No smoking gun

Written By: Steve Pierson - Date published: 10:09 am, October 30th, 2008 - 152 comments
Categories: john key, labour, Media - Tags: h-fee

It turns out the Herald’s story about John Key’s H-fee involvement is a bust. Aside from Key not being straight with the dates he worked at Elders there isn’t anything firm to tie him to the actual fraud.

That’s not the story I expected given the Herald had decided to lead with this story on their website yesterday afternoon and hinted at a ‘smoking gun’. The reason it wasn’t the story I expected is because about a month ago we had material anonymously emailed to us that gave the background to the H-fee and included a series of posts outlining the issue. We ran the first of these posts but after trawling through the story and checking as much as we could we decided there simply wasn’t enough substance to run with. It now looks like we weren’t the only ones who were receiving this information.

There are still questions to be answered about this story, such as why did John get his dates wrong with the inoculation he took to the Herald in 2007 and why was the Herald promising audio of the 2007 interview yesterday and treating the story like a scoop when it knew there was no hard evidence?

But I expect these questions will be lost in the mishandling of the issue. My advice to Labour? Make sure you’ve got your ducks lined up before you go to the media, and when National is releasing stuff like their appalling prison policy don’t waste your time on blind alley stories like this one.

152 comments on “No smoking gun ”

Comments are now closed

Monty 1

30 October 2008 at 10:20 am

baaaawhaaaa – the fizzer – just the headline Clark wanted the week before the election – Labour have been made to look the fool – and it certainly is a well deserved description.

The real questions that need to be asked is how much did the trip of Mike Williams and the Labour Party but taxpayer funded researchers to Australia cost. Who paid (The taxpayer I suspect) and when will the cost be refunded back to the tax-payer.

I have a feeling that the electorate will react badly to labour’s constant smear compaign and in 9 days Labour will be punished in the poll that counts.
Rod 2

30 October 2008 at 10:20 am

The double standard, and that’s all I need to say.
Tim Ellis 3

30 October 2008 at 10:21 am

I think the answer why Labour did it when they did is quite simple. They were desperately trying to distract from the revelations about what Peters really knew, and how he actually advocated on behalf of Owen Glenn for the honorary consulship; and what Helen Clark knew and suspected about the matter, and whether she really did believe Winston did not receive a donation from Glenn, despite saying she took him at his word.

SP, you have surprised me this morning. I did not expect you to be this candid. You, SP, bought into this hysteria. I would go as far as to say that the suggestions you made, and the suggestions many other commenters made alleging corruption on John Key’s part, were deeply defamatory. You might want to consider apologising to Key. I really do think it was reckless on your part to buy into such a smear without asking for evidence.

The smoking gun has shot Labour’s campaign to pieces, quite frankly. It was desperate stuff, and will no doubt dominate the news for the next several days at least. It is my belief that Labour had counted on the existence of this neutron bomb since the beginning. It does not, and has never existed. Helen Clark will be defending for several days what she knew and when she knew, of Labour’s dirty tricks campaign against Key.

The media were all led down the garden path by Labour and the Research Unit. They were promised something really explosive. It didn’t happen.

The media, for their part, have shown the big difference between proper media and blogging. They don’t rush into print with defamatory allegations unless there’s real evidence. You might want to think about being a bit more careful in the future too, SP.
vto 4

30 October 2008 at 10:26 am

SP, is it possible that the left were purposely led up the garden path over this? Or rather, once on that path it was enhanced by thine enemies?

It is a similar possibility to Owen Glenn and Winston Peters. Glenn and ‘others’ stacked up a nice long line of traps over several years with this final general aim in mind.

Gotta love conspiracies – so much fun and impossible to answer.
william 5

30 October 2008 at 10:28 am

What a bunch of bloody hypocrits you lot are.
Sarah 6

30 October 2008 at 10:29 am

This site should be brought down for defaming Mr Key, by implying that he knowingly provided false information to the SFO and did other fraudulent acts.

That was very very wrong. And it is typical of the individuals on this site to rush to these sort of judgments without actually looking at all the evidence at hand. That was one of the most ignorant posts you have ever written yesterday Clinton, by ignroing the well known fact that the first H-Fee was in Australia. Even Farrar got it right. And that says alot.

Key can win the election today if he deals with this whole issue right. Alot of voters will be put off by the fact that instead of the Labour party dealing with policy matters and the credit crunch, they were off trolling through Key’s past.

[lprent: defaming me is capital offense.]
ghostwhowalks 7

30 October 2008 at 10:30 am

I dont get the bit where two people at Elders , who had different names, ended up with the same signature ?

And one of those people is John Key.

And funny how the SFO clears Key so no blame on him, but when it clears Peters there are allways more questions.
insider 8

30 October 2008 at 10:31 am

The standard’s credulity on this puts you and Labour alongside whaleoil and the infamous west coast rape emails that you mocked so strongly.
insider 9

30 October 2008 at 10:32 am

The standard’s credulity on this puts you and Labour alongside slater and the infamous west coast emails that you mocked so strongly.

capcha did slightly (almost says it all…)

IrishBill: we looked at the story and dropped it because we didn’t think there was enough evidence. The Herald was headlining it yesterday so we assumed there was new evidence. In fact Tane even finished his post with skepticism about the story stacking up. If that’s your bar for credulous then I’m assuming your standard is omniscience.
Billy 10

30 October 2008 at 10:32 am

Well done, ghostwhowalks. The Standardistas have abandoned this. Mike Williams has abandoned it. Hell, Helen Clark is pretending she was never involved.

But, by all means, you march on regardless.
higherstandard 11

30 October 2008 at 10:34 am

Well there’s the issue of Winston being a complete arse GWW.
Anita 12

30 October 2008 at 10:34 am

Does anyone know for sure who gave this to The Herald?
Billy 13

30 October 2008 at 10:36 am

Anita, my guess is Ev. We’ll know if the informant overused “LOL”.
higherstandard 14

30 October 2008 at 10:37 am

Depends who Batman is Anita and the Standard should defer to their privacy policy and not release his/her details.

[lprent: We don’t intend to – besides I have no idea myself. That is how the site is designed.]
insider 15

30 October 2008 at 10:38 am

gww

it appears that the SFO never actually investigated Key. It interviewed him as a potential witness but found his knowledge so tangential that he was not called. It’s like saying you were a suspect in a bank robbery because you saw someone running away from a building.
dave 16

30 October 2008 at 10:38 am

My advice to Labour? Make sure you’ve got your ducks lined up before you go to the media
My advice to The Standard – don’t believe the Labour research unit when Mike WIlliams calls the shots..
travellerev 17

30 October 2008 at 10:39 am

Check the email Steve,

I send you a pressy that will make up for the crap journalism we witnessed today.

Cheers
Pixie 18

30 October 2008 at 10:46 am

I agree. For God’s sake Labour, drop this issue like the proverbial combustible spud.

It’s also time to realise that there’s only so far that you push the “slippery John” line. The fact is that 80% of the time John Key comes across as Honest John and the more the public is acquainted with him, the more this becomes apparent. The “rabbit eyes” in the Transrail and Lord Ashcroft incidents are newsworthy only because they are the exception, not the norm. Fact is, he is a crap liar and (I suspect) only gets into these scrapes because he relies on dodgy advice which goes against his best instincts.

The thing is, if JK truly was in charge, National would be unstoppable, as he does offer a different face and approach from the past. The fact that National’s support appears to be slipping, I believe, is due to the weight of the dead wood that refuses to let go its hold on the party. And therein lies the real “key” to attacking National – that we simply cannot be confident that John Key is the organ grinder.

So, in summary, rather than trying too hard to rhyme “John Key” with “Shonky”, why not try “Monkey” instead.
Tim Ellis 19

30 October 2008 at 10:46 am

it appears that the SFO never actually investigated Key. It interviewed him as a potential witness but found his knowledge so tangential that he was not called. It’s like saying you were a suspect in a bank robbery because you saw someone running away from a building.

That’s exactly right HS. I gave written evidence in a murder trial several years ago, after I had signed pay cheques for the victim, which happened to have been cashed by the accused the week before the victim went missing. The accused was convicted, and I was never a suspect.
randal 20

30 October 2008 at 10:49 am

so please refresh my memory.
the nats released this story so it would take the heat of their prisons policy
can they be arrested for this?
vto 21

30 October 2008 at 10:57 am

no randal, but people can be arrested for perjury… go winnie?
Roflcopter 22

30 October 2008 at 11:08 am

Randal, did you write that on the plane back from Melbourne?
Ianmac 23

30 October 2008 at 11:13 am

Underlying all this is still a residual doubt in the minds of many that John can be hazy about detail. He does dress up his replies with a great deal of rhetoric which obscure and lead to mis-understandings. Whoever a Prime Minister is you would expect unequivocal clarity of expression and then there would be no need to examine what he really meant.
I really think that the issue is a Herald story. Nothing much on Radio or TV from Labour. (A great deal from John Key which his advisers should have told him to avoid?) After all there is a great deal of “digging” on Peters which has to be paid for by some-one apart from Farrar and co. Unique to Labour? Doubt it.
randal 24

30 October 2008 at 11:13 am

oooops….look like the nats have got their underpants pulled up tight on this one!
Ianmac 25

30 October 2008 at 11:16 am

Pixie said:”The fact is that 80% of the time John Key comes across as Honest John and the more the public is acquainted with him, the more this becomes apparent.”
Thats what I think Pixie. 80% looking like Honest John is not a good look for a PM???
Ianmac 26

30 October 2008 at 11:19 am

Roflcopter: Randal couldn’t write that on the plane on the way back because they made him come inside and sit in a seat!
Billy 27

30 October 2008 at 11:19 am

Ianmac,

Let me get this straight: yesterday this was going to be a story about John Key’s personal involvement in a notorious international fraud. And today, it is a story about John Key’s clarity of expression.

Well, I s’pose you’ve got to run with what you’ve got.

And I am willing to bet anyone a pork and fennell sausage roll that Ev’s “story” never makes it to the Standard. Steve is not stupid.
Matthew Pilott 28

30 October 2008 at 11:27 am

“…bet anyone a pork and fennell sausage roll that…

No. I had one, and it was not pleasant.

“You might want to consider apologising to Key.”

And ‘deeply defamatory’? Mmm, saying the Herald has a story, apparently, man, that’s a big call. Especially when the Herald says…ah…it has a story.
Gustavo Trellis 29

30 October 2008 at 11:29 am

I can understand where Labour was coming from. Last time it was emails about the Bretheren, so it makes sense that they’d look for something again this time. They just didn’t get it quite right.
coge 30

30 October 2008 at 11:32 am

Billy, you mean Ev thinks Key was behind the collapse of building seven?
r0b 31

30 October 2008 at 11:35 am

The smoking gun has shot Labour’s campaign to pieces, quite frankly.

Ahh no. The campaign has always been about the policies that matter to people, and the credibility to deliver on them. Fair tax cuts, the future of KiwiSaver and KiwiBank – that sort of thing. This sort of side show amuses us political tragics, but on the ground the real campaign goes on as it always has.
Chris G 32

30 October 2008 at 11:38 am

Sarah up to her usual tricks: “This site should be brought down for defaming Mr Key”

Should Whaleoil be brought down for the constant derogatory remarks about Clarks appearance?

What sort of free speech campaign are you running Sarah?

captcha: Juror condemn oooohh spooky.
Tim Ellis 33

30 October 2008 at 11:49 am

Ahh no. The campaign has always been about the policies that matter to people, and the credibility to deliver on them. Fair tax cuts, the future of KiwiSaver and KiwiBank – that sort of thing. This sort of side show amuses us political tragics, but on the ground the real campaign goes on as it always has.

No it hasn’t r0b. Labour has spent all year focusing on attacking John Key and smearing him. Labour has been obsessed with him the whole time. The trust theme, the John vs John ads, the obsession with which side John Key supported during the Springbok Tour when he was 19, the depiction of Key as “slippery”, almost all the commentary from the Labour Party has been about John Key, and how to demonise him. The same can be said of the reporting here at the Standard. For weeks Labour has been promising a neutron bomb on John Key. Didn’t happen. Didn’t exist.

Nice spin though.
Sarah 34

30 October 2008 at 11:50 am

Exactly r0b, the campaign has always been about the policies that matter to people. So why exactly was Mike Williams and the Labour strategy team in Melbourne focusing on Key’s past instead of dealing with policy matters like they should be? You can’t have it both ways. National has been focusing on policy matters the entire campaign instead of deliving into these desperate smear campaigns.

Btw, is National’s unemployment grant policy out today?
Steve Pierson 35

30 October 2008 at 11:53 am

Sarah. Mike Williams doesn’t do policy, he’s the party president – they are responsible for things like organising and fundraising.
Sarah 36

30 October 2008 at 11:54 am

Chris G: The site accused John Key of having committted perjury when he did not. If you don’t understand how that might be considered as defamation then that’s your problem.

[lprent: You lied again. That is why you are banned]

Criticising Helen’s appearance is stupid and immature, but is nothing in comparison to what the standard did yesterday. Far as I know, it’s not illegal.
travellerev 37

30 October 2008 at 11:55 am

Sarah,

This site should be brought down for defaming Mr Key, by implying that he knowingly provided false information to the SFO and did other fraudulent acts.

Yes, funny that. John Key and National are all over journalists and news providers if anything detrimental threatens to come out and they even contacted this blog over a quote which was taken out of context but here we are calling John key a lying banking scumbag and not a peep. Makes you wonder eh?

Hey guys,

Did you know that Proctor & Gamble lost US $ 157 million dollars in a the year 1993 when the entered into the Currency Derivatives trade with Bankers Trust and did you know that every telephone conversation was recorded and that it was clear that the banksters and currency traders
were actively and knowingly ripping and off their customers. Hell, they even had a name for it. ROF (Rip of Factor) the Bank lost all it’s customers and collapsed due to that scandal. And P&G was by no means the only one to loose their money.

What you reckon the chances are of JK staying squeaky clean in what was deemed (by the judge) a pervasive culture of corruption.
He only left the bank when it collapsed or in his own words “when it all went to shit”.(NZH unauthorised biography 19 July 2008) in 1995 so it wasn’t like he left when it was glaringly obvious that the bank was up to it’s fingers in someone else’s cooky jar.

LOL

And Billy they would never want me as an informer I could have given them much better info. It was very clear JK could not have been involved in the h-fee scandal if they had just googled Andrew Krieger and Banking Trust.

This by the way is a challenge to John Key and his team to show us the records that will prove that he left the Elders bank in somewhere between June 1988 and August 1988 and to explain to us how he could have worked with Andrew Krieger for Bankers Trust when Andrew Krieger left the Bankers Trust in February 1988 and trading altogether in June 1988 while he still had to do three months of gardening (grace period) to go.
Sarah 38

30 October 2008 at 12:03 pm

Clinton, I heard reports stating that he took along with him members of the research department. Surely they could have focused on better things (like policy)than looking into Key’s past?

And how does digging up dirt on his opponent fit into Mike’s job description of “organising and fundraising”?
Daveski 39

30 October 2008 at 12:03 pm

Sorry r0b, but SP – whose line of attack down to words has mimicked Labour’s started off many months ago on the “where’s you policy” line at a time when no one expected National to release them.

