Newshub’s incredibly bad gang take

Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, September 6th, 2022 - 55 comments
Categories: crime, jacinda ardern, labour, Media, national, police, social media lolz, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

Yesterday the Government announced a slate of new powers designed to address gang violence.

The list is pretty impressive.  It includes:

  • New powers to target the associates of organised criminal groups and restrain their property, when it is clear their legitimate finances would’ve been unlikely to have enabled them to acquire the assets.
  • A new court order that will mean criminals based overseas who have assets in New Zealand will face losing those assets, unless they can provide proof within two months that they obtained their property legally.
  • Amending a technical gap, which will allow the Official Assignee – the government body that manages assets restrained under CPRA – to hold seized property longer than 28 days while the court considers an application for a restraining order.
  • Allow funds in KiwiSaver schemes to be subject to civil forfeiture orders, eliminating the potential for criminals to hide illegal funds in their KiwiSaver.

I presume that Newshub were given a heads up on what was being proposed.  So how did it respond?  By running a bullshit line suggesting that Labour was soft on gangs because, can you believe this, an individual gang member said that gangs should not vote for National.

Yep no reporting on what was proposed.  No comment about Bill of Rights issues or the nuance of confiscation orders.  Just a denial to an allegation that Labour may be soft on gangs because someone said on social media that his mates should not vote for National.

Is this how turgid our media has become?  Do they really think that Fox News is a model to follow?  That instead of reporting on issues our meadia should engage in cheap shots against the Prime Minister that are reality and substance free?

If there is an issue that should be reported on it is how naff National’s proposals are.

Newshub could have said how weird it was to propose that pictures of gang members wearing bling should be banned.  Or that bits of paper given to gang members would stop them associating with each other or that banning gang insignia would somehow make things better.

They could have theorised that the bling ban made gang members, not to mention pretty well everyone else, thought that National was willing to scratch any anti gang itch for support.

To be frank I have reservations about the confiscation proposal.  This could give the police the power to harass marginalised communities.  Harassing someone the police think are criminals by using the lower civil evidential threshold of something being more likely than not appears at first blush to undermine a fundamental principle of the Criminal Law requiring proof beyond reasonable doubt.  A deeper discussion needs to be had.

But don’t look to Newshub as a place where this discussion can occur.  They are far too busy running ridiculous hit pieces on Jacinda Ardern.

 

55 comments on “Newshub’s incredibly bad gang take ”

  1. Anne 1

    One of the replies on the twitter link:

    Some women feel more Dominant than other women…and find it necessary to impose that dominance on the other woman..a feeling of superiority… But ends up exposing their own inferiority…

    Sadly there are quite a few Kiwi women who practice this technique. In this case, Meliissa Chan Green only made an ass of herself. Some women also take it way beyond just sneers and jibes. We don't get to hear the answer to the Dad's day gift to Clarke Gayford. I hope Jacinda kept her mouth firmly shut. She is head and shoulders above all of them and they know it. It's called jealousy.

  2. Sanctuary 2

    The fantasy bubble of journalism as an exercise in manufactured political dadaism on full display. The MSM is in a dire state.

  3. Newshub has gone completely off the boil these days, assuming it was ever on the stove!

    I look at it daily as I do Stuff but NH takes are seriously weird sometimes and their stories are often repeated ad nauseum down the home page

  4. Patricia Bremner 4

    This is typical of how some journalists are behaving. In their tiny minds NZ has already voted this Government out. The dismissive nasty rhetoric is rife. Media watch tries to show bad examples, but they need teeth and fines imo.

    Polls actually show a steady state or show a small shift back to the left spoiled by the navel gazing of some on the left, and so Dirty Politics is going gang busters. Pun intended!!

    The cabal of nasties in National has not gone. We are getting opinions from Chris Bishop et al again. The fact that the Pandemic has stretched and made tired Ministers who have worked at entrenched problems while being vilified by a portion of the press dangerous elements of the public and lazy or plain nasty press is lamentable.

    I remember right wing politicians discussing with business people whether sprinklers in shop doorways would prevent the homeless sleeping there during the last Government. Paula Bennett put some in motels because the social home building had failed badly.

