NZ First: We could and should be doing better

Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, October 20th, 2017 - 15 comments
Categories: greens, jacinda ardern, labour, national, nz first, same old national, winston peters - Tags: , , ,

RadioNZ video. It really does state exactly why NZ First decided to go with Labour.

What was really interesting is that NZ First chose to be inside Cabinet in a full coalition.

I’d rather expected that they would choose to be in a confidence and supply agreement as they did with Labour back in 2005, and as the Greens have done in their C&S deal with Labour yesterday. A C&S gives a political party a lot more opportunity to differentiate from the government of the day, but it also conversely means that there is a lot less opportunity to get fully involved in all of the cabinet strategic decisions and directions. These only happen in the areas that any C&S ministerial portfolios lie.

The subtext of going into a full coalition is that there is both a high degree of confidence with the NZ First MPs and board with the new leadership of the Labour party, and that NZ First is feeling confident enough in their primary support in provincial and rural NZ to take the risk.

On the latter point I suspect that they are right. While NZ First had a lot of polled support shaved off them with Jacindamania (which in itself shows the preferences of their crossover soft vote) they also had strong support from their bastions of support. This was a lot more sticky than after the National sponsored trumped up charges back in 2008.

But probably just as important is that several rounds of Labour leadership have never shown the kind of bitter malevolence and outright demonisation that the National party operators have inflicted on NZ First and Winston Peters over decades.

The resulting mythology amongst our conservative and obviously more superstitious citizens has been an interesting demonstration that the lynch mob mentality is not just confined to 18th century. I always find the contrast to be stark when you’re bouncing politics around with people. When the subject of Winston Peters and NZ First comes up with National party supporters there is an obvious bristling and they start reaching for their conversational pitchforks and scythes.

When I discuss why, the amount of complete bullshit and straight out lying is pretty obvious. Quite simply, the nefarious treacherous behaviour that is often attributed to Winston Peters and NZ First is quite simply untrue, and generally the people stating it with certainty are unable to even give any actual examples. In fact they usually seem to wind up talking about how Winston doesn’t respect their favourite journalists and/or their particular heroes inside National while they simultaneously spew irrelevant gossip about NZ First or Winston Peters.

My usual take from such people is that they have fuckall idea about what politics is really about. I tend to get the impression that they are less concerned about how things actually operate amongst the whole of our population, than how things look from a nice clean mythological surface. They are more interested in the gloss than the reality. Matthew Hooton is a particularly fine example of this tragically absurd style of limited superficial thought.

By contrast, the attitudes of Labour and even Green voters are far more nuanced. They are usually far more concerned about the conservative social values that NZ First party espouse. Some in the business community are a bit aghast at the conservative economic policies. But generally there is way less of the demonising. There is also respect for the way that NZ First has actually operated in government when given the opportunity while at the same time decrying that he didn’t decide to work with Labour back in 1996. However bearing in mind the way that the Alliance fractured when in government in 2000, that may have been a wise move on their part.

The C&S agreement with Labour in 2005 cemented that basic opinion. It is incredibly hard to point to a damn thing that they did that was a false step right up to the point where National manufactured a bullshit charge of corruption and got their Act minions to push it. It was pretty obvious to me that lazy party accounting was a sign that NZ First needed to work on their party organisation that the electoral commission needed to rap their knuckles over. But it sure as hell wasn’t the kind of deeply suspicious and possibly corrupt behaviour as way that the anonymous money was being funnelled into the National parties Waitemata Trust from the election before.

Personally I’m not that interested in the PR of politics. I’m interested in needs, constituencies and representation. Back in 2008 while the shallow waders of politics, like many of our story hunting political media, were busy predicting the demise of NZ First. I was stating that NZ First had a constituency and that they’d be back. And they are.

Like the myth of their support being mostly amongst the elderly who could still remember Muldoon. I’ve always been aghast at this line of stupidity. It just begs the question about how Duncan Garner and Patrick Gower seemed to think that such people were immortal.

Sure, NZ First’s demographic doesn’t tend to have too many spring chickens. But they have a steady replenishment of support amongst the middle aged and new grandparents. That is where their policies target. These are the kinds of people that the advertisers who fund most of our political talking heads don’t target and have limited information on. They tend to ignore PR and media bullshit and aren’t that interested in doing anything apart from making up their own minds and voting accordingly.

I am sure that both NZ First and the Greens will be subjected to more Dirty Politics and that our flighty and shallow political commentators are going to go to town on them. I have to say that will just give us at this little site an awful lot of new targets.

 

15 comments on “NZ First: We could and should be doing better ”

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  1. francesca 1
    20 October 2017 at 9:12 am

    Winston laid it on the line(his comments on capitalism) in a way that was far less cautious and weaselly than the Greens and Labour. Winston isn’t afraid to frighten the horses
    And the mood for change is in Europe as well, so we wouldn’t be a lonely little outlier if we ditched neoliberalism

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-labour-brussels-brexit-neoliberalism-socialists-pes-europe-together-eu-a8008776.html

  2. Agora 2
    20 October 2017 at 9:36 am

    It won’t be boring. Bill was starting to sound like a tired undertaker repeating the same old lines.