Ever since then, the line of attack has been personalised and it would seem to be that Labour’s long-term strategy has been to discredit Key. It’s been a negative strategy and it appears to have failed.

Given that Labour has made this about trust, it is totally ironic it has backfired so much. Indeed, the smoking gun is now with labour’s strategists and to a lesser extent with the Standardistas who appeared content to play along with this and are now furiously backtracking.
Chris G 40

30 October 2008 at 12:04 pm

Tim Ellis:
“Labour has spent all year focusing on attacking John Key and smearing him. Labour has been obsessed with him the whole time. The trust theme, the John vs John ads, the obsession with which side John Key supported during the Springbok Tour when he was 19, the depiction of Key as “slippery’, almost all the commentary from the Labour Party has been about John Key, and how to demonise him. The same can be said of the reporting here at the Standard. For weeks Labour has been promising a neutron bomb on John Key. Didn’t happen. Didn’t exist.”

If you run a presidential style campaign like the Nats are, then you should expect to get attacked like one does in a presidential campaign (eg. in the US the amount of vetting that gets done of each candidate. The Nats ARE running a presidential style campaign, billboards for local candidates contain his face also, hes placarded over all brochures. eg. the family one: about 5 or 6 times.

The nats Dont want to run a campaign focused on their party because people will remember that its the same old pricks who messed up the country in the 90s.
Tim Ellis 41

30 October 2008 at 12:07 pm

Trav, when you’re in a hole, stop digging.

There’s a quite clear test for evidence. You have to have direct evidence specifically linking a person to an action. You don’t have any specific links. You are throwing dirt and hoping it sticks, just as SP did last night, and just as the Labour Party have been doing for weeks. It is totally irresponsible behaviour. Abusing people by calling them “scumbags” doesn’t help your cause.

Find an audit trail and follow it. This is not an audit trail. You are looking for strands of circumstance in order to lead to your eventual conclusion, that John Key is a crook. That is not a case.

John Key doesn’t owe you an explanation. If you can come up with real evidence that he was involved in criminal or fraudulent activity–the sort of evidence that would hold up in court–then we should expect him to respond. You haven’t done that. You aren’t doing your cause any good.
travellerev 42

30 October 2008 at 12:09 pm

Sarah,

Lying is lying whether you do it in front of a judge or a country you want to run. It’s bad.
I’m sure that Nat’s bullyboys are watching this site like a hawk so perhaps they are a tad worried about coming out with their guns blazing.

Sorry lost link y’all here it is June 1988
Sarah 43

30 October 2008 at 12:09 pm

travellerev – this site accused John Key of having committed perjury. It once again does not matter if John Key and his advisors are all over news outlets, as that unless you can provide evidence is not illegal. What the Standard did however was insinuate that he lied to the SFO, a fact that was not true. That is called defamation. Hence why the Standard should apologise to Mr Key. Though i’m not holding my breath.

[lprent: Utter crap. There was one post by a guest that outlined the background to H-Fee and highlighted some inconsistencies in John Key’s timings. There was a couple of posts outlining a NZ Herald story.
However you have just lied about this site. Banned for 2 weeks and read the policy.]
insider 44

30 October 2008 at 12:10 pm

Sorry Steve I don’t think it is credible to say Williams is not involved in policy given the policy role presidents have played in previous Labour governments, and his placement on boards of a number of SOEs, which is effectively to ensure implementation of Labour policy.
Felix 45

30 October 2008 at 12:12 pm

Billy,

No-one wants your pork and fennel sausage rolls.

The only way to bet with them would surely be to have the loser eat one.
r0b 46

30 October 2008 at 12:17 pm

Too much in transit today for individual replies to those above, but I have rather more to do with Labour’s campaign on the ground than those of you who are critiquing it! Take a look at the billboards (KiwiBank KiwiSaver KiwiRail). Take a look at the pamphlets appearing in your letter boxes. Issues that matter.

The “two faced John” adds are not random attacks on Key, they are highlighting his duplicity on the issues that matter. Labour would have to be stupid to base a campaign on the random hope of one killer issue, and they aren’t, so they didn’t.

There’s lots of rightie spin here about Labour touting a “neutron bomb” for weeks, but I’d be interested if anyone can find a public Labour reference to such a thing. Labour has been campaigning on the issues, because that’s where elections are won and lost.
higherstandard 47

30 October 2008 at 12:24 pm

Eve

“I’m sure that Nat’s bullyboys are watching this site like a hawk so perhaps they are a tad worried about coming out with their guns blazing.”

Or alternatively they’ve got more important things on at the moment and they don’t really care what’s printed on this blog.
travellerev 48

30 October 2008 at 12:27 pm

Tim Ellis,

Giving clear cross references refuting JK’s official timeline is not grasping at straws.

So far we have only had the story the John Key told as per translated by the journo’s whereas I can refute their drivel with facts. In fact this some of the worst journalism I have seen. An accused person gets to tell his story without any follow up of the journo’s and we are expected to just take his word for it. Get real.

Fact. John Key could not have worked with Andrew Krieger while working for the Bankers Trust in 1988 since Andrew Krieger as verified here and here had left the Bankers trust and trading altogether in June 1988.

So if it’s all the same to you I think it is you who has a problem.
I see a great big misrepresentation of the truth here and I would really like for JK to clarify with his “records” how he could have worked with Andrew Krieger. If he can’t or won’t than I out it to you he’s probably lying. And since he’s been caught lying a great many times I call him a lying scumbag as I don with anyone I catch lying multiple times. Moreover since most of his lies have to do with his banking career and money I call him a lying banking scumbag.

Oh, here is another one of Bankers Trust’s victims
travellerev 49

30 October 2008 at 12:30 pm

HS,

So true.
Phil 50

30 October 2008 at 12:33 pm

Labour has been campaigning on the issues

No r0b, Labour has been campaigning on its record. The strategy can be summed up as you’ve had it good for nine years, now give us your vote you ungrateful bastards.
Daveski 51

30 October 2008 at 12:33 pm

r0b

Indeed you are right – much of the comments on blogs tend towards the bald generalisation and you are right.

I would go as far to say that Labour would have benefited from focussing on policy and I have repeated said so in response to SP’s attacks on Key over the past months.

Given you have some inside knowledge, it would be interesting to hear your critique on why Labour strategists have chosen this line of attack. I don’t mean the flip flops because any politican can be proven to speak with forked tongue – see KB today.

Apparentely, Trevor Mallard used the H-Fee line last year so it does appear to have been a long term line of attack, contrary to your view.

Regardless, I think this has proved to have been an error of judgement and given Williams involved the error has happened at the highest level. Laboru would have benefited from staying on policy debate but their line of attack was differnet
higherstandard 52

30 October 2008 at 12:39 pm

Eve – don’t get all reasonable on me now – you’ll ruin all my preconceived opinions of you 🙂
Ianmac 53

30 October 2008 at 12:40 pm

Williams did his research in Melbourne at his own expense.
I was surprised that it was the Herald which broke the “story,” and wondered if they would spike it today and they did. Lack of “evidence” or clever media?
leftrightout 54

30 October 2008 at 12:41 pm

This was a tactical move by the Herald (aka publishing arm of the National Party). They generated a possible scandal and then switched the attention to ‘a desperate Labour smear campaign’, probably because the gap in the polls is closing and National needs all the help it can get. Pathetic.
Daveski 55

30 October 2008 at 12:50 pm

Nice work LRO

The problem for you (and the Standard) is that “Batman” posted a thread on this some weeks ago which has now been cleansed.

Some people in Labour are obviously concerned about how they’ve got this wrong and you can blame Granny all you like but this was a Labour decision and they have no one else to blame but themselves.
travellerev 56

30 October 2008 at 12:52 pm

HS,

Don’t worry, I just couldn’t be bothered. LOL

leftrightout

Yep I reckon.
Anita 57

30 October 2008 at 12:55 pm

Daveski,

The problem for you (and the Standard) is that ?Batman? posted a thread on this some weeks ago which has now been cleansed

http://www.thestandard.org.nz/the-road-to-lonsdale-street-part-1 ? what do you mean “has now been cleansed”?

[lprent: What Daveski is referring to is that on the day that the post went up, there was a bit of discussion internally about who’d given access to batman. When that finished, on the same day it was changed to a Guest post and a note was appended. We now have better agreement about how and when people are given post access.]
r0b 58

30 October 2008 at 12:56 pm

No r0b, Labour has been campaigning on its record. The strategy can be summed up as you’ve had it good for nine years, now give us your vote you ungrateful bastards.

Ohh please. And National has been campaigning on being Labour Lite – summed up as “you’ve had it good for nine years so we won’t change anything important now give us your vote you dim witted suckers”.

At the campaign launches it was Labour who had concrete plans for dealing with the financial crisis, and National who had nothing to offer. Here’s John Armstrong summing up (excerpts):

If actions speak louder than words, Labour was the winner on Day One of the official election campaign – game, set and match.

Key’s earlier speech at National’s campaign opening in Auckland’s SkyCity Convention Centre said nothing new on economic policy. In fact, it said nothing new about anything.

If that was not bad enough, Labour was getting ready to lay out something really meaty just a few blocks away in the Auckland Town Hall.

There, Helen Clark trumped Key by delivering the recovery package he had been demanding, including contingency plans to save jobs and the promise of a mini-budget in December.

The upshot was that Labour looked like it was governing; National looked complacent and flat-footed.

Here’s Gordon Campbell:

If so, it is now up to Key and his team to provide some content to back up last night’s impression that he is of prime ministerial timber. Because to date, the battle on content has been no contest at all. On successive days, the government has announced the bank desposit security scheme, universal student allowances and an economic stimulation package complete with a December mini-Budget – to carry the economy through the deflationary months ahead, as the effects of the global meltdown reach our shoes. By contrast, National’s package of short run, consumption driven benefits tax cuts, reform of the RMA, the reductions to Kiwisaver, science and research and climate change policy and oh, a billion dollar broadband package were all flagged before the financial crisis even began.

So I’ll say it once again, Labour is the one planning for the future and offering concrete constructive policy.

Given you have some inside knowledge

I claim no inside knowledge except that of an ordinary campaign volunteer on the ground.
Matthew Pilott 59

30 October 2008 at 12:58 pm

“Laboru” Is this the Romanian Branch, daveski? Just like Liabour is the Italian one? heh

Ianmac – that’s an interesting point, for all the ‘mud-slinging’ done lately – what has Labour actually presented to the media?

As Colin Espiner mentioned today, reading the article last night, all he could see was The Herald making the accusations, not Labour. I guess he is one of the few reasonable enough to make that point.
Billy 60

30 October 2008 at 1:00 pm

I see leftrightout. You just know there must be a conspiracy. If it wasn’t John Key it just must have been the Herald. Explain how the Herald managed to involve Mike Williams in their web of deception.
Pixie 61

30 October 2008 at 1:02 pm

Ianmac said:
“Thats what I think Pixie. 80% looking like Honest John is not a good look for a PM???”

Ianmac, I think you underestimate the public’s cynicism of politicians generally. Remember the old joke – how do you know when politicians are lying? They open their mouths.

In which case, 80% is a very high score!

During the Leader’s debate, I thought that John Key was at his best when he talked about his background and why he wanted to be PM. Because this was true for him and he was able to speak with some substance.

He was at his Hollow Man worst when he spoke in “slogans” without supporting them with any details. For example, he kept saying, “I am ambitious for NZ” but did not elaborate on what that means for him.

HC on the other hand, did not talk of ambition but spoke of her vision for NZ to turn the whole climate change threat into an economic opportunity by, for example leveraging off its clean, green brand, investing in green technology, R&D etc.

JK’s response was to be a “fast follower”, which somehow lacks congruity with the “ambitious” slogan. Especially when it’s clear that eco-business will shortly be the only game in town (apparently even Coca Cola are currently rebranding themselves so as to convey a more “green” image)

What a shame HC didn’t begin and/or end with something like, “I’m ambitious for NZ too, and here’s where I see our future prosperity…”
Pixie 62

30 October 2008 at 1:02 pm

PS, please, please, please Helen Clark, at the next Leader’s debate, resist all temptation to go for the cheap shots and rise above the gladiatorial pit. Model the dignified and gracious leader that you are. If JK tries to shout you down, simply stop talking and make him look immature and petty. Don’t shout over him, but do insist on having your turn. Make the moderator work for his money.

The “grace and grit” strategy may mean that John Key gets to sound off more this time. However, you can get the upper hand simply by parroting back every one of his slogans (ambitious for NZ – tick, prosperity – tick, economic growth – tick, safe societies – tick) and then linking each one to Labour’s own policies. In other words, “I’ll see your form and raise you some substance.”
Robinsod 63

30 October 2008 at 1:08 pm

Hey Billy – long time no see! I don’t think it was a Herald set-up but I’ve never ever seen a newspaper headline a story and then do a bait and switch like the Herald did. It was a very weird way to run a story…

With no smoking gun it’s traditional to not write a story. At a pinch I could see them doing a look how desperate labour is story but to build up a story about Key and then deliver one about Labour? Never seen anything like it…
Tim Ellis 64

30 October 2008 at 1:10 pm

Trav, I ask you this question at the risk of you going off on a wild, abusive tangent. But since BT did not have a forex arm in New Zealand until John Key went there to set it up, what makes you think that John Key would have to have worked in the same company as Andrew Krieger for Krieger to have been a client of Key’s?

I know you are obsessed with this stuff, but you have made one enormous assumption this whole time. If what you say is correct, then Key and Krieger didn’t work in the same company. What is stopping them being involved in trades together, working for different companies?

Oh, and none of your links say that Andrew Krieger left trading altogether in June 1988, despite you saying that it does. Does this mean that you are telling lies? By your own definition, it does. Or maybe you were just mistaken. Is it possible that if you are sometimes mistaken and confused about very minor details, then other people might occasionally be confused and mistaken about very minor details?

And while it’s nice of you to link to one of BT’s “victims”, there isn’t any direct link to John Key in that link, is there? Or are you just committing further guilt by association?
Daveski 65

30 October 2008 at 1:12 pm

MP – actually, given my moniker I should know more about Romania. Actually, nice touch too – a GSOH during a robust discussion sets the right tone. Cheers

Anita – I’m not trolling but there are issues that need some explanation. As I understand it (from KB), the original post was not by a Guest but a named contributed Batman. The post has since been cleansed.

It could of course be a coincidence that someone called Batman posted the thread on the H-Fee and somone called Batman delivered the docs to the Dom Post (there goes the NZH theory too).

It does cause problems for the Standard given the strident denials of links to Labour. I happily accept those from LP who appears highly opinionated, politically motivated, but will total integrity. He is open about his affiliations and points out that many people post at the Standard and it’s not a machine and have your read the About page 🙂

However, this does leave a smoking gun which I hope LP will clear for us all.

IrishBill: as I have pointed out several times in comments the reason “batman” was used as a user name instead of “guest post” was that one of our crew thought that was appropriate for the series of posts emailed to us. After consulting amongst ourselves we decided that that was not appropriate and Steve changed it to a guest post on the same day it was first published. We also decided not to continue the series because we didn’t think it had enough substance.

