No, why would I?

Written By: - Date published: 10:21 am, October 26th, 2012 - 140 comments
Categories: alcohol, spin - Tags: ,

I’ve just seen the cancer-mongers’ latest ad against plain packaging In the ad, an eyeless person trying to buy booze looks horrified when there’s no logos and colourful labels on the beer bottles. Some of the bottles read ‘I don’t mind if alcohol is next’…. It’s meant to be a chilling vision of things to come, I guess. But here’s the thing. No, I don’t mind. I wouldn’t care if alcohol was plain packaged too. Why would anyone?

Why would it matter to anyone if alcohol companies couldn’t put colourful labels on their product? If I want a particular brand, the name will still be there (. If, like most people, I’m just looking for the cheapest non-shit brand then I’m looking at the prices, not the logos. Do the cancer-mongers think we’ll all be like ‘oh no, people won’t know what awesome brand of booze I’m drinking?’

Truth is, it’s all a con. They’re not trying to convince us, they’re buying positive coverage (how much negative coverage of the cancer-mongers have you seen in the news recently) and, incidentally, trying to get the liquor industry on their side.

140 comments on “No, why would I? ”

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  1. Kevin Welsh 1
    26 October 2012 at 11:02 am

    how much negative coverage of the cancer-mongers have you seen in the news recently?

    Bet they were smirking to themselves over the downfall of Lance Armstrong.

  2. BunzForFunz 2
    26 October 2012 at 11:21 am

    I think we should push for plain labels on alcohol now.

  3. TheContrarian 3
    26 October 2012 at 11:29 am

    Would plain labeling New Zealand wines in New Zealand shops also apply to wine we export?

    • fatty 3.1
      26 October 2012 at 11:39 am

      Why on earth would we do that? Plain package to be sold here, if its going overseas then they can put what they want on it

      • TheContrarian 3.1.1
        26 October 2012 at 11:45 am

        Just a question.

        Personally I wouldn’t support plain packaging on liquor for a couple of reasons.

        Firstly NZ has a very well respected, world-wide recognized and lucrative win and beer industry – these NZ companies spend money on their branding and make money from being an identifiable brand. Wellington in particular has a huge ’boutique beer’ industry which unlike DB et al are small companies that rely somewhat on being differentiated from their mass produced crap. It would cost them more than anyone and do we want to treat our winemakers with the same attitude we treat big tobacco?

        Secondly, and i think the big one is, you can be a moderate and responsible drinker and never receive any health problems or social problems so a blanket policy isn’t needed. Unlike smoking which generally addicts everyone.

        Though restrictions could work – I don’t like that pre-mixers are dolled up to look like fizzy drink to attract young drinkers…and young drinkers aren’t reaching for $50 bottles of wine in any case.

        My thoughts.

        • fatty 3.1.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 11:54 am

          “Secondly, and i think the big one is, you can be a moderate and responsible drinker and never receive any health problems or social problems so a blanket policy isn’t needed. Unlike smoking which generally addicts everyone.”

          The problem I have with that is that is looking just at the individual, rather than society. Tobacco will give health problems to the user, but as long as they do it outside – then what do I care? If people want to eat/smoke themselves to an early grave, then go for it.
          In contrast many people are victims of alcohol when they are the ones not taking the drug. Victims of violence and abuse…alcohol is destructive to vulnerable people who have no control over who takes that drug….whereas smoking tobacco, and even weed, will be more likely to just damage the user. So I see smoking as being not nearly as bad as alcohol.

          • TheContrarian 3.1.1.1.1
            26 October 2012 at 11:57 am

            plain packing of alcohol wouldn’t address the social problems. particularly as the cheapest wines are generally in a clean-skin bottle anyway!

            • fatty 3.1.1.1.1.1
              26 October 2012 at 12:08 pm

              Its a help…that’s all we can do with violence, try to prevent in a number of ways.
              I don’t subscribe to the argument that “it won’t fix the real problem”. That argument gets used all the time. It was used by the pro-smackers.
              Reason for plain packaging on smoking is the result will be less people smoking.
              A way to stop alcohol fuelled violence is to get less people drinking
              A way to get less people drinking is to force plain packaging.

              The other p[oint I have is that you talked about how micro-breweries will suffer. My answer to that is who cares. If they want to make beer, they can do it without a colourful label. If they want a successful business, they should not get into the drug industry where they are contributing to domestic violence, and then expect to earn heaps of money.

              • TheContrarian …
                26 October 2012 at 12:10 pm

                Oh well, Agree Disagree and all that

                • fatty …
                  26 October 2012 at 12:23 pm

                  Fair enough, we usually do!
                  Most of my arguments on these sorts of things comes from my positioning as an individualist libertarian, and a social socialist. I try to balance individual autonomy with societal well-being. I can see the paradox, but I try to balance that, and there are contradictions based on my values. So I can see why you wouldn’t agree. We all try to balance these issues depending on a number of factors.