  3. gsays 3
    20 October 2017 at 9:44 am

    For me, what politics in Aotearoa has lacked has been vision.

    No notion of where we are headed, no idea of what the sacrifice of stalled wages, housing inaffordability and growing inequality is in aid of.

    No more blah blah economy, blah blah average wage ($49,000 or $24.50 an hour)…

    Ditching of the neo liberal religion.
    Organic Aotearoa by 2025.
    Investment in r and d.
    Improving wages and conditions, thereby creating a tide that lifts all boats.

  4. WILD KATIPO 4
    20 October 2017 at 10:27 am

    Well ,… it may seem corny or cheesy but many moons ago when I was a young dude attending massive meetings at the Auckland town hall conducted by an awesome New Zealand evangelist called Barry Smith , … he rounded on the audience amid a ton of activity in the front of the stage and said ,…” I don’t usually do this and I don’t wish to influence anyone but if you want an honest politician , consider Winston Peters ”…

    Now Barry Smith was an amazing man . And the prophetic Biblical message he conveyed was virtually always pin point accurate ( he was a school teacher of the ‘old school’ , – the three ‘R’s ‘ so to speak , – so dealing in facts was second nature to him). And so was his laser like insight into the neo liberal motivations of the mid 1980’s. And , – more importantly , – the very culprits responsible. He wrote a series of books and named those individuals.

    Turned out to be accurate to a tee.

    And he was correct in regards Winston Peters , – Peters has always been opposed to neo liberalism. And hes suffered much misplaced criticism because of that and what he was trying to achieve by working inside those camps.

    If you read today’s Stuff articles they are full of cynical Peters / Labour bashing.

    There are powerful business / lobby groups in this country who have now declared war against Labour , Adern , .. and Peters / NZ First. There is going to be an economic melt down. Peters has said it , economists are saying it , and Adern agrees with it.

    Small wonder English and his Nat MP’s looked smug in their defeat.

    How contemptuous.

    But ,… there is ample on how Adern and Peters are going to ‘ change the way this economy is being run both economically and socially ‘. And this is where it gets interesting. There is talk of reversing the way the Reserve Bank operates,… bringing it under more direct govt control… large cuts to immigration…large scale housing builds and so much more…

    So the combined forces of Labour / Greens and NZ First are meaning what they’ve been saying,…its as if they are ignoring the petty media detractors… treating them like annoying sandflies and just going to bulldoze ahead. Its amazing to watch.

    But behind all this antagonism against the Labour led coalition govt are the unseen players who are really fearful . Groups such as the NZ Initiative .These are the real artists in skulduggery ,… those with the power , wealth and connections and the only way to close them down is to just do it. This is the true responsible govt we have been needing all along , they are preparing for the looming economic crisis as a proper govt should. And they are not even in power yet.

    This certainly holds a mirror up to the plastic , throwaway ,do nothing exploitative and incompetent ‘govt’ that we’ve unfortunately had to endure for the last 9 years.This election happened just in the nick of time .

    We are so very , very fortunate.

    • Patricia Bremner 4.1
      20 October 2017 at 11:54 am

      I read this post with a huge smile of relief. You said you might “take off your blogging shoes”

      So very pleased to see you realise we have won the first battle but not the war.

      Our opponents are not used to losing and will try every dirty trick to undermine.

      We need to swiftly review the way broadcasting has been captured, and TV. Joyce out!!!

      We need to recognise the attack lines and quickly shut them down, drowning them with positive action.

      We need to gather all our supporters and celebrate them, so they get ready for 2020.

      Most of all, we take the hope faith trust and pride in being Tangata whenua,Kiwi nzers, and make life better for all without apology. As a right!!

  5. jamiep 5
    20 October 2017 at 10:43 am

    Nice article, “the times they are a changing”, makes me laugh to see the mainstream media saying it won’t work, as you rightly point out, Winston has made it work in the past and their policy align, what a way to start labour weekend. My vote for the greens counted.

  6. Skinny 6
    20 October 2017 at 11:25 am

    Very good wrap up put together there Lenny, well done cob, good reviews have been few and far between this morning most of the know nothing msm shills predicting Bill English would get up again have taken an early long weekend to lick their wounds.

    I guess a few like BM will eventually slink back in here once Bill English has made his retirement call and some other mug is wheeled out after a bit of blood letting.

  7. savenz 7
    20 October 2017 at 12:04 pm

    I think the country is in very safe hands.

    Jacinda, Winston and Shaw are all people of integrity who actually care about this country and the people in it. They have different skills and personalities which creates representation for diverse groups of people and the ideas they represent. If they all work together as It think they will, they will be a dream government and hard times are coming so we need them.

