Officials’ dinners off in China

Written By: - Date published: 4:50 am, March 16th, 2014 - 36 comments
Categories: China, john key, Judith Collins, leadership, trade - Tags:

There wouldn’t be one of China’s billion and a half citizens who thought that Judith Collins’ dinner with the Chinese official who was a “close personal friend” of Collins’ close personal friend Oravida chairman Stone Shi wasn’t about obtaining advantage for Oravida. That’s the way business is done in China – over dinner.

Or at least it was until Xi Jinping became Party Secretary and Head of State. He has cracked down on officials’ dinners, to the point where Beijing restaurants are complaining about lack of business. It’s because those dinner deals have so often been corrupt, and the Party knows that perceptions of corruption are the greatest threat to its continual rule.

Xi’s hardline on corruption dining has won him wide praise and respect across China. Fran O’Sullivan considers that the only thing that has saved Collins was Key’s impending visit to China, where he was to plead the case for recognition of New Zealand’s regulatory control after the Fonterra botulism scare.

I think Key may have gained more favourable recognition in China as well as a better reception from Xi Jinping if he had followed the Chinese leader’s example of taking a hard line on the slightest perception of dinner-table corruption and sacked Collins; more so when the acknowledged perception was as obvious as in Collins’s case.

Key’s now got to argue New Zealand’s case with a very weak hand. Julie Xu’s crude public attempt to plead for a New Zealand Minister to intervene to water down China’s border protection will not have gone down well in China; Collins’ insistence that she cannot reveal the name of the official because of advice from the Prime Minister’s office will not have helped either. It certainly will not have helped that official’s career under the new regime.

Not only is Key’s hand weak, the Chinese will think his behaviour in this instance is weak, as indeed I do.

The only thing that will save us is that the Chinese take a very long view. They view New Zealand as a very good friend and that goes across all governments, so while Key and Collins may have lost face, the same will not be true for New Zealand.

36 comments on “Officials’ dinners off in China ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. BrucetheMoose 1
    16 March 2014 at 6:51 am

    Johnny won’t be condemning anything relating to doing dinner deals as he is a prolific dinner dealer himself, especially international dinner deals. Interesting him and his party has this preference for doing transactions over food and beverages. It is also a favourite method of some other organisations, such as the mafia.

    • PapaMike 1.1
      16 March 2014 at 2:17 pm

      What will David C do when he is Prime Minister.
      Not travel abroad promoting New Zealand, or sitting in the Beehive waiting for things to happen.
      You can bet that Russel Norman will continue to travel putting out “His” words – not necessarily in the countries best interest.

      • framu 1.1.1
        17 March 2014 at 12:54 pm

        what portfolio does collins hold and how does it relate to trade?

        this “she was just promoting NZ business” is rather pathetic as to believe that line you have to ignore… everything else

  2. One Anonymous Bloke 2
    16 March 2014 at 7:26 am

    A timely article.

    “Accepting certain gifts makes you vulnerable”.

    “You have to be much more circumspect about whom you are gifting to and what you are gifting to them”.

    “Party members and officials should be taught to look in the mirror, straighten their attire, take a bath, and seek remedies…”

    Are you listening Judith and John?

  3. risildowgtn 3
    16 March 2014 at 7:33 am

    Surprised? NAH

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9833191/Movers-and-shakers-surround-Oravida

    I would call some of em pigs …. and troughers ,serial ones @ that

    but movers & shakers?? Not likely

    • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1
      16 March 2014 at 7:39 am

      Their being housed in the same building makes it easier to all arrive at the restaurant together.

      • Jim Nald 3.1.1
        16 March 2014 at 9:14 am

        “The council is chaired by former deputy prime minister Sir DON MCKINNON. Its executive board includes former National prime minister Dame JENNY SHIPLEY, Prime Minister John Key’s chief science adviser Sir PETER GLUCKMAN, MFAT chief executive John Allen, Fonterra chairman John Wilson, Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise chief executive Peter Chrisp and some of New Zealand’s foremost business leaders.”