                  • TheContrarian …
                    26 October 2012 at 12:29 pm

                    I don’t give a shit about tobacco being plain packaged but alcohol is different because unlike tobacco there is massive variation in price, alcohol content, taste, style etc. so plain packaging doesn’t address alcohol content or price whereas tobacco is a relatively consistent price. Plain package or not if you can get smashed for under $20.00 no one will give a shit what the bottle looks like

                    Plus we have a thriving industry and using the boutique beer example, people generally aren’t out getting completely tanked on $10.00 a bottle whisky beer and are smashing themselves on cheap plonk.

                    Which is why I think you want to hit price before hitting plain packing – if you want to follow the tobacco example.

                    But yeah, it is academic at this point because plain packaged booze hasn’t been floated.

                    • fatty …
                      26 October 2012 at 1:11 pm

                      Hitting the price would work, but I think the real reason for the reduction in smokers is not the price. Its the way smoking has been stigmatised. Today a smoker is seen as stupid, and that is where we need to take excessive alcohol use.
                      I’d like to see plain packaging, increased taxes on booze and the stigmatisation of drunkenness. Obviously there should be no advertising of booze, and there should be an end to blaming youth. I roll my eyes whenever I see or hear the term alco-pop. It usually means someone is about to perpetuate the myth that teen drinking is the main alcohol issue in NZ.

                    • felix …
                      26 October 2012 at 4:42 pm

                      I don’t really care how they package alcohol or baccy, I mean seriously, is this the most important thing we have to deal with at the moment? Meh whatever.

                      But plain labels would make choosing wine trickier for me as I’m quite ignorant and usually just look for something with a picture of an animal on it.

                    • TheContrarian …
                      26 October 2012 at 4:46 pm

                      Animal?

                      Try the ones with an old farm cottage or a water wheel.

                    • felix …
                      26 October 2012 at 4:55 pm

                      mmm that sounds nice, thanks for the tip.

                    • TheContrarian …
                      26 October 2012 at 4:58 pm

                      But stay away from the ones the have Flax or bi-planes on the labels.

                      unusual names in bold writing are pretty good too

                    • McFlock …
                      26 October 2012 at 5:06 pm

                      um – there’s almost as much variation in tobacco as there is in alcohol. 
                         
                      It’s just that the bulk of it was in generic tailormades, just like much of the alcohol sold today is in generic beers and wines. 
                           

                    • felix …
                      26 October 2012 at 8:31 pm

                      I’ll buy pretty much anything with a monkey on it.

              • prism …
                26 October 2012 at 1:13 pm

                fatty no number
                “A way to stop alcohol fuelled violence is to get less people drinking”
                No its to get more people drinking less and being less reliant on alcohol to be happy or a person with apparent friends. I was talking to a European about this the other day. I think his observation is that without pubs men in NZ wouldn’t gather and talk to each other.

                • fatty …
                  26 October 2012 at 3:10 pm

                  True…I think get less people drinking, and those that do drink should drink less, as I said before – ‘Today a smoker is seen as stupid, and that is where we need to take excessive alcohol use.’

        • lprent 3.1.1.2
          26 October 2012 at 12:49 pm

          Ummm. You’re talking about two different things in your first point. How stuff gets sold inside NZ has nothing to do with how it is sold offshore. You only have to go to any store worldwide and look for NZ products to see how differently they are presented offshore. So why does a domestic policy make any difference? Besides which I suspect that most if not all of the wines exported already have different labels – it isn’t like that is a large part of the product cost..

          • Populuxe1 3.1.1.2.2
            26 October 2012 at 12:59 pm

            1) we also have a thriving domestic market.
            2) Generally speaking, at least in Australia, the UK and the EU as far as I’ve seen the bottles don’t have different labels for the serious brands.
            3) To rob me of my ability to choose is to take away my fundamental human rights, so either make it illegal (and we all know how well that worked out last time) or stuff off.
            4) Wines, spirits and some beers vary enormously in terms of terroir, flavour, boquet, type and so forth, even down to cultivated variations from year to year and therefore they need to be identifiable. The real problem is that pre-mixed anti-freeze called alcopops.

            • The Baron 3.1.1.2.2.1
              26 October 2012 at 3:36 pm

              Oh my god, alcopops finally surface. Where is your evidence as to that being a problem?

              Because all of the “evidence” I have seen is actually ageist misogyny – how DARE those young women drink a pre-mixed vodka! I have no evidence that they haven’t substituted that for something else, or evidence that any increase in young women’s drinking habits is related to the moronic label of “alcopops”, but I srill want them banned anyway!

              of course, as soon as I ban them, these young women will sober up and start crocheting at home, won’t they – like all us men want them to.

