NZ deserves better than budget lies

Written By: - Date published: 10:34 am, June 10th, 2011 - 80 comments
Categories: budget 2011, jobs, john key, making shit up - Tags:

The Budget is unraveling at a startling rate of knots. Bill English is floundering to explain his dodgy asset sales numbers that don’t count lost dividends, sale costs, and foregone capital growth, not to mention a billion in unallocated cuts, and the gap between his revenue projections and IRD’s. Now, a senior minister has admitted that John Key’s claim that “there are 170,000 new jobs being created as a result of this Budget” is a lie.

The jobs claim began to come apart earlier this week when Jacinda Ardern pointed out that 35,000 of the jobs that are supposedly a “result of this budget” actually already exist. You see, the 170,000 figure is the projected job growth between March 2010 and 2015. The forecast job growth over the coming four years is actually lower than the four year projection in budget 2010.

Then, Key admitted that 170,000 jobs over five years is actually just the trend rate of job growth – 35,000 per year. Nothing special at all. So why was he skiting about it? Indeed, under Labour, job growth averaged 47,000 per year for nine years (source: Statistics New Zealand’s Infoshare).

Ardern kept chasing Key, asking him which budget initiatives would be creating jobs:

Jacinda Ardern: Which of the three initiatives he listed yesterday as contributing to the creation of 170,000 jobs will have the biggest impact: interest rates, national standards in primary schools, or early childhood education?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I would not want to make a prediction as to which one of them, but all of them will make a difference.

Hon Members: Ha, ha!

Jacinda Ardern: Is the job growth number of 170,000 based solely upon the job growth trend of the past 20 years, as he stated yesterday; if so, is that an acknowledgment that his Government has provided no new initiatives to support business, or anyone else, to contribute to job creation?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No. Treasury put together the job-growth prediction numbers.

The final nail went into the coffin of this ‘jobs Budget’ myth yesterday when Acting Economic Development Minister David Carter in select committee admitted that there was no analysis on how the budget would be creating jobs and:

“Bear in mind the Government hasn’t said it will create the 170,000 new jobs – the budget said there will be 170,000 jobs”

When challenged to explain which sectors the new jobs would come from, Carter said the “booming primary sector”. The problem is, the primary sector only employs 163,000 people (source: Statistics New Zealand’s Infoshare). Can’t see that doubling in four years, can you?

Hmm. So we started with Key screaming for the cameras that:

“there are 170,000 new jobs being created as a result of this Budget”

and three weeks later the lie ends with a whimper from a minister tucked away in select committee that:

“the Government hasn’t said it will create the 170,000 new jobs – the budget said there will be 170,000 jobs”

We actually really do deserve better than this.

– Bright Red

80 comments on “NZ deserves better than budget lies ”

  1. Colonial Viper 1

    This Government is the same as many across the western world now: colluding with corporate and banking interests to serve the elite, against the interests of the vast majorities of their people.

    And yes sir, this wealthy beautiful country deserves way way better than this incompetent neoliberal lot.

  2. vto 2

    As posted a week or so ago – it is time that government was subjected to the same standards as in the Fair Trading Act. That is, no “misleading and deceptive conduct in (government)”.

    Bloody deceitful bastards.

    • Colonial Viper 2.1

      I personally think having Government leaders subject to courts-martial would be more appropriate.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1

        Should definitely start to look to rehabilitating the charge of treason. Nothing this government has done should be considered anything less.

        • marsman 2.1.1.1

          Been having the same thoughts. They are a treacherous bunch, anti NZ and pro foreign corporates and let’s face it, some of those corporates are the country’s enemies.

          • Colonial Viper 2.1.1.1.1

            Watch Max Keiser for more examples of politicians committing treason against their own peoples.

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVbL8eWwER0

            • marsman 2.1.1.1.1.1

              Wonder why we have a former Wall St banker as PM ? Less fuss I guess when we get to be the next Greece.

            • Drakula 2.1.1.1.1.2

              I say line them all up against a brick wall and I will read them my poetry for fifty years. If you put them to death, yes you will end our misary but you could always give them eternity of rest.

              I mean really does hell exist? It’s a great idea and I know exactly where Mr. Key would be accommodated in Dante’s Inferno but after all it was all considered ‘Divine Comedy’.