      • Ron 3.1.2
        16 March 2014 at 9:50 am

        I would also wonder how often some of those entities check their offices for bugging devices.
        But then I would imagine the Chinese Governments ‘plumbers’ are far more sophisticated than anything our people are used to dealing with and it might prove impossible for anyone in New Zealand to detect listening devices. Remembering the USA embassy in USSR where the new embassy was so full of bugging devices that the building was eventually abandoned.

        But in 1982, when a U.S. inspection team with experimental X-ray scanners arrived to check what was being built on the 10-acre compound about a mile from the Kremlin, they were flabbergasted by what they found.

        Although the U.S. government has never displayed what the inspectors detected, it is widely known that among the spy devices dug out of concrete panels and beams were bugs that normal X-rays couldn’t detect and steel reinforcing rods apparently designed to function as antennas.
        “We do not yet understand the technology nor the strategy” of some of the spying equipment, former CIA chief and Defense Secretary James R. Schlesinger said later.
        ( LA Times July 29 1991)

        Their being housed in the same building makes it easier to all arrive at the restaurant together.

    • felix 3.2
      16 March 2014 at 12:23 pm

      Heh.

      So Oravida, a company that exports NZ produce to China and is essentially owned and operated by the National Party…

      … is also the landlord to the NZ-China Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and NZ Trade & Enterprise…

      … which are all conveniently housed in Oravida’s HQ.

      Nah, nothing dodgy about that.

      John Key also has substantial interests in the dairy industry. It’s about time all the books were opened so we can see just how much the members of this National govt are personally benefiting from the decisions they make around dairy.

  4. Populuxe1 4
    16 March 2014 at 9:13 am

    A lot of supposition and second-guessing of how Xi Jinping’s mind works there – people with decades of experience watching the subtle machinations of Beijing wouldn’t be so presumptuous. If anything, unfortunately, the more authoritarian the foreign government, the more Beijing prefers doing business with it and I suspect the smarmy Key will come out of it looking stronger in China’s eyes.

  5. tc 5
    16 March 2014 at 9:24 am

    Love the way the msm nactoids are giving ‘plausible’ reasons for not sacking collins in doing what pansy did.

    This issue along with banks shows Key is not in control, never has been, just a front for the big business and foreign backers of our govt who call the shots.

    Collins, gerry, bill, findlayson etc all know far too much and can be trusted by the backers to carry on in JKs absence. This is as much about needing succession for the hollowmens orders to be executed.

    what pisses them off is not what she did, but that she has been sprung. Which from an ambitious legally trained professional shows epic stupidity and that ‘we dont give a F’ weve come to expect from the born to rules.

  6. captain hook 6
    16 March 2014 at 10:05 am

    her arrogance is about to become hybris in september.

  7. Ad 7
    16 March 2014 at 10:42 am

    Foreign affairs is hardly a vote winner, but I recall the smooth and forceful delegations that Clark and Goff completed with China with wistful nostalgia. The main political-diplomatic player National has is Tim Groser, who despite hundreds of thousands of air miles and hotel bills has actually achieved not a single thing for New Zealand.

    We don’t have a TPP, or a Russian FTA, or a Chinese, or Brazilian FTA, after nearly two terms. Whether we like such deals or not, Goff and Clark skilfully played that game.

    Key in particular has gone cap in hand to the Australians (receiving nothing), and to the British (receiving nothing), and now on the Great Apology Tour in which all he will receive is endless barbeque banquets and shit wine.

    We have been waiting, since Labour was ousted from power, for the great plan to maximise the China-New Zealand FTA. We have – as with all aspects of the New Zealand economy – had no plan (there is no turning back from it). We have instead had a series of fuckups between the Crown agencies and Fonterra (and Zespri) in which Fonterra is now addicted to China’s demand for bulk commodities, and has geared its entire business around servicing the asset management plans for its great milk dryer factories.

    If I were Minister (bwahaha) I would start a legislative inquiry into the requirement for Fonterra as a monopoly to be a value-added company first and foremost. Once I had done that, I would start a new relationship with China that goes like this:
    – We are the dominant milk supplier to the world
    – We are doubling the price of infant formula overnight (a la OPEC in the mid-seventies)
    – If you don’t want to buy some of it, we’ll make higher value-added products with it
    – Weep

    Let both China and Fonterra feel what we have to play with.

