NZ Power verdict is in

Written By: - Date published: 7:09 am, June 5th, 2013 - 108 comments
Categories: capitalism, energy, polls - Tags:

The polls are in.  Despite an unprecendented assault by the capitalist forces to protect the profits of the electricity companies, the people want change, they want lower power prices. A TVNZ poll shows 57% of people support for the Labour/Green NZ Power plan, while the TV3 poll shows 54% support. So, keep on howling, Righties. Keep putting profit before people.

108 comments on “NZ Power verdict is in ”

  1. Winston Smith 1

    So why are Labour languishing in the polls?

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 1.1

      Why are you so confused about MMP?

      • Lightly 1.1.1

        Labour is up 6% since the election according to National Party pollster David Farrar’s poll of polls

        • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.1

          Even with expectations lowered to the floor, 33% is not exactly skiting material.

    • Pasupial 1.2

      Have you considered changing your nom de plume to O’Brien? That would suit you better.

      • Pascal's bookie 1.2.1

        O’Brien knew his shit though 🙂

      • freedom 1.2.2

        considering Winston’s views on most topics,
        his choice of handle exposes literal ignominy more than literary irony.

        • lprent 1.2.2.1

          Nah. Think of the fictional Winston Smith after he was broken in the rat-room.

          After he has turned on the love of his life. And when he is slavering with adoration at the image of Big Brother….

          Ummm doesn’t that fractured personality look a lot like our Winston Smith? Doesn’t use his intelligence. Just repeats whatever propaganda he heard last from Big Brother. Considers that people who think are dangerous..

          • freedom 1.2.2.1.1

            re WS, I defer to your summation,
            By the will of instinct, I tend to retain the image of early Winston. I look to a man emboldened with the vitality of realization rather than accept the futile inevitability of being broken.

    • NZ Power is a bipartisan policy. Why are the Greens polling strong? Why does every poll where someone says “National could have a majority” rely on no NZ First in parliament?

      Because Labour has allies or at least partners it can work with, wheras going into coalition with National has hurt every Party who has done it- and we thought that wasn’t even possible with United Future, which has been a one-man show since this Government started, but now they can’t even contest the Party vote, lol.

      • David H 1.3.1

        “wheras going into coalition with National has hurt every Party who has done it”

        Then Matthew that makes the National party the perfect parasite.

  2. BM 2

    People want cheap power, that is all, doesn’t matter how it happens.

    I have no idea what the rules and regs are regarding power generation, so is there any reason why a private company can’t set up and start producing electricity using coal?

    We’ve got shitloads of the stuff and it’s cheap as chips.

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 2.1

      Ethics? Intelligence?

      • BM 2.1.1

        I’m thinking clean coal technology.
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_coal_technology

        Problem in NZ is that there’s only so many rivers you can dam or so many sites the you can stick a wind generator on.
        The only way power will be cheap in NZ is if we produce more, NZ power won’t do shit.

        • TheContrarian 2.1.1.1

          It isn’t just about cheap power either. It is also around efficient heating and insulation. A drafty house is still a drafty house no matter how the power is bought and distributed.

          • One Anonymous Knucklehead 2.1.1.1.1

            I seem to recall there being a Green Party initiative along those lines. Fancy that.

          • BM 2.1.1.1.2

            One “advantage” about a drafty house allows air to circulate and stops moisture buildup.Moisture laden air takes a lot more work to heat.

            Many people with heavily insulated houses have had to install fresh air systems to control the moisture buildup, so it’s a bit of a juggling act really, you need the fresh air to keep moisture levels down but by endlessly dumping cold air into the house it costs more to heat it.

            • One Anonymous Knucklehead 2.1.1.1.2.1

              I expect that explains why the government supported the initiative.

              • BM

                Probably the best system would be.
                -House fully insulated
                -Fresh air system, hooked up to a carbon dioxide and moisture sensor.
                The fresh air system would also incorporate a heat recovery system
                -Heating would be done with heat pumps(most houses need at least 2)

                One one issue, really expensive.

                If you have an older house 40years+ the best and cheapest form of heating is with a high efficiency wood fire and heat transfer kit, you can also hook up a wetback and heat your hot water, big savings there.
                The wood fire easily puts out enough heat to compensate for the draftyness and lack of insulation.

                • stever

                  Tell that Europeans, who have had full insulation for *decades* without all that other stuff.

                  Your comment is a really good example of fact-free certainty. It is at least consistent with your political views.