[lprent: It was exactly what Irish said. There was a certain amount of ‘dialogue’ going on around the mailgroup about who put up the batman post. I was mainly concerned because the style of the poster was quite different to usual, and I’d prefer guest posts while people figure out how to write for this medium.]
insider 66

30 October 2008 at 1:20 pm

Tim

Don’t encourage her…
travellerev 67

30 October 2008 at 1:29 pm

Sarah,

I wonder what is more morally reprehensible. Lying to a judge to save your own sorry arse of lying to about 1 million people whom you want to vote for you and make you their new PM.
gomango 68

30 October 2008 at 1:37 pm

I had two days of dialog with travellerev on another post here on the Standard. Its like fighting jello. Everytime you unequivocally refute one of her allegations or point out the falsity of her “associations by proximity”, she ignores that , rearranges the remaining facts and has another go. You end up in a continuous spiral of FACT!!!!! “Um no, not really, here’s why.” She comes back……. FACT!!!!!! “Um no, not really here’s why”. We started talking about why what a lot of what she believes about Key, BT, Merrills, sub-prime etc is incorrect (I quoted third party facts, plus understanding the cuture through 18 years of working in investment banks – never at the same firm as Key, or even aware of his existence until I returned to NZ 5 years ago). And I end up getting lectured about WTC7…….

For the raving mad conspiracy theorists amongst u, I’ll repost this from wikipedia which is the basic checklist anyone should start with when discovering what clearly looks like a massive conspiracy of shadowy forces (iluminati, freemasons, jewish bankers, CIA etc) looking to control global wealth for themselves (ie like John Key):

– Occam’s razor – does the alternative story explain more of the evidence than the mainstream story, or is it just a more complicated and therefore less useful explanation of the same evidence?
– Logic – Do the proofs offered follow the rules of logic, or do they employ Fallacies of logic?
– Methodology – are the proofs offered for the argument well constructed, i.e., using sound methodology? Is there any clear standard to determine what evidence would prove or disprove the theory?
– Whistleblowers – how many people â€” and what kind â€” have to be loyal conspirators?
– Falsifiability – Is it possible to demonstrate that specific claims of the theory are false, or are they “unfalsifiable”?

travellerev seems to assume that the lack of evidence of a conspiracy is clear evidence that a succesful conspiracy exists. Pretty hard to argue with the logic really…….
Pat 69

30 October 2008 at 1:43 pm

Irishbill and SP have said they did not continue Batman’s posts because they thought they had no substance.

Another reason could be that Labour strategists wanted to release the story later in the campaign to have more impact, and The Standard did not want to defuse the timer on the neutron bomb.

Only problem was that the signiture on the cheque turned out to not be that of John Key, as previously thought.
Wellingtonian 70

30 October 2008 at 1:43 pm

LRO

“This was a tactical move by the Herald (aka publishing arm of the National Party). They generated a possible scandal and then switched the attention to â€˜a desperate Labour smear campaign’, probably because the gap in the polls is closing and National needs all the help it can get. Pathetic.”

your a sick, deluded, little creature.

a.) your conspiracy theory is laughable. your good friend batman leaked a story to the herald promising more to come. Hodgson then backs this up. The herald then runs the story… and it is a story that could of gone two ways and was always going to be of interest to the public: a.)key implicated ,or, b)secret squirrel labour games. pity for you it was the later.

b.)national is desperate? they are not the ones sending their party president overseas looking thru thousands of documents for signatures like a sleazy little P.I. sifting through rubbish bins. they are not the ones who have leaked teasers for a ‘big skeleton in keys closet’ to the media and bloggers.

face it; the mud raking and personal attacks aren’t working. The campaign strategy is turning off swing voters

this ones about trust indeed.
Wellingtonian 71

30 October 2008 at 1:46 pm

R0b – why then, if labour is campaigning on policy, am i getting letters in the mail from labour attacking key?
NeillR 72

30 October 2008 at 1:49 pm

I’m picking Dunedin is the big clue to finding out who “Batman” is. But don’t be assuming “he’s” male.
vidiot 73

30 October 2008 at 1:54 pm

NeillR – are you implying that the MP formerly known as ‘the ball man’ could have put down his racket and picked up a bat these days ?

I find that hard to swallow.
Wellingtonian 74

30 October 2008 at 1:58 pm

travellerev

“wonder what is more morally reprehensible. Lying to a judge to save your own sorry arse of lying to about 1 million people whom you want to vote for you and make you their new PM.”

i dont know, why dont you ask helen, re:

*paintergate
*prime ministerial motorcade to rugby game
*peters donations saga – lies x5
*i have nothing to do with mike williams going to aus
*”we never had any intention of telling you how much water you could have in the shower” – after labour mp is on closeup defending it
*”absolutely not, i think your trying to defy human nature” – then votes for anti smacking bill
*pledge card cluster fuck
*”tax cuts are a path to inequality” – then cuts taxes….
travellerev 75

30 October 2008 at 1:59 pm

Tim,

I checked my links and it appears I linked to the same article twice. So here is an additional link

This is from the NYTimes 1988 (online archive)

However, there were times, particularly in some of the more obscure currencies, ”that Mr. Krieger was the market,” one financial industry executive said. That would have made it especially difficult for financial auditors at the bank to have been able to identify whether an option was priced at the market rate. Moreover, Mr. Krieger used complex trading strategies would have been hard for the auditors to follow or question. Mr. Krieger left the bank in February.

The obscure currency they were talking about was the NZ dollar. And he was the only one dealing in it in 1997 (read the rest of the article it appears AK did some creative bookkeeping)

This is from another archived article from 1990 see above link:

LEAD: Andrew J. Krieger, who earned a formidable reputation as a currency options trader by making $300 million for the Bankers Trust Company in 1987, is re-entering the market after a few years of doing mostly advisory work.

From the same article:

Mr. Krieger has been running his own firm in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., since 1988.

”It was largely an advisory service,” he said yesterday. ”I wasn’t doing much trading.” Capital Holdings, he said, ”offers us substantial funds to manage.”

And it continues

Mr. Krieger joined Salomon Brothers and traded there for two years before leaving for Bankers Trust, where he scored big in 1987. But he quit Bankers Trust at the end of 1987, disappointed with a bonus of only $3 million of the $300 million he earned for the bank.

And this is from a third article from the same archives in which he announces that he will start his own trading company on 7th of June 1988 and will leave Soros to do so.

Andrew J. Krieger, the successful young currency trader whose departure from the Bankers Trust Company in February set the Wall Street rumor mill buzzing, is quitting his second job this year. Mr. Krieger, who joined Soros Fund Management Inc. in April as senior portfolio manager, announced yesterday that he would form his own trading company, Krieger & Associates

Judging by the interview with AK he changed his mind and wanted a change of lifestyle and he started his own advisory business.

Mr. Krieger has been running his own firm in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., since 1988.
”It was largely an advisory service,” he said yesterday. ”I wasn’t doing much trading.”

If John Key left Elders on June 29 1988 he missed Andrew Krieger’s last trading days with Soros by 23 days and that was not even counting his three month grace period.

If he worked with Krieger and he was his sole account manager and dealing in huge sums he must have done so in 1987.

This from the Sunday Star Times

He formed what was to be a lucrative relationship with 32-year-old currency trader Andy Krieger, based at Bankers Trust in New York, who began putting hundreds of millions of dollars of business through Key’s dealing room.

Case closed.

Captcha sive taxpayers. A vision of things to come under national?
randal 76

30 October 2008 at 2:00 pm

we haven’t seen much hooton lately
where’s hooton
whats he go to say about it
eh?
travellerev 77

30 October 2008 at 2:04 pm

gomango,

Funny you should say that I thought the same about you. I hope that the quotes and the links for Tim meet your standards.
Seems like a fairly conclusive timeline to me but than you behaved a bit like jello too. LOL.
Pat 78

30 October 2008 at 2:05 pm

Bill Ralston wrote in his Stuff blog on 12 September:

“There is one other factor. The government have long been rumoured to have a couple of “neutron bomb’ type scandals ready to throw back at the Nats and it wants these to be carefully timed to attract most media attention during the election campaign itself when voters are more likely to be swayed and the Peters scandal is receding in peoples’ memories.”
Billy 79

30 October 2008 at 2:09 pm

You know you have lost when your only remaining champions are Ev and randal.
higherstandard 80

30 October 2008 at 2:09 pm

Ouch !

Bill English applying the boot.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz-election-2008/news/video.cfm?c_id=1501799&gal_objectid=10540101&gallery_id=103193
higherstandard 81

30 October 2008 at 2:11 pm

And Vlad the Impaler the Billy please don’t forget Vlad
Tim Ellis 82

30 October 2008 at 2:17 pm

Trav,

That is not case closed. That is a whole lot of unrelated information about Andrew Krieger, which have nothing to do with John Key, backed up by a whole lot of factual errors on your part.

The obscure currency they were talking about was the NZ dollar.

The NZ dollar is not obscure. It is the tenth most traded currency in the world.

And he was the only one dealing in it in 1997

Hang on. You said Krieger stopped trading in 1988. Or is it possible you got your date wrong? Goodness me, does that make you a liar? Or can it be that you made a very minor mistake, as John Key clearly did when he said he’d left Elders in 1987, three months before the NZ H Fee transaction took place, when clearly he meant he left in 1988, three months before the Elders NZ H Fee transaction?

And Krieger wasn’t the only one dealing in the NZ dollar in 1987. That is just a ridiculous statement which you’ve got no evidence to back up.

Trav, this is not a case. This is a pointless conspiracy theory because you want to smear John Key. Much of it is defamatory. I don’t know, if in your country, it is acceptable to go around telling malicious lies about people, but it certainly isn’t acceptable here.
Billy 83

30 October 2008 at 2:17 pm

Do I know Vlad?
jo zinny 84

30 October 2008 at 2:19 pm

EV,

you wrote (the judge said) “a pervasive culture of corruption”

was this about BT or P&G, or both.??? which judge, what court.?
Ianmac 85

30 October 2008 at 2:22 pm

Wellingtonian said: “i dont know, why dont you ask helen, re:
*paintergate
*prime ministerial motorcade to rugby game
*peters donations saga – lies x5
*i have……..etc etc”
You have just given a list of what John Key would call “digging dirt” Funny that. Of course your list is important in the National Interest to investigate.
Now where on you list would you put “checking the integrity of an MP by checking discrepancies in his published story “?
You are not being a bit hypocritical are you John’s mate.
Wellingtonian 86

30 October 2008 at 2:27 pm

lanmac: ‘helengrad supporter #1’ tried to deliver a cunning jibe that someone who wants to lead the country shouldnt lie – i merely cited examples of where clark was shown to lie.

examples uncovered by the press, not by the national party president on a fact finding mission to foriegn pastures.
higherstandard 87

30 October 2008 at 2:29 pm

– the impaler

Started posting yesterday screeching about Key and doing much “lol”ing
travellerev 88

30 October 2008 at 2:32 pm

Hi Zin as far as I’m concerned they are both as bad as each other. LOL.

No Tim,

It is not unrelated it sets a timeline. AK left bankers trust in February 1988, went to work for Soros from March in some and in the latest link I gave its from April to June after which according to himself in 1990 he which he turned his back on currency trading and started a consultancy. According to Eugene Bingham John Key did not leave Elders until 29 June 1988 after which he had to his contractual three month grace period. Allowing him to start work for Bankers trust somewhere in late September making working with AK and the many millions he traded for him an impossibility.

Trust me Tim in 1987 the NZ dollar was an obscure currency. Now it’s an obscure overvalued currency and something the big boys like to speculate with. Give it a couple of weeks and you’ll see what I mean.

it’s a good thing most people here check for themselves.

AK stopped trading in June 1988.

Dick
travellerev 89

30 October 2008 at 2:36 pm

Tim,

AK being the only one dealing from Bankers trust in the NZ currency was a quote from a bloody article from 1988 the NYT.

JK being solely responsible for AK’s account was a quote form the bloody NZH.

You know what I’m tired of this I’m going to do some conspicuous consuming and leave you to it for awhile. maybe you can keep yourself entertained with with the inanities of HS, Billy and the other trolls
higherstandard 90

30 October 2008 at 2:45 pm

There we go back to the normal old Eve we know and love. LOL
Billy 91

30 October 2008 at 2:52 pm

LOL.
randal 92

30 October 2008 at 2:56 pm

*ROFLMAO*
jo zinny 93

30 October 2008 at 3:02 pm

gomango,

Though of course tis true is it not that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence..heh (ex: Carl Sagan i think)

vto and all other winston wobblers..

heavens above when will you get the fact of 2 July 2008.. in the matter of why JK must – and so very promptly and pointedly – go after your idol or obsession (whichever is the greater) – in the Parliamentary Privileges Committee. His offsider hider having by now stuffed two time-consuming and unwanted expense of false allegations into the SFO and EC..!

of course, there’s nothing like your own party chairman on the PC, and an avowed belief in an entrusted powerful and wealthy witness.. whose rewards shall be earthly.. to say the least. All distractable.. even entertaining.. though whatever nothing like the Parliamentary Q&A written words:

“Hello, Government; we’re the buyer.’; and can she confirm that Mr Key’s company at the time facilitated that arrangement, which did not go to the market and did not go to tender but was just made with that Government’s corrupt mates in Fay Richwhite?

Couldn’t possibly work with someone like that post-Election. No way, and especially if the “mates” of ’93 are the mates of 2008-10.. and beyond.
Billy 94

30 October 2008 at 3:06 pm

ROTFLMAOAPIMP
randal 95

30 October 2008 at 3:09 pm

yeah its all geting a bit crummy at the moment
all bleatway rubbish at the moment cause the press is too lazy to go and dig up some decent stories with juice
meanwhile the fish wriggles
tee hee
Billy 96

30 October 2008 at 3:18 pm

ROTFLMAOSTCIIHO
Robinsod 97

30 October 2008 at 3:33 pm

Yeah – I’m more of a dog kind of a guy too…
Ianmac 98

30 October 2008 at 3:37 pm

Wellingtonian: You are dreaming if you think that politicians did not lend a hand against those in your list.
It was the Herald who published the Key story yesterday/today not the Labour Party. True Williams did some checking at his own expense but it was Herald story from an anonymous tip-off as with the Dom. The difference is…ummm
Felix 99

30 October 2008 at 3:41 pm

Billy,

I was with you at “PIMP” but “STCIIHO” goes over my head.

I hope I haven’t just made a disgusting pun.
Robin Grieve 100

30 October 2008 at 3:42 pm

Ianmac If it was at Mike Williams own expense does that make it a donation that should be declared. Were there any other staffes involved and who paid their expenses?
Wellingtonian 101

30 October 2008 at 3:49 pm

lanmac: not the labour party? haha. just who do you think batman is, and how did he get amongst that info?

and was it not the herald who published the stories i cited above
jo zinny 102

30 October 2008 at 3:49 pm

felix,

Rolling on the Floor Laughing My Ass Off Scaring the Cat If I Had One

sayeth the freedictionary – somebody trying outsmart slogans.. 😉
rave 103

30 October 2008 at 3:54 pm

Big ups for Eve.