              In the case of this lot ‘Profane Comedy’.

    • PeteG 2.2

      Should that apply to blogs too vto?

  3. Afewknowthetruth 3

    Lying features prominenetly in the job description for a PM, so I cannot see why people get upset when it happens.

    The real pont is, the monetary system and the economic system are founded on lies, so anything said or done within the framework of mainstream economics is a lie.

    We might deserve better but we won’t get better as long as people support dysfunctional economics.

  4. Peter 4

    TVNZ May 11

    “The economy will create up to 170,000 new jobs over the next four years, the government said today as part of its Budget announcement.”

    Presumably the 17000 includes replacing people who leave a job for another. So they are not talking about additional jobs, or are they?

    • Policy Parrot 4.1

      The economy will create up to 170,000 new jobs over the next four years”.

      Wow, I didn’t realise the Nats were that pessimistic about their election chances in November. Only a Labour-led government could ever deliver that kind of job growth.

  5. queenstfarmer 5

    There’s no inconsistency between the PM’s statements. He is correct that the Govt won’t (and shouldn’t) create jobs. But it does seem that the Govt has taken a leaf out of President Obama’s playbook in making rather “optimistic” projections and “creative” calculation techniques (to put it at its mildest) for getting there.

    • Peter 5.1

      He believes he is creating an environment for job growth via the Private Sector. When, who, how and why are not his concerns apparently.

    • McFlock 5.2

      So now the tories are blaming Obama for Key being a lying prick?

      Funnily enough I recall PM Shipley being equally creative when unemployment reached massive levels, desperately repeating “the market will correct itself”. But then she might just have been stupidly parroting treasury advice, rather than being comlicit in the lie.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.3

      He is correct that the Govt won’t (and shouldn’t) create jobs.

      No, he isn’t. It’s the governments job is to look after the people of NZ and that means creating jobs when necessary rather than leaving it to the market which only ever produces more suffering as more wealth is channelled to the few.

      • ZeeBop 5.3.1

        Surely the type of jobs that National are waiting to return, destroy the environment,
        or at best just create activity on markets for wonks to make money off.
        The jobs we need are in services for each other, as opposed to debt creation
        for bankers.
        There is a huge untapped productive industry waiting to be had, its called
        environmentalism, where people profit from find ways to do more from less,
        better ways to use energy, and arrange society.
        But still when you look at the roads, I see cars with a single occupant, the driver.

    • Colonial Viper 5.4

      There’s no inconsistency between the PM’s statements. He is correct that the Govt won’t (and shouldn’t) create jobs.

      If the private sector refuses to or is unable to create the jobs needed to maintain people in useful, productive roles in society, the public sector shall.

      • side show bob 5.4.1

        “The public sector shall”, how, who’s going to pay them. Meaningless words. You can’t have a public sector without a strong private sector. Of course we could all work for the public sector and we know what that is called, is that what you are really promoting?

        • Jim Nald 5.4.1.1

          Yup, the private sector is our saviour and we’re waiting for the private sector to manufacture our next messiah. We should all work for the private sector and shrink the public sector as much as possible. We should also get the public to bail out and underwrite more of the private sector that is so very indispensable to our lives.

          • side show bob 5.4.1.1.1

            Yes Jim quite correct I await our next messiah to spring forth from the public sector, Tui add . I have nothing against the public sector, some of my best mates work in the public sector but the public sector are as dependent on the private sector as the private sector is dependent on them. For viper to say the public sector “shall” is rather naive. Like it or not we need both but I would point out that the private sector has to provide for both. The government doesn’t pay the bills so the government are but an illusion, the citizens pay the bills. If the citizens do not have the wealth to pay the government the whole system goes belly up.despite Vipers generous offers.

        • McFlock 5.4.1.2

          Hey, sideshow – the necessary existence of X does not imply the exclusive existence of X or the non-existence of Y. Try drawing some venn diagrams, if you have mastered basic geometry.

          Of course, you might not be able to handle such simple logic, and we all know what that is called, is that what you are?