    So this Government has found implementation difficult and slowed by the stripped back Government Departments left to them by National. It is hard to build the vehicle while using it!! The constant pressure of decisions under new unusual situations has given room for critics to poke holes in plans and efforts.

    Some very difficult situations are being politicised to gain power at all costs. Rotorua is one imo. Wrap around care for difficult people is hard, and sadly we have poor accommodation and poor staff in some cases, which needs attention, like all the social ills which have ever only been solved by proper housing.

    When 2000 homes are needed and 200 are provided it gets difficult in Rotorua. When 1500 building consents are given over years, and a full on fight about using small sections of some reserves to provide social housing brings out the nimbies.

    We all are involved, the armchair critics who do more damage than good unless we are informed considered and fair, the journalist who behave like influencers or opinioneers, the politicians desperate to win…. the truth and perceptions get bent way out of shape.

    Perhaps Chan Green was extra nasty about Clarke to Jacinda as 30 000 had gone on face book to wish the Dad and family well, while many of the 700 odd on Chris Luxon’s page were querying the veracity of his statements in view of past tax behaviour.

    • alwyn 4.2

      " the stripped back Government Departments left to them by National".

      "The public sector employed around 436,700 people in 2021, 18.9% of New Zealand’s total workforce (2,313,400), as measured by Stats NZ’s Business Demography data. The majority (88%) work central government* (384,400) and 12% in local government (52,200).

      Over the last five years, the overall public sector workforce increased by 13.7% (with central government up 13.9% and local government up 12.4%). This compares with an 8.9% growth in the private sector over the same period."

      This was an increase of about 100,000 from 2017.

      "The New Zealand public sector employed around 348,000 people (known as public servants) as at 30 June 2017, about 13.8% of the country’s total workforce."

      If an extra 100,000 people and a rise from 13.8% to 18.9% of the workforce being in the public sector is still not enough to satisfactorily meet any of the Government policy promises just how many people do you think will be needed?

      https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/our-work/workforce-data/public-sector-composition/workforce-size/

      https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/assets/Legacy/resources/public-service-workforce-data-2017-v2.pdf

      • Ad 4.2.1

        Public servants don't build houses.

      • 13.8 % or 340 000 under National in 2016 Alwyn.

        Beginning your count in 2017/ 2021??

        An increase of 5.1% to deal with MIQ, Health needs, and ongoing problems does not seem excessive.

        • alwyn 4.2.2.1

          It isn't and increase of 5.1% in the people working in the public sector Patricia. It was 5.1% more of the entire workforce in the country who were now in the public sector who had been in the private sector.

          It was an increase from about 348,000 to 437,000 which is an increase of just over 28% in the public sector workforce. Given that none of the problems seem to have been solved, and most of them have got worse it seems greatly excessive to me.

          • Incognito 4.2.2.1.1

            Given that none of the problems seem to have been solved, and most of them have got worse it seems greatly excessive to me.

            Flawed logic

          • Tricledrown 4.2.2.1.2

            alwynger back at your false equivalencies again National were spending the same amounts on high priced consultants nearly $ 800 million per year infact,where labour bring those in house for a much cheaper price. ie Jenny Shipley getting $600,000 for 8 meetings a year appointed by Gerry Brownlee.Many of the high priced consultants being National Party hacks.

            • alwyn 4.2.2.1.2.1

              And what precisely were these 8 meetings in a year for which Ms Shipley was paid $600,000 by the taxpayer? Facts please.

      • roblogic 4.2.3

        Depends on how much you value having capable staff in schools, hospitals, police, and the fire service.

  5. tc 5

    You reap what you sow. The absence of reforms to attempt a reset from dirty politics for a start before we look at what they've done to tvnz/rnz or not as the case may be.

  6. AB 6

    A rational gang member should vote National. National will provide a much larger pipeline of desperate, mentally scarred people who have tremendous potential as new clients for illegal drug sales.

    I'm picking it as a bluff. By saying that people shouldn't vote National, the gangs hope that they will.

  7. Adrian 7

    Years ago I heard ( privately ) a senior editor say that his job was to change the government, ostensibly because it sold papers, well before the term “ click bait “ was even heard of. I was also in a campaign room when Mike Moore returned from a meeting with Michael Horton, owner of the Herald, Mike was grumpy and in reply to a how did it go question said “ He’s difficult, but he’s a man of principle, unfortunately they are not our bloody principles! “.