            • weka 2.1.1.1.2.2

              “One “advantage” about a drafty house allows air to circulate and stops moisture buildup.Moisture laden air takes a lot more work to heat.”

              That’s what windows are for (and we could do much with passive design rather than expensive high tech solutions).

              • fatty

                yip, I have windows too.

                BM…look for the ‘clear thing’ on the wall that you look through. See if there is a latch, unhook it and open the ‘clear thing’.
                Let us know if you are still struggling with it

            • the pigman 2.1.1.1.2.3

              BM – you obviously have no experience of living in a “drafty house”.

              I spent 3 years living across the road from one of the old bungalows on Cricket Ave by Eden Park. They were basically insulation-free zones, drafty as hell, the windows weren’t even safety glass, let alone “double-glazed” *shoebox in the middle of the road alert*

              The point is it was damp as all hell (not a very damp place I’m told, but figuratively speaking). Every winter’s morning I’d wake up to freezing wet condensation on every surface. At the end of every winter, we had to throw all our pillow cases and sheets out, because they were so caked in black mould – I had only experienced asthma in childhood, but reliably had a perma-hacking-cough (I don’t smoke) throughout Auckland’s colder months while living there.

              The (sometimes howling) draft through the doors that don’t even go all the way to the floor did nothing to stop moisture build up in a house with non-existent insulation (it did encourage the mice in, though). Of course, I raised this with the landlord, but all they did was flick the house on to the Eden Park Trust Board (who then unilaterally advised they would be demolishing the place to make room for World Cup extensions). They didn’t end up demolishing the house, but you can imagine they were more than reluctant to undertake any rennovation of the place to deal with the insulation issues.

              In conclusion BM, I suspect you have no experience of living in a poorly insulated home, so STFU.

          • geoff 2.1.1.1.3

            Living in a drafty rental?

        • One Anonymous Knucklehead 2.1.1.2

          Really? Then you will have no trouble pointing out the flaws in the BERL report.

          On the other hand, you could just be spouting drivel. Yeah, that seems more likely.

        • weka 2.1.1.3

          “Problem in NZ is that there’s only so many rivers you can dam or so many sites the you can stick a wind generator on.”

          Funny that, we actually live on an island with a finite amount of space and resources. What do you think will happen once we burn all the coal?

          “The only way power will be cheap in NZ is if we produce more, NZ power won’t do shit.”

          You do realise that the private companies are creaming off the profits and keeping prices high so they can do so?

          • BM 2.1.1.3.1

            Apart from contact, the power generators are SOEs not private companies.
            It’s the government who decides how much power costs.

            All the government needed to do is say, power is only going to be sold for xxx amount of dollars, problem solved no need for NZ power.

            But they won’t because the country needs the tax to keep its self running, which is why NZ power is nothing but smoke and mirrors.
            Any drop in tax take from lower power dividends will be balanced out by an increase in taxation in some other area or an introduction of some other new tax.

            • weka 2.1.1.3.1.1

              Hang on, are you suggesting that the NZ govt legislate the price that private retailers can sell at? Or are you suggesting that private retailers don’t affect price?

              I disagree about the SOEs. They are set up to run a profit like private companies, that’s the whole point.

            • Matthew Whitehead 2.1.1.3.1.2

              Actually the government will save money in the long run as the tax profits lost will pay forward in increased personal well-being, which will mean increased personal income, and increased business income in sectors which rely on power heavily, such as IT or the animation industry.

        • Murray Olsen 2.1.1.4

          “Clean coal” is very popular in Queensland, especially with the miners, the state government, and those who get paid to do research promoting it. Others say it’s not particularly clean at all. I think solutions lie in using less energy, not using more with names thought up by PR gurus.

    • RJL 2.2

      Coal may or may not be cheap, however the infrastructure to burn very large quantities of it in a controlled manner to produce power, and then distribute that power to users is not cheap at all.

      Also, why would a private profit making company deliberately spend a vast amount of capital to produce a low value product? Which is the essential problem with private power producers. Consumers want cheap power, private companies want to make a profit.

    • weka 2.3

      “We’ve got shitloads of the stuff and it’s cheap as chips.”

      It’s a finite resource (you want to steal from our grandchildren), and it’s not cheap if you take into account the environment (again, you are a future eater).

    • The problem being that despite industry propaganda, “clean coal” remains a paradox, and has not even transitioned to being an oxymoron.

  3. Jimmie 3

    Hmmm so in 2014 we are going to have an election in which the voters will be choosing between NZ Power and the status quo right? If so then yup the Nats are going to get hammered.

