NRT: There is too much money in our politics

Written By: - Date published: 3:27 pm, May 6th, 2015 - 60 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, election 2014, greens, labour, national, political parties, Politics, same old national - Tags: , , ,

no-right-turn-256Reposted from No Right Turn

The Electoral Commission released political parties 2014 donation returns yesterday. DPF has the usual breakdown here. The highlights:

  • National raised twice as much money as Labour and the Greens combined. They received significant funding from Auckland property develops and real estate agents. Which might explain why they’re opposed to doing anything about the Auckland housing bubble.
  • the Greens out-fundraised Labour for the first time. This hasn’t come at the cost of Labour – they raised slightly more money than they did in 2011 – but it suggests that the Greens have got a far more organised fundraising infrastructure than they did in the past. The Green’s donors were mostly MPs, as usual. Labour, as befits a labour party, was primarily funded by unions.
  • No-one accepted money from SkyCity this time.
  • the total amount raised (and presumably spent on getting elected) by parties last year was $14.36 million – over twice the $5.5 million raised in 2011. Even discounting the crazy millionaires, the amount of money raised by the parties has still increased by more than 40%.

The latter point is the most disturbing. Our political system is awash with money. There is clearly an arms race going on where the largest party is trying to spend everyone else into the ground. But this creates a perception of corruption and cynicism about our democracy. If we want to protect the latter and ensure a level playing field, we need to eliminate private money from the political system and replace it with public funding.

60 comments on “NRT: There is too much money in our politics ”

  1. whateva next? 1

    Money seems to have taken the priority over connection to voters….but was it money that brought about the “spirit of 45” reforms in the UK? or a groundswell against corruption?
    Money is needed for infrastructure of course, but seems like we have fallen for the Nats believing money is the KEY.

  2. Detrie 2

    Agree. Still, we’re not as bad as the US where politics is basically run by the wealthy, telling lies upon more lies to get a vote both at national and state level. Here’s the definition. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/plutocrat

    Yes we still have a democracy, of sorts, but we don’t make the rules. Chris Hedges in the US did a disturbing expose a while back. Something we need to keep an eye upon here.

    https://youtu.be/EfmiCLYweTQ

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligarchy

    • Draco T Bastard 2.1

      Of course we have a class system. Representative Democracy was designed to leave the class system in place while giving the illusion of power to the people:

      In order to do this, the Patriot leaders of the Revolution used ‘a language inspiring to all classes, specific enough in its listing of grievances to charge people with anger against the British, vague enough to avoid class conflict among the rebels, and stirring enough to build a patriotic feeling for the resistance movement’ (1999: 68). But this was a difiicult game for the Patriot leaders to play because it required a balancing act, maintaining broadly popular support for the War of Independence and Revolution by appealing to universal notions of liberty and democracy, on one hand, while simultaneously defending the sanctity of property and the rule of a rich capitalist minority, on the other.

      History of Democracy by B. Roper.

  3. Draco T Bastard 3

    Which might explain why they’re opposed to doing anything about the Auckland housing bubble.

    That and the land bankers on the outskirts of Auckland rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the tax free capital gains that they’re going to get as National push the borders of Auckland city further and further out against the wishes of most Aucklanders.

    But this creates a perception of corruption and cynicism about our democracy.

    Oh, IMO, it’s not just a perception. Our democracy is being thoroughly corrupted by the rich as they buy our politicians outright or via lobbyists preventing the majority of people being heard.

    If we want to protect the latter and ensure a level playing field, we need to eliminate private money from the political system and replace it with public funding.

    QFT

    And each party to have the same funding available to them no matter their size or voter support so as to ensure that they’re on a level playing field. Make sure that all parties have the same capability to get their views out.

    • Wayne 3.1

      I guess you mean Internet/Mana as the bought party

      • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1

        Internet Mana weren’t running Cabinet Clubs to give access to ministers at $5000 a pop. Nor were they giving out Honours to restaurateurs for hosting dinners at $5000 per person which then got agglomerated into one donation allowing the donors to remain anonymous.

        That was all National.

        • Wayne 3.1.1.1

          Not much influence can be bought for $5,000 compared to $3,500,000.

          • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.1.1

            A hell of a lot more actually as it’s direct to the minister while having a face to face about laws and policies. Meanwhile, the $3m that KDC donated fully transparently has had no effect upon the laws at all.

            And, no, I don’t like the fact of $3m donations. The maximum amount should be $1000 per year per person if we don’t go to full public funding.

            • Realblue 3.1.1.1.1.1

              “Has had no effect on laws”, it had no effect on the election result other than the removal of the excreble Hone Harawira. A roaring success in my opinion. Seriously though if money has no effect, why was Mana drooling at the prospect of KDC and his millions. In the hands of competent people that money would have been, to use the well worn phrase “a game changer” sadly competence and Mana are mutually exclusive.

              • Murray Rawshark

                As opposed by the competence of NAct, who can’t even seem to help selecting people under police investigation for dubious activities and then cost the country heaps for a byelection? Or have a Minister of Climate Change who considers facts to be refutable? Or revere a leader who can neither keep his hands to himself nor tell the truth?

                I’ll take the “execrable” Hone Harawira over any of your right honourable lying and ignorant dung beetles.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.1.1.2

            One seat for each company staff member in attendance – the money all from the same source – and those numbers add up pretty quickly. Of course the big spenders get more face time, don’t they.