          • side show bob 5.4.1.2.1

            McFlock obviously I’m in the presence of an intellectual giant. If you can make a living drawing “venn” diagrams all power to you man. I’m afraid my logic is rather simple, I get up, I work but if you think Venn diagrams can save me from this burden I’m all yours.. Maybe you should take your X +Y and your Venn diagrams to the government, do the country a favour lead us into geometry heaven.

            • Colonial Viper 5.4.1.2.1.1

              FFS you should have learnt about Venn diagrams by Year Five of primary school. If you got that far.

              If you can’t conceptualise that far how on earth are you going to be able to conceptualise appropriate delineations between the public sector and the private sector?

              • side show bob

                Afraid not Viper just went to school to eat my sandwiches. But there is one thing I can conceptualise, the dribble that passes for informed comment on this site. Tell you what I’m happy to compare our balance sheets, you game, lets conceptualise them.Oh and mine will also have donations made.Just in case you don’t believe I’m “paying my way”.

                • Colonial Viper

                  Tell you what I’m happy to compare our balance sheets, you game, lets conceptualise them.

                  You’re one of those assholes who thinks that US$500K is a lot of money, aren’t you?

                  Don’t make me giggle, go back to school.

              • McFlock

                O. M.G.
                Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the John Key supporter!

        • Draco T Bastard 5.4.1.3

          You can’t have a public sector without a strong private sector.

          You’ve got that the wrong way around. In fact, the private sector wouldn’t even exist without the government setting the rules and regulations that allow it to exist.

          …who’s going to pay them.

          The government. That is, after all, what taxes are for. But even then, that is incorrect as all the resources of the country belong to its people and so it’s just a question of re-prioritising the distribution of those resources. Of allowing the private sector more or less of those resources and, if they aren’t doing anything with them when they already have them, to take them back.

          • side show bob 5.4.1.3.1

            “Who’s going to pay”, the government. Whether the countries resources are not divide up correctly, according to your good self is in material.The country doesn’t have the resources, full stop.Of course you could take more and more but history has shown that this will only lead to total disaster but then your not big on history, are ya..

            • Colonial Viper 5.4.1.3.1.1

              Whether the countries resources are not divide up correctly, according to your good self is in material.The country doesn’t have the resources, full stop.

              you’re an idiot.

              Here, you are pretending that money is a “resource”. its not.

              Its shit printed out of a printing press by the US federal reserve.

              Its free and you can create as much of it out of thin air as you want.

              In the last 3 years the US Government has printed US$600B of brand new money out of thin air. Investment banks then took this fiat money and created tens of billions of brand new bank cash with it, also out of thin air. See how bloody easy it is, dickhead?

              • side show bob

                I never pretended money is a resource, you have. Where have I said that printing money is answer to all our problems? The US can do what they like till the dollar is dropped as the base international currency. They’re the biggest kid on the block but of course it’s all going to end in tears.If you believe NZ could possibly pull the same stunt then perhaps you should talk to McFlock, he’ll have one of those precious graph’s that says it’s possible.

                • Colonial Viper

                  So your statement: “The country doesn’t have the resources, full stop.” is a lie.

                  Thanks for clearing that up.

                  • side show bob

                    No Viper but I’ll think you’ll find that most in this country won’t be to thrilled to live on the generosity of food parcels alone.. Please enlighten me on how you will placate the the masses when they realise it’s all an illusion for that sir is all it is.We can quite easily feed millions but we can only produce so much wealth in doing so. If our dollar was say only 60cents to the yank dollar the country would be rolling in clover, it isn’t.. Things will only get worst as the American dollar declines and sharing the wealth is but but a catch phrase.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      You’re an idiot for thinking that everyone in this country can own a 500 square metre mansion and drive a V12 beamer.

                      And there you go on about dollars again as if its some kind of resource.

                      It’s not. Who gives a shit if the US dollar disappears into a big hole. It doesn’t embody any real wealth or it couldn’t do that in the first place.

            • McFlock 5.4.1.3.1.2

              Doesn’t have the resources? We’re not the freaking Sudan – we’ve got a pretty benevolent climate (if we use the land right), pretty substantial mineral reserves (not all of it under schedule 4 land), a massive EEZ, a low population density, but all of that – which other nations would kill for – is infintesimal compared to our intellectual resources. Something like the highest per capita number of patents, an educated population and resourcefulness. All THAT needs is regular investment in education and R&D by the government and the world is our oyster. Oh, and we’re not in a freaking war zone.
               