So what was stopping Krieger dealing with Key in the 1987 run on the NZ$ when Key was working for Elders in Auckland?
Does Key ever say that they were both in BT when they got to know each other?
Has anybody talked to Krieger about when it was that he asked Key for information on the NZ economy?
Key denies that he was involved in the NZ$ run. Where is the evidence?
Dom 104

30 October 2008 at 3:56 pm

Why did the Herald beat up this story salaciously last night then dump Labour in it today? Yesterday their ‘follow up’ line was practically an orgasm and today it was all ‘Labour is evil’.

Far better is the Greens asking Key why Nat MPs are telling farmers one thing while he is telling us all another…honestly NZ, vote for Key and you’ll get what you deserve…not what I deserve but what you deserve definitely…
Matthew Pilott 105

30 October 2008 at 4:05 pm

Robin, how is Williams’ research an electoral advertisment? Where is his press release or advertising about it? Oh, wait, nowhere, the Herald ran it. Send them your little bill.
higherstandard 106

30 October 2008 at 4:10 pm

Rave

On the contrary

1. Where is the evidence Key was involved in the run on the $NZ
2. So what if he was – floating currencies go up and down depending on who’s buying and selling and regardless you’ll always have someone whining no matter which direction they’re heading in.
Ianmac 107

30 October 2008 at 4:31 pm

Wellingtonian: Batman was not a Labour Party member. But David Farrar is active for National(e-mails on Peters) as is Bill Bias Ralston, the independent media trainer for John Key.
You might also ask how did Wodney get in amongst the dirt on Peters, and how did National get its info to feed to Wodney to ask during Question time?
Williams went to do research in Aussie. So too did the Herald as said on Nat radio at 4:20 today. Herald announces the “bomb” but when it fails passed the blame to Williams. Williams did not go to the press. His research was very recent, Batman was weeks old. Give up??
rave 108

30 October 2008 at 4:36 pm

HS

That says all we need to hear I think. Not that I was wondering.
You, like Key don’t care about the consequences of money trading for profit.
That by my definition is parasitism. And that is why Key is keen to avoid any association with Krieger at that particular time. He and you many not care, but the ‘punters’ do.

Evidence? Eve has done stirling work on this. Key has now confirmed that he was in NZ in 1987 working for Elders at the time of the attack on the dollar and not on ‘gardening leave’ and on the way to meet Krieger at BT. And we know that he advised Krieger on the NZ economy. Key led us to believe his advice came later while at BT.

Eve has shown that Key couldnt have worked with Krieger at BT, so when did he advise him on the NZ economy?

Key should prove that he was not advising him on that particular attack on the NZ$ in 1987.
higherstandard 109

30 October 2008 at 4:47 pm

You’re welcome to your opinion Rave but it’s one of the many I don’t share with you.

If you take your opinion on money trading for profit to it’s logical conclusion then all trading for profit is in your eyes a form of parasitism but I s’pose that would possibly be a good fir with the views of the Communist Workers’ Group of Aotearoa/New Zealand who are committed to building a new communist international to lead workers to the revolutionary overthrow of global capitalism.
travellerev 110

30 October 2008 at 5:27 pm

HS,

In a not to distant past usury was condemned by Christians as sinful. Asking interest was a sin. Making money with money was a sin. Why? Because it extracted money from real wealth and contracted too much power into few hands.

It was the one thing Jesus ever became violent about when he kicked the money changers out of the temple. Go figure I’m not even a Christian but I sure can see what he meant.

In the next couple of months you will find out exactly what that means.
But just to give you an idea: It means that poor people all over the world will loose whatever they managed to scrimp and save while the Money Masters bask in obscene opulence. It means that cities all over the world will starve and that includes the inner cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and while I think that New Zealand can do pretty well since we have lot’s of land and the ability to grow vast amounts of food for our own population this will not be the case in America or China. It means that the Money Masters can pay mercenaries to protect themselves while their servants starve.

Exchanging goods to maintain yourself and your family and your community with the aid of a currency and to lend each other funds so that the other might prosper too is one thing but what you are going to see in the months to come has nothing to do with maintaining and prospering in you community.

We’ll be lucky to end up like say the Amish, living frugally of the land, very lucky.
But I wager you that in America it’s going to be more like a mad max movie.
higherstandard 111

30 October 2008 at 5:44 pm

Eve and I’ll wager you America is not going to be like a Mad Max movie and nor are 99% of their population are going to be living in abject poverty as you have asserted previously.
Pat 112

30 October 2008 at 6:37 pm

Is Eve employed by The Standard to derail Bad News Threads with her doomsday and/or conspiracy theories?

I only hope my taxes aren’t paying her wages.
travellerev 113

30 October 2008 at 6:37 pm

HS,

We’ll see. Tell you what if you ever need a meal because you didn’t see it coming I bet ya I’ll be able to spare you one. How’s that?

And I’ll try not to say, “I told you so.” LOL.

In the mean time: Wall street is dropping again.
travellerev 114

30 October 2008 at 7:00 pm

Pat,

I don’t get paid by anyone. My husband and I live on one income and I double it by growing our own veggies, keeping chickens, baking our own bread making our own booze, cheese and whatever you name it I do it.

I don’t know any of the moderators and in fact five months ago the were thinking of banning me. In fact suggesting the Standard would employ someone to help them divert bad new makes you sound like a CT.

Why don’t you give a couple of suckers some loans they can’t pay back before you loose your job too.

You sad cow.
RedLogix 115

30 October 2008 at 7:09 pm

HS,

Incontrovertable evidence has been provided that Key’s story about having worked closely with Krieger at either Bankers Trust cannot be true if Key left Elders in June 1988 and only started with BT 3 months later. These dates have been independently verified with linked articles that state Kreiger left BT in Febuary 1988 (in one case to an archived NYTimes article dated 28th Feb 1988).

Yet both Key and Krieger have clearly stated the trading relationship at BT existed.

By itself this is not proof of wrong-doing on Key’s part, but does mean that at least part of the story Key has given about his career MUST be wrong.

The question is, which part? And why ?
higherstandard 116

30 October 2008 at 7:10 pm

Eve

Thanks for the offer Eve but if things pack up to the extent you predict I’ll just depart to the farm and live there for a few years in between my other responsibilities.

Re Wall St meh – stock markets go up stock markets go down companies come and go.

Ps Pat may be a bloke – hence that would be “sad bull”
higherstandard 117

30 October 2008 at 7:15 pm

Redlogix

FFS who apart from those people with some kind of bizarre fixation on Key really cares ?

If he had been involved in any wrong doing let alone being the devil incarnate we would know by now as numerous of his political opponents have been sifting the dirt on him for some time just as they do on Helen with no joy.

Despite the crappola that’s spouted about both of them they’re both disturbingly dull on the scandal front.
RedLogix 118

30 October 2008 at 7:19 pm

HS,

So you cannot, nor care not to explain this major discrepancy?

Would you employ someone, if you found a major hole like this in his CV?

There is something not right with his timeline, and you know it.
higherstandard 119

30 October 2008 at 7:24 pm

Redlogix

Read my previous comment.

“FFS who apart from those people with some kind of bizarre fixation on Key really cares ”

hence I don’t care.
RedLogix 120

30 October 2008 at 7:28 pm

You do not care that John Key’s CV contains an impossible story. Thats OK .. we now all know exactly what your standard really is.

By your own admission.
higherstandard 121

30 October 2008 at 7:41 pm

Red all we may conclude is that you have some kind of bizarre fixation on Key.

The impossible story is a creation of that bizarre fixation of yours if he said he worked with or without Krieger I’m prepared to take him at his word – it is both ancient history and completely bloody irrelevant to the current election campaign.
John 122

30 October 2008 at 7:44 pm

Travellerev you are so full of it.
Proctor + Gamble lost money on interest rate derivatives, not currency derivatives as you are trying to insinuate. They bought (knowingly) interest rate instruments that blew up on them . These instruments were sold out of the New York branch of Bankers Trust. You are blatantly lying by saying that they lost money on currency derivatives.
As for Krieger, every FX dealer in New Zealand at every bank would have dealt with him including DFC who were very active in NZD currency options. He acted alone and used the banks to facilitate his own trading strategy. Although he worked at Bankers Trust he was a maverick who worked alone. I know this because I worked at Bankers trust in London at the time and he tried to crucify me in a transaction. Senior management then annulled the trade.
A pseudo-academic indeed with Helen Clark’s capacity for twisting the facts.
Chris 123

30 October 2008 at 7:44 pm

Can we please get rid of williams now? Everytime he tries something he fucks it up. At the convention it was just stupid, the owen glenn thing though? Fucking DUMB! This??? Fire him now!! not tomorrow, now because he just lost the election. How many mistakes were they going to tolerate?

Honestly at least national don’t piss their donors off enough to have them take time out of their schedule and fly halfway round the world just to make them look shit. Fuck sakes, where did they find him and why is he still employed?
slightlyrighty 124

30 October 2008 at 7:53 pm

Helen Clark is on record as saying that this was not a story she was handling at all.

But today we have this!

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=147118

And she is campaigning on trust? Be honest here lefties, If John Key had behaved in this manner you would have been all over him like a swarm of killer bees, just like you were with the Tranzrail share issue, which should now be seen for the petty politics it was.

As if to underline the fact. toady we have this!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10540230

A portent I hear you say? Or is the last vestige of the Labour campaign relying on putting the pressure on Key because he could not recall who paid for lunch 20 years ago.

This is desperate politics from a party bereft of direction, and this time, it shows!
RedLogix 125

30 October 2008 at 8:10 pm

HS,

The impossible story is a creation of that bizarre fixation of yours if he said he worked with or without Krieger I’m prepared to take him at his word

It is not a matter of taking the man at his word or not; the simple facts appear to contradict him.

1: Andrew Krieger left BT in Febuary 1988.

2: John Key joined BT in August 1988 at the earliest.

3: They have both independently claimed to have worked together while at BT.

Surely you can spot the problem here.

We have not created this. These items are independently documented in several different places. We have provided authoratative links.

Can you offer any sort of credible explanation for what we are talking about? Because on the face of it there is none.
Ross Miller 126

30 October 2008 at 8:26 pm

Here I am watching Labour self-destruct. Thought the leaders debate and the fall-out from that was the seminal moment in the campaign but no, bull in the china shop Williams comes galloping to the rescue to trump that one and the nightmare day ends with that TV shot of Hulun falling flat on her face.

The imagery was priceless and better than any election advert.

And to compound the problem you plonkers can’t even get your story right about who picked up the tab for the trip.

Hulun … Mike did.

Mike … Labour (code for taxpayer) did.

Its called shooting yourselves in the foot and mouth disease.
Pascal's bookie 127

30 October 2008 at 8:27 pm

‘sod said:

I don’t think it was a Herald set-up but I’ve never ever seen a newspaper headline a story and then do a bait and switch like the Herald did. It was a very weird way to run a story

With no smoking gun it’s traditional to not write a story. At a pinch I could see them doing a look how desperate labour is story but to build up a story about Key and then deliver one about Labour? Never seen anything like it

Me neither. It really is weird, and I guess we’ll never get the story of why they did it without slippping some E into someone’s beer, waiting for a bit and steering the conversation. I can’t be arsed doing that, and it’d be a waste of good drugs so spekulatin will have to suffice.

It appears that ‘batman’ was shopping the story around, that much is clear. As well as The Standard, the Dom got it, the Herald got it, and Mike Williams got it.

The Standard put up the teaser piece and didn’t run anymore.

The MSM sources seemed to be investigating it, as did Williams.

The Herald ran their teaser piece online yesterday, promising more in today’s print edition.

In today’s print edition they do an about face and the story is about Williams investigating the story. The story arc that was promised got abandoned for some reason. If we assume that there was a story written that followed the promised arc, why didn’t they run it? What changed between yesterday arvo and 4AM, and why wasn’t that change in circumstances mentioned in today’s story?

I can’t think of a plausible answer to the italicised question. Anyone?

One possible answer (with only a small amount of tinfoil required) is that there wasn’t a story written that followed the initial story arc. The Herald knew how much the story panned out but didn’t know who else knew.

Publishing the teaser may have been an attempt to get the other people (Williams and media) who were investigating ‘batman’s’ claims to come forward with what they had.

If the Herald was confident they had the story right, and someone else announced something different the Herald would have looked ever so clever when their final story came out. (complete with a recap of the late breaking changes, developing, ‘other media taken in by caped figurine’, ‘politicians in shooting off at the mouthgate’).
mike 128

30 October 2008 at 8:41 pm

Ouch – you lefties got that sinking feeling in your gut?

Are any of youse going to give mike and the research unit a hand to go through 24 kgs of paper work looking for JK’s credit card reciept for that lunch 20 years ago…. 🙂

captcha “pinkola in” -not after todays double face plant
Robinsod 129

30 October 2008 at 8:58 pm

Hey Mike – I know that useless drunk cunt Williams has given y’all something to cling to but mate – you’re still in for some real disappointment come election day…
GordonF 130

30 October 2008 at 9:16 pm

Mike, can you provide an answer to ReLogix post at 8.10?
Nah? thought not.
rave 131

30 October 2008 at 9:44 pm

HS

Glad you mentioned communism. Its coming back into fashion.

Seems that what we have now is socialism for the rich and private penury for the poor. Need to reverse that.

At least Labour is coming up with some policies that will help tide people over in the coming months and years. That’s a good platform from which to fight the rich socialists from plundering our wages, taxes, and wealth, and natures resources, so that we can socialise them and survive off them ourselves.

If its good enough for them, its good enough for us.

Tax the bastards, shove the RMA up them, nationalise their booty, outlaw the banksters, make them sweat for carbon credits, force them to ride on Kiwirail, and I havent even started.
higherstandard 132

30 October 2008 at 10:19 pm

Rave

I recommend an enema followed by a good sleep.

Sod – I agree Williams appears to be an inept buffoon but remember the Nat’s Boag (hopeless) the list goes on and on – you should start listing the useless twat politicians and party presidents from all the political parties at your blog – I suspect by the time were finished we’d be lucky to have more than a couple of dozen who pass muster. Feck I despair of our politicians and political parties at times.
Daveski 133

30 October 2008 at 10:32 pm

LP et al

I appreciate the opportunity to ask uncomfortable questions and get replies. Frankly, given the blurred lines between the party and party members, this type of issue had to happen some time. Ha ha ha … this indeed is Lynn’s point that the Standard is not the individuals … but we only see the thought of individuals.

I genuinely hope that the Standard can retain some semblance of independence. There is a role in NZ for robust discussion and beyond that fostering an interest in politics and politicking.

It’s a pity that there isn’t a drinking for liberals meeting – it would be fascinating to have a beer or two.

Ok, on to the next issue 🙂
Robinsod 134

30 October 2008 at 10:45 pm

HS – that’s two enema recommendations in as many weeks? I figure you’re either a midwife or a dude with some serious psycho sexual development issues…

And Williams is an outstanding fuck-up. Even amongst the pantheon of fuck-ups that is NZ’s political scene…
milo 135

31 October 2008 at 2:28 am

Robinsod: in Williams defence he is beyond satire, and beyond caricature. He is creating a whole new genre of his own. It’s like watching Bart before the Simpsons were released. There’s something weird there, but just what the hell is it? I don’t think we have the context to understand Mike Williams. And we probably never will.
travellerev 136

31 October 2008 at 7:59 am

Hi John,

The term currency derivatives did not come from me but from the article I linked to.
I’m not a derivatives trader and took their word for it, that’s hardly lying.