            Stop pretending you don’t know how it works, Dr. Mapp. You a law commissioner and all.

            • Tracey 3.1.1.1.2.1

              and the media excluded meeting of select companies hosted by elected reps of aussie and nz… politicalky neutral naturally

          • Tracey 3.1.1.1.3

            What about the influence Alan and Jenny Gibbs over the years, they must have purchased quite a bit by your “reasoning”.

          • Tracey 3.1.1.1.4

            Are you saying there was only 1 Cabinet club Wayne? That’s very misleading of you.

          • newsense 3.1.1.1.5

            so what you are saying is that we need to bring in a provision in the consumer guarantees act for those trying to buy influence through Cabinet Clubs and in fact getting taken for a ride and receiving 2/5ths of fuck all?

            Those people were lead to believe that in a low-wage, low-price economy like NZ $5000 actually meant a lot to an MP and minister. Are there larger amounts of money coming in from elsewhere that make Kiwis attempts at buying influence ridiculously small?

          • DoublePlusGood 3.1.1.1.6

            The $3.5 million was transparent. No problem with that, you can see really clearly and obviously where the money came from and you are able to draw your own conclusions as to what influence might be placed on the party from that funding source. (Indeed, with Dotcom, so obvious that no one can really claim that it’s secret who is financing the party). It’s also really clear for matters of conflicts of interest.
            By contrast, Cabinet Club obfuscates who is financing the National Party, so it is not fully transparent as to who seeks to influence National. As a result the public cannot be assured that there are no conflicts of interest undeclared, and the public are not fully aware of who may have influenced policy.

        • alwyn 3.1.1.2

          “restaurateurs for hosting dinners at $5000 per person which then got agglomerated into one donation allowing the donors to remain anonymous.”

          That shows a total misunderstanding of the law. If there had been no “agglomeration” there would have been no need to declare the donation at all, except as merely part of the general category of small amounts. There would not have been a single donation of a hundred thousand or so, that has to be declared specifically, but a series of $5,000 donations that do not have to be individually identified at all.
          Instead of a single line in the return that said there were 658 donations between $1,500 and $5,000 there would have been 669 (I think there were 11 people at the dinner concerned). The donors would have been even more anonymous.

          • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.2.1

            But does the agglomerated money count towards the total donation by a single person that needs to be declared?

            A series of donations, or contributions of more than $1,500 to donations, made by one person that adds up to more than $15,000 must also be declared.

            Because if it doesn’t then individual donors could remain anonymous despite the rules saying that they need to be declared.

            • alwyn 3.1.1.2.1.1

              I assume you are suggesting that someone gave $12,000 in their own name and $5,000 via a meal?

              I think that they would have to be declared, if the total by any individual came to more that $15,000. If they didn’t have to we would still have the situation where you could have something like the Waitemata Trust (I think it was called) that could simply gather up donations and pass them on in bulk.
              That has been banned and I don’t see any difference to the agglomeration by the restaurant owner. (I’m not a lawyer so I don’t claim any particular authority for this argument).
              There might be a debate about who supplied the goods I suppose but I will definitely leave that argument to the lawyers. He might run a good restaurant but I can’t believe that $5,000 was not above fair market price. Again that not counting as a donation to the party would allow a Trust to accept the donation money in return for a lollypop and keep secrecy wouldn’t it?
              ps. I originally suggested 11 donors. If the amount was $5,000 each and the total was over $100k there would have to have been at least 20 wouldn’t there?

              • Draco T Bastard

                So what we’d need to see is the records of the restaurant or National showing that did actually keep those details of the agglomerations (there was more than one instance of this type of thing).

                Then there’s the fact that we have to confront the ethics of such raising of monies as it really is face time with the minister. IMO, such needs to be banned because people should not get preferential treatment to see ministers because they happen to have made a large donation/went to an expensive organised event.

      • Murray Rawshark 3.1.2

        Once again, you guess wrong.

      • Stuart Munro 3.1.3

        Perhaps – National though has clearly long since SOLD it’s last shreds of dignity – cuddling up to pedophiles… selling NZ to China… whoring our soldiers out to the phoney war in Syria… National has become an abusive party suitable for a country with low self-esteem – and its traditional supporters must be ashamed of them.

  4. Tracey 4

    ACT is still the Gibbs party I see…. Between Jenny and Alan…

  5. Anne 5

    There is clearly an arms race going on where the largest party is trying to spend everyone else into the ground.

    Of course. Its gone on for decades and is the reason why National is in power more than Labour. It’s a case of the rich whose chief obsession is to grow richer… so they ply the party who is going to make them richer with even more money. While Labour tries to play the same game they are always going to be on the losing side.

    …this creates a perception of corruption and cynicism about our democracy. If we want to protect the latter and ensure a level playing field, we need to eliminate private money from the political system and replace it with public funding.

    To begin with, only politicos care about democracy. The masses don’t really know what democracy is. As a result, cynicism of the system is applied by them across the political spectrum. The Labour Party and its allies have been rabbiting on about the need for public funding since the beginning of time. Nothing happens.