    • That is so correct Adrian. When I visited my husband's work at The Daily Post, I was greeted by a huge portrait of Muldoon. Smithy the owner treated his Staff well, and wrote protections into the sale to Wilson and Horton, but he was right leaning.

  8. newsense 8

    Newshub owned by the lot gutting CNN and dictating a RW editorial line from the CEO?

    Batten down the hatches.

  9. Reality 9

    For some time I have thought the vitriol and venom heaped on Jacinda was nothing more than plain old jealousy. She has many qualities that people like. A leader needs to have appeal and personality. Chris Luxon in comparison is dull, shifty and unappealing, so to overcome these deficiencies he has, Jacinda gets ever more criticised.

  10. Stephen D 10

    Not Newshub, but this explains a lot as to why the major players in the media prefer right wing governments

    https://www.nzme.co.nz/investor-relations/major-shareholders/

    • Patricia Bremner 10.1

      devilutterly revealing. Follow the money.

      • Macro 10.1.1

        Certainly is revealing, and in case you haven't read this, here is an OP by Robert Reich in The Guardian – in particular wrt the recent fate of 2 reporters on CNN and reporting on one of the most pressing issues in the US right now – the fate of Democracy in the US.

        It is dangerous to believe that “balanced journalism” gives equal weight to liars and to truth-tellers, to those intent on destroying democracy and those seeking to protect it, to the enablers of an ongoing attempted coup and those who are trying to prevent it.

        Two Sundays ago, CNN’s Brian Stelter, host of the show Reliable Sources, put it well:

        “It’s not partisan to stand up for decency and democracy and dialogue. It’s not partisan to stand up to demagogues. It’s required. It’s patriotic. We must make sure we don’t give platforms to those who are lying to our faces.”

        Not incidentally, that was Stelter’s last show on CNN.

        On Friday, CNN’s White House reporter, John Harwood, said:

        “The core point [Biden] made in that political speech about a threat to democracy is true. Now, that’s something that’s not easy for us, as journalists, to say. We’re brought up to believe there’s two different political parties with different points of view and we don’t take sides in honest disagreements between them. But that’s not what we’re talking about. These are not honest disagreements. The Republican party right now is led by a dishonest demagogue.”

        Harwood went on to say:

        “Many, many Republicans are rallying behind his lies about the 2020 election and other things as well. And a significant portion – or a sufficient portion – of the constituency that they’re leading attacked the Capitol on January 6. Violently.”

        Shortly after making these remarks, Harwood announced he was no longer with CNN.

        • Stephen D 10.1.1.1

          Fascism suits big business. The further right media can drag the Overton Window, the better.

  11. Ad 11

    Does anyone disagree that this is a too-late response to an explosion of gang-related crime that this government hasn't come anywhere near fixing?

    Firearms offences committed by gang members on the National Gang List increased by 26.3 per cent from 2018 to 2020.

    Murders by gangs are off the scale over the last 2 years.

    Gang numbers have gone up over 50% since Labour started in 2017.

    In just 1 month in Auckland there were 109 gang crimes with guns.

    Auckland gang warfare – city sees 109 reported gun crimes in a single month – NZ Herald

    The Prime Minister herself has admitted the trouble we are in on her watch, with gangs.

    Gangs: NZ has 'a clear escalation at the moment' – PM (1news.co.nz)

    In July the PM chucked her Police Minister for being ineffective on gangs.

    Why on earth would Labour expect the media to give it a free ride on a policy disaster?

    • Nic the NZer 11.1

      Harsh, your saying she should hardly have been short of actual questions to ask the PM?

      • Ad 11.1.1

        Ardern can't add anything, and Hipkins is the most successful and tactically astute politician in NZ right now.

        But they can't spin out of this one.

        • Nic the NZer 11.1.1.1

          I doubt Ardern even for a second thinks spin should be applied here. No doubt chippie asked all your questions during interview prep and she was well prepared to answer. But apparently the strategy was to ask a question Ardern could hardly have expected and rehersed for in advance. This appears to have got a smirk out of the PM at least.