              My point – the wowser side of the debate here in NZ has gone to ridiculous levels. Yeah, we have a problem in NZ with too many people getting too boozed and beating the shit out of each other. Taking a pretty label off things isn’t gonna change that – Double Brown has always been in an ugly brown can after all. And neither will stopping Cindy and her friends from drinking vodka cruisers at the afterball.

              • Populuxe1 …
                26 October 2012 at 4:24 pm

                I don’t want them banned, but they are essentially hooch and fizz

                • The Baron …
                  26 October 2012 at 4:38 pm

                  So they’re a problem simply because you don’t like them then?

                  Thanks for that.

                  • Populuxe1 …
                    26 October 2012 at 4:45 pm

                    They are a problem because they are relentlessly pushed at vulnerable young people. Personally I’d rather focus on education – I don’t ban things

                    • Daveosaurus …
                      26 October 2012 at 7:23 pm

                      They’re nothing new. Fizzy alcoholic lolly-water was around 25 years ago, only then it was called “wine cooler”.

                      As to the main subject of the article… This entire campaign is outright cigarette advertising dressed up as something it isn’t. They’re even advertising them during kids’ shows! The sooner those crooked fuckers in the fag-pushing business get treated the same was as P dealers, the better.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      26 October 2012 at 7:36 pm

                      Please keep up with industry trends.

                      “Wine cooler” did not have 15g/sugar per 100mL, it was not made out of industrial byproduct alcohol, did not contain caffeine, and was not targeted en masse at 16 year olds.

                    • QoT …
                      26 October 2012 at 9:32 pm

                      They are a problem because they are relentlessly pushed at vulnerable young people.

                      [citation needed]

                      I speak as someone who recently had to argue with two very well-educated, well-informed people over the age of 40 who didn’t realise that “alcopops” (warning, use of this term proves you don’t really know what you’re talking about) are only sold in liquor stores, where underage drinkers should not be able to buy them anyway.

                    • Lanthanide …
                      27 October 2012 at 10:20 am

                      QoT – your blog would be more convincing if, in the midst of educating people about “alcopops”, you didn’t parrot the rubbish about “sugar highs” which don’t actually exist but were invented by parents who see normally active children after they’ve had a sugary drink and imagine they’re hyperactive.

                      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_misconceptions#Human_body_and_health

                      Under “Nutrition, food and drink”

                    • QoT …
                      27 October 2012 at 10:24 am

                      Lanth, all that says is that “it’s a myth that sugar causes hyperactivity in children”, and specifically seems to be talking about long-term or chronic hyperactivity due to a high-sugar diet.

                      Which isn’t the same as the buzz a person may get after consuming a horribly sugary Vodka Cruiser. So … gosh, I guess I’ll just have to remain “unconvincing” to you. So sad.

              • millsy …
                27 October 2012 at 1:54 am

                Today’s wowserism is more social snobbery than anything else.

                If youre young, female, poor or brown, then you cannot be trusted to hold your liqour.

                Whenever I see a news item about booze in the paper, it always footage of young women in short skirts stumbling around and vomiting everywhere, no middle aged farmers at the rugby club in Ekatahuna or MP’s and their hangers on in the beehive bar.

                And at my work place it is the older, more respectable types that go on about boozing more than the younger ones.

                And the left is stupidly signing up to this bullshit.

                Disclaimer: I dont drink much, but that is because I simply do not like the taste of alcohol, though I am partial to dropping some bourbon in my coke to make it flow down easier.

                • QoT …
                  27 October 2012 at 10:25 am

                  it always footage of young women in short skirts stumbling around and vomiting everywhere

                  And you may have noted that it’s always young women who are labelled as “youth drinkers” or “teen drinkers” even though no evidence of their age is actually produced.

                  • QoT …
                    27 October 2012 at 10:30 am

                    Should clarify my phrasing – it’s “always young women” is quoting you, millsy, not implying that the media never shows groups of men acting drunkenly and being labelled “youth” or “teen” drinkers without proof.

          • infused 3.1.1.2.3
            26 October 2012 at 6:52 pm

            Because it’s hypocritical that’s why. We plain package here like internet warriors, then you will bitch and moan when it happens overseas.

        • North 3.1.1.3
          26 October 2012 at 10:52 pm

          In rational terms the issue is not about alcohol anyway.

          That’s just an awfulised construct put about by bastards of the corporate who seek a continuing flow of massive profits out of knowingly destroying the health of virtually every person who uses the addictive product they peddle.

          Then they have the stinking, cynical, heartless cheek to ask people to respect their “property”, viz. their brands, to ask people to militate on their behalf. Meanwhile while they don’t give a fuck about the health of the very people they’re appealling to.

          I’d actually like to see those bullshit ads banned and fuck their “rights”. And those in New Zealand who’re doing this bullshit, particularly the amoral silky voice over, named and shamed. It’s the essence of vile capitalism.

          Profits (theirs) matter so, so much…….people don’t matter a shit.