    Labour can’t and never will be able to match the Nats when it comes to money. But what Labour does have is a diverse across the board membership (and supporters) including many very clever individuals whose expertise in various fields could be of great value to them. Problem is they rarely get a look in, and their advice is frequently ignored. After a month of major controversies you would think the Opposition parties would have had a ball in the House yesterday. Instead, Labour was insipid and I’m not sure the Greens and NZ First were much better. Andrew Little started so well but he has not been firing on all cylinders for a long time now.

    Time to get going again Andrew otherwise you’re going to be left behind!

    • jenny kirk 5.1

      Zero hours for workers at Parliament – 9am this morning.
      Gone by 5pm this afternoon. Andrew Little on the ball !

      • Anne 5.1.1

        I’ve been out most of the day jenny so if that is correct, I’m really pleased to hear it. Don’t let up for a minute Andrew. There’s plenty of punches to land on the bastards. Don’t give em a chance to come up for air from now through to 2017!

  6. Puckish Rogue 6

    This is bollix, if people thought Labour were worth supporting they’d support it, hell even the Greens managed to raise more but now you want public money to make it fair?

    How much money did Labour raise in the 60s, 70s or 80s, more or less than today? I’d guess more so it suggests that Labours chickens have finally (finacially) come home to roost

    You want to raise more than you better go out and ask for it, Mike Williams managed it for Helen Clark or are your collective memories so bad you forget that?

    Little says Labours good for business, well let him prove by raising some money or is he all talk?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 6.1

      That’s me convinced: get the bribery out of politics. This witless gimp thinks it’s ok for MPs to do their own fundraising.

    • Tracey 6.2

      ” I’d guess”

      rather than google or try to find the truth…

      LOTS of people donate to Labour and greens but they donate less, primarily because they earn substantially less. You can probably see how that can make for a disparity that is not related to numbers of donors per se?

      Ever wondered why the VERY wealth donate to National and ACT PR consistently and for huge amounts? Cos they know that 1 person 1 vote doesn’t work for them as well as 1 person donate enough money to manipulate lots of votes.

    • dukeofurl 6.3

      The Greens ‘raised more’ as they have compulsory tithing from their MPs.

    • Charles 6.4

      “…if people thought Labour were worth supporting they’d support it, hell even the Greens managed to raise more but now you want public money to make it fair?…”

      No one said it was fair, or that it had to be fair. There is no universal equivalence of value between what people morally support and what they throw money at – either one way or the other. The idea of public funding is to reduce the propensity to “game the system”. In this case, risk reduction doesn’t make something “more fair”, it makes it “less easily corruptable”.

    • DoublePlusGood 6.5

      You assume that people who support Labour have enough money to support a particular party. Essentially the end result of your ideology is that politics gets to be only for the wealthy.

  7. Sanctuary 7

    You can’t bitch about Whanua ora getting large amounts of public cash and then turn around and support political parties getting large amounts of public cash with a similar lack of oversight.

    State funding of politically parties will simply reinforce their current status of cut off, elite cadre organisations and make them even less dependent on voters and even more remote from the concerns of ordinary citizens.

    Sure, ban ALL funding off political parties from third parties. But then if you do bring in state funding link it to total, paid up membership. So cap the total you can charge for membership (say $100 PA) and for, say, every member you might get a $50 top up from the taxpayer every year. 20,000 members paying an average of $25 PA each = $500,000 plus an additional $1,000,000 top up plus something for poll figures ($10K per percentage point averaged out over the year? So Labour would get $250,000, National $500,000 extra?). ACT would lose out big time – 550 members would get them $55,000 plus $5,000 for their .5% in the polls. No more Alan Gibbs for them…

    FORCING political parties to recruit new members, and keep them happy, will automatically lead to better parties and bigger parties, and better and bigger parties will have better candidates and better policies.

    • lprent 7.1

      Agreed. If a political party has no members then it doesn’t exist.

      But I’d go for an even more radical procedure. Only allow money to be raised from members, and cap the amount at something that is very low, like a few percent of median income per annum.

      Make the membership lists and the donations public, or at least given to the electoral commission (in the latter case make any commission employees or past employees get a mandatory year in prison for a conviction for disclosing details, and for any person receiving, reading, or processing those details).

      Don’t allow *any* other fundraising including fund-raising of goods and services.

      I’d bet that would tend to clean up undue influence issues and to provide an incentive to improve median incomes.

      • b waghorn 7.1.1

        Full transparency is the only way to stop power/money hungry shit bags twisted the system and buying influence. Imo

      • Pasupial 7.1.2

        That proposal seems quite thorough. But it does miss the situations where ex-MPs (and other former government office holders) get high paying employment at the end of their period of “public” service, in lieu of a campaign donation upfront. Also, any change to political donations will have to be instituted by politicians who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo cash flow.

      • Liberal Realist 7.1.3

        +1

        In addition, a public transparent registry of all lobbyists, full disclosure of what is being lobbied for, why, when and who they’re lobbying for.

        • gsays 7.1.3.1

          here here liberal,
          i have long said a transparent lobbying register of who where when and how much.
          this is to include meals trips and bottles of wine etc.

      • RedBaronCV 7.1.4

        I’d modify that a bit to allow parties to take heavily capped donations from individuals only and maybe those who are citizens and eligible to vote in the next election or something similar.
        Personally to get elected I think you should have to traipse around every two bit freezing hall in the country to speak to real people. Not just stay in that sanitised TV studio.