Lying is when you tell people you have no conflict of interest while you damn well know that you do like oh, the amount of shares you own in transrail.

Lying is when you tell people in one article you left Elders in early 1987 and in another in 1988 in order to avoid an unsavoury connection. John Key anyone?

I fail to understand the difference between currency and interest derivatives though. They both deal with a derivative based on money and we don’t know what interest and from which currency’s. A couple of swaps and futures down the road and who knows what you’re betting on.
What we do know is that there were rumours in the months before these derivatives were sold was that Alan Greenspan was going to change the rules and it was those changes which caused the losses.

P & G may or may not have known but Bankers Trust surely did and yet it’s bankers sold the derivatives to P & G anyway.

I’m sure Proctor & Gamble’s finance guys are as complicit as the Bankers from Bankers Trust. They would have been too smart not to have been but I did not speak in defence of P & G. The Bankers Trust tapes did show a callous mentality with regards to the truth and they did show the way the Bankers Trust CEO’s encouraged a greedy dishonest mentality in it’s Bankers. I mean the term ROF or Rip of Factor is hardly a testimony to the Bankers Trust Banksters integrity is it?

As one of the articles I link to states:

However, there were times, particularly in some of the more obscure currencies, ‘that Mr. Krieger was the market,’

From which it follows that although for the Bankers Trust Key was the sole trader for Bankers trust, the Bankers Trust would not have been the only bank Krieger traded with.

If Krieger was the market on the Bankers Trust side than yes, he most probably dealt with more banks in NZ. The point I was trying to make is that if John Key was the sole dealer who was responsible for every trade Krieger made with the Bankers Trust he can’t have done so in late August 1988 because at that time Krieger wasn’t trading with anyone anywhere.

John Key is in other words lying. That’s the point I’m trying to make OK?

Judging from this link he was not a very nice person indeed. He apparently bulldozed public parkland because his son “needed” a tennis court.
So hey, in Andrew Krieger’s i.e. John Key’s high flying banking world you just bulldoze several hundred trees from a publicly owned park.

And yes, he was very much a maverick. All super greedy, megalomaniac massively egotistical assholes invariably are and I’m not at all surprised to hear he was happy to try and crucify you.

So what does it tell you about John Key if he can get along spiffingly with such an obvious asshole and is happy to lie about his relationship with him?

There is one big difference though between Andrew Krieger and John Key.

Andrew Krieger, a scholar in Sanskrit before he became a banker was once married to Indian woman. He lived in India and developed a passion.

A real passion, not like Jon Key who professes a passion for NZ but whose actions and lying give to no credence to that professed passion, he fell in love with India and it’s people and with that came compassion and the true need to help that country.
So what did he do? Become a Nationalised Indian and try to become the president so he could lead that Nation to greatness like John Key wants to do?

No, he actually began to spend his money on the poor and the neglected. He organised schooling and jobs for those same people and when the Tsunami hit his organisation provided thousands of thatched roofs and fishing nets and kitchen utensils and supplies within weeks so people could go back to providing for their families as quick as possible.

Catch my drift John? Andrew Krieger became a humanitarian philanthropist while John Key remained greedy and power hungry and is prepared to lie to get to were he wants to go.

By the way Krieger actually apologised for the damage he caused after he was fined a huge sum of money to repay for the damage he caused in the public park.

Captcha: specially friend. Hmmm.
higherstandard 137

31 October 2008 at 8:13 am

Sod

Think Jack Nicholson – “this town needs an enema” I thought wit the Batman fiasco it was appropriate.

Re Williams – I disagree I think it’s just more of the same bunch of political dunderheads we’ve been subjected to on all sides for decades.
lprent 138

31 October 2008 at 8:37 am

Daveski: It is pleasant getting asked questions rather than the usual round of accusations. It means that we can be pleasant rather than irritated.
rave 139

31 October 2008 at 3:56 pm

HS

I’d offer you the same advice, except you’d still be full of it.

What did you think of National’s latest attempt at socialism for the middle class?
jo zinny 140

31 October 2008 at 5:23 pm

John,
“Proctor + Gamble lost money on interest rate derivatives, not currency derivatives as you are trying to insinuate. They bought (knowingly) interest rate instruments that blew up on them ”

Correct: On currency deals we know of the particular BT dealers enabled the PG CFO make money off the peso. In terms of the BT strategy to get a line into this corporate treasury – which only recently at the time had triggered trader interest by establishing itself as a profit center – a relatively simple and trust-making peso trade or two were run. Still, as PG were ultra-conservative and one can reasonably presume its new, albeit ambitious, CFO needed to ask around what the BT guys were talking to him about, nothing happened for a while.

Interesting from the time, however, were suspicions that those currency deals were sweeteners. For suckers, if we are to make rational sense of taped BT evidence. And by this I mean to have us (today) understand the considerable aggression evident back then in dealers’ jargon, attitudes, competitiveness and so on. Understand, too, how corporates like PG were looking for corporate structures similar to their ownâ€”not sole traders or individuals. Even tho there was a good deal of money to made by individuals what mattered to PG was that soloists played, as it were, the corporate bow..

I am saying am I not that there are two sides at least to business dealings.

As to the financial instruments that “blew up on them”, as you put it, there would be firm contention as to PG buying them “knowingly”. Given sellers’ gain contingent only upon the sale and not consequences arising, we could fairly and honestly say how not explaining those sales satisfactorily (or even adequately) was in the sellers’ interest/s.

No, I’ve no intent whatsoever of assuming devil’s advocate for a substantial ‘soap maker’ as numerous reports circa 1994 were to call PG. Arguable at the time and since has been well, one corporate against another. Both big enough to look after themselves. Looked at now though – and all the fuss today about ‘don’t understand these swaps and derivatives’ etc – shouldn’t we declare how that precedent has enabled the lack of corporate self-regulation to evolve. Big time!

Yet in the court proceedings against BT by a number of its victims in in these matters we see majority settlements against the bank.

Eve has linked to several to enable folks confirm this.

BT exercised a right to not admit culpability and there matters appear to rest. Well, not quite, a corporate doubtless pressed its own aggrieved purpose among the American corporate community and voila! BT ambitions were curtailed.

But goodonem for the tapes.. and their specific value in enabling many of us to figure out just how those interest rate instruments came to operate and slam PG’s ‘profit center’ policy for USD150+mn. And tell how callous those self-justifying BT dealers were. How slack BT management was for allowing it.

What has this got to do with JK..? Remains to be seen.
Ianmac 141

31 October 2008 at 5:41 pm

Travellrev and Jo Zinny: I cannot follow much of your discussion but believe you need a big thankyou for your efforts. May it all turn to Gold.
travellerev 142

31 October 2008 at 7:27 pm

Ianmac,

It’s for people like you that I do what I do.

Peace to you.
higherstandard 143

31 October 2008 at 7:42 pm

So it’s Ianmac’ s fault.
jo zinny 144

31 October 2008 at 8:29 pm

Naughty naughty HS!

Thanks Ianmac, maybe some day soon i can help a little in overcoming those hard to get points of understanding.. i admit they can appear the proverbial ‘blur’, but that’s up to me and finding a way… heh.
Ianmac 145

31 October 2008 at 9:24 pm

I can’t find who pointed to this from Anne Else on Scoop where she writes on all the many contradictions on What John Key has said to different audiences. No wonder his credibility is so shaky. Actually I feel a bit shaky when I consider the enormity of it!!!

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0810/S00433.htm
Macian 146

31 October 2008 at 9:28 pm

I can’t find who pointed to this from Anne Else on Scoop where she writes on all the many contradictions on What John Key has said to different audiences. No wonder his credibility is so shaky. Actually I feel a bit shaky when I consider the enormity of it!!!

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0810/S00433.htm
I can’t send this blocked by whom???
rave 147

31 October 2008 at 10:21 pm

Anne Else says:
“In 2007 I heard John Key tell the Dominion Post that in 1987, “three months before any of those deals got decided [the H-fee deals, of $39 million on 11 January 1988 and $27 million on 7 September 1988, that put Allan Hawkins of Equiticorp in jail], I had left Elders. I never did the deals, I never knew about the deals, and wasn’t involved in them.” ”

I take it this means that Anne Else is putting in the parenthesis and it isnt another example of John Key changing his mind about when he found out about the first H-fee deal – like 20 years later.
travellerev 148

1 November 2008 at 1:38 am

HS,

You can get so fucked. Your not even funny anymore. I really have had it up to the whazoo with you.

You may not like what I write here, But I’m honest and committed and compassionate and that’s a whole lot more than I can say of you.

[lprent: Then don’t listen to him. ]
higherstandard 149

1 November 2008 at 7:31 am

Now now no need for that kind of un-civil attack.

Can I also please assure all readers that Eve has not and will never have it up the wahzoo from me.

[lprent: I’ve observed that you do needle her. Perhaps you get what you deserve?]
Felix 150

1 November 2008 at 8:34 am

I’m not even sure what a wahzoo is.
higherstandard 151

2 November 2008 at 11:03 am

Felix

Re – Wahzoo – I’ve just been informed it’s a male phallus of eight inches or more – bizarre !

Links to post

Beehive Buzz - Political Blogs, News, and Media » Blog Archive » Even The Standard Won’t Touch This Story: posted on 30 October 2008 at 1:19 pm

Comments are now closed

Articles RSS

CommentsOpinions

FeedsPartyGovtMedia

The hikoi

Like everyone else (everyone who wasn't there, anyway), I've spent the morning watching the hikoi march on Parliament. The pictures are astounding: parliament grounds and the surrounding streets are full, and there are still people backed up along Lambton Quay. The police are estimating 35,000 people, and that's a floor ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

50 minutes ago
Why Govt & NZ Inc should boycott & regulate Facebook

The CEOs of Westpac NZ and Kiwibank say Facebook is rife with fraud but reporting scam ads gets no response. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, November 19: The ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

5 hours ago
How should we talk about change?

A better world isn’t just possible, it’s desirable. And that’s how we should frame a lot of our conversations around making a greater Auckland. As an example take urban climate action. A climate friendly Auckland: Is free from congestion Enables people to travel how they choose Is filled with ...

Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp

7 hours ago
AMA + Holiday Webworm Merch!

Hi,It’s AMA time again — so anything that’s on your mind that you wanna ask, ask away in the comments. This is one of my favourite things to do with full Webworm members, who are the heart of this community of Worms. Journalism? Documentary making? Short Poppies? Cats? Podcasting? What ...

David FarrierBy David Farrier

7 hours ago
Discount Code for Webworm Merch!

Hi,So there’s a bunch of new stuff on the Webworm store (www.webworm.store) — just in time for the Holidays. Read more ...

David FarrierBy David Farrier

7 hours ago
Trying to defuse the tension

There were urgent moves yesterday at Parliament to try and defuse the tension building up over ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill. The Bill’s author, ACT leader David Seymour, told reporters that he understood the Justice Select Committee met yesterday to discuss how long it should take to consider submissions on the ...

PolitikBy Richard Harman

10 hours ago
An Irritable NZ Pawn – David Seymour Admits Treaty Principles Bill will clear the way for deve...

This morning I discovered a post I’d written 10-11 months ago, lamenting how New Zealand’s ACT Party and their foreign and local surrogates would play out anti-Māori propaganda - which I believe they have long prepared for.At the time, it was a plea for action and readiness from my fellow ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui

13 hours ago
Gordon Campbell On The Hikoi Arrival, And Tyler Childers

Politicians like to bang on all about the need to heal society’s racial/economic divisions, but in their actions they’re more keen on stoking those divisions, with the Treaty Principles Bill being the classic example. The Bill seeks to dilute the Crown’s responsibilities to Māori at the same time as it ...

WerewolfBy ScoopEditor

15 hours ago
Socially Backwards and Fiscally Forwards: the False Ideological Divide and the “Conservative” Li...

Nearly two weeks on from the US election, and we are still mentally wrangling with the results. How did this happen? Which voter demographics went where? What did the Democrats do wrong? Meanwhile here in New Zealand, we’re left wondering how this will apply to us and what this means ...

Sapphi’s SubstackBy Sapphi

15 hours ago
Kaamos: Accepted

I appreciate that A Phuulish Fellow has been fairly quiet recently. That’s a combination of two things – comparatively little in the way of relevant material to discuss (at least until The War of the Rohirrim comes out next month), and my general work on The Secret Non-Fiction Writing Project. ...

A Phuulish FellowBy strda221

20 hours ago
Here’s how governments could fix their Paris climate commitment failures

This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Governments around the world face a conundrum. Virtually none are on track to meet their Paris climate commitments. That includes the United States, which committed to cut its emissions at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 but is only on track for 32-43% cuts ...

Skeptical Science

1 day ago
Unstoppable.

Too Big To Fail: Forty-three years after the 1981 Springbok Tour protests, Maori defenders of te Tiriti, by their own efforts, and using their own resources, are poised to descend on the capital with upwards of 100,000 followers at their back, and no force in front of them even remotely ...

Bowalley Road

1 day ago
Katherine Trebeck – An Alternative Economic Narrative

The era of neoliberalism has been destructive on so many levels, with a huge growth in wealth and privilege for the one percent. A hollowing out of the state; fraying of the safety net; inadequate government investment in infrastructure; and continued environmental degradation has resulted in damage on a vast ...

Fabians

1 day ago
In a Manner of Speaking

In a manner of speakingI just want to sayThat I could never forget the wayYou told me everythingBy saying nothingOh, give me the wordsGive me the wordsThat tell me nothingOh, give me the wordsGive me the wordsThat tell me everythingSongwriter: Winston TongNext Tuesday, the subscription price for Nick’s Kōrero will ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

1 day ago
Monday 18 November 2024

The NZNO have announced a nationwide strike for December over its pay dispute with Health NZ, who have put a 1 per cent cap on pay rises. The Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti and Treaty Principles Bill remain front and centre in the media, with the impacts of the Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke-led ...

NZCTUBy Jeremiah Boniface

1 day ago
Shipley warns Seymour’s bill is ‘inviting civil war’

The divisive Treaty Principles Bill is not just a risk for the National Party, it’s a risk to civil order and unity, warns a National Party grandee. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

1 day ago
A clearer network for the City Rail Link?

This post was originally published on Linked In by Nicolas Reid. It is republished here with permission. Auckland is now just a year or so away from having the keystone of its urban rail network complete. As I wrote about here, the City Rail Link will be a literal game changer for ...

Greater AucklandBy Guest Post

1 day ago
National’s support base is wobbling

If ACT leader David Seymour intended the Treaty Principles Bill to drive a wedge into National’s support base, he may well already be succeeding. By midnight on Thursday after the Maori Party haka in Parliament, National MPs were being deluged with emails and messages from their members calling them out ...