              For NZ to plead poverty is a fucking disgrace. But tories love to claim we have no resources because it supports their TINA argument for strip mining Mitre Peak, deep-well oil spills washing up in the Coromandel and turning our economy into the Mexico of Australasia. Piss off.

              • side show bob

                Hay no argument from me McFlock you dead right but you fail to see our countries real problem. SOCIALISM. I’m all for being my brothers keeper but I’m afraid most of us now are our brothers slave.. This country his paid to many to do to little for to long. The country is like a drug addict and the drug of choice is someone else will pay. Bad news guys someone else no longer exists.

                • McFlock

                  Oh so the country doesn’t have a resource problem at all? Well then, I guess your latest argument against NZ’s anaemic form of “socialism” was a bit of a fib.
                   
                  Nice run of bumper stickers there – pity you have nothing to back it up. “Our brothers slave”? On what freaking planet? In this country we now don’t give a shit if our brother drops dead on a hospital waiting list. “Socialism” my arse.
                   
                   
                   

                  • side show bob

                    Not at all McFlock, we mostly want the same thing our problem lies on how to achieve “that thing”.You and your brethren believe in socialism I believe in capitalism. You will claim capitalism is the root of all evil I will say the converse. The point remains you want an all caring sharing society. I would maintain that given human nature this is not possible. The lefts catch cry is all must pay their share, Who determines what a fair share is? Why should someone like
                    I who works seven days a week 350 days a year pay more to someone who can’t get out of bed to scratch their arse. I have no problem paying for someone who needs hospital treatment but if the left believe the answer is to take more and get less they are in noddy land.

                    • McFlock

                      Don’t malign all human nature just because you’re a self-centred prick.
                      So now your a socialist for hospital treatment?
                      What about the couple who by chance have a severely disabled child? So they can’t work 7/52? And can’t afford a teaching assistance to sit beside the child in class every day of their schooling?
                       
                       

                    • Colonial Viper

                      The only people taking more are the big banks, the already extremely wealthy and foreign investors.

                      Did you miss the news that CEOs got average 14% pay increases while workers got sweet FA?

                      And time to ensure all workers get a living wage.

                      Next step after that: ensure that everyone can make a living wage working just 4 day per week.

                      (I know I shouldn’t feed trolls like Sideshow but its so much fun!)

                    • ianupnorth

                      Bob – where is the mythical ‘I’m all for being my brothers keeper but I’m afraid most of us now are our brothers slave.. This country his paid to many to do to little for to long. The country is like a drug addict and the drug of choice is someone else will pay. Bad news guys someone else no longer exists.’

                      http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_wel_sta_the_wel_sta_and_soc_exp_of_gdp-welfare-state-social-expenditure-gdp

                      We are near the bottom of the table for welfare paid as a percentages of GDP; but conversely those countries like Belgium, where income tax is considerably higher and the welfare paid is much higher, have 2000 more prison in-mates despite having double the population; their classes in their schools have approx. 4 less per children, their child abuse stats are half of NZ’s, their infant mortality is far less, they spend 25% more per capita on health than NZ.

                      If you go for a low tax model it is proven that you deprive those in need from the things that actually improve the well-being of the whole country. If you remove safeguards you create other problems.

                • prism

                  side show bob – Sounds like someone you know has some problems and keeps trying to borrow money from you. Just because of a few people you know of that aren’t a good example of reliable NZs doesn’t form the basis of sensible policy making.

                  • side show bob

                    Sorry prism no one borrows money from me, most have more then enough of their own but if anyone asks I’m more then happy to “share the wealth”, hay I’m getting good at this. Never make a lefty they prefer to take.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      Sorry prism no one borrows money from me, most have more then enough of their own

                      Talk about ignoring poverty in your own neighbourhood.

                      Half of all NZ’ers live on less than $29,000 p.a.

                      You’re just living in elitist aristocratic la-la land.

                    • RedLogix

                      Wouldn’t touch ‘your’ money mate. It would come with too many stickies attached.

                • Colonial Viper

                  fail to see our countries real problem. SOCIALISM. I’m all for being my brothers keeper but I’m afraid most of us now are our brothers slave.. This country his paid to many to do to little for to long.