    They even were pretty polite about Bill English and signalled a collaborative not adversarial approach to running this country and improving it, not just horse trading power and careerists amongst themselves that the National party had become known for.

  8. cleangreen 8
    20 October 2017 at 12:40 pm

    Bloody good article LPRENT,

    Concise and to the heart of the beast.

    National only know one way to deal with oppostion Parties and you have nailed it.
    “the nefarious treacherous behaviour that is often attributed to Winston Peters and NZ First is quite simply untrue”

    I was like many as I thought that Winston was just a scoundrel until my son came home to live from 11rs in Germany and joined NZ First, as we were tradional labour/green then so I was surprised and my 31 yr old son said ‘come to a Hastings meeting tomorrow and hear what NZ First are all about’

    That was my first surprise but listening to the leader and other MP’s I was astounded as they were mild and gentle, not the snorting bulls National and the media had portrayed them as.

    So your take is exactly correct. well said.

    I watched radio NZ this moring and listened to Kathyn Ryan till 11am about the coalition rection with her and hooten and got turned off.

    Then I turned on the BBC and heen clark’s smile welomed me as she was being interviewed in UK by BBC!!!,

    Well the whole thing was sweet and soothing, with no combatant moody stuff like I had seem earlier on Radio NZ, so we really need to radically change our very poor media performance in NZ today.

  9. CHCOff 9
    20 October 2017 at 12:51 pm

    When it comes to PR it is all PR – that is the natural order of things.

    All media is an expression of proprietary effort and points of view, directly or indirectly, with associated interests converging small or large and that is fine. The democratic approach to government loses objectivity though by the orthodox convention that media content, and philosophically, knowledge itself, is and should be entirely objective. This is at odds with everyday living.

    In alignment to that, i don’t think it would do any harm having the parties in parliament present themselves in regards to PR every Wednesday and Thursday on the main television channels. Lab 50 mins, NZF 30 mins, Gr 20 mins one night – the governing parties. Nat 40 mins, Act 5 mins, another, the non governing.

    From day in the life stuff of their partys at some level, to issues and aspects of NZ society and community that they have focus on in someway or relationship. Whether it be more direct party branding, to individual day in the life stuff to canvasing issues in communities, to directly swipping at other partys, the style and balances of approach would be up to the individual partys to determine as it would be up to the viewers overtime as to what they deem good television in regards to the regular slot options that they can tune into.

    Just an idea anyhow.

  10. DH 10
    20 October 2017 at 2:51 pm

    I’m quite relieved that Peters went with Labour, it has the potential to at least last the distance. Helen Clarke affirmed that Peters was loyal to his last agreement and worked well with others, a fact we all knew but which has been ignored by many.

    IMO National is a repeat of ’96 with English as Bolger and the backstabbers sharpening their knives, I couldn’t see a Nat/NZF coalition lasting and I wonder if Peters saw that too.

    • WILD KATIPO 10.1
      20 October 2017 at 8:37 pm

      The problem is with a Nat / NZ First coalition is that ideologically and policy wise regarding economics they are chalk and cheese. That is where the friction lies. Peters being more or less an old time conservative pre neo liberalism. That is the source of contention which would dog such an arrangement from the get go.

      The current incoming govt is the most compatible ,… as I said before,.. we are so very fortunate ,and this incoming govt is going to be a dynamic one. People may feel politics seems far away from their everyday lives but it is the leaders that set the tone and flavour of a country so to speak.

  11. Sparky 11
    22 October 2017 at 8:01 am

    The real problem for any left government in this country in my opinion is not the opposition its elements of the MSM. Their inability to be fair and moderate almost always favouring the right even when claiming otherwise is the real issue that is well past being addressed. New laws are needed with a code of conduct that ensures excessive bias and what amounts to deception is curtailed. Of course the usual bleating about censorship will pop up but really a failure to be fair and transparent by so called jurno’s amounts to that anyway.

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    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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 ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    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 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    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. ...
    Skeptical Science
    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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    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
    7 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
    8 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
    5 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
    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
    2 weeks 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
    2 weeks ago

  • Taupō Supercars revs up with Government support
    The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarter
    The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs
    The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today.   “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • More support for victims of migrant exploitation
    Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Strong export boost as NZ economy turns corner
    An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te Karaka
    The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Further business support for cyclone-affected regions
    The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underway
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General Assembly
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Midwives’ pay equity offer reached
    Around 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand provides support to Morocco
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

  • Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilience
    The Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today.  A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

  • Government invests in Greymouth’s future
    The Government has today confirmed a $2 million grant towards the regeneration of Greymouth’s CBD with construction of a new two-level commercial and public facility. “It will include a visitor facility centred around a new library. Additionally, it will include retail outlets on the ground floor, and both outdoor and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

  • Nanaia Mahuta to attend PIF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Suva, Fiji alongside New Zealand’s regional counterparts. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to working with our pacific whanau to strengthen our cooperation, and share ways to combat the challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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