PolitikBy Richard Harman

1 day ago
2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #46

A listing of 33 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, November 10, 2024 thru Sat, November 16, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is completely "meta" (no, not that Meta). It's about our exploring how ...

Skeptical Science

2 days ago
Grifter Eftpos Tamaki at it again

..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Self-appointed “Bishop” and proto-fascist, Brian Tamaki was at it again on 16 November, blocking Auckland’s southern motorway, SH1.This time, the target of his ire wasn’t the Civil Unions Act; covid lock-downs; mask mandates; or ...

Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy

2 days ago
Rip up a bill, lead a haka are words to live by

I cannot stop grabbing people by the lapels, or shoulders, or similar, and raving at them about the tiny miracles in my ears.I can hear again! There could not be a more satisfied customer in all the world.In a noisy cafe I am even catching words that Karren cannot, she ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

2 days ago
Unintended Consequences

Take the baitYou pay the priceIt's much too lateFor good adviceYou know and I know that our good things' throughBecause there's consequences for what we doConsequences for me and youWriters: Kevin Robert Hayes, David Nagier, Bonnie Adele Hayes.Fallout from the first readingOne News began last night by saying that tens ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

3 days ago
Thank you, driver!

Today, Saturday 16th of November, is Auckland Transport’s Bus Driver Appreciation Day! Saturday 16 November marks the third annual Auckland Transport (AT) ‘Bus Driver Appreciation Day’, and this year we are encouraging all of New Zealand to thank their driver or let the bus go first if you are in ...

Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland

3 days ago
Totally Normal: Holiday Edition

Hi,If I was to accurately sum up my mental state over the week, I’d just say that I got a huge fright from my own shadow.I’d nipped out for an 11pm neighborhood stroll, just to calm down after a day of stress and screens. The Cure and Fazerdaze’s new record ...

David FarrierBy David Farrier

3 days ago
We Are Not Listening

The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...

PunditBy Brian Easton

4 days ago
More lawlessness from National

On Tuesday, sick of government stonewalling, the Waitangi Tribunal issued a rare court order, ordering the Minister of Health to release unredacted documents within 48 hours showing its reasoning for disestablishing Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority. The government's response to the lawful order of a court? Yeah, ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

4 days ago
National’s tyrannical “foreign interference” law

Yesterday, under cover the the biggest political fight of the year, National quietly - covertly, even - introduced anti-foreign interference legislation. The bill is the product of a years-long work-program aimed at countering shit like this and this, and there's unquestionably a need to do something to counter foreign states' ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

4 days ago
The Haka Represents The Best Of Us

A few months ago, I was in an audience watching a Haka-Kapa and as I watched children dance and sing and sway and shout and beat, I couldn’t help but think “The Haka represents the best of us.”Yes, yes - there will be a thousand voices that rush forth to ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui

4 days ago
Adding up the climate cost

St Mary’s Bay housing left hanging: Climate risk is systemically underestimated in the climate scenarios used by central banks, and a new report warns 10,000 houses are set to become uninsurable in Aotearoa. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

4 days ago
Auckland chafing at Bishop’s housing intensification orders

One of the major problems the Government has in implementing its ‘going for housing growth’ strategy is that it isn’t giving much funding help to councils. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

4 days ago
Friday 15 November 2024

The Treaty Principles Bill continues to dominate political news, with it passing its first reading in the House. Parliament was briefly suspended and Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke suspended for 24 hours after leading a haka that was joined by opposition MPs and the public in the gallery. Willie ...

NZCTUBy Jeremiah Boniface

4 days ago
Weekly Roundup 15-November-2024

Happy Friday, welcome to another round-up of interesting stories about what’s happening in Auckland and other cities. Feel free to add your links in the comments! This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers ...

Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland

4 days ago
Are We The Waiting?

And screamingAre we we are, are we we are the waitingAnd screamingAre we we are, are we we are the waitingForget me nots, second thoughts live in isolationHeads or tails and fairy tales in my mindAre we we are, are we we are the waiting unknownThe rage and love, the ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

4 days ago
The Hoon around the week to November 15

The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate news, including from COP29 this week; on the US Presidential elections, Israel vs Gaza/Iran/Lebanon, Ukraine/Nato vs Russia/North ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

4 days ago
First Tea and Toast, now Milo — why do NZ’s best beverages need so much defending?

Only two months ago, Nicola Willis had to step in to stop Health New Zealand cutting tea and toast for post-birth parents, and now Lester Levy is riding to the rescue with a welcome message for all: our health workers can once again drink Milo, and will no longer need ...

Sapphi’s SubstackBy Sapphi

5 days ago
Gordon Campbell on the folly of making apologies in a social vacuum.

Day One of the Treaty Principles Bill…and everyone got what they wanted, and did what they liked. Heated words were exchanged. Culturally appropriate acts of outrage were performed. David Seymour got to play the victim card. Willie Jackson got kicked out of class. A comically red-faced Mr Speaker bellowed “Order, ...

WerewolfBy ScoopEditor

5 days ago
Skeptical Science New Research for Week #46 2024

Open access notables Microbial solutions must be deployed against climate catastrophe, Peixoto et al., Nature Communications [comment]: The climate crisis is escalating. A multitude of microbe-based solutions have been proposed, and these technologies hold great promise and could be deployed along with other climate mitigation strategies. However, these solutions have ...

Skeptical Science

5 days ago
The PM gets some extremely valuable legal advice for free

You can pay a great deal of money for the services of a KC. So just what would some peerless legal writing from 40 or so of them be worth, do you reckon?Priceless, that’s what. It’s not even the half of it, but this is my favourite part of the ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

5 days ago
D-day for the government

The government's Treaty Principles Bill is up for its first reading today - bought forward in a rush in a desperate effort to avoid the hikoi which is currently marching on Wellington. But the Prime Minister won’t be there for it – he’s literally running away to Peru! But he ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

5 days ago
97% of submissions did not want no-cause evictions, Trump chooses a Russian spy for US Intelligence ...

Good morning, and I’m sorry I’ve been away for a couple of days.I’ve been focusing on the Hikoi, and also testing out sentiment on the Treaty Principles Bill. It’s complicated, and the Treaty Principles Bill will be debated in the House today. The Government’s own lawyers have told them the ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui

5 days ago
Government must vote down ACT Members Bill that would undermine workers’ rights

NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is calling on the Government to vote down an ACT Party Members Bill that would undermine workers’ rights by making it easier for employers to fire workers. Last week ACT MP Laura Trask’s Employment Relations (Termination of Employment by Agreement) Amendment Bill was ...

NZCTUBy Jeremiah Boniface

5 days ago
Seymour causes thousands of unjustified absences by forcing kids to fight for their rights instead o...

The State would like to remind you that they are in control. They manage your employment prospects, and can destroy the job market you and yours rely on by mass-cancelling construction projects, cutting funding, and firing a good chunk of our public servants. They wield the mechanisms that provide scrutiny ...

Sapphi’s SubstackBy Sapphi

5 days ago
The Weight of the World

As the weight of the world Hangs on your shoulders The weight of the world Starts to take over again And over again All that you once loved, now you hate So slowly relearn how to meditate To have and to hold And never let go Can you feel it ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

5 days ago
Thursday 14 November 2024

The Treaty Principles Bill is set to have its First Reading in the House today, as the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti continues. More than 40 KCs have written to the Prime Minister and Attorney-General outlining their “grave concerns” about the substance of the Treaty Principles Bill, while an academic and ...

NZCTUBy Jeremiah Boniface

5 days ago
Trump’s return to White House brings the climate’s ‘find out’ phase closer

As we absorb the news of Trump's victory in the US Presidential election, here’s a wrap compiled just before the result of what it might mean for climate action: The UN Secretary General says the prospective departure of the United States would cripple the Paris Agreement, likening it to the ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

5 days ago
Time and Space in the City Centre

Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the City Centre Advisory Panel. The header image is from Walthamstow, London The city centre now has a few stretches of street where the space has been repurposed to a people and place focused design from full time traffic use. These are a great ...

Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds

5 days ago
An opportunity for a pro-growth tax switch

As the Hikoi against it swells into the tens of thousands, KCs call on National to kill off ACT’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, November 14: The ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

5 days ago
Dealing to the big Aussie banks

The big question hovering over the Select Committee Inquiry into banking is what the Government will do with its findings. If yesterday’s hearing is anything to go by there is a tidal wave of discontent about the four big Australian Banks crashing through the Committee which may force it to ...

PolitikBy Richard Harman

5 days ago
20 fact briefs published in collaboration with Gigafact!

In April 2024 we announced the (renewed) collaboration between Gigafact and Skeptical Science to create fact briefs, short but credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. Our initial plan had been to publish one fact brief per week on Saturdays but - as happens ...

Skeptical Science

6 days ago
Instead of axing the HRC, ACT corruptly installed a racist, transphobic “Gay Human Rights Commissi...

On November 5th, the Spinoff published a very interesting article on Stephen Rainbow, the Human Rights Commission’s latest recruitment, and how he came to get the controversial appointment. Naturally because of the excitement of the US election, it’s flown a little below the radar. https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/05-11-2024/i-didnt-get-the-hrc-job-stephen-rainbows-human-rights-commission-appointment-just-got-weirderThe article details evidence of the ...

Sapphi’s SubstackBy Sapphi

6 days ago
Injustice for torture

Between 1950 and 1993 the New Zealand government tortured and abused up to 250,000 children in residential care facilities. Yesterday, following formal findings from a royal commission, it finally apologised for that abuse. The next step is redress and restitution - compensating the surviving victims for the appalling harm they ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

6 days ago
Voices echo

Back onto the harbour bridge I go, my happy place for protesting.And it truly is a happy place, this day.Protests can bristle a lot, but this one is all heart. The WOMAD of protest marches. Families are safe and happy and a little one is pushing the trolley her older ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

6 days ago
Hīkoi over the Harbour

Kia mau ra, kia mau raKi te mana motuhakeMe te arohaHold fast, hold fastTo your sovereigntyAnd to love and compassionLyrics: Hīrini Melbourne. “Ngā Iwi E passionately calls for unity among the peoples of the Pacific, a cause deeply cherished by Melbourne himself.”I sat at my desk this morning and thought ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

6 days ago
Western Express turns one in style

The Western Express, the precursor to a proper busway, and other changes to West Auckland bus services are now a year old and Auckland Transport says they’ve been a smashing success, with ridership up 45 per cent higher than what was expected. Auckland Transport’s (AT) new North West bus network ...

Greater AucklandBy Matt L

6 days ago
Victims of abuse want Una Jagose to go

Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, November 13: The Lead: The Government and Opposition apologised yesterday for the abuse of hundreds of thousands of children in state care over decades. But PM Christopher ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

6 days ago
Sabin 33 #2 – Are toxic heavy metals from solar panels posing a threat to human health?

On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...

Skeptical Science

7 days ago
Peaceful Māori Hikoi Advances – In Pictures

Today the Hikoi moves from Whangarei and makes its way to Auckland Flag: McKinley Rd Creatives ShareFor official updates and information, including schedules, go to:https://toitutetiriti.co.nz/The Waitangi Tribunal Cheat Sheet:When asked what the Treaty Principles Bill contravenes these are some of the points highlighted by our judiciary:The Crown's process to develop the Bill ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui

7 days ago
Media Link: “A View from Afar” on the US elections.

The latest “A View from Afar” with Selwyn Manning and I follows the lines drawn in my most recent post here at KP. Because the podcast is basically a dialogue between Selwyn and I on the subject of the day, … Continue reading → ...

KiwipoliticoBy Pablo

7 days ago
Jagose doesn’t get it

The government held a formal apology ceremony this morning to victims of child torture and abuse-in-care. One of those "apologising" was Solicitor-General Una Jagose, who had played a key role in devising and implementing the government's legal strategy of aggressively minimising its liabilities, slandering its victims, and waiting for them ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

7 days ago
Oranga Tamariki is beyond saving, and always has been

How do you continue an organisation widely known for the abuse and torture of children, for wrongfully separating them from their parents, for the neglect and death of actually vulnerable children they failed to support and uplift, and for creating a cycle of trauma that has led to multi-generational state ...

Sapphi’s SubstackBy Sapphi

1 week ago
The Majority is Wrong

Freak outAnd give inDoesn't matter what you believe inStay coolAnd be somebody's fool this year'Cause they knowWho is righteous, what is boldSo I'm toldWho wants honey?As long as there's some moneyWho wants that, honey?Lyrics: Billy CorganJust because the majority support something doesn’t make it right. Yes, in a democracy, the ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

1 week ago
Tuesday 12 November 2024

Today Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will formally apologise to those who experienced abuse in state and faith-based care at Parliament. The apology is long overdue, and many are saying it’s not enough and are still waiting on the details of redress. There are also criticisms about the decision to give ...

NZCTUBy Jeremiah Boniface

1 week ago
3 Takeaways from Christopher Luxon’s Press Conference

Highlights of Chris Luxon press conference yesterday (video at end):1. Christopher Luxon maligns Newsroom’s investigative journalist Aaron Smale for what he called behavioural issues. Yesterday, it was revealed Speaker Gary Brownlee had withdrew Smale’s accreditation, preventing Smale from attending the Abuse in Care apology at Parliament today. Smale is an ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui

1 week ago
The 30/30 fiscal rule that rules us all

Fonterra is selling off brands made up of decades of R&D and marketing spend. Why? Because farmers need to repay debt so banks can increase mortgage lending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

1 week ago
2024 will be the first year above 1.5°C

This is a re-post from The Climate Brink, and an excerpt from a much more detailed State of the Climate Q3 2024 report that I published over at Carbon Brief today. See that for more details on climate model/observation comparisons, sea ice extent, and other climate variables. The warmest year on record In my ...

Skeptical Science

1 week ago
150 days of rail disruption to come

Kiwirail and Auckland Transport have revealed that the rail network will be closed or partially closed for nearly 149 days between Christmas this year and the end of January 2026, almost 38% of the time, as part of what they’re calling the final push to get the rail network ready ...

Greater AucklandBy Matt L

1 week ago
How Netflix Got Cold Feet

Hi,I’m not sure if you’ve noticed recently, but discovering stuff on Netflix can be kind of hard.Sure — you’re presented with a bunch of categories like “Top 10” when you login, but outside of those initial lists, finding things that are compelling and worth your time seems close to impossible. ...

David FarrierBy David Farrier

1 week ago
Seymour is only beginning

ACT Leader David Seymour is undeterred by the likelihood that his Treaty Principles Bill will die in the House when it returns from the Select Committee sometime in the first half of next year. He believes the debate has only just begun and will continue to eventual success even though ...

PolitikBy Richard Harman

1 week ago
Gordon Campbell on the Crown’s sorry excuse for an apology

The world over, politicians are finding “sorry” to be the easiest word. Without disclosing the size and formula of the monetary compensation that the government is prepared to offer to those abused while in state care, a mere apology verges on being another form of abuse. It’s not as if ...

WerewolfBy ScoopEditor

1 week ago
Let Aaron Smale take his rightful seat, you dismal dismal people

This is Aaron Smale.Journalist Aaron Smale appearing as a witness at the Royal Commission. Newsroom Screenshot.For eight years he has covered the abuse of children and others in state institutions.For eight years he has helped to bring to light the many lies and coverups by the Crown.He has written some ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

1 week ago
Monday 11 November 2024

Today the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti set off from Te Rerenga Wairua and is making its way through the North, stopping in Whangārei for the night. In union news, it has been announced that plastic factory Sistema is likely to cut up to 100 jobs. A new report written by ...