                  More Right Wing idiocy: the elite who hold all the power and wealth in this country blaming the peasants and wage serfs for being the problem.

                  What a moron. Time for you to get put up against a wall.

                  • side show bob

                    Thats all right Viper spit your venom it doesn’t change a thing. I take it I’m one of the “powerful and wealthy” now, love it. I’ll give you my bank managers email, can you inform her of my new status, she will no doubt be highly amused. And why on Gods green earth would you want to put me up against the wall, bloody hell man who’s going to feed you in the morning “duh”. You really should ease off those old commie propaganda clips, shit you might actually hurt yourself one day, you do know what end the bullet goes in, do you?

                    • side show bob

                      ianupnorth. Sorry can’t answer for Belgium. But if Belgium is the be all and end all why don’t all the countries in the world model their system of government off their example?. It’s all so easy to quote figures but I doubt they would have any relevance to our neck of the woods but of course you would know this.

                    • McFlock

                      lol – what’s so weird about Belgium’s government? That it’s a bicameral federal model, or that it’s a constitutional monarchy?

                  • McFlock

                    “Time for you to get put up against a wall.”
                    Being hanging around KB a bit much, CV? Getting close to the flipside of “beni scum”, there, IMO.
                    Besides, everyone knows socialists have re-education camps, not walls. Although “re” would be giving ssb a bit much credit.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      🙂 Well, when I said “up against a wall” I meant just as you do when give a child a “time out” for bad behaviour.

                      What could you have been thinking I meant? 😉

                    • McFlock

                      Ha – guess who doesn’t have to deal with kids. 🙂
                       
                      In that case could we bring back the dunce’s cap for ssb? 🙂
                      So much for the ” this will only lead to total disaster but then your not big on history, are ya..”. I’m sure this is what the Reader’s Digest called “picturesque speach”.
                       
                       

                    • side show bob

                      Oh please the socialist reeducation camp, oh please., what fun. I heard they are opening a branch in Disneyland.. Do you think you can “re” fer me. Someone with you elite academic skills will soon bring me right…..oops sorry left..

                    • Colonial Viper

                      It’s pointless for Lefties to keep trying to “convert” Right Wingers. Its a waste of time and energy.

                      The re-education camp is simply to keep you out of the way while we do real work.

                    • McFlock

                      Didn’t you get the latest Red Terror memo, CV?
                      It turns out that “re-education camps” for folk like ssb have existed for the past 50 years – they’re called “playcentres”

                    • Colonial Viper

                      Do they teach set theory in these “playcentres”? 😀

                    • McFlock

                      Covered in week three
                       

    • Bunji 5.5

      Have we forgotten the job summit and the cycleway queenstfarmer? Key was all about creating jobs then.

      Just because he failed doesn’t mean he gets to rewrite history and say he wasn’t trying…

      • Colonial Viper 5.5.1

        Then there’s all the jobs from that flash new fangled Financial Hub our PM John Key wants to use to turn NZ into the success which is Ireland.

  6. tsmithfield 6

    When challenged to explain which sectors the new jobs would come from, Carter said the “booming primary sector”. The problem is, the primary sector only employs 163,000 people (source: Statistics New Zealand’s Infoshare). Can’t see that doubling in four years, can you?

    The primary sector may not increase by 170000 jobs. However, you forget about the velocity of money through the economy. For instance, expanding dairy farms will be spending money with engineering firms etc on plant and equipment. The engineering firms have to employ more people and so it goes on.

    • Colonial Viper 6.1

      Screw the velocity of money through the economy, the Govt didnt give a shit about that or the multiplier effect when it gave rail jobs from South Dunedin to China so it doesn’t count here either.

    • Draco T Bastard 6.2

      I’m quite aware of the velocity of money through the economy and how over accumulation by the rich actually slows it down eventually causing a recession.

  7. ianupnorth 7

    Sideshow – are you really that dim? Do the hospitals not buy drugs, fuel, power, equipment – yet hey are largely in the public sector… Oh but wait, schools don’t assist the private sector – they must grow their own books, IT, generate their own power.

    Every Ministry has incredible buying power – we aren’t quite Cuba mate

    • Colonial Viper 7.1

      and this is without the massive implosion of large private sector firms over the last few years, many of which have needed (contrived) to be saved by the public sector to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars.