  8. greywarbler 8
    16 March 2014 at 11:28 am

    Good on Down the List around 11am on Radionz on this – Satire on Collins. Dave Armstrong taps a rich vein here. Audio available.

  9. adam 9
    16 March 2014 at 1:11 pm

    National unlike the communist party in China – Supporting corruption, one dinner at a time.

    Poster maybe, fix the wording a bit more. Kim and Key having a feed together. 🙂

  10. Tracey 10
    16 March 2014 at 1:55 pm

    Steve braunias:

    Applause

    If key and collins are snuggling withe chinese are they socialist or commie sympathisers

    • Populuxe1 10.1
      16 March 2014 at 9:59 pm

      The PRC hasn’t been anything approaching Communist, or even Socialist, for generations. If anything it’s more like Fascist Italy.

      • Tracey 10.1.1
        17 March 2014 at 10:01 am

        facts are irrelevant in name calling. For example, some right leaning commentators here call Russell Norman a commie. Some people in NZ think this government is open and democratic.That was my point.

  11. Tracey 11
    16 March 2014 at 2:07 pm

    Perhaps he didnt sack collins cos as long as she is in the inner circle the factions wont split the party in election year.

    Put her on the outter, with her gutter friend slugslick helping, the dirt will emerge in avalanche proportions?

  12. Liberty 12
    16 March 2014 at 3:03 pm

    What a beat up.
    Labour along with its coalition partner the Greens have a history at being anti Chinese with its opposition to dairy farm sales. Labour other partner NZF has been opposed to the Chinese for years.
    What Labour and it coalition of loses fail to realise. China is powering our economy. That means the
    farming is viable. That powers Heatland nz.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 12.1
      16 March 2014 at 3:14 pm

      So anti them the fifth Labour government negotiated then signed the FTA with them, and if you can’t figure out why government ministers giving favourable treatment to their own private interests is a bad thing for our economy I pity you.

      • Liberty 12.1.1
        16 March 2014 at 3:40 pm

        Labours foreign Affairs Minister voted against FTA. How bad was that.
        All Crasher did was have a drink of milk and Labour went ballistic .

        • One Anonymous Bloke 12.1.1.1
          16 March 2014 at 5:13 pm

          You should mention that to John Armstrong. He doesn’t seem to agree with your fatuous drivel.

          She’s corrupt, caught out feathering her own nest at the tax-payers’ and Oravida’s competitors’ expense.

          Not just corrupt, but arrogant and out of touch.

          Plus what Felix and McFlock said. After all, this just yet another example of what Simon Lusk was talking about, so your denial is especially feeble.

          Collins has to go, and there needs to be an SFO investigation into the National Party’s corrupt and treasonous business links with its foreign paymasters.

          • Liberty 12.1.1.1.1
            17 March 2014 at 8:15 pm

            I take it. This chap will gone by lunch time.

            LABOUR MP USES POSITION TO RAISE PRIVATE FUNDS
            by Cameron Slater on March 17, 2014 at 3:30pm
            WOBH can reveal that Chinese Labour list MP Raymond Huo has used his position and parliamentary
            letter head to solicit and raise funds to promote a private cause.

            In his letter sent in June last year he was asking for support and commitment to lobby and promote
            the case for a Chinese Language Week.

            The letter is asking for sponsorship commitment and an indication as to whether the target
            organisation would “actively support and promote the event” as n “partner of Chinese Language Week”.

            It would appear that Raymond Huo is using his position as an MP and the use of the letter proves
            that to advance a private interest seeking commitment, sponsorship and support for his proposals.

            http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2014/03/labour-mp-uses-position-raise-private-funds/#disqus_thread

            • bad12 12.1.1.1.1.1
              17 March 2014 at 8:31 pm

              Laughable, why should there not be a Chinese language week, and, who would have thunk that an MP of obvious Chinese extraction would be using His position as an MP to promote there being a Chinese language week,

              Does Raymond Huo stand to gain financially from promoting the need for a Chinese language week,

              Blubber boy over at ‘wail oil’ having long ago scraped the bottom of the barrel looking for something of relevance to publish has now obviously began to undermine the earth under the barrel,

              By bringing such rubbish here you appear to be some form of scrotal lice temporarily freed from being physically attached to the author of such trash…

            • McFlock 12.1.1.1.1.2
              17 March 2014 at 8:32 pm

              Did he or his partner stand to gain financially from his activities in relation to Chinese Language Week?

              take your time.