    • Gosman 7.2

      Why would anyone on the right of the political spectrum support that proposed change to electoral finance laws?

      • Macro 7.2.1

        Because they want to live in a democracy?/sarc

        • Gosman 7.2.1.1

          Ummm… denying people the right to support the politicial party of their choice through a monetary donation of an amount that they want to give doesn’t seem to be terribly democratic. Neither does the State funding existing political parties leading to any new parties having a barrier to entry.

          • Macro 7.2.1.1.1

            On the contrary allowing the wealthy to buy elections is precisely undemocratic. But allowing everyone an equal voice through equal funding is precisely what democracy is all about. As always you have very little understanding of what it means to live in a truly democratic society. Your perception is based upon your experience of living in what we now have which is an oligarchy, if not a plutocracy.

  8. Rosie 8

    Ha! What did I say yesterday? Developers- cabinet -club- palm- greasing- b*stards!

    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-05052015/#comment-1010038

    No wonder Nick Smith had his grumpy face on yesterday threatening to over ride the council and go ahead with SHA’s in Akld. Might as well be honest and say”we have a responsibility to our shareholders, er, um I mean developer mates who fund us”.

  9. dukeofurl 9

    Strangely Key, donated $30,000 in 2008 but doesnt seem to have repeated the offer

  10. Wayne 10

    Although National had the most money, the majority of it was not big donations.

    The reality is that National has a large membership base, significantly more so than Labour. Most of the money comes from members, not just the annual fee, but campaign donations, lunches, breakfasts, etc. It is simply expected that if you perceived as a person who can contribute, then you should. Peer pressure and all that.

    But you don’t expect anything for it other than that National will win, Not guaranteed of course.

    But no-one is going to support National (or indeed any other party) unless the party’s policies and values largely align with their own.

    So it is not that National is cravenly doing the bidding of property investors or anyone else for that matter. National for 80 years has opposed a CGT, because National is a relatively low tax party and believes in free enterprise. People know that and support it accordingly.

    Of course those more on the right think National is too centrist and therefore support ACT, a point made vociferously to me by ACT supporters.

    Naturally I don’t expect any of the usual contributors to believe any of this, because you all know that National is evil and corrupt.

    • Skinny 10.1

      Human nature says what is in it for me, your piss taking about Nat donations, Judith Collins rewarded her sponsors.

      Of note is the vast difference of who benefits most from political donations given by business and Unions (workers). Individuals from the business sector stand to gain significant profiteering while workers achieve minimal gains, crumbs in comparison. It is quite sickening the way the Right howl at Unions funding Labour, the Greens and too a lesser extent NZF.

    • Such a quaint view you present here for us, Wayne.

      I know how corrupt Nats can be and witnessed first hand the appalling shenanigans that ensued in Levin many years ago in early 1970’s to keep useless Nat Minister Allan McCready in office when he was challenged for electorate nomination by a very able Shannon constituent whom I was vocal about supporting.. (Shame to say I was then a young Nat, out of sheer boredom.)

      I was threatened in person and by phone. Businesses I and another colleague were closely associated with had large orders for rural equipment worth thousands of dollars cancelled the day of the electorate meeting. Anonymous phone calls said it was just the beginning of our problems unless we voted for McCready to maintain the Nat nomination in the electorate.

      Neither of us voted. MacCready was re-nominated as votes were disguised and mis-counted.

      Please don’t get me started on the filth of it all. Keep your quaint view going Wayne .. I’m sure you are a decent man, but open your eyes for heaven’s sake !

    • DoublePlusGood 10.3

      “The reality is that National has a large membership base, significantly more so than Labour”
      Actually it means that National has a larger membership base of people who can splash a $1000-plus donation without worrying about whether that means they now can’t afford to live.

    • freedom 10.4

      “not big donations”

      Not sure what world you live in any more, most kiwis still live in New Zealand, but perhaps you have residency now on Planet Key? For folks in these parts, $100,000 is a pretty big donation. Antoine’s really loves NAtional huh!

      But it wasn’t really from Antoine’s was it Wayne? Even after Antoine’s admitted selling individual seats and no doubt clawed back every cent of tax it could from the costs of the event, it still got listed as a lump sum donation from Antoine’s.

      I wonder if the IRD ever got around to checking up on that situation? nah, probably too busy chasing lawnmowers and window-washers and anyway, what does John key call it… oh yeah – “legitimate tax avoidance”!

      It must be nice to afford real accountants. Too bad for the hard working Jo working three jobs and juggling bills to find $50 for the mate’s kid who knows how to work MYOB. What a sucker eh! Working so hard to meet broken promise G.S.T. rates, and find the cash for the growing ‘donation required’ total at their kid’s school, only to be hit with a roughly 300% increase in the govt cut of the annual hospo manager’s licence that helps the family scrape by. That spruce goose surplus sure has a lot to answer for.