NZCTUBy Jeremiah Boniface

1 week ago
National suppresses the media

The government is doing its formal apology to victims of abuse-in-care at Parliament tomorrow, along with introducing a (still secret) bill addressing restitution. It will obviously be a big media event. But Newsroom's Aaron Smale, a journalist who has played a key role in exposing crown failure and wrongdoing in ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

1 week ago
Speeding toward a lethal legacy

A few weeks ago I wrote on how the Minister of Transport Simeon Brown had misrepresented cities overseas in his crusade to make our streets and roads more dangerous. Since then, his speed rule has been finalised and signed. Also, the summary of public feedback has been released after many ...

Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp

1 week ago
Dawn Chorus for Monday, November 11

Diabetes rates are rising, yet the government remains hyper-focused on short-term cost reduction and is not considering wider prevention measures. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, November 11: Diabetes rates are ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

1 week ago
New Zealand was the training ground for the 2024 US election

Much of the internet is bots.There are more bots every day. Every site that's in any way bot-trainable has bots scraping posts and chats.We have AI. It can auto-recognise voices. It can mine text for information which it can categorise and file, but cannot process it or use to further ...

Sapphi’s SubstackBy Sapphi

1 week ago

Justice Select Committee opens floor for Treaty Principles submissions

Today, the Justice Select Committee has decided to officially open submissions for the controversial Treaty Principles Bill. ...

Greens

4 hours ago
Power of the people on full display as hīkoi approaches Parliament

Today, Hīkoi mō te Tiriti arrived in Wellington, with thousands gathering to march in unity against the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...

Greens

5 hours ago
Hypocrisy as Te Whatu Ora contractor bill balloons

Te Whatu Ora’s bill for contracting and consulting staff has ballooned by nearly 20 percent under the National Government, breaking a promise they made during the election campaign to cut contractors. ...

Labour Blog

1 day ago
Release: Growing pressure to scrap Section 7AA Repeal Bill

The newly released Section 7AA Repeal Bill's select committee report is further evidence that the Government should scrap it. ...

Labour Blog

2 days ago
Government’s move to monetise access to nature a slippery slope

The Green Party is voicing serious concerns over the Government’s proposal to charge for access to public conservation land, released today. ...

Greens

4 days ago
Green Party condemns the passage of Treaty Principles Bill

The Green Party condemns the passing of the Treaty Principles Bill at first reading, and is clear that the fight is not over. ...

Greens

5 days ago
Stand Up for Te Tiriti

Te Tiriti o Waitangi is our country’s founding document. It forms the basis of the relationship between Māori and the Crown – and the Aotearoa New Zealand we live in today. ...

Labour Blog

5 days ago
Release: Over 15,000 sign Labour’s open letter to Luxon

As the hīkoi to Parliament continues, Labour has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in a last-ditch attempt to get him to kill the Treaty Principles Bill. ...

Labour Blog

5 days ago
Fast Track Bill threatens environment, climate and reputation

The fast-track legislation passing its second reading in Parliament is another step towards environmental ruin. ...

Greens

6 days ago
Greens join King’s Counsel in calling for Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned

The Prime Minister must answer the call from a group of senior lawyers of the King’s Counsel to abandon the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...

Greens

6 days ago
Chris Hipkins’ apology statement to state and faith-based care survivors

...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Release: Labour formally apologises to state and faith-based care survivors

Labour joins with the Government in unreservedly apologising for the abuse, neglect and trauma including torture in state and faith-based care and for ignoring the voices of survivors for too long. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Green Party stands in support of survivors of abuse in care

Today, the Green Party stands alongside the survivors of abuse in state care and faith-based care as the Government issues an historic apology. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Green Party calls for conscience vote on Treaty Principles Bill

The Green Party has written to the Speaker of the House requesting he enable a personal vote on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Govt move to exclude journalist risks chilling effect

The Green Party is alarmed by the Government’s move to exclude a journalist from covering this week’s apology for the survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Without action, an apology will be empty air

For tomorrow’s apology to survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care to hold any water, the Government must not pursue the same policies that drove the abuse in the first place. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Release: Concerns remain over tobacco interference

Concerns about the tobacco industry’s ability to interfere in government policy making remain, despite the inability of the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate the Government’s decision to halve the excise tax on heated tobacco products. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Urgent wake-up call on climate

The Climate Change Commission’s latest advice indicates Aotearoa needs to be stepping up on climate action. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Green MP’s Meme-ber’s Bill set to save the world

Break out the punchlines and dust off your meme folder: Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter’s Copyright (Parody and Satire) Amendment Bill was pulled from the Ballot yesterday. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Poroporoaki: Ta Robert (Bom) Gillies

Kua hinga te manawa kairākau o Te Rua Tekau Ma Waru Tiwhatiwha te po! Kakarauru i te po! Ka rapuhia kei hea koe kua riro! Haere e te Ika a Whiro ki o tini hoa kua ngaro atu ki te Pō ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principles Bill

The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principle...

The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
NZ must pursue independent foreign policy

The Green Party says the need is greater than ever for Aotearoa New Zealand to pursue an independent foreign policy. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Winston Peters must apologise

The Deputy Prime Minister should apologise to the public servant he named and blamed for something they did not do, and for misusing the rules of Parliament. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: Government continues to fail small business

The Government is leaving small businesses high and dry in difficult economic times, by letting big business get away with not paying their bills. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: Unemployment rising under National

Nicola Willis’ policies continue to slow the economy with more Kiwis out of work as a result. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Near four-year high unemployment reveals dire need for new direction

Today, Statistics New Zealand’s latest labour market report revealed that unemployment has reached 4.8 per cent, the highest rate since late 2020, during the COVID pandemic. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Shovels in the ground this term unlikely

National looks set to break another election promise, this time by not beginning construction on a second Mt Victoria tunnel this term, Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Not too late to abandon the Bill, Christopher

The Green Party is urgently calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill following reports it will be introduced on Thursday. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Coalition Govt’s expensive tunnel vision for Wellington comes at the expense of the regions

A second Mount Victoria tunnel, a duplicate Terrace tunnel alongside highway widening will dump more traffic in the centre of Wellington and result in more pollution. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Government’s disgrace for Christchurch homeowners

The Government is backtracking on existing commitments to do the right thing by homeowners let down by EQC (now the Natural Hazards Commission). ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: National’s FamilyBoost a colossal flop

Nicola Willis continues to over promise and under deliver, with most families receiving only $30 a week from National’s flagship FamilyBoost flop. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Ngarewa-Packer Demands Support for Palestine Ceasefire from New Plymouth Mayor

Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader and MP for Te Tai Hauāuru, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is calling on the Mayor for New Plymouth, Neil Holdom, to do the right thing. “I am shocked at his decision to disregard the petition presented by Palestine Solidarity Taranaki calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire”, said ...

Māori Party

2 weeks ago
Release: Trade deal with Gulf states welcomed

Labour welcomes the conclusion of a trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that was restarted under a Labour government after languishing for many years. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: Labour welcomes OAG fast track inquiry

The Government should consider the outcome of an Auditor-General report into conflicts of interest before progressing the Fast track Approvals Bill through Parliament. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Greens reignite call for free dental

A new report detailing the enormous social and economic costs of our dental system has reignited the Greens' call for free dental care. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Greens call for bottom trawling ban and call out Minister for lacklustre response

The Green Party is urgently calling on the Government to ban bottom trawling, following news a New Zealand bottom trawler caught 37kg of coral in international waters, prompting the suspension of all fishing in the area until 2026. ...

Greens

3 weeks ago
Mark Patterson: Farmers understand we have their backs

Spring is here which means the start of the A&P show season. Those treasured community days where town meets country. There's no rural-urban divide here, just a chance to meet up with family and old friends and celebrate all things that make rural New Zealand so special. I'm embarking on ...

NZ First Press Release

3 weeks ago
Release: Funding for Gumboot Friday should pause

The National Government should review its support for Gumboot Friday after unacceptable comments by its leader and champion Mike King. ...

Labour Blog

3 weeks ago
Louise Upston cherry-picks data to punch down on the poor

The Government has very conveniently cherry-picked data from the latest MSD projections to justify its cruel agenda and punch-down policy when it comes to people living in poverty. ...

Greens

3 weeks ago

Health survey results to help drive change

Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says findings from the annual Health Survey highlight the need to continue driving better health outcomes for New Zealanders. The New Zealand Health Survey is an annual snapshot of key metrics measured from July 2023 – July 2024. Findings released this morning include: In 2023/24, ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

57 minutes ago
Final push needed to get to Smokefree 2025

A renewed effort to get people to quit smoking will build on what has worked to date and target the groups who most need support, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said today. “The latest New Zealand Health Survey results show the daily smoking rate at 6.9 per cent and we ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 hour ago
New diplomatic appointments

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced four new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 hours ago
Next steps for Regulatory Standards Bill

Regulation Minister David Seymour has today announced the next steps in the Government’s plan improve the quality of regulation by opening consultation on a proposed Regulatory Standards Bill. “New Zealand's low wages can be blamed on low productivity, and low productivity can be blamed on poor regulation,” says Mr Seymour. ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 hours ago
Red Tape Tipline goes live

Minister for Regulation David Seymour has today announced that the Ministry for Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline is now live. “We want to hear about your red tape horror stories. From today, New Zealanders will have a say on how they are regulated through an online portal,” says Mr Seymour. The ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 hours ago
Youth Parliament 2025 announced

The Minister for Youth Matt Doocey has today announced the eleventh Youth Parliament will be taking place in 2025. “Youth Parliament offers a unique youth development opportunity to young people from across New Zealand to experience the political process and learn about how government works,” says Mr Doocey. “The two-day ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

23 hours ago
Police stats show promising change

After nearly a year in Government, Kiwis have seen significant change across law and order with promising early results shown across some Police statistics, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “In August 2023, I told New Zealanders that if they had not started to see a change in public safety within ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 day ago
Better coordination of anti-scam efforts

With the launch of Fraud Awareness Week, the Government is committing to new coordination efforts across industry and government to combat online scams, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Online financial scams are a growing problem for New Zealand. New data released today shows that Kiwis lost nearly ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 day ago
Minister to consider 7AA select committee report

Minister for Children Karen Chhour will consider the recommendations made by the Social Services and Community Committee in its report back to Parliament on the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill. “I want to thank the people who made submissions and those who appeared before the committee in ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 day ago
Defence Minister to attend ASEAN meeting

Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Vientiane, Laos. “We need to take every opportunity to engage with our international partners, given the increasingly unstable geo-political situation,” Ms Collins says. “New Zealand has a long-standing commitment to this ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 day ago
Launching the White Ribbon Ride

The Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, was on hand to wish riders well at the start of the North Island leg of the White Ribbon Ride in Whakatāne this morning. The ride helps mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

2 days ago
Construction to begin on next stage of Papakura to Drury

Construction on the next stage of the SH1 Papakura to Drury project will begin early next month, with the contract for works awarded to Fulton Hogan, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. "SH1 Papakura to Drury is a key project that will drive economic growth and productivity, reduce congestion, and enable people ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
NZ signs trade deal with Costa Rica, Iceland and Switzerland

Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has signed a pioneering trade agreement that prioritises New Zealand’s sustainable exports at a ceremony during APEC in Peru today. “The Agreement on Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS), between Costa Rica, Iceland, and Switzerland was concluded in July of this year and opens up significant ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Government and iwi work together on aquaculture

Five new Aquaculture Settlement Areas will help ensure Ngāi Tahu shares in the opportunities aquaculture offers for Southland’s economy, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. “The Aquaculture Settlement Areas (ASAs) I’m announcing today set aside space so the Crown and Ngāi Tahu can assess their potential for aquaculture development. ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Government launches review to ensure electricity market is fit-for-purpose

The terms of reference for a review of the performance of the electricity market have been released. The review, initiated by the Coalition Government during the power crisis in winter will look at whether current regulations and market design support economic growth and access to reliable and affordable electricity, Energy Minister ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Speech to Social Investment Hui: Jack and his whānau need our help

Kia ora koutou katoa. Nau mai, haere mai, piki mai. Ki te mihi atu ahau, ki te manwhenua nei, Te Atiawa, Ngāti toa rangatira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you, Andy, for your introduction. Let me acknowledge you as the new Chief Executive of the Social Investment ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Minister of State for Trade heads to Brisbane for PACER Plus meeting

Minister of State for Trade Nicola Grigg has travelled to Australia to attend the PACER Plus Ministers Meeting in Brisbane. “Trade plays a critical role in driving employment, economic growth, and improving the standards of living in the Pacific Region. The Government is strongly committed to supporting Pacific Island countries ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Proposals to modernise conservation released

Toitū te taiao – Our environment endures The Government is consulting on proposals to modernise New Zealand’s conservation management system, aiming to protect relevant natural areas while supporting sustainable growth in tourism and regional economies, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says. “Today, the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai is ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Treaty Principles Bill passes first reading

Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says all New Zealanders will now be able to have their say on the Treaty Principles Bill after it passed its first reading and was sent to the Justice Committee to be considered. “I look forward to seeing what Kiwis have to say on the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Antarctic cooperation at centre of Scott Base visit

Finance Minister and Associate Climate Change Minister Nicola Willis will travel to Antarctica next week to engage with international partners and scientists and to assess latest steps in the redevelopment of Scott Base. “New Zealand has important interests in Antarctica and our longstanding presence at Scott Base is a key ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Contactless payments launching on public transport in Auckland

The Government and Auckland Council are delivering contactless payments on Auckland’s public transport network later this month which will enable commuters to tag on and off public buses, trains, and ferries travelling across the region, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says.The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
RIF funding supports aquaculture development

The Coalition Government is backing the development of an aquaculture centre of excellence in Southland with an investment of $2.2 million, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. South Island Industrial Fund Ltd will use the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) loan towards its $6.3m project to upgrade infrastructure at the Ocean ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Safeguarding Kiwis with modern insurance law

Modernised insurance law will provide Kiwis with confidence that they will be treated fairly by insurance providers, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “A secure insurance market is integral to New Zealand’s economic success. It enables consumers and businesses to access finance and gives them the assurance to ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
When the going gets tough ‘Get Through’ with Farmstrong

An online hub with mental wellbeing tools and resources designed to help farmers and growers deal with the stress of adverse weather events has been officially launched by Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey. “Adverse weather events are an increasingly common reality for our farmers and growers. It’s vital that ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Government exploring new energy source

Up to $60 million will be ring-fenced from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to invest in exploring the potential of supercritical geothermal technology which could help secure New Zealand’s future energy needs, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Science, Innovation, and Technology Minister Judith Collins say. Having a secure and resilient energy supply ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Pay Gap Calculator toolkit launched

New Zealand businesses can now take meaningful action to drive down the gender pay gap with the launch of an online calculator today, Minister for Women Nicola Grigg says. “Women are paid, on average, 8.2 per cent less than men and this gap has barely moved since 2017 - which ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Government launches refreshed Public Private Partnership framework