        • henrietta 3.1.1.4
          29 October 2012 at 9:50 am

          ” I don’t like that pre-mixers are dolled up to look like fizzy drink to attract young drinkers…and young drinkers aren’t reaching for $50 bottles of wine in any case.” &
          ” mass produced crap.”

          Say you. So, in your perfect world all decisions would be based on your holier than thou snobbish attitudes. I spend more, therefore I’m right.

          You can pour yourself a gin and tonic but it doesn’t look anything like the RTD your child might consume ? And no one ever got pissed drinking “craft brewed” beer, cause, you know, they’re a better class of drinker ?

          dick

    • Lanthanide 3.2
      26 October 2012 at 11:41 am

      You mean like cleanskins?

  4. ianmac 4
    26 October 2012 at 11:37 am

    Cigarette Companies have very very deep pockets. Hence the constant showing of those weird ads on TV.
    Hey why stop at plain packaging/labelling of cigarettes and alcohol? How about just “Sanitarium Marmite, Ingredients. Plain label” and for all those misleading products. :”Birds Eye. Chicken Chips. Ingredients.”

  5. Adrian 5
    26 October 2012 at 11:41 am

    Lets not have a brand on anything then. Not on chocolate, coffee , tea, porridge, butter, margarine, bikes, toys, cars, absolutely anything. What a cool world, just like North Korea. Fuck off!.

    • Lanthanide 5.1
      26 October 2012 at 11:43 am

      How dare companies be forced to compete on quality, consistency and price, instead of advertising and image/emotion-driven branding?

      • infused 5.1.1
        26 October 2012 at 6:54 pm

        How would you know what company it is?

        • Lanthanide 5.1.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 7:43 pm

          There are things called companies, which have names, and things called brands, which companies own and market their products under.

          For example:
          http://i.huffpost.com/gen/585370/original.jpg

          Instead of having all those brands on products and their associated marketing and imaging, lets just have plain packaging with the name of the product and the name of the company.

    • fatty 5.2
      26 October 2012 at 11:45 am

      Why do pretty packages and branding make your life better Adrian?

    • Colonial Viper 5.3
      26 October 2012 at 11:47 am

      Oh let’s take this one step at a time.

      Black and white labelling is fine. Let them use their logos and whatever for now.

      • Draco T Bastard 5.3.1
        26 October 2012 at 1:09 pm

        Yep. Just been thinking about it and I really can’t remember any wine or beer that came with a super fancy label. Limit the labeling to white with black writing (no images) and a crest no larger than a 20c piece. Could probably do the same to tobacco.

        • TheContrarian 5.3.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 1:34 pm

          Which is supposed to do what? Change the price of alcohol? Send a message that binge drinking is not good? Get people to think about the health problems? Change societal views on alcohol?

          Before plain packaging was floated for tobacco there were restrictions placed on tobacco spanning 20 years which changed pricing, forced people to confront the health issues and changed the public perception of smoking.

          Merely changing the branding on alcohol without confronting any of the above isn’t going to change shit

        • The Baron 5.3.1.2
          26 October 2012 at 2:02 pm

          Yep, I’ve been thinking about it and I really think less people would become incredibly irritated if you wore a black sack on your head all the time and taped your mouth shut.

          Since this is the standard of evidence for legislating that we are committing to now, I’m sure this will have your full support, Draco.

      • The Baron 5.3.2
        26 October 2012 at 2:00 pm

        Never met a problem you can’t solve without controls eh…

        Any evidence there that any of this will change behaviours? Oh no, typical lefty brainfarts of “good ideas” without evidence yet again. Now maybe you lot are so fucking stupid that you go out and get drunk cos someone puts pretty pictures on things – but I doubt anyone else is. Truth be told, you have no idea – legislating off the hoof again, are we.

        Yet again, the moronic NZ left wants to play nanny and thinks it would be a brilliant idea to win elections by fucking around with alcohol – both pricing and labelling. How well did that go down the first time, wowser patrol?

        • fatty 5.3.2.1
          26 October 2012 at 3:16 pm

          “Any evidence there that any of this will change behaviours?”

          Ask anyone involved in advertising how image works…it won’t matter if they are left wing or right wing.

          “Yet again, the moronic NZ left wants to play nanny and thinks it would be a brilliant idea to win elections by fucking around with alcohol – both pricing and labelling.”

          I don’t think this tread is about how to get votes…its about NZ’s abuse of a drug called alcohol.

          • TheContrarian 5.3.2.1.1
            26 October 2012 at 3:19 pm

            “Ask anyone involved in advertising how image works…it won’t matter if they are left wing or right wing.”

            If you really think just changing a bottle to a plain package is going to change social attitudes to alcohol then you seriously kidding your self . People who drink to get plastered don’t give a fuck about branding. They want to get drunk.