      Yet there they are, day after day, still doing whatever it takes. Trying to pay the sky-rocketing rent, fill the car, or simply allow themselves three minutes of peace and quiet to figure out why a litre of milk is now $3.35 at the supermarket. Yup! 1 litre: $3.35. Lucky thing there are no dairy farmers who are members of the National Party. They could be seen to be profiteering from the intensification of Dairy eh! People might start to think all sorts of things. Oh is the payout dropping again? Those poor farmers who overstocked and planned on greed not common sense. That’s ok though, the silver lining is as tough to remove as the seal on that $3.35 litre of milk. What silver lining ?? the one where the costs of losses and gains both get covered by the modern consumer. Which of course means that extortionary retail price of $3.35 for one litre of milk is about to jump even higher. Too bad for the farmers who can’t handle the drop though, but that’s ok, those lovely new banks that Jenny and Don run will be there to catch everyone, so that’s nice.

      Meanwhile, back at Antoine’s, the money donated was collected from the anonymous donors who simply paid $5k a head for a dinner. Or was it $10k? Or was that the other dinner a couple of weeks later? Maybe it was the Cabinet Club lunches the previous Tuesday I am confusing it with.

      It must be easy to tell yourself these are just small donations, and they are of course, when looked at as individual acts. Who doesn’t have a spare $5k to throw into the bucket every few weeks. But they are not individual acts are they Wayne, they are complex and manipulative programmes of deception, where hundreds of thousands of dollars are donated time after time after time. Often from the same persons or organisations and the millions of dollars that accumulate are filtered through numerous similar opportunities so as to remain anonymous. How they keep track of it all and stay within the rules is really quite impressive. That is the bit your hypocritical Party Members really love though, to be seen to be following the rules.

      From dairy farming to building supplies, from water theft to insurance scams, from vertically integrated agricultural industries wholly owned by foreign interests to billionaires who need a hand building boats, it’s all golden and everything is fine, as long as you are seen to be acting within the rules.

      • thank you, freedom. as it is. exactly as it is.

      • Wayne 10.4.2

        Don’t know where you all get your image of the National Party from. But it is a long way from reality.

        The National Party has many tens of thousands of members. A very large percentage pay around $50 per year, but in election year will pay anywhere from around $100 to $1000 depending on their circumstances and their enthusiasm. So it is pretty easy to see why the donations return has the great percentage of money coming from people (mostly members) paying less than $1000.

        Of course there are some large donors just as there is with all other parties (possible exception of NZF) but they are all disclosed. Basically anything over over $1000 is disclosed.

        The current legislation on electoral finance and disclosure is essentially a consensus result of the parliament as a whole, though of course the Greens could have voted against.

  11. reason 11

    National like the torys in England is the party that looks after tax dodgers and rich criminals …… http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/8515361/Money-trail-leads-home-to-New-Zealand

    What the Nats say and what they actually do are two totally different things in many cases …..

    Pretending to be tough on crime yet opposing laws which would harm pedophiles ( and themselves ) is one of their worst examples ……. http://nzfirst.org.nz/news/government-spikes-removal-paedophile-name-suppression-bill

    Its hard to say if all the booze money which flows to National had anything to do with roastbusting not being a crime under this National Govt ………………

  12. SMILIN 12

    On the article its called” buying power” not funding or supporting your party as a democratic right
    All this old language that the nats use to create a sense of security for
    the SHEEPISH voters is BS a con and lies
    People such as Key are born liars and manipulators just look at his history and the Nat party is full of them.
    We need to be demanding about having all donations logged and in everyone’s face as NEWS so that the slimy bastards who manipulate the elections are tracked to the max and that the situation outlined about the housing boom are jammed as far up Keys butt until he tells the truth.