        • framu 12.1.1.2
          17 March 2014 at 12:59 pm

          “All Crasher did was have a drink of milk”

          at a planned and promoted visit to a company with strong financial ties to national MPs personal wealth, where her husband stands to make good coin if the company does well in a country where such visits are seen as highly favourable to that company – all in her capacity as justice minister on a taxpayer funded trip

          oh – and she had a private dinner with said company and chinese border offficials

          christs sake – either your covering or your really thick

    • felix 12.2
      16 March 2014 at 3:17 pm

      “Labour along with its coalition partner the Greens have a history at being anti Chinese with its opposition to dairy farm sales.”

      Bullshit. Citation please.

      Bet you can’t find a single instance of Labour or the Greens opposing a dairy farm sale because of the nationality of the buyer.

      • Liberty 12.2.1
        16 March 2014 at 3:54 pm

        Look at the farm sale over years.
        look at the farm sales labour has complained about.
        Give you a hint. Where was labour when Thousands acres down south were sold to an American.
        Then join the dots.

        • McFlock 12.2.1.1
          16 March 2014 at 4:33 pm

          Nah, you’re still making shit up.
          People were also concerned about the harvard purchases, and one or two US showbiz types buying farms and denying access.

        • felix 12.2.1.2
          16 March 2014 at 4:48 pm

          So that’s a no then. You have no citation, no example, no quote, no link, nothing.

          Nothing but deranged reflections of memories of shit that Slater and Farrar made up.

          Nothing.

    • Tracey 12.3
      17 March 2014 at 10:02 am

      So, indulging in hidden deals is a good thing?

      Can you point me to your vehement protests at the departure of Pansy Wong, and your strident taking to task of the Government for that?

  13. Rich 13
    16 March 2014 at 4:17 pm

    I thought Key didn’t sack Collins so she wouldn’t start plotting with Slater, Lusk and his mates to roll him at the first opportunity?

    • Tracey 13.1
      17 March 2014 at 10:03 am

      I agree. It appears serious personal self interest is the only thing stopping a splintering of the national Party.

      new anthem anyone?

  14. Penny Bright 14
    16 March 2014 at 9:30 pm

    How is corrupt corporate cronyism, when it directly involves Ministers of the Crown (including the Minister of Justice Judith Collins and the Prime Minister John Key) – not ‘Nanny State’ on steroids?

    Remember the deals over dinner Prime Minister John Key did with Sky City?

    http://www.oag.govt.nz/2013/skycity

    November to December 2009

    3.15
    On 4 November 2009, the Prime Minister and his Chief of Staff attended a dinner in Auckland with SkyCity Board members and executives. SkyCity told us that it had prepared a presentation for the dinner on convention centre options it was considering at that time and, at the dinner, discussed its plans for extending its existing facility. This was its preferred option at that time, although its second option was a bigger investment in a new convention centre. Its third option was to do both.

    3.16
    The Prime Minister told us that, at the dinner, he suggested that SkyCity think more broadly than simply expanding its existing conference facilities – in short, to “think outside the box” and come up with a larger world-class stand-alone centre. SkyCity has confirmed the same understanding of the meeting.

    How do ex-Wall Street bank$ters like John Key ‘transmogrify’ from their private sector ways, to become ethical public servants, serving the public and the public interest?

    Oh – that’s right – they don’t……………

    That’s why they’re NOT FIT FOR DUTY (in my considered opinion – as an ‘anti-corruption’ campaigner.

    Penny Bright

    • Tracey 14.1
      17 March 2014 at 10:05 am

      Was he that open about it Penny or did it have to be dragged out of him as his memory kicked in?