The Government has released a refreshed Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework that provides a blueprint to the market outlining how the government will approach future PPP transactions, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court say. “Refreshing New Zealand’s PPP model is an important part of our plan to ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Further decisions taken on regulating online casino gambling

Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to further details of a new system to regulate online casino gambling. “A new Online Gambling Bill will be drafted with the purpose to regulate online casino gambling to facilitate a safer and compliant regulated online gambling market. More importantly, ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Tailored support for people in emergency housing

Ka mate kāinga tahi, ka ora kāinga rua. An innovative Government trial will tailor support to people with a diverse range of complex needs to move out of emergency housing and into more permanent housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “The Government has set a target of reducing the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Getting ready for bird flu

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard is encouraging New Zealanders to take steps to be ready for the possible arrival of bird flu.“While high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) is still some distance from New Zealand and we’ve never had a case here, it’s important that we take a cautious approach. “If you’re one ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Harbour closure supports mussel reseeding

A two-year ban on the take of kuku/mussels from Ōhiwa Harbour in eastern Bay of Plenty will support local efforts to restore mussel beds in the area, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa requested the closure, Te rāhui kuku ki tua o Kanawa, to ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Government awards primary sector scholarships to tertiary students

The coalition Government has awarded scholarships to six tertiary students as part of efforts to boost on-the-ground support for farmers and growers Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “We are reducing the regulatory burden on farmers and growers and providing support to adapt and innovate, ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Tax work programme focused on rebuilding the economy

Rebuilding the economy and improving fiscal sustainability is the key focus of the Government’s new Tax and Social Policy Work Programme for Inland Revenue, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “New Zealand has been grappling with significant economic challenges over the last few years with many businesses and households feeling the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Omnibus Bill First Reading for Royal Commission of Inquiry National Apology

Mr Speaker, as the Minister for Children, it is my priority to ensure that children and young people in the care system are safe. The thousands of survivors who shared their experiences with the Royal Commission have been clear that the system must improve its protections against abuse and neglect. ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Clarifying the protection of disabled people in care

The Government is amending the Crimes Act to ensure the protection of disabled people in care is made more explicit, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As part of the Government’s response to the recommendations of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission, the word ‘disability’ is being added to the definition ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Oranga Tamariki Act changes a step in the right direction

Changes to the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 included in an Omnibus Bill are long overdue and a positive step in the right direction, Minister for Children Karen Chhour says. As part of the National Apology today, the Responding to Abuse in Care Legislation Amendment Bill had its first reading. “I am ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Improvements to Government record-keeping in response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse ...

Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is making changes to the Public Records Act, to improve the record-keeping practices of government agencies. “These changes will allow the Chief Archivist to audit an agency more frequently where required and will also allow the Chief Archivist to work ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Minister Peters completes successful visit to Chile

New Zealand and Chile have reaffirmed their strong partnership, including on security, trade, Antarctic issues, and people-to-people links, says Foreign Minister Winston Peters. “Chile is one of New Zealand’s closest and most like-minded partners in Latin America, and it is the gateway to the region for many New Zealanders,” Mr ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
‘Foreign policy views from an Indo-Pacific neighbour’ – Speech on New Zealand fore...

Kia ora. Tēnā koutou katoa. And greetings from New Zealand. Thank you to Rector Devés and the University of Chile for hosting us today, and to Undersecretary de la Fuente and Professor López for the warm welcome and introductions. When a much younger person, walking on a bridge ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Prime Minister apologises for abuse in care

Ngā kura mōrehu, Treasured survivors, kua ngaro, haere atu rā. those that have passed, farewell. Ngā kura mōrehu, Treasured survivors E whakawhaiti nei that have gathered here. Kei ngā rangatira To the esteemed leaders Tēnā koutou katoa. Greetings. I’d like to welcome you ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago

Livestream: 35,000 join as Treaty Principles Bill hīkoi reaches Parliament

The Treaty Principles Bill's architect made a brief appearance, and was met with chanting, as 35,000 people protesting overflowed from Parliament's lawn. ...

Radio NZ – political

1 hour ago
Public humiliation is still a common teaching tool in medical education. Here’s how it leaves pati...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carolyn Heward, Lecturer, Clinical Psychology, James Cook University Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock Imagine being questioned about complex technical knowledge in front of your peers, supervisors, and members of the public – knowing that a wrong answer could lead to public ridicule. ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 hours ago
Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti: The final day march to Parliament in photos

It was an early start for thousands as the hīkoi sets off for its final destination - the grounds of Parliament. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 hours ago
It’s clear footy has an Indigenous participation problem, and the AFL draft is only part of the so...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chelsey Taylor, PhD Candidate, Swinburne University of Technology From revolutionary Geelong ruckman Graham “Polly” Farmer, to the electrifying Krakouer brothers (Phil and Jim) at North Melbourne, through to modern stars such as Charlie Cameron, Adam Goodes, Lance Franklin and Eddie Betts, Indigenous ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

3 hours ago
What our politicians’ signatures tell us about their personalities

We asked a handwriting expert to analyse the scrawls of our elected officials. Here’s what they said. Recently I received a press release from the trio of ministers – Simeon Brown, Shane Jones and Chris Bishop – tasked with overseeing the government’s controversial fast-track consenting bill. The press release itself ...

The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund

3 hours ago
Livestream: 19,000 join as Treaty Principles Bill hīkoi reaches Parliament

'The energy, the power-it's palpable here on the ground,' an MP says as a sea of red, black and white flags sorrounds the Beehive. ...

Radio NZ – political

3 hours ago
Education minister says kids should be in school instead of at hīkoi

But the son of a haka expert, travelling down with students from Huntly, says "this is all part of our learning, this is their school". ...

Radio NZ – political

3 hours ago
Basic rules for screen time at a young age can help reduce childhood obesity – new research

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ladan Hashemi, Senior Research Fellow in Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Childhood obesity is a growing concern worldwide. But in New Zealand it’s a particularly pressing issue. With one of the highest rates in the OECD, about one ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

3 hours ago
Livestream: Treaty Principles Bill hīkoi mō te Tiriti at Parliament

Thousands have marched through the streets of a capital and to the Beehive. ...

Radio NZ – political

3 hours ago
Kanaky Aotearoa Solidarity Says “Toitū Te Tiriti!”

Kanaky Aotearoa Solidarity supports te hikoi and says Toitū te Tiriti! Māori never ceded sovereignty! ...

Scoop politics

3 hours ago
Video: Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke reacts to haka heard around the world

In the face of criticism, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke says there was definitely a moment of 'what just happened?', after the House was suspended during voting. ...

Radio NZ – political

4 hours ago
Livestream: Treaty Principles Bill hīkoi at Parliament

'The energy, the power-it's palpable here on the ground,' an MP says as a sea of red, black and white flags makes its way to the Beehive and crowds line the streets. ...

Radio NZ – political

4 hours ago
Review: Camping is the hyper horny, extremely silly play we need right now

Almost a decade ago, Camping dazzled with four relative unknowns in a tiny venue. Now it returns, with an all-star cast on a bigger stage. Does it still deliver? The original run of Camping, on stage at The Basement, is the funniest and most kinetically bizarre show I’ve seen in ...

The SpinoffBy Duncan Greive

4 hours ago
‘We don’t even have a CT scan here’: Dunedin Hospital protesters rally

About 1000 people turned up to hear why building the hospital as planned, was important. ...

Radio NZ – political

4 hours ago
Biggest Ever Community Petition, With Over 200,000 Signatures, Opposes Treaty Principles Bill

The country has spoken. This Bill is a bad faith attempt to revoke the Government’s commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and it’s visible to not just Aotearoa, but the world. ...

Scoop politics

4 hours ago
Justice Committee Calls For Submissions On The Principles Of The Treaty Of Waitangi Bill

The committee is intending to complete hearings by the end of February 2025. Further decisions about hearings will be made and communicated in due course. ...

Scoop politics

5 hours ago
To build support, it might be time for the Greens to hang up their movement-style approach to politi...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Narelle Miragliotta, Associate Professor in Politics, Murdoch University State and territory elections held in 2024 have not delivered the electoral and legislative gains the Greens would have hoped for or expected. Of the elections conducted this year, the Greens’ performance was, ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

5 hours ago
Australia’s new anti-vaping program in schools is a good step – but education is only part of th...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonine Jancey, Academic and Director Collaboration for Evidence, Research and Impact in Public Health, Curtin University Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Last week, the federal government announced a plan to roll out an anti-vaping program in schools across the country. The education program, ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

5 hours ago
We pay less for houses in one-in-100 year flood zones – but overlook risks of more devastating flo...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Song Shi, Associate Professor, Property Economics, University of Technology Sydney If you’re buying a house near a river or on a floodplain, you will likely come up against the question of flood risk. We usually talk about this in terms of chance. ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

5 hours ago
What was the deal with Julius Caesar and Cleopatra’s ‘situationship’?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charlotte Dunn, Lecturer in Classics, University of Tasmania Carl Gottlieb Venig/Wikimedia The Egyptian queen Cleopatra is often associated with glamorous beauty routines, deadly snake bites, lavish banquets and torrid affairs with some of the most notorious men in Roman history. ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

5 hours ago
The cost of being: An ‘anti-capitalist’ barista and tutor renting in Wellington

As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a 23-year-old explains why she’s been working since she was 11. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here. Gender: Female. Age: 23. Ethnicity: Cambodian Chinese. Role: Barista, tutor, campaigner, ...

The SpinoffBy The Cost of Being

6 hours ago
Regulations Ministry: Online tool can be used to share ‘red tape horror stories’

The Regulations minister wants to hear "from tradies, farmers, teachers, chefs, engineers - every person doing productive work". ...

Radio NZ – political

6 hours ago
Elon Musk’s new job will bring tech ‘disruption’ to the US government – and history says it ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hallam Stevens, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, James Cook University On November 12, United States president-elect Donald Trump announced he would appoint Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, to lead a newly constituted Department of Government Efficiency alongside fellow tech billionaire and former ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

6 hours ago
AI for life: how sovereign Wiradyuri ways of knowing can transform technology for good

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Russ-Smith, Associate Professor, Social Work and Assistant Deputy Head of School, School of Allied Health, Australian Catholic University Philip Schubert/Shutterstock From climate change to geopolitical instability to health emergencies, we are entering a period of momentous change. The technology industry ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

6 hours ago
Live updates: Toitū Te Tiriti hīkoi marches to parliament

Tens of thousands are expected to gather in Te Upoko-o-te-ika-a-Māui today, as the nationwide Toitū Te Tiriti hīkoi prepares to arrive at parliament. Follow this blog for up-to-date coverage and reaction. Load more ...

The SpinoffBy Liam Rātana

6 hours ago
NZ media’s second wave of doom

MediaRoom: North & South magazine ‘suspending’ print publication is the latest in a wave of closures in our media, suffering from extended economic malaise and lower advertising The post NZ media’s second wave of doom appeared first on Newsroom. ...

NewsroomBy Tim Murphy

7 hours ago
Powered-up Regulatory Standards Bill removes role of courts

In his third attempt at constraining the drafting of new laws, David Seymour is seizing the controls The post Powered-up Regulatory Standards Bill removes role of courts appeared first on Newsroom. ...

NewsroomBy Jonathan Milne

7 hours ago
With 14 community newspapers due to close, too many parts of NZ are becoming ‘news deserts’

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greg Treadwell, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images When media company NZME proposed the closure of 14 community newspapers last week, the so-called “news desert” encroached a little further into the local information landscape. The term refers ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

7 hours ago
New Zealand’s new ‘anti-scam czar’ gets to work

Millions of dollars are lost to scams each year. Should more attention be on the social media giants that platform them? Stewart Sowman-Lund writes in today’s edition of The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...

The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund

7 hours ago
Dunedin Hospital rebuild: Rally stirs more opposition to cutbacks

A sea of Southerners filled Dunedin's Town Hall last night in support of the Save Our Southern Hospital campaign. ...

Radio NZ – political

8 hours ago
Thousands expected at Parliament as hīkoi moves towards the capital

This article first appeared at rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission.Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather at Parliament today as the final leg of the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti reaches its last destination – but organisers and participants are saying it will not end there.At Takupūwāhia Marae ...

NewsroomBy RNZ

8 hours ago
Treaty hīkoi: Commuter disruption expected as protest reaches Wellington

People on foot and in cars began making their way into central Wellington from the early hours of this morning. ...

Radio NZ – political

8 hours ago
Press Gallery 101: The House chats with Jason Walls

After an abuse apology kerfuffle in Parliament last week, The House spoke to Press Gallery chair Jason Walls about how the Press Gallery works, and who gets to join. ...

Radio NZ – political

8 hours ago
COP29: Surprise at lack of reaction to US elections

The first week of the global COP29 climate summit was remarkable for the wrong reasons, but with the second week now underway, a veteran NZ diplomat says the event is making constructive progress. ...

Radio NZ – political

8 hours ago
Pupils join hīkoi as te Tiriti is removed from curriculum framework

As a Wellington school leader takes 100 of his junior college pupils onto Parliament’s forecourt today alongside the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti, he is freshly motivated to protest.The pupils are officially there to learn – the trip comes under ‘education outside the classroom’ – but Onslow College deputy principal Connor ...

NewsroomBy Jonathan Milne

9 hours ago
Hīkoi heads into Wellington: ‘This is a opportunity to stand up and have a voice’

Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather at Parliament today as the final leg of the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti reaches its last destination - but organisers and participants are saying it will not end there. ...

Radio NZ – political

9 hours ago
Treaty hīkoi: Commuter disruption expected as huge protest reaches Wellington

People on foot and in cars began making their way into central Wellington from the early hours of this morning. ...

Radio NZ – political

9 hours ago
Live: Hīkoi mō te Tiriti sets off for capital, tens of thousands expected at Parliament

Tens of thousands are expected to congregate at Parliament this morning. Follow the latest with RNZ's live updates. ...

Radio NZ – political

9 hours ago
Windbag: On the City to Sea Bridge and the power of letting go

It’s a Wellington icon, but we must say goodbye. It is time to demolish the bridge, argues Joel MacManus. Wellington’s City to Sea Bridge is beautiful and weird. Its design says something about what Wellington is and the way the city sees itself. It’s been the home of many late ...

The SpinoffBy Joel MacManus

10 hours ago
Who gets to have an opinion on the hīkoi and who must remain ‘impartial’?

Newsrooms of old were apparently more impartial. But that’s only because everyone shared the same biases, argues Madeleine Chapman. Last week, the Herald’s Media Insider (AKA editor-at-large Shayne Currie) reported on some shocking news. Top TVNZ executive Nevak Rogers had taken annual leave from her job as chief content officer ...

The SpinoffBy Madeleine Chapman

10 hours ago

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.

No smoking gun

Related Posts

152 comments on “No smoking gun ”

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

Related Posts

Related Posts

Related Posts

Related Posts

No smoking gun

Share this:

Related Posts

152 comments on “No smoking gun ”

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

Share this:

Related Posts

Share this:

Related Posts

Share this:

Related Posts

Share this:

Related Posts