think this article overstates the importance of oil as a final policy factor for Iraq, but it certainly outlines it as a positive factor in several elements of the policy-making milieu. Afghanistan? Maybe not so much, but a pipeline could well have been on the table as a secondary US policy objective.

      • Gosman 7.2.1

        The pipeline was never a serious contender for a major factor in the Afghan war. Perhaps if there was zero conflict it may have come up. That was always highly improbable though.

        • McFlock 7.2.1.1

          The question is whether it would have moved a decision camp from "don't care/ doesn't affect us" to "not too bothered, but it could have a happy consequence for us if it pans out really well".

          So the desire to break down the transport costs on Caspian oil would have been a weak positive for energy advocates, while the geopolitical factor of cutting Russia's monopoly on access to that resource would similarly be a positive for the geopolitical chess players (who might have otherwise thought that an occupation of the graveyard of empires was a risk with an unacceptable penalty for failure).

          The additional support for a land grab wouldn't have been a deciding factor by itself, but would have helped the invasion lobby vs the folks who wanted to bounce rubble and flocks with JDAMS and tomahawks, as well as vs the folks who viewed "The Taliban" as less of an homogeneous bloc and more as a loose cluster of diverse factions, many of whom could be dealt with in order to get the desired anti-AQ outcomes (some State Dept and CIA factions).

  8. Sabine 8

    Afghanistan has been at war/conflict/military conflict/skirmishes/….. since 1979 and it itself has never attacked/invaded someone.

    We should have never gone there.

    • Gosman 8.1

      The Taliban should never have provided a safe have for Al Qaida but it did. Al Qaida does not have a safe haven there any more.

  9. In Vino 9

    Coming in a bit late, For Heaven's sake..

    I am old enough to have thought when the USA went into Afghanistan, "Oh no, you idiots are doing a Vietnam all over again."

    Many USA and allied propagandists insisted,"Oh no, this is nothing like Vietnam, there are no parallels at all!"

    Huh. I now gather that the USA is withdrawing in a 'Peace with Honour' agreement, whereby the war will be Afghanistanised by the withdrawal of US troops, and good supplies of arms to the current government there.

    No parallels at all, huh? Anyone have a stopwatch to press 'start' on now to see whether it takes a longer or shorter time for the Taliban to take over all Afghanistan than it took for the Vietcong/NVA to take over all of Vietnam?

    Sorry AD – you wrote well, but I think NZ has repeated the same dumb but understandable mistake that we and the USA made in Vietnam. I doubt if drones will make all that much difference in Afghanistan: without US troops on the ground, the Taliban will take over.

    Wait 20 years – I think historians will be looking at both ventures in the same light. And I don't think that the Taliban will turn out to be any worse than those wicked Commies who took over Vietnam..

    • McFlock 9.1

      Some "Taliban" groups are as bad as the collective reputation.

      Others are just local leaders who went with the flow and dislike invaders more than they dislike the semi-local nutbars.

      Then there's the economics of irregular warfare: taxes on local industries like drugs or lapis lazul, and tacit assistance for various factions from neighbouring nations and anyone else with an interest.

      Oh, and the isolated settlements who just want everyone else to fuck right off.

      It's not Vietnam.

      It's Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia combined.

      • RedLogix 9.1.1

        Afghanistan is another seriously mountainous country that relies on snowfall in the high peaks, and meltwater feeding river based irrigation. There is sod all rainfall. As a result their agriculture is highly fragmented, localised and constrained. Climate change is definitely reducing the snowfall.

        And this is before we take into account the conflicts arising with Pakistan and Iran over damning of rivers that will likely escalate over time.

        One of the characteristics of all societies dominated by large mountain ranges is that the people live in scattered, isolated valleys and tend to be highly independent minded. Trade has to carry the overhead of high transport and infrastructure costs and as a result communities are more self-reliant, less specialised and always less productive. Outsiders are only tolerated on a narrow basis of some specific trade needs that are absent locally. Socially they're often conservative bordering on backward. Warlordism is the rule not the exception.

        Afghanistan ticks all these boxes with the biggest, fattest highlighter pen. This is a nation that was always going to struggle to achieve anything like modernity – except perhaps among the middle class of a few larger cities. The rural hinterland – simply lacks the geography and resources to develop. At least with our current technologies.

        The modern fad for making everything political leads us into traps all the time, it causes us to overlook all the other factors which feed into the narrative of a nation or region.

        • McFlock 9.1.1.1

          True, to a degree, but it's not a futile area. There are some really interesting photos of Afghanistan from the seventies.

          Without invaders, it was in the process of modernisation from the urban hubs out.

          But both invaders largely viewed the local warlords and leadership as an homogeneous enemy, rather than pulling an Anabasis and negotiating with each, equally.

          Oh, and the yanks build shit roads, which never helps an empire.