            • McFlock 5.3.2.1.1.1
              26 October 2012 at 3:27 pm

              So impulse-control-limited drinkers don’t have purchase habits affected by pretty packaging, but responsible drinkers will spend money based in part on the pretty label?
                 
              Otherwise, why would plain packaging be an issue?

              • TheContrarian …
                26 October 2012 at 3:31 pm

                plain packaging doesn’t address any of the societal issues associated with binge drinker and it’s culture, the price of alcohol, youth drinking and crime associated with alcohol.

                Also, if you go out drinking in bars plain packaging isn’t going to make any difference whatsoever to people getting plastered..

                NZ has a very well respected, world-wide recognized and lucrative win and beer industry – these NZ companies spend money on their branding and make money from being an identifiable brand. Wellington in particular has a huge ’boutique beer’ industry which unlike DB et al are small companies that rely somewhat on being differentiated from their mass produced crap

                • fatty …
                  26 October 2012 at 3:40 pm

                  “NZ companies spend money on their branding and make money from being an identifiable brand.”

                  Yes, branding is a very big part of alcohol consumption.

                  • TheContrarian …
                    26 October 2012 at 3:43 pm

                    You miss the point. The branding isn’t making people to drink more.
                    Those boutique brands are frequently in the top price end so no one is drinking them to get plastered – it is the cheap liquors that people are getting plastered on, not $10.00 a bottle whisky porters – with or without a plain label

                    • fatty …
                      26 October 2012 at 3:50 pm

                      “You miss the point. The branding isn’t making people to drink more.”

                      No, I get your point…my point is that branding contributes to the image of alcohol which creates a society where alcohol is embedded in our culture. Removing branding is part of the way we can reduce the normalisation of alcohol.
                      I get your point, branding isn’t making people drink more directly…but it is part of the problem.

                  • Populuxe1 …
                    26 October 2012 at 3:44 pm

                    It’s a very big part of all consumption; the only reason I buy generic brands is because they’re cheaper. Fiddling with branding only affects the brand you choose, not the product all together.

                  • The Baron …
                    26 October 2012 at 3:48 pm

                    No, branding is a very big part of alcohol MARKETING AND COMPETITION.

                    Show me a link, ANY LINK AT ALL, that backs up your claim.

                    • McFlock …
                      26 October 2012 at 3:55 pm

                      lol
                         
                      So branding in now way affects the size of the pie, it just affects how big each player’s piece is? 

                    • The Baron …
                      26 October 2012 at 3:58 pm

                      Arguing an assertion via a question still doesn’t work when it includes confusing spelling mistakes.

                      Onus on you to back up your policy prescription, pal – I’m not the one making things up on the hoof.

                    • fatty …
                      26 October 2012 at 4:20 pm

                      The typo from McFlock probably shouldn’t be too confusing…’now’ should be ‘no’.
                      Do you care to answer McFlock’s question, or are you gonna stick with your ‘I can’t understand’ position?…does marketing increase the size of the pie, or does it not?..sound’s like you made that one up on the hoof.

                      Here’s a link for you about how marketing, including labels, increasing consuption

                    • fatty …
                      26 October 2012 at 4:21 pm

                      shit! typo alert!!!

                      That last word should be consumption, not consuption.
                      Let me know if you can’t get your head around that…I can redo the post if its too confusing

                    • McFlock …
                      26 October 2012 at 4:31 pm

                      typows. Deal with it.

                      Anyway, quick google brought up an old Alcohol Healthwatch paper talking about (among other things) liquor industry marketing strategies, brand attachment development and so on, and it’s reasonably well referenced. 
                             
                      But really, I agree with your point: branding is about marketing and competition. A key strategy in marketing is to find new markets and increase consumption in current markets. And beat your competition to them. 
                           
                      Essentially, you’re arguing that liquor industry marketing (including brand labelling) revolves around competing for relative portions of a static market. Frankly, if that were true, their marketing managers are idiots. 

                    • The Baron …
                      26 October 2012 at 4:37 pm

                      Thanks for providing a link. I have skimmed it – there is indeed plenty in here about the harm caused by alcohol advertising. In fact, all of the recommendations in this report relate to constraints on alcohol advertising.

                      We already restrict reasonably heavily how alcohol can be advertised here NZ. I am I’m not arguing that these restrictions aren’t warranted.

                      I see however nothing in here about alcohol branding itself as a factor separate from advertising – or nothing that relates to the original topic of this conversation, plain packaging.

                      My point remains – removing packaging is a dumbass idea with no evidence that it would change anything. I don’t like legislation on ANYTHING being made on dumb ideas, gut feels and best guesses – and neither should you. That’s a recipe for a pretty shitty democracy.

                    • TheContrarian …
                      26 October 2012 at 4:37 pm

                      While that is true – the market is not static, not all brands are competing for the same market.

                      Tui for example is aimed at a much different market the Renaissance for example.