      Talk about ungrateful.

  8. lefty 8

    Take a look at our economic history. The provision of national infrastructure such as electricity, roading, telecommunications, health, education, railways, shipping and airlines was done by government.

    Then look at our industry. Forestry was planted by government and the first large scale mills built by them.

    Farming was heavily subsidised with rehab loans, state advances loans at low interest rates, marginal lands loans at low interest rates, ballots for farms developed by the Department of Lands and Surveys, research and development done by the DSIR and given free to farmers and free education provided by Massey and Lincoln universities.

    Tourism was developed in remote locations by the government owned THC hotels being built and the Ministry of Works putting in roading.

    Banking and financial services were developed by a government owned bank.

    Our housing stock was brought up to scratch by the huge state house building programme.

    Government departments provided apprenticeships and training to build the skill of our workforce.

    And so it goes through the whole economy.

    What is it the private sector is supposed to have achieved?

    • Colonial Viper 8.1

      What is it the private sector is supposed to have achieved?

      They stole most of the above for a song and diverted the assets and money streams to a few, mainly foreign, shareholders.

      That’s an achievement that they still seem proud of.

  9. Craig Glen Eden 9

    Says it all really Lefty and thats coming from a Managing Director of a private company.

    These right wingers shit for brains!

  10. RedLogix 10

    Just in case anyone missed it, here is Brent Edwards (RNZ) making a total dolt of both Key and Blinglish on this evening’s on ‘Focus on Politics’.

    English is shown up for the lying shit he is, his excuses are weak and evasive and he contradicts his own boss Key who if anything comes across as even more idiotic than he is.

    That sound you hear is wheels all falling off at once.

    Cunliffe by contrast gets in repeated king hits. He keeps getting better everytime I hear him.

  11. HC 11

    170,000 jobs being jobs like us delivering each other pizzas, cutting each other’s hair, cooking each other take-away food and delivering each other newspapers. Yes, the ideas of National and its main ally ACT are great stuff to really advance NZ, are they not.

    Well how many jobs will the primary sector produce, and how many will be seasonal, being for a few weeks picking fruit and grapes? Many of these jobs may just be that, if at all realistic.

    This government takes a dim view of value added production, science and development, and hence NZ will continue to be a largely low skilled, lowly paid and underdeveloped country that produces yet more logs and milk-powder and by doing so increases pollution, erosion and the destruction of our environment.

    We are on the best way to become a 3rd world country.

    • Colonial Viper 11.1

      Stop with the bulls’ eyes dude, you’re making my forehead hurt.

      • seeker 11.1.1

        Talking about foreheads -I have noticed that when John Key is telling porkies or about to tell them, his forehead wrinkles up just as in this post photograph.
        I thought, when I saw it again on Breakfast the other day, that he was trying for the Gordon Ramsay look it was so obvious.
        Watch for the ‘earnest’ forehead design when someone is about to be treated to a rather large amount of ‘trader sincerity’ or bullshit as it’s becoming popularly known.
        John’s forehead is a real tell I reckon, almost true Klingon for those who remember.

  12. Peter 12

    Forget the Hughes issue. Let the Right go to the gutter, as time goes on no one will be bothered. In fact most people by now don’t care. Focus on peoples self-interest – jobs, work, asset sales etc.

  13. ianupnorth 13

    Now here’s one way of looking at it http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10730596
     
    Especially from about the 6th paragraph onwards.