    Oh thats right they won’t be voting just on NZ Power if they vote Labour.

    They will also be voting for higher taxes, and ETS charges, more state regulation over personal lives, going soft on crims, another enlargement of the public sector, a government where Peters, Norman, Shearer, and Harewera are going to sit around a table holding hands and singing ‘kum by ya.’

    Don’t forget a capital gains tax and a PM who can play one song on a guitar but can umm about any topic on earth.

    Yup come Oct 2014 the voters will really have a $300 bribe (remember $50 for poor folks, $500 for rich folks) uppermost in their mind when casting their vote

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 3.1

      Your bitterness is showing, also your ignorance of Labour Party policy, New Zealand history, and your complete lack of an answer to National’s diminishing poll ratings.

      It’s hard not to feel sorry for you, but I manage.

    • karol 3.2

      They will also be voting for higher taxes, and ETS charges, more state regulation over personal lives,

      They will also be voting for higher taxes for those on higher income, reversing the tax cuts for the wealthy, higher net incomes & lower cost of living for the less well off, and ETS chargesmore realistic climate change responses, more less state regulation over personal lives of beneficiaries.

      FIFY.

  4. infused 4

    People want cheaper power, no matter what the consequences. Well duh, wtf do you think would happen.

    Breaking News
    People want cheaper, food, cars, housing, toys, beds, computers internet.

    Damm Zetetic, your brain must be in overdrive today.

    Breaking news: Labour is still useless

  5. Zeroque 5

    Those poll results are good but not as high as I would have thought. Keeping state owned assets would probably poll higher. I did wonder soon after I heard the announcement re NZ Power whether it would have been easier to have a $500 tax cut for power users (which is probably everyone?). Maybe there are benefits associated with the NZ Power idea that I haven’t heard that make it better than a tax cut?

    • felix 5.1

      That would be nothing but a subsidy to the power companies.

      It would do nothing to address the issues that cause the prices to be so high. Nothing at all.

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 5.2

      Maybe there are. Why don’t you muster an argument or something?

    • Lightly 5.3

      if you did a $500 tax cut to power users, that would cost the government something on the order of $1b a year. NZ Power costs $80m a year because most of the cost is paid for from lower profits to private owners.

      • GarethGee 5.3.1

        Until such time as the country suffers when those providers build fewer and fewer power generating facilities and scrimp on maintenance of existing infrastructure. Why? Because what’s the incentive? Who do you think will pay then? Yup, the public. Talk about putting the cost on your kids and their kids for short-term political gain.

        • Chris 5.3.1.1

          “Until such time as the country suffers when those providers build fewer and fewer power generating facilities and scrimp on maintenance of existing infrastructure.” GarethGee

          Precisely why Govts should control vital infrastructure.

        • Murray Olsen 5.3.1.2

          What percentage of the present power generating facilities were built by private providers? What’s their incentive to build them when the government is prepared to do it, with our money, then sell them off cheap? You make a great argument for state ownership, Comrade GG. Thanks.

      • Colonial Viper 5.3.2

        if you did a $500 tax cut to power users

        a) the country needs more taxes, not less
        b) giving a $500 credit to power users is a far simpler system which leaves the IRD out of electricity supply.

        • Cant remember my last username 5.3.2.1

          “the country needs more taxes, not less”

          Please please please let that be the Labour / Greens election slogan leading into 2014

          • Colonial Viper 5.3.2.1.1

            If you don’t tax a dollar, then you have to borrow it from China or UAE. Not good options.

            • Cant remember my last username 5.3.2.1.1.1

              By the same argument if you don’t spend a dollar you don’t have to borrow it…

              [lprent: Let me congratulate you. You have passed 30 comments now without forgetting your handle. Makes a change from having to keep pulling you out of moderation like the bad old days back in 2012. 😈 ]

              • Cant remember my last username

                I use multiple devices that often don’t save my details – however I never forget my new handle as it particularly appropriate to the situation the previously caused me to forget it…

                I must also congratulate you for resisting the urge to ban me for the last 30 comments – I obviously becoming more left wing as I get older 🙂

                [lprent: More likely that you have learnt how to stay within our policy bounds. When I am scanning in moderation mode I mostly don’t ‘read’ the comments, I just look for tell-tale patterns for people I should get interested in for good or bad. There are way too many comments to actually spend time comprehending all of them.