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    Hi,Before we talk about weird schools people choose to send their kids to, a few things on my mind. I adored the Ask Me Anything we did last week. Thanks for taking part. I love answering your weird and nosy questions, even questions about beans.I am excited and scared as Mister ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    13 hours ago
  • Another mother of a budget
    A National government would make spending cuts on a scale not seen since the 1990 – 96 Bolger government.That much was confirmed with the release of their Fiscal Plan on Friday.Government spending is currently high as a percentage of GDP — as high as it was during the Muldoon ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    16 hours ago
  • A crucial week starts as early voting opens in the NZ Elections … it’s been a ride so far. Are y...
    Chris Hipkins down with Covid, at least for 5 days isolation, National continue to obfuscate, ACT continues to double-down on the poor and Winston… well, he’s being Winston really. Voters beware: this week could be even more infuriating than the last. No Party is what they used to be ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    23 hours ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #39
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 24, 2023 thru Sat, Sep 30, 2023. Story of the Week We’re not doomed yet’: climate scientist Michael Mann on our last chance to save human civilisation The renowned US ...
    1 day ago
  • Clusterf**ck of Chaos.
    On the 11th of April 1945 advancing US forces liberated the Nazi concentration camp of Buchenwald near Weimar in Germany. In the coming days, under the order of General Patton, a thousand nearby residents were forced to march to the camp to see the atrocities that had been committed in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • The party of business deals with the future by pretending it isn’t coming
    Years and years ago, when Helen Clark was Prime Minister and John Key was gunning for her job, I had a conversation with a mate, a trader who knew John Key well enough to paint a helpful picture.It was many drinks ago so it’s not a complete one. But there’s ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • 2023 More Reading: September (+ Old Phuul update)
    Completed reads for September: The Lost Continent, by C.J. Cutcliffe Hyne Flatland, by Edwin Abbott All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque The Country of the Blind, by H.G. Wells The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles ...
    2 days ago
  • Losing The Left.
    Descending Into The Dark: The ideological cadres currently controlling both Labour and the Greens are forcing “justice”, “participation” and “democracy” to make way for what is “appropriate” and “responsible”. But, where does that leave the people who, for most of their adult lives, have voted for left-wing parties, precisely to ...
    2 days ago
  • The New “Emperor’s New Clothes”.
    “‘BUT HE HASN’T GOT ANYTHING ON,’ a little boy said ….. ‘But he hasn’t got anything on!’ the whole town cried out at last.”On this optimistic note, Hans Christian Andersen brings his cautionary tale of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” to an end.Andersen’s children’s story was written nearly two centuries ago, ...
    2 days ago
  • BRYCE EDWARDS: The vested interests shaping National Party policies
      Bryce Edwards writes – As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: A conundrum for those pushing racist dogma
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – The heavily promoted narrative, which has ramped up over the last six years, is that Maori somehow have special vulnerabilities which arise from outside forces they cannot control; that contemporary society fails to meet their needs. They are not receptive to messages and ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • CHRIS TROTTER:  The greater of two evils
    Not Labour: If you’re out to punish the government you once loved, then the last thing you need is to be shown evidence that the opposition parties are much, much worse.   Chris Trotter writes – THE GREATEST VIRTUE of being the Opposition is not being the Government. Only very ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 30
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Labour presented a climate manifesto that aimed to claim the high ground on climate action vs National, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Litanies, articles of faith, and being a beneficiary
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past two weeks.Friday 29Play it, ElvisElection Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Litanies, articles of faith, and being a beneficiary
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past two weeks.Friday 29Play it, ElvisElection Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The ‘Recession’ Has Been Called Off, But Some Households Are Still Struggling
    While the economy is not doing too badly in output terms, external circumstances are not favourable, and there is probably a sizeable group of households struggling because of rising interest rates.Last week’s announcement of a 0.9 percent increase in volume GDP for the June quarter had the commentariat backing down ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: The wrong direction
    This week the International Energy Association released its Net Zero Roadmap, intended to guide us towards a liveable climate. The report demanded huge increases in renewable generation, no new gas or oil, and massive cuts to methane emissions. It was positive about our current path, but recommended that countries with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • “Racism” becomes a buzz word on the campaign trail – but our media watchdogs stay muzzled when...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Oh, dear.  We have nothing to report from the Beehive. At least, we have nothing to report from the government’s official website. But the drones have not gone silent.  They are out on the election campaign trail, busy buzzing about this and that in the hope ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Play it, Elvis
    Election Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t have time for. You’re welcome, etc. Let us press on, etc. 1.  What did Christopher Luxon use to his advantage in ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Pure class warfare
    National unveiled its fiscal policy today, announcing all the usual things which business cares about and I don't. But it did finally tell us how National plans to pay for its handouts to landlords: by effectively cutting benefits: The biggest saving announced on Friday was $2b cut from the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Ask Me Anything about the week to Sept 29
    Photo by Anna Ogiienko on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for an hour, including:duelling fiscal plans from National and Labour;Labour cutting cycling spending while accusing National of being weak on climate;Research showing the need for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 29-September-2023
    Welcome to Friday and the last one for September. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Matt highlighted at the latest with the City Rail Link. On Tuesday, Matt covered the interesting items from Auckland Transport’s latest board meeting agendas. On Thursday, a guest post from Darren Davis ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • Protest at Parliament: The Reunion.
    Brian’s god spoke to him. He, for of course the Lord in Tamaki’s mind was a male god, with a mighty rod, and probably some black leathers. He, told Brian - “you must put a stop to all this love, hope, and kindness”. And it did please the Brian.He said ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Labour cuts $50m from cycleway spending
    Labour is cutting spending on cycling infrastructure while still trying to claim the higher ground on climate. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Labour Government released a climate manifesto this week to try to claim the high ground against National, despite having ignored the Climate Commission’s advice to toughen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Greater Of Two Evils.