                      Tui has promotions like getting a free pizza if you buy 24, basically targeting people to drink more of their product whereas Renaissance aims at those who want to drink a single, albeit larger, beer for taste an experience therefore they do not sell in large quantities such as 24 packs.

                      So not all branding is created equal, unlike tobacco because a cigarette is a cigarette and there is very little difference in how they wish you to consume their product.

                      So the arguement for plain packing on alcohol is not equivalent to the same argument for tobacco packaging.

                    • McFlock …
                      26 October 2012 at 5:12 pm

                      TB – there was a small section on the establishment of brand allegiance, with references.
                         
                      TC – tobacco is a diverse product. Snuff, snus, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, and cigars, all with different flavours and infused with different substances. The mechanism which made the bulk of sales to be tailies with minor variation in the last hundred years is the same mechanism that encourages companies to cover up harm their products cause, makes fast food a major food source, and makes the difference between a north island beer and an otago beer the amount of caramelised sugar in the vat. 
                           
                       

                • McFlock …
                  26 October 2012 at 3:44 pm

                  But surely their differentiation is in their quality, not the label?
                       
                  And bear in mind that heavy drinkers would constitute a large proportion of the consumption, so basically all the money spent on branding must be spent in mind that it’s ignoring that core group.
                         
                  Indeed, on that basis Tui marketing in particular seems to concentrate on moderate drinking by high-end consumers who make consumption choices based on quality [yeah, right]. And I take it you know the link between packaging and advertising as brand strategy, i.e. that the packaging should cue the emotions experienced from the other advertising? 

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    26 October 2012 at 5:00 pm

                    For a certain type, it’s the badge on the sportscar which counts, you know.

                    • Populuxe1 …
                      26 October 2012 at 5:25 pm

                      There’s usually a reason behind that, however

                    • RedBaron …
                      26 October 2012 at 7:13 pm

                      Surely your female friends have told you that sportscars are the ultimate in dodgy packaging and false advertising. The contents are usually many, many times older than the pack. In some cases the inner is almost preserved.

                      BTW if one goes for the wagon wheel packaging does that mean driving down the old coach road.

                      Why don’t cigarette companies have to put free nicotine patches with each pack?

            • fatty 5.3.2.1.1.2
              26 October 2012 at 3:36 pm

              “If you really think just changing a bottle to a plain package is going to change social attitudes to alcohol then you seriously kidding your self”

              No, I don’t think that and I never said that…I actually said the opposite

          • The Baron 5.3.2.1.2
            26 October 2012 at 3:24 pm

            No, its about wowsers who want to stop people from having a drink at a reasonable price. And all those wowsers are in the Labour party.

            You think the electorate wont notice what colour rosette was responsible for 8pm closing of the bottle stores? Or the minimum price of a bottle of wine being $16? Or any number of other brain farts in this thread?

            Come back when you’ve got some research and evidence to back up your policy. I’m not going to ask anyone in advertising – these aren’t my bright ideas, and I don’t think the public is that stupid. YOU do. So onus on you.

            • Colonial Viper 5.3.2.1.2.1
              26 October 2012 at 4:24 pm

              Key listened to you when he went soft on drink driving.

              • The Baron …
                26 October 2012 at 4:39 pm

                Again, when he went soft on the lack of evidence to support the need for change?

                Blinkers off CV. I’m no Key fan – I am a fan though of decisions and legislation based on evidence and need, not slogans and moronic assertions.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  26 October 2012 at 5:02 pm

                  Key made this decision on the basis of “evidence”?

                  Yes, evidence from the alcohol barons.

        • millsy 5.3.2.2
          27 October 2012 at 1:55 am

          The right also has its wowswers — they just dont like poor people drinking. Or young people. Or females.

    • North 5.4
      26 October 2012 at 10:58 pm

      Well Adrain your coffee, your tea, your porridge, your etc etc etc doesn’t actually bloody kill you.

      What a dickhead. Talk about thick, dissembling thinking.

      • Bob 5.4.1
        27 October 2012 at 4:35 am

        North, you state “Well Adrain your coffee, your tea, your porridge, your etc etc etc doesn’t actually bloody kill you”, wrong, caffeine is toxic at high doses and has been linked to certain types of cancers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine so lets wrap that in plain packaging, that’ll fix the problem. Eating large amounts of chocolate can result in theobromine poisoning, why isn’t this in plain packaging too? Potatoes, tomatoes, rhubarb, apples, cherries and almonds can all be toxic, plain packaging for them as well then.

        Plain packaging could be used as a last resort (like they are doing with tobacco even though I still don’t agree with that), but should not be even thought of as a first port of call. Why don’t we just ban packaging more than 4 beers together at the shelf (no more boxes of 12/24 encouraging over consumption), and only allow 1 or 2 bottle/s of wine per person at point of sale? It won’t stop people buying more, but makes it harder which discourages excess drinking. Much more than plain packaging anyway!