    • AB 11.2

      Don't disagree. It's too late. The response should be a calculated combination of punitive, aggressive chest-beating (which doesn't work but plays well with the public) and really hard policy work such as a demand-reduction focus on meth use, poverty alleviation, jobs guarantees, better mental health care and so on (which will work but takes a long time – possibly generations- and would be hideously expensive).

      Neoliberal Labour is capable of neither, whereas National is capable only of the first, which may be worse than neither. No extant party is capable of both.

    • adam 11.3

      Come on Ad, that's bullshit.

      This is a long festering problem that was set into motion by the most stupidest Tory prick to ever walk the earth – Scomo.

      That our near equivalent, the royal ponytail fetishist himself, did next to nothing to stop the explosion of Aussie gang members being exported here, started this mess.

      I agree labour have done bugger all – with one great exception, getting this flow of Aussie thugs stopped.

      Also the whole, a gang member saying to vote labour on social media is SNAFU journalism. It's just one more example of a media which are nothing more than cheap propagandists for a greedy cabal.

    • newsense 11.4

      How are you measuring gang numbers?

      And which government has solved gangs? Has anyone been asking about trusts and beneficiaries?

      Poto Williams got moved for failing to manage optics.

      There’s plenty of wolf pack out there Ad. They don’t need you too.

    • tadlet 11.5

      Covid lockdown and border closures immediately throttled much gang income from drugs. The police could put more resource into anti-gang action, as their usual workload was lower. Also, Aussie police worked a sting where they infiltated a whats app type comms system used by drug gangs including NZ ones.

      Just look at the weekly reports of high-level drugs busts and gang leader arrests in the last year. Police have been very effective at shutting down supply and picking up organisation heads.

      When drug sellers can make their dosh without catching the eye of police or the public they keep a low profile, as business is sweet. Now they are being squeezed, they have reacted by increasing social disturbances which skirt the law (noisy cars circuiting the streets for hours; pack drives on busy roads).

      To extend their business, it's clear to me that drug gangs are also encouraging youth offenders to terrorise small businesses, in order to soften them up for protection rackets. The burglaries are not the point, the threat of targetted destruction is. I hope the police are developing strategies to kill this new line of business off at the start, as extra community programmes for vulnerable young people are only part of the solution.

  12. Psammead 12

    The 501s coming back here and setting up Comancheros and other new gangs are not Labour's creation, but Australia's. The saturation of the community with methamphetamine coming in from Asia is not a Labour initiative either. but has also contributed to growth in gangs with the easy money to be made from addiction and poverty of mind and spirit. Both have contributed to gang growth along with Covid plus world wide economic down turn. It's simplistic to lay it at the government's door. I havent seen any real policies from the Nats and can't imagine from their poor showing so far they have any real policies. Just bash the poor and dispossessed.

    • yes Agreed Psammead Scomo and Dutton have no morals, and did damage with little help for Fire and flood victims in Aus, and sending 501's here on the flimsiest of pretexts.

    • gsays 12.2

      Hard to argue with what you say.

      Labour has done little to change the environment that makes joining gangs and consuming meth attractive.

  13. higherstandard 13

    'Is this how turgid our media has become? Do they really think that Fox News is a model to follow? That instead of reporting on issues our media should engage in cheap shots against the Prime Minister that are reality and substance free?'

    Are you taking the Mickey MS ? The NZ media are and have been woefully for decades. True investigative journalism is almost non existent in NZ(I except the likes of the excellent Barbara Dreaver).

    As per Ad's summary above why these kind of stats can't be fired at the PM, minister of police and police commissioner with a demand for a substantive response is astonishing.

    Much like the rather pathetic job stuff is doing at the moment with local body hopefuls

    I'm less interested in where these people stand on vaccination and would prefer a more full review of all the local body politicians views on rates increases, three waters, urban intensification, public transport etc etc.

    • Anne 13.1

      As per Ad's summary above why these kind of stats can't be fired at the PM, minister of police and police commissioner with a demand for a substantive response is astonishing

      Except that Ad's summary is off-topic to mickysavage's post.

      mickysavage was bringing to attention a very disingenuous interview where the interviewer was running a bullshit line. Imo it was a pathetic attempt to distract from the government's just announced substantive measures to curb gang crime, and get a nasty, uncalled for dig at Jacinda Ardern in the process.