                So the good news is that I hadn’t noticed your comments whilst scanning so I never looked to see who you “were”. But there were several one or two liners today (troll spoor) and I didn’t recognize the handle so I looked back in the past. The bad news is that your comments have never interested me enough to stop and read them… Keep trying though. 😈 ]

                • Chris

                  It often doesn’t require more than one line to put your view across. Please let me stay, I’m not a troll, just a newbie to The Standard 🙂

  6. Shaz 6

    The reported stats in the TVNZ poll are interesting – pointing I would think to a skewed sample. For example if 80% of the sample’s 57% of supporters live in households with five or more adults then this accounts for about 45% of respondents (at least) from the whole sampled population who come from such households. Having dome quite a lot of phone canvassing I’d say the proportion of people living 5 adults to a household is much smaller.

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 6.1

      The five stages of grief, part one.

      • the pigman 6.1.1

        People answered that they’d support this policy?! Bloody morons! Who is to blame for this?

      • Shaz 6.1.2

        Um No! Actually I support the policy. My complaint is with the article itself. It’s either a poorly written article or a skewed sample. Stats NZ 2010 report says that “the average size of New Zealand households is projected to decrease from 2.6 people in 2006 to 2.4 people in 2031.” So a survey where at least 45% of the respondents are in households of 5 or more _adults_ can only represent a poorly structured sample population which in turn undermines the quality of the debate around this issue.

  7. Winston Smith 7

    Unemployment down, Crime down, Business confidence up…this is what people will vote on, sound bites like this.

    And of course national will point out things like this:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8755819/Hobbit-driving-big-surge-in-tourism

    and people will remember that Labour/Greens and the Unions were against the deal (sound bites remember)

    I’m feeling more confident about the next election especially with shearer as the leader of the opposition but what I’m hoping is Key goes up against Norman in a debate…

    Key took out Clark and Goff, he’ll have no problems pointing out why Normans a fruitcake

    • bad12 7.1

      Slippery Key couldn’t take out a 4 year old, the Clark government after 3 terms was always vulnerable to voter fatigue,

      Given that in real terms Slippery’s National government has a wafer thin majority via the ‘rigging’ of the Epsom electorate He hardly ‘took out Goff’ as you say,

      Chanting ‘show me the money’ at your opponent in a debate is hardly a tactic pointing to intellectual depth more a publicity stunt…

      • Winston Smith 7.1.1

        “Chanting ‘show me the money’ at your opponent in a debate is hardly a tactic pointing to intellectual depth more a publicity stunt…”

        – Still won and thats the name of the game

        • tracey 7.1.1.1

          No actually it’s not Winston. That you think it is is where we are going so sadly wrong. It’s not about winning it’s about building a brighter future. Gosh where did I used to hear that?

          • Winston Smith 7.1.1.1.1

            Its about winning power so you can implement the changes you feel will best serve the country and at the moment the people of NZ think National is the best option.

            • freedom 7.1.1.1.1.1

              According to the 2011 Election,
              only 37% of registered voters thought National was the best option.

              This common mistake even happens in the House on a regular basis. The Government are never called on it. Happened again today. Predictably, when defending its economic sink-hole of a financial plan, National’s percentage of the vote was stated in favour of the actual percentage of the voting public that it received. Both percentages, for whatever reason, ignore the most basic fact which is those registered to vote are not the only New Zealanders that matter. It is always good to remember this when discussing a policy that wants to save a fragment of New Zealand’s self-determination. Once parliament is in session the percentage should go out the window and you should be there to do the job you are paid to be doing, you are meant to represent New Zealand, not percentages of it.

              • weka

                +100, well said freedom.

                MMP is supposed to be taking us closer to collaboration. People who think that governing is about playing a game to gain power and then doing what you want with it are selfish and greedy and ruining the world for the rest of us.

              • Colonial Viper

                only 37% of registered voters thought National was the best option.

                22% thought Labour was the best option.

    • overseas tourist arrivals were up 10 per cent from 2012 for the first four months of the year.

      Actually the hobbit was a flop for tourism from North America, virtually no one went to New Zealand – Air NZ had to remove flights because there wasn’t the tourism they were expecting. I doubt Chinese tourists count as a ‘hobbit surge’, as Disraeli said there are lies, damn lies and statistics. The reality is that increases are from Asia, and they are nothing to do with the hobbit. Winston Peters would call it an Asian invasion rather than a hobbit surge.

      • dumrse 7.2.1

        “The reality is that increases are from Asia, and they are nothing to do with the hobbit”. That’s a very definitive statement. You are obviously in the know, care to share your source ?