        • Adrian Thornton 9.1.1.2

          " This is a nation that was always going to struggle to achieve anything like modernity" you say that like it is a bad thing, has it ever occurred to you that maybe the people who live in those isolated valleys might be quite satisfied with their lives and like the way they live?

          I don't want to be rude here, and apologize in advance, but fuck you really sound like a arrogant white guy in an armchair in some of your comments.

          • RedLogix 9.1.1.2.1

            I'm quite certain the local warlords are happy with their lives. And yes it's an amazingly beautiful country to visit – I'd jump at the chance.

            But hands up who would 'happily' choose to live in some isolated valley deep in the Hindu Kush? It might look kind of 'noble savage romantic' – until the day came when you really needed something.

            But as usual when everything gets politicised, you missed the point. Set aside the people and politics, there are deeper underlying reasons why turning Afghanistan into something modern faced a bitter uphill slog – and it's because long-term realities like geography, rivers, rainfall, agriculture and transport have more power in determining the fate of nations than we’re accustomed to thinking about.

            And like everyone else before them, the US charged into the place idiotically oblivious to these realities, and like everyone else before them, came away disillusioned.

            • Adrian Thornton 9.1.1.2.1.1

              @Redlocix, come on, seriously? ..

              "But hands up who would 'happily' choose to live in some isolated valley deep in the Hindu Kush? It might look kind of 'noble savage romantic' – until the day came when you really needed something."

              You and I might not want to live there, by we aren't Afghans families who have been living there for centuries, and what makes you think they want to live like you?

              What I can't get my head around is why on earth would you think what it takes to make people from other countries and cultures satisfied and/or happy with their lives in their own country and environment has to be the same as what it takes to make you happy and satisfied with your (or anyone else's) life in middle NZ?

              "there are deeper underlying reasons why turning Afghanistan into something modern faced a bitter uphill slog"…I must be missing the point because I am not sure exactly who is it that has the right to turn any country that is not their own, in to anything if not invited to do so? did I miss the bit where the west was invited into Afghanistan?…maybe if we all just left them alone and stop invading their county all the time they could do what ever it is that would naturally occur in their own country, thought their own volition and in their own time…how does that sound?

              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYCreC_kg5o

              • RedLogix

                Working in multiple developing nations probably changed my perspective here; wherever I went I saw people are taking every possible opportunity – where it exists – to move on from the old modes of life you seem to think they should be uniformly 'happy with' You really should ask them before assuming how they want to live.

                And in a stroke of remarkable timing Caspian Report has just uploaded this. Modernity may catch up with Afghanistan after all:

                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9pOQioOEGg

                • Adrian Thornton

                  I don't the first hand experiences working or living in developing counties that you obviously have had, however I have taken a keen interest in how countries are 'developed' and 'modernized' for many years from afar, though reading and listening and talking to others that have been involved in these matters.

                  I found Manfred Max-Neef's economic theories in the end to be some of the most enlightened, he developed his economic theory 'Bare Foot Economics' after the ten years he spent working in extreme poverty in the Sierras, jungles and urban areas of different parts of Latin America…I sure you probably know all this already…

                  https://vimeo.com/24442377

  10. Adrian Thornton 10

    Isn't it interesting that in any western discussion about the US war in Afghanistan, when it comes to putting numbers on the killed and wounded, it is always the numbers of Afghans killed and wounded in their own country that is mentioned last…. this is what is commonly known as systemic racism, which of course we all suffer from, and why wouldn't we?..all the media we consume reinforces this way of thinking so often and it is done without the slightest second thought (they wouldn't even realize they are doing it themselves) into our subconscious that we end up not even realizing we are doing it ourselves.

    Probably just another little reason why we shouldn't have ever been in Afghanistan.

  11. Morrissey 11

    New Zealand's participation in the destruction of Afghanistan was far worse than the "folly" that politicians admit it was. It was a crime. Instead of being bullied and inveigled by Bush and Blair and their henchmen, Helen Clark should have listened to Afghani women like the wonderful Malalai Joya….

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcZhQLbvgEw

    • Gosman 11.1

      The destruction of Afghanistan??? Are you not aware of the state of Afghanistan back in 2001? The country is in a far better shape today than it was back then.

      • Adrian Thornton 11.1.1

        @Gosman, I forgot what a ghoul you are, lets not comment to each other in the future, thanks.

      • Tiger Mountain 11.1.2

        Gosman drops another floater in the pool.

        You will be up for some sort of award with the unstinting support for US Imperialism.

  12. Siobhan 12

    Who else feels the sudden urge to go make a batch of Afghan Biscuits and have a quiet, slightly depressed, undoubtedly cynical, giggle to themselves..

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    6 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    8 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    10 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    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
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    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
    5 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
    6 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
    24 hours 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 ...
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    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 ...
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    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
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    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
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    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    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 ...
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    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
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    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
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    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    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
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
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    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
    This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti.  Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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