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    23 hours 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
    23 hours 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    1 day 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 ...
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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 ...
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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 ...
    3 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
    3 days ago
  • Old habits
    Media awareness about global warming and climate change has grown fairly steadily since 2004. My impression is that journalists today tend to possess a higher climate literacy than before. This increasing awareness and improved knowledge is encouraging, but there are also some common interpretations which could be more nuanced. ...
    Real ClimateBy rasmus
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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 ...
    4 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 ...
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    4 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
    4 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. ...
    4 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 ...
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 days 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
    5 days ago
  • A pallid shade of Green III
    Clearly Labour's focus groups are telling it that it needs to pay more attention to climate change - because hot on the heels of their weaksauce energy efficiency pilot programme and not-great-but-better-than-nothing solar grants, they've released a full climate manifesto. Unfortunately, the core policies in it - a second Emissions ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • A coalition of racism, cruelty, and chaos
    Today's big political news is that after months of wibbling, National's Chris Luxon has finally confirmed that he is willing to work with Winston Peters to become Prime Minister. Which is expected, but I guess it tells us something about which way the polls are going. Which raises the question: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • More migrant workers should help generate the tax income needed to provide benefits for job seekers
    Buzz from the Beehive Under something described as a “rebalance” of its immigration rules, the Government has adopted four of five recommendations made in an independent review released in July, The fifth, which called on the government to specify criteria for out-of-hours compliance visits similar to those used during ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • Letter To Luxon.
    Some of you might know Gerard Otto (G), and his G News platform. This morning he wrote a letter to Christopher Luxon which I particularly enjoyed, and with his agreement I’m sharing it with you in this guest newsletter.If you’d like to make a contribution to support Gerard’s work you ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Alarming trend in benefit numbers
    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  While there will not be another quarterly release of benefit numbers prior to the election, limited weekly reporting continues and is showing an alarming trend. Because there is a seasonal component to benefit number fluctuations it is crucial to compare like with like. In ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON: Has there been external structural change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase.   Brian Easton writes –  Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • CRL Progress – Sep-23
    It’s been a while since we looked at the latest with the City Rail Link and there’s been some fantastic milestones recently. To start with, and most recently, CRL have released an awesome video showing a full fly-through of one of the tunnels. Come fly with us! You asked for ...
    5 days ago
  • Monday’s Chorus: Not building nearly enough
    We are heading into another period of fast population growth without matching increased home building or infrastructure investment.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Labour and National detailed their house building and migration approaches over the weekend, with both pledging fast population growth policies without enough house building or infrastructure investment ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Game on; Hipkins comes out punching
    Labour leader Chris Hipkins yesterday took the gloves off and laid into National and its leader Christopher Luxon. For many in Labour – and particularly for some at the top of the caucus and the party — it would not have been a moment too soon. POLITIK is aware ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Tax Cut Austerity Blues.
    The leaders have had their go, they’ve told us the “what?” and the “why?” of their promises. Now it’s the turn of the would be Finance Ministers to tell us the “how?”, the “how much?”, and the “when?”A chance for those competing for the second most powerful job in the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • MIKE GRIMSHAW:  It’s the economy – and the spirit – Stupid…
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Over the past 30-odd years it’s become almost an orthodoxy to blame or invoke neoliberalism for the failures of New Zealand society. On the left the usual response goes something like, neoliberalism is the cause of everything that’s gone wrong and the answer ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #38
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 17, 2023 thru Sat, Sep 23, 2023. Story of the Week  Opinion: Let’s free ourselves from the story of economic growth A relentless focus on economic growth has ushered in ...
    6 days ago
  • The End Of The World.
    Have you been looking out of your window for signs of the apocalypse? Don’t worry, you haven’t been door knocked by a representative of the Brian Tamaki party. They’re probably a bit busy this morning spruiking salvation, or getting ready to march on our parliament, which is closed. No, I’ve ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Climate Town: The Brainwashing Of America's Children
    Climate Town is the YouTube channel of Rollie Williams and a ragtag team of climate communicators, creatives and comedians. They examine climate change in a way that doesn’t make you want to eat a cyanide pill. Get informed about the climate crisis before the weather does it for you. The latest ...
    1 week ago
  • Has There Been External Structural Change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase. Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was similar to the May Budget BEFU, ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • Another Labour bully
    Back in June, we learned that Kiri Allan was a Parliamentary bully. And now there's another one: Labour MP Shanan Halbert: The Labour Party was alerted to concerns about [Halbert's] alleged behaviour a year ago but because staffers wanted to remain anonymous, no formal process was undertaken [...] The ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: Ignoring our biggest problem
    Its that time in the election season where the status quo parties are busy accusing each other of having fiscal holes in a desperate effort to appear more "responsible" (but not, you understand, by promising to tax wealth or land to give the government the revenue it needs to do ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    4 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
    6 days 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
    The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Appointment of District Court Judge
    Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today.  Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
    The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-up
    Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Taupō Supercars revs up with Government support
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