    Not Labour: If you’re out to punish the government you once loved, then the last thing you need is to be shown evidence that the opposition parties are much, much worse.THE GREATEST VIRTUE of being the Opposition is not being the Government. Only very rarely is an opposition party elected ...
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #39 2023
    Open access notables "Net zero is only a distraction— we just have to end fossil fuel emissions." The latter is true but the former isn't, or  not in the real world as it's likely to be in the immediate future. And "just" just doesn't enter into it; we don't have ...
    4 days ago
  • Chris Trotter: Losing the Left
    IN THE CURRENT MIX of electoral alternatives, there is no longer a credible left-wing party. Not when “a credible left-wing party” is defined as: a class-oriented, mass-based, democratically-structured political organisation; dedicated to promoting ideas sharply critical of laissez-faire capitalism; and committed to advancing democratic, egalitarian and emancipatory ideals across the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Hipkins fires up in leaders’ debate, but has the curtain already fallen on the Labour-led coalitio...
    Labour’s  Chris Hipkins came out firing, in the  leaders’ debate  on Newshub’s evening programme, and most of  the pundits  rated  him the winner against National’s  Christopher Luxon. But will this make any difference when New  Zealanders  start casting their ballots? The problem  for  Hipkins is  that  voters are  all too ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago
  • Govt is energising housing projects with solar power – and fuelling the public’s concept of a di...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Not long after Point of Order published data which show the substantial number of New Zealanders (77%) who believe NZ is becoming more divided, government ministers were braying about a programme which distributes some money to “the public” and some to “Maori”. The ministers were dishing ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • MIKE GRIMSHAW: Election 2023 – a totemic & charisma failure?
    The D&W analysis Michael Grimshaw writes –  Given the apathy, disengagement, disillusionment, and all-round ennui of this year’s general election, it was considered time to bring in those noted political operatives and spin doctors D&W, the long-established consultancy firm run by Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Known for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • FROM BFD: Will Winston be the spectre we think?
    Kissy kissy. Cartoon credit BoomSlang. The BFD. JC writes-  Allow me to preface this contribution with the following statement: If I were asked to express a preference between a National/ACT coalition or a National/ACT/NZF coalition then it would be the former. This week Luxon declared his position, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • California’s climate disclosure bill could have a huge impact across the U.S.
    This re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Andy Furillo was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The California Legislature took a step last week that has the potential to accelerate the fight against climate ...
    5 days ago
  • Untangling South East Queensland’s Public Transport
    This is a cross post Adventures in Transitland by Darren Davis. I recently visited Brisbane and South East Queensland and came away both impressed while also pondering some key changes to make public transport even better in the region. Here goes with my take on things. A bit of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • Try A Little Kindness.
    My daughter arrived home from the supermarket yesterday and she seemed a bit worried about something. It turned out she wanted to know if someone could get her bank number from a receipt.We wound the story back.She was in the store and there was a man there who was distressed, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • What makes NZFirst tick
    New Zealand’s longest-running political roadshow rolled into Opotiki yesterday, with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters knowing another poll last night showed he would make it back to Parliament and National would need him and his party if they wanted to form a government. The Newshub Reid Research poll ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • September AMA
    Hi,As September draws to a close — I feel it’s probably time to do an Ask Me Anything. You know how it goes: If you have any burning questions, fire away in the comments and I will do my best to answer. You might have questions about Webworm, or podcast ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Bludgers lying in the scratcher making fools of us all
    The mediocrity who stands to be a Prime Minister has a litany.He uses it a bit like a Koru Lounge card. He will brandish it to say: these people are eligible. And more than that, too: These people are deserving. They have earned this policy.They have a right to this policy. What ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • More “partnerships” (by the look of it) and redress of over $30 million in Treaty settlement wit...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point of Order has waited until now – 3.45pm – for today’s officially posted government announcements.  There have been none. The only addition to the news on the Beehive’s website was posted later yesterday, after we had published our September 26 Buzz report. It came from ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • ALEX HOLLAND: Labour’s spending
    Alex Holland writes –  In 2017 when Labour came to power, crown spending was $76 billion per year. Now in 2023 it is $139 billion per year, which equates to a $63 billion annual increase (over $1 billion extra spend every week!) In 2017, New Zealand’s government debt ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • If not now, then when?
    Labour released its fiscal plan today, promising the same old, same old: "responsibility", balanced books, and of course no new taxes: "Labour will maintain income tax settings to provide consistency and certainty in these volatile times. Now is not the time for additional taxes or to promise billions of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • THE FACTS:  77% of Kiwis believe NZ is becoming more divided
    The Facts has posted –        KEY INSIGHTSOf New Zealander’s polled: Social unity/division 77%believe NZ is becoming more divided (42% ‘much more’ + 35% ‘a little more’) 3%believe NZ is becoming less divided (1% ‘much less’ + 2% ‘a little less’) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the cynical brutality of the centre-right’s welfare policies
    The centre-right’s enthusiasm for forcing people off the benefit and into paid work is matched only by the enthusiasm (shared by Treasury and the Reserve Bank) for throwing people out of paid work to curb inflation, and achieve the optimal balance of workers to job seekers deemed to be desirable ...
    5 days ago
  • Wednesday’s Chorus: Arthur Grimes on why building many, many more social houses is so critical
    New research shows that tenants in social housing - such as these Wellington apartments - are just as happy as home owners and much happier than private tenants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The election campaign took an ugly turn yesterday, and in completely the wrong direction. All three ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Bennie Bashing.
    If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • The kindest cuts
    Labour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • Green right turn in Britain? Well, a start
    While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago
  • At a glance – How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    6 days ago
  • How could this happen?
    Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...
    6 days ago
  • Always Be Campaigning
    The big screen is a great place to lay out the ways of the salesman. He comes ready-made for Panto, ripe for lampooning.This is not to disparage that life. I have known many good people of that kind. But there is a type, brazen as all get out. The camera ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • STEPHEN FRANKS: Press seek to publicly shame doctor – we must push back
    The following is a message sent yesterday from lawyer Stephen Franks on behalf of the Free Speech Union. I don’t like to interrupt first thing Monday morning, but we’ve just become aware of a case where we think immediate and overwhelming attention could help turn the tide. It involves someone ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Competing on cruelty