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    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appears to have given ACT Leader David Seymour more than he has been admitting in the proposals to go forward with a Treaty Principles Bill.All along, Luxon has maintained that the Government is proceeding with the Bill to honour the coalition agreement.But that is quite specific.It ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • An average 219 NZers migrated each day in July

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 11:Annual migration of New Zealanders rose to a record-high 80,963 in the year to the end of July, which is more than double its pre-Covid levels.Two ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • What you’re wanting to win more than anything is The Narrative

    Hubris is sitting down on election day 2016 to watch that pig Trump get his ass handed to him, and watching the New York Times needle hover for a while over Hillary and then move across to Trump where it remains all night to your gathering horror and dismay. You're ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • National’s automated lie machine

    The government has a problem: lots of people want information from it all the time. Information about benefits, about superannuation, ACC coverage and healthcare, taxes, jury service, immigration - and that's just the routine stuff. Responding to all of those queries takes a lot of time and costs a lot ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Christopher Luxon: A Man of “Faith” and “Compassion” Speaks on the Treaty Pr...

    Synopsis: Today - we explore two different realities. One where National lost. And another - which is the one we are living with here. Note: the footnote on increased fees/taxes may be of interest to some readers.Article open.Subscribe nowIt’s an alternate timeline.Yesterday as news broke that the central North Island ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Member’s Day

    Today is a Member's Day. First up is the third reading of Dan Bidois' Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the committee stage of Deborah Russell's Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill. This will be followed by the second readings of Katie ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Northern Expressway Boondoggle

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has been soaring high with his hubris of getting on and building motorways but some uncomfortable realities are starting to creep in. Back in July he announced that the government was pushing on with a Northland Expressway using an “accelerated delivery strategy” The Coalition Government is ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago
  • Never Enough

    However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)

    Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?

    Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Inside the public service

    In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them

    This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Where ever do they find these people?

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939.  How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Motorway madness

    How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

    And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell

    Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago

  • Government eliminates $190 million in trade barriers to boost the economy

    The Government has successfully removed trade barriers affecting nearly $190 million worth of exports to help grow the economy, Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay today announced.  “In the past year, we have resolved 14 Non Tariff Barriers (NTBs), returning significant value to kiwi exporters. These efforts directly boost our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Reo Māori the ‘beating heart’ of Aotearoa New Zealand

    From private business to the Paris Olympics, reo Māori is growing with the success of New Zealanders, says Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka. “I’m joining New Zealanders across the country in celebrating this year’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week, which has a big range ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Need and value at forefront of public service delivery

    New Cabinet policy directives will ensure public agencies prioritise public services on the basis of need and award Government contracts on the basis of public value, Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says. “Cabinet Office has today issued a circular to central government organisations setting out the Government’s expectations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Minister to attend Police Ministers Council Meeting

    Police Minister Mark Mitchell will join with Australian Police Ministers and Commissioners at the Police Ministers Council meeting (PMC) today in Melbourne. “The council is an opportunity to come together to discuss a range of issues, gain valuable insights on areas of common interest, and different approaches towards law enforcement ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Bill to crack down on youth vaping

    The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping.  “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have welcomed interest in the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The review by the Ministry for Regulation is looking at how to speed up the process to get farmers and growers access to the safe, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Bill to allow online charity lotteries passes first reading

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is moving at pace to ensure lotteries for charitable purposes are allowed to operate online permanently. Charities fundraising online, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and local hospices will continue to do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Tax exempt threshold changes to benefit startups

    Technology companies are among the startups which will benefit from increases to current thresholds of exempt employee share schemes, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Revenue Minister Simon Watts say. Tax exempt thresholds for the schemes are increasing as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

    The path to faster cancer treatment, an increase in immunisation rates, shorter stays in emergency departments and quick assessment and treatments when you are sick has been laid out today. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has revealed details of how the ambitious health targets the Government has set will be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

    The coalition Government is delivering targeted and structured literacy supports to accelerate learning for struggling readers. From Term 1 2025, $33 million of funding for Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support will be reprioritised to interventions which align with structured approaches to teaching. “Structured literacy will change the way children ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government welcomes findings of NZ Superannuation Fund review

    The Government has welcomed the findings of the recent statutory review into the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. The 5-yearly review, conducted on behalf of Treasury and tabled in Parliament today, found the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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