  6. Rich 6
    26 October 2012 at 11:48 am

    They *do* sell wine in bottles with plain labels. They’re called cleanskins, and are a kind of lottery as to whether you get a decent bottle of plonk.

    • Lightly 6.1
      26 October 2012 at 12:52 pm

      cleanskins aren’t what’s being talked about. Plain packaged cigarettes will still say what brand and type they are.

  7. Steve Wrathall 7
    26 October 2012 at 12:30 pm

    How about plain packaging on all socialist propaganda, except for the warning label: “Harmful to your health, liberty, etc”

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1
      26 October 2012 at 1:16 pm

      Because that would be a lie which is against the rules. Although, it could be applied to RWNJ propaganda.

      [lprent: Lying is not against the rules here. Who in the hell can absolutely say what is a lie and what is not?

      However not arguing about it and effectively treating such a statement as being absolute irrefutable fact by an act of faith would be against the rules. That also includes most arguments that wind up as “because I said so” rather than “because that is my opinion” (often with it’s subtext of “because I only looked at things that reinforced that opinion”) which is invariably what people mean.

      Of course the derision caused by knowingly putting forward a self-evident falsehood is usually pretty intense… Why do you think that The Contrarian gets so much action.]

    • Uturn 7.2
      26 October 2012 at 1:23 pm

      Could have done with that years ago. I was addicted. Back then everyone was into it, slogan this, slogan that, groups of people at parties swapping free slogans. Of course it was just a gateway into the hard stuff, open discussion, free thought and examining ideas. Pretty soon everything made sense, people were smiling and co-operating, communities shared resources. Sometimes I’d wake up full of optimism. Ruined my life, it did.

      But it doesn’t have to be that way. Thanks to the neo-liberal revolution, I see I was just repressing my desire to hate the poor and vulnerable. No attack is too cowardly, no interest is too selfish. Now I set myself free by imprisoning others, find confidence in the oppression of the less able. Don’t let socialist propaganda trick you into thinking life can be good. It’s not worth it.

  8. TheContrarian 8
    26 October 2012 at 12:35 pm

    Perhaps all politicians should be plain packaged?

    Grey jumpsuits for all.

  9. Urban Rascal 9
    26 October 2012 at 12:40 pm

    I actually like abit of colour and design in my life. Nothing is as drull and orwellian in my mind as a bottle store with the same bland labels.
    I look with disdain on people overreaching their rights to dictate to smokers and drinkers what their product can look like. A gold embossed cardboard might not mean much to you but it’s a beautiful design element to me and who are you to tell me that graphic design/advertising doesn’t inherently beautify the bland and boring?

  10. Populuxe1 10
    26 October 2012 at 12:41 pm

    This is such a bunch of sanctimonious bullshit wowserism. It’s bad enough the pearl-clutchers in Parliament have reduced me to feeling like I’m getting methadone whenever I want to pick up some cigarettes if I feel like a night out, but I fail to see how being able to identify a decent Pinot Grigio from a mediocre Sav Blanc can possibly offend your your sense of social justice – nor should cigarette packaging either. Haven’t you got something important to do, like criticising this government’s treatment of workers and the unemployed for example? And in any case, the ads are not terribly subtle, their origin is clearly lampshaded, and as far as I’m concerned they’re no different to MAF putting out ads attacking the govt’s proposed changes to the WOF.

    • Lightly 10.1
      26 October 2012 at 12:54 pm

      I don’t think anyone’s seriously talking about plain packaging booze. Zet’s just pointing out that the cancermongers’ ‘slippery slope’ isn’t as terrible as they make out.

    • vto 10.2
      26 October 2012 at 1:05 pm

      “This is such a bunch of sanctimonious bullshit wowserism. ”

      Exactly.

      Though I suppose plain labelling could be done so that it becomes a colouring-in label. That would make more sense as these over-bearing wanker wowsers treat everyone else like children. The truth is that it is they who are the children.

    • Draco T Bastard 10.3
      26 October 2012 at 1:18 pm

      but I fail to see how being able to identify a decent Pinot Grigio from a mediocre Sav Blanc

      I suggest learning to read.

      • Colonial Viper 10.3.1
        26 October 2012 at 1:49 pm

        P1 buys his alcohol by how flashy the pacaging is

        • Populuxe1 10.3.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 3:31 pm

          Actually no, I like good design and I rely on distinctive packaging in order to identify my preferred tipple without wasting time. I suppose if you drink good old proletarian Meths it probably doesn’t matter so much.

      • Populuxe1 10.3.2
        26 October 2012 at 3:28 pm

        It’s called hyperbole. It’s a rhetorical technique. I’m sorry if that’s too much for you.

  11. vto 11
    26 October 2012 at 2:05 pm

    I propose alcohol-free days like Muldoon did with cars.