    The right-wing message calendar is clearly reading "cruelty" today, because both National and NZ First have released beneficiary-bashing policies. National is promising a "traffic light" system to police and kick beneficiaries, which will no doubt be accompanied by arbitrary internal targets to classify people as "orange" or "red" to keep ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Further funding for Pharmac (forgotten in the Budget?) looks like a $1bn appeal from a PM in need of...
    Buzz from the Beehive One Labour plan  – for 3000 more public homes by 2025 – is the most recent to be posted on the government’s official website. Another – a prime ministerial promise of more funding for Pharmac – has been released as a Labour Party press statement. Who ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: The Vested interests shaping National Party policies
    As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that might arise. One of the key individuals of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago
  • Labour may be on way out of power and NZ First back in – but will Peters go into coalition with Na...
    Voters  are deserting Labour in droves, despite Chris  Hipkins’  valiant  rearguard  action.  So  where  are they  heading?  Clearly  not all of them are going to vote National, which concedes that  the  outcome  will be “close”. To the Right of National, the ACT party just a  few weeks  ago  was ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    6 days ago
  • GRAHAM ADAMS: Will the racists please stand up?
    Accusations of racism by journalists and MPs are being called out. Graham Adams writes –    With the election less than three weeks away, what co-governance means in practice — including in water management, education, planning law and local government — remains largely obscure. Which is hardly ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on whether Winston Peters can be a moderating influence
    As the centre-right has (finally!) been subjected to media interrogation, the polls are indicating that some voters may be starting to have second thoughts about the wisdom of giving National and ACT the power to govern alone. That’s why yesterday’s Newshub/Reid Research poll had the National/ACT combo dropping to 60 ...
    6 days ago
  • Tuesday’s Chorus: RBNZ set to rain on National's victory parade
    ANZ has increased its forecast for house inflation later this year on signs of growing momentum in the market ahead of the election. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: National has campaigned against the Labour Government’s record on inflation and mortgage rates, but there’s now a growing chance the Reserve ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Katie Myers. This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Pittsburgh, in its founding, was blessed and cursed with two abundant natural resources: free-flowing rivers and a nearby coal seam. ...
    7 days ago
  • September-23 AT Board Meeting
    Today the AT board meet again and once again I’ve taken a look at what’s on the agenda to find the most interesting items. Closed Agenda Interestingly when I first looked at the agendas this paper was there but at the time of writing this post it had been ...
    7 days ago
  • Electorate Watch: West Coast-Tasman
    Continuing my series on interesting electorates, today it’s West Coast-Tasman.A long thin electorate running down the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. Think sand flies, beautiful landscapes, lots of rain, Pike River, alternative lifestylers, whitebaiting, and the spiritual home of the Labour Party. A brief word ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • Big money brings Winston back
    National leader Christopher Luxon yesterday morning conceded it and last night’s Newshub poll confirmed it; Winston Peters and NZ First are not only back but highly likely to be part of the next government. It is a remarkable comeback for a party that was tossed out of Parliament in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago
  • 20 days until Election Day, 7 until early voting begins… but what changes will we really see here?
    As this blogger, alongside many others, has already posited in another forum: we all know the National Party’s “budget” (meaning this concept of even adding up numbers properly is doing a lot of heavy, heavy lifting right now) is utter and complete bunk (read hung, drawn and quartered and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago
  • A night out
    Everyone was asking, Are you nervous? and my response was various forms of God, yes.I've written more speeches than I can count; not much surprises me when the speaker gets to their feet and the room goes quiet.But a play? Never.YOU CAME! THANK YOU! Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand resumes peacekeeping force leadership
    New Zealand will again contribute to the leadership of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, with a senior New Zealand Defence Force officer returning as Interim Force Commander. Defence Minister Andrew Little and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced the deployment of New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • New national direction provides clarity for development and the environment
    The Government has taken an important step in implementing the new resource management system, by issuing a draft National Planning Framework (NPF) document under the new legislation, Environment Minister David Parker said today. “The NPF consolidates existing national direction, bringing together around 20 existing instruments including policy statements, standards, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Government shows further commitment to pay equity for healthcare workers
    The Government welcomes the proposed pay equity settlement that will see significant pay increases for around 18,000 Te Whatu Ora Allied, Scientific, and Technical employees, if accepted said Health Minister Ayesha Verrall. The proposal reached between Te Whatu Ora, the New Zealand Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • 100 new public EV chargers to be added to national network
    The public EV charging network has received a significant boost with government co-funding announced today for over 100 EV chargers – with over 200 charging ports altogether – across New Zealand, and many planned to be up and running on key holiday routes by Christmas this year. Minister of Energy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Safeguarding Tuvalu language and identity
    Tuvalu is in the spotlight this week as communities across New Zealand celebrate Vaiaso o te Gagana Tuvalu – Tuvalu Language Week. “The Government has a proven record of supporting Pacific communities and ensuring more of our languages are spoken, heard and celebrated,” Pacific Peoples Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Many ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • New community-level energy projects to support more than 800 Māori households
    Seven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Huge boost to Te Tai Tokerau flood resilience
    The Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Napier’s largest public housing development comes with solar
    The largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Te Whānau a Apanui and the Crown initial Deed of Settlement I Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me...
    Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefit
    Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Immigration settings updates
    Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Poroporoaki: Tā Patrick (Patu) Wahanga Hohepa
    Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Renewable energy fund to support community resilience
    40 solar energy systems on community buildings in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events Virtual capability-building hub to support community organisations get projects off the ground Boost for community-level renewable energy projects across the country At least 40 community buildings used to support the emergency response ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • COVID-19 funding returned to Government
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