      If Ad wants to discuss the pros and cons of the announced measures then it is up to him to do a post on the subject.

  14. Stuart Munro 14

    The arguments for a thorough shake up of businesses pretending to offer journalism are stronger every day.

    Other countries have faced comparable issues however. In Korea the excesses of the regime led by Chun Doo-hwan, and in particular the violent suppression of the Kwan Ju uprising, led to public demand for a media organ that offered an alternative to the wretched lies that passed for reporting in more established media.

    The answer was The Hankyoreh – a paper with a large popular base and left liberal focus.

    I'm afraid NZ media have reached the point most papers are barely fit for barrier mulch – which at least puts their toxicity to use. TV remains irredeemable, and I am at a loss to explain why any proportion of my taxes should support its biased and ignorant banality. Close them all, and start again from scratch – there's nothing worth saving.

    • Anne 14.1

      No need to start from scratch. Re-instate the perfectly good model we had before the advent of neoliberalism which forced the mindless and unholy scrapping of everything that had gone before. Perhaps with a few tweaks to bring it into the 21st century is all that is needed.

      • Stuart Munro 14.1.1

        It's a good model – but leave in place one neoliberal mandarin and they will wreck it.

        A clean rebuild avoids that pitfall – there will be some experience loss, but mistakes will be honest – not sabotage.

  15. Another example of incompetent reporting: just mindlessly repeating extreme distortions from right wing economist/nut job Eric Crampton of the NZ Initiative. RNZ, Stuff, and Newshub all claiming that the Health reforms are costing $11 billion. Directly contradicting the Minister's own statement that the reforms are $1.8b in year one and $1.3b in year two.

    Do these clickbait trolls (or noob journalism grads) even know how to check spurious claims or use Google?

    OK I appreciate that NZ is not ruled by Fox News or Murdoch Media, but we are still poorly served.

    Stuff

    Radio NZ

    Newshub

    The imperative of "news" isn't to inform, it is to shock and surprise the audience, to drive "engagement".

    https://twitter.com/ClintVSmith/status/1566615141265080320?s=20&t=tMmp_A1jv0M_2vlCzm68Mg

    • aj 15.1

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/300678845/excessive-government-is-it-time-for-labour-to-rein-it-in

      A typical 'correction' to this article appeared on a couple of stuff newspapers yesterday, sorry can't link because it's not on-line.

      Typical correction, tiny article, buried about P4,5,6, perhaps 6 lines, but damage (intended job) done.

      In this article (National/ACT aligned) Eric Crampton repeats the nonsense that the health reforms are costing $11b.

      That's 150,000 work/years and obviously not the reforms, which have a budget of $77m

      $11b is actual total cost of health services, formerly purchased by DHBs, now HNZ & MHA. In other words, it includes ongoing operational costs which are already budgeted for annually.

      • Incognito 15.1.1

        Clarification: The $11b figure cited by Danyl Mclauchlan included operational expenditures that would have occurred regardless of the restructuring. Budget 2022 overview documents had also cited $11.1 billion for “Reforming the health system”, but had also rolled together new initiatives including the health system restructuring with ongoing programmes. The cost of the reform programme, on its own, would need to be tallied across multiple years of appropriations, but will be much lower than $11 billion. (Amended at 4.02pm, September 5, 2022)

        At the bottom of the article you linked to.

      • Incognito 15.1.2

        Quite possibly Steven Joyce approved [of] the draft version of the article mesmerised by the multi-billion dollar hole that opened up in his imagination.

  16. newsense 17

    Because right wing causes are charities that need sponsorship. A handout of you will.

    Wonder if we will get a breakdown of suburbs with most fraud, highest density of trusts, highest tax avoidance/evasion/cheating, highest number of gastropubs, BMW dealerships etc

  17. newshub is a disgrace to the profession of jornalism.

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    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    2 days ago
  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    2 days ago
  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    2 days ago
  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    2 days ago
  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic plan, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    3 days ago
  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    3 days ago
  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    3 days ago
  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    3 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    4 days ago
  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    5 days ago
  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago
  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    5 days ago
  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    7 days ago
  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago
  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    7 days ago
  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Streamlining Building Consent Changes
    The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.      “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
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