    • Colonial Viper 7.3

      Of course business confidence is up; businesses like the idea of lower power bills too, don’t you know.

    • tracey 7.4

      You seem more confidant about who will win the election than you do about the actual future for NZ, you still base it on Bill’s surplus mantra = successful country?

      • Winston Smith 7.4.1

        Fortunately National winning the next election will help the future of this country

        • Colonial Viper 7.4.1.1

          it’ll help the top 2%, but leave us increasingly vulnerable to shockwaves from overseas.

          • Winston Smith 7.4.1.1.1

            You mean like how we’ve gone through a global financial meltdown, two earthquakes and a major draught and are the envy heaps of countries?

            • Colonial Viper 7.4.1.1.1.1

              Each cut has weakened the trunk further and left more people in desperation. Can you not see through your blindness. Are we the envy of collapsing economies? For a badly managed circus, we’re holding our own.

            • freedom 7.4.1.1.1.2

              wow we got through all that and only:
              ; lost 200,000 people to Australia,
              ; had democracy destroyed in CHCH,
              ; watched billions in profit disappear from kiwisaver and the cullen fund,
              ; sold off the very foundation of our laws,
              ; gutted the social care of our social welfare system,
              ; broke education
              ; aligned ourselves closer to the world’s primary warmonger
              ; and readied our IP and copyright protections for euthanasia via the TPPA

              all that and we only had to borrow 55 billion dollars to do it all ( but yet we apparently still need another thirty billion to pay for CHCH ,)

              sorry Winston I interrupted your adulation, what were you saying ?

            • Pascal's bookie 7.4.1.1.1.3

              The govt got through the GFC thanks to Cullen not listening to everyone who was demanding tax cuts for years and years, and fixing ChCh’s broken windows is being interpreted as the economy bouncing back.

  8. Coronial Typer 8

    Can someone get a link to the Brent Leyton (CE Electricity Authority) presentation now on NBR that attacks the Labour-Greens policy front on? Ideally would be great to see the full 28 page report.

      • Ad 8.1.1

        Much obliged. I think the other side are gearing up with a wider group of ‘industry’ and the self interested for an influencer campaign to counter this.

        Don’t think for a moment that popularity will win here.

        Shearer’s circle see this as the main public manacle to the Greens. Don’t dare trust him not to dump it and the Greens along win it if he sees it as expedient to do so.

  9. GarethGee 9

    NZ Power, eh? Sounds so very… hmmm… Muldoonesque. Why didn’t Key think of it first?

    • Colonial Viper 9.1

      Why? Because Muldoon recognised the importance of strategic energy infrastructure. Key does not.

      • freedom 9.1.1

        Key recognises the importance of it all right. He just believes it is too important to be in public hands

      • GarethGee 9.1.2

        I guess it passed you by, but I was attempting to point out the hypocrisy of likening Key to Muldoon, while pursuing the most Muldoonesque of policies in the form of NZ Power. And now for the stinging rebuke…

  10. vto 10

    But if I could own shares n a power company then I would want things the other way around

  11. Yes 11

    Oh for goodness sake guys. I could put a policy out that nationalizes mars den point and drop fuel prices by 20% then ran a poll I would get 57% support as well but then when I didn’t that then I would not be able the infrastructure costs and suppliers and we would have fuel shortages to run all the green buses.

    Another non poll about about a loaded policy. Where are all these massive surpluses labour made?

    • Yes 11.1

      Couldn’t pay for the costs etc of running the plant…poor grammar..distracted by the fight in the state of origin

    • lprent 11.2

      Sucked up in some really stupid and unaffordable taxcuts. Where have you been since 2008? Antarctica?

      If the tax cuts from 2008-2010 (yes including Cullens attempt to keep up with National’s irresponsible bullshit about surpluses) had not been put in place, then we’d have only have had a small debt. But reducing the revenue at the same time as having a recession is outright stupid.

      But I guess you are too thick to understand reality…

    • Colonial Viper 11.3

      Oh for goodness sake guys. I could put a policy out that nationalizes mars den point and drop fuel prices by 20%

      Fuel prices need to double in the next 7-8 years.

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 11.5

      Where are all these massive surpluses labour made?

      They’re in 1999, 2000, and 2001-2008.

      If other wingnuts are as innumerate as you are, that probably explains why they always do a worse job of running the economy than the Left. Lower per capita GDP. higher unemployment, higher public debt. Yeah, yeah, I know you desperately want the opposite to be true, but it isn’t.

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  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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