    This would bring down alcohol consumption and mean less violence.

  12. vto 12
    26 October 2012 at 2:06 pm

    I propose minimum pricing for alcohol because most alcohol is drunk by the poor.

    The rich don’t get violent or abusive or drink too much so they die early.

  13. vto 13
    26 October 2012 at 2:07 pm

    I propose alcohol stamps, limiting the quantity each person can have each week.

    About a six-pack is what I think people need per week.

    • David H 13.1
      26 October 2012 at 3:00 pm

      I dunno, personally the older I have got the less I drink, and its even less since I gave away the gaspers a few years ago.

      • The Baron 13.1.1
        26 October 2012 at 3:12 pm

        Thanks for using your poor lifestyle choices as a grounds for imposing a policy on everyone else then?

    • TheContrarian 13.2
      26 October 2012 at 3:09 pm

      “I propose alcohol stamps, limiting the quantity each person can have each week.
      About a six-pack is what I think people need per week.”

      People don’t ‘need’ any. What are you are suggesting borders on fascism.

      Though thank you for deciding how much alcohol I am allowed to drink. Me, who has never been arrested, hurt anyone, stolen anything, or done anything other than have a good time when drinking.

      • vto 13.2.1
        26 October 2012 at 3:18 pm

        whooosh ……. was trying to use ridicule to expose the exact thing you describe mr contrarian, namely other people making decisions about one’s own life in matters entirely personal.

        now, off to the bottlie. though I’m now a bit worried all the pretty labels will make me drink more

  14. vto 14
    26 October 2012 at 2:07 pm

    Ban alcohol.

    That would mean less violence.

  15. vto 15
    26 October 2012 at 2:08 pm

    I know, got it at long last.

    Ban violence!

  16. Rich 16
    26 October 2012 at 3:20 pm

    How about quality rules, like the Reinheitsgebot? All alcoholic drinks would have to meet certain minimal standards of production quality and pass a taste test.

    This is of course, a more aesthetic way of ensuring that the rich can drink what they want and the prolescum can’t. Much more aesthetic than e.g. having a drinking license only granted to higher rate taxpayers and their dependents.

  17. Iris 17
    26 October 2012 at 3:32 pm

    Hang in there!

    Am with you 100%!

    Crazy Love you!

  18. Iris 18
    26 October 2012 at 3:38 pm

    I see you. Love you too.

  19. Iris 19
    26 October 2012 at 4:18 pm

    Hey honeybun, I just thought I would just let you know, again, that I love you.

    You are my child, my ‘only’ child and I will not lose you- ever.

    Final.

  20. infused 20
    26 October 2012 at 6:50 pm

    More of an idiot that I thought. If you’re a cheap ass, maybe you don’t care. Cool, stfu.

  21. Bill 21
    26 October 2012 at 7:28 pm

    So everyone reading or commenting here is literate. Obviously.

    But for a very large minority of people who can’t read or write, packaging is the only way they have of identifying products or a particular quality of product – via recognition of a brand’s distinctive packaging. Jist sayin.

    Then again. Packaging, rather than the labels they carry, consumes a fuck of a lot of the cost of production with regards some products and is nothing more than manufactured pollution. Tic-tac anyone?

  22. kiwicommie 22
    26 October 2012 at 9:56 pm

    Make alcohol prohibitively expensive and it will end up like in the days of US alcohol prohibition (with home brewing and gangs selling alcohol) or the ‘war on drugs’. Banning all advertising is an interesting idea though, maybe they can start with those annoying TV ads. xD

    • xtasy 22.1
      27 October 2012 at 4:12 am

      ONLY under the condition we have full right blown REVOLUTION and change this crap society! Otherwise your suggestion is perversion, often perpetrated by religious zealots, not allowing AnY escapy or consolation, making the collaborators to NAZI like systems, same as the present capitalist system. I wish all you screwed up pc obsessed lefties would get real and roll into the suburbs where the shit happens, but you are largley white, middle class liberal lefties, wanting to tell others how they should bloody live. That make you no better than the nazi pc right wing arse holes, to be honest. Take a damned hike and offer some real jobs, training and opportunities rather than rubbish the proletarian last escape. You are just more social NAZIS!

  23. ShonKeyScrubPants 23
    26 October 2012 at 11:16 pm

    I want to see every Bottle / Can display a clear picture of a smashed up car & warnings outlining the dangers associated with the consumption of alcohol

  24. xtasy 24
    27 October 2012 at 4:07 am

    WHY not drink yourselves to death, as the future is not looking great and thrilling, or even prosperous. What is all this fuss about? Have another one, drink, drink and be merry, as there will be NO tomorrow worth living in, given the crap we get day in and out! Id rather be dead tomorrow than put up with more crap week by week, as my life is a shit life, not worth living for at all anymore, thank you Hone Key, Wanker and SS merchant!

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  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

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    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

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    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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