Open Internet and New Zealand media companies

Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, April 5th, 2015 - 33 comments
Categories: internet, interweb, Media - Tags: , ,

I was a relatively early user of the internet.  I can recall clearly in 1994 when I managed to get a browser to work and marvelled at how a page containing information in the South Pole appeared somewhat slowly via modem on my computer screen.  Things have not been the same ever since.

The philosophy of the internet always appealed.  It was meant to be open, completely indifferent to wealth and class and was intended to provide infrastructure which all people could use.  Its freedom and the lack of censorship meant that a free flow of ideas and debate could occur.

Those principles have been jealously protected.  For instance net neutrality, the idea that all data should be treated equally, has been a recent issue.  This Wikipedia article on net neutrality summarises the thinking that went behind the process.  For instance:

According to Lawrence Lessig and Robert W. McChesney, all content must be treated the same and must move at the same speed in order for net neutrality to be true. They say that it is this simple but brilliant end-to-end aspect that has allowed the Internet to act as a powerful force for economic and social good.

Another important principle is that of the open internet.  Again from the above article:

The idea of an open Internet is the idea that the full resources of the Internet and means to operate on it are easily accessible to all individuals and companies. This often includes ideas such as net neutrality, open standards, transparency, lack of Internet censorship, and low barriers to entry. The concept of the open Internet is sometimes expressed as an expectation of decentralized technological power, and is seen by some as closely related to open-source software.

In New Zealand there is an attempt to reduce the openness of the local internet by some of the big Telcos and media companies threatening to take Callplus (owner of Slingshot and Orcon) to court to try and prevent its offering to consumers of Global Mode.  This allows individuals to select for instance a US based IP address.  An individual’s Netflix account for instance would then be populated with about ten times as much to watch including importantly for politicos the American version of House of Cards as they could access from the local Netflix service.  This would hurt the likes of Sky TV’s bottom line because it has paid for the rights to show this series locally.

The parties seeking to stop Callplus are Spark (owner of Lightbox), MediaWorks, Sky TV and TVNZ.

I get the feeling that they are trying to hold back the tide.  The problem with data is that the internet is extremely capable at delivering it anywhere in the world and why a local ticket clicker should be able to profit from local broadcasting of the data is difficult to justify.  And even if Callplus backs down there are a multitude of products such as HideMyAss that will provide an American IP address for a very modest price.

NBR’s Chris Keal has written a number of articles on this issue and thinks that Callplus have a sound legal position.

CallPlus took legal advice from Lowndes Jordan principal Rick Shera before it launched Global Mode and before it made it open to all customers. Mr Shera likens accessing Netflix from New Zealand to parallel importing and says Global Mode is in accordance with the Fair Trading Act, Copyright Act and other laws. Chapman Tripp partner Justin Graham leans in the same direction.

“I’d expect to see increasing activity in this kind of space. It is consistent with New Zealand’s policy on intellectual property, parallel importing and geographical restrictions, namely that geographical restrictions are not consumer-friendly and New Zealand consumers should be able to access copyright content in a competitive and cost-effective environment,” Mr Graham told NBR.

In general terms major media corporations pressuring an internet provider to reduce what it offers on the basis that their bottom line otherwise suffers really rankles.  I hope Callplus wins.

33 comments on “Open Internet and New Zealand media companies ”

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  1. JanMeyer 1
    5 April 2015 at 11:07 am

    Not sure I agree. Hard to like them but the major broadcasters paid good coin for the exclusive NZ rights to broadcast certain content from the owners of that content. The ‘global plus’ mechanism provides an easy way for New Zealanders to access that content without regard to the contractual rights granted and paid for. A likely consequence of actively allowing such things as ‘global plus’ will be to further erode the financial viability of local broadcasters. Is that in New Zealand’s strategic interests?

    • mickysavage 1.1
      5 April 2015 at 11:26 am

      The problem is the whole distribution model has changed and allowing local monopolies on content so that they can make a profit is not sustainable.

      And if Callplus is stopped there are other ways to get the content.

      The broadcasters are looking more and more like dinosaurs IMHO. Content makers need to be supported. That is why New Zealand On Air funding for local content is so important. But do we need anything more than this? Do we really want more shows like the Batchelor or New Zealand’s got talent?

    • weka 1.2
      5 April 2015 at 1:10 pm

      I can see the fairness to the companies angle, but then I remember that NZ broadcast tv networks have prioritised profit over good service and have basically screwed the small opportunity that television had as a medium to be something that enhanced and bettered NZ society. They’ve dicked around viewers both on content and programming so much that now I just think fuck ’em.

      Which leaves the issue of NZ’s strategic interests. I’d love to see TVNZ made into a real state broadcaster with public interest as it’s primary concern (along with RNZ being properly funded). But I agree there is a danger of free to air television being lost simply because we are a small population and the cost of buying and broadcasting the latest tv shows as they come out is never going to work here in the way it works overseas.

      I also am mindful that delivery via the internet is completely dependent on good internet access and I’m guessing micky’s comment about the internet being extremely capable of delivering anywhere in the world reflects the fact that he lives in a big city (and can afford the data) 😉

      The only way to know what is fair is to look at who still needs free to air tv, and to what extent those people will be disadvantaged because of cost or poor access to good broadband.

      • Draco T Bastard 1.2.1
        5 April 2015 at 1:21 pm

        I also am mindful that delivery via the internet is completely dependent on good internet access and I’m guessing micky’s comment about the internet being extremely capable of delivering anywhere in the world reflects the fact that he lives in a big city (and can afford the data) 😉

        And if we hadn’t sold Telecom or deregulated it everyone would have broadband data already and be able to afford it. Again, it’s a case of the ticket clippers coming in and screwing us over for their own enrichment.

        • TheContrarian 1.2.1.1
          5 April 2015 at 1:56 pm

          “And if we hadn’t sold Telecom or deregulated it everyone would have broadband data already and be able to afford it”

          There is actually no possible you can know that. Yet you say with such certainty.

          • Draco T Bastard 1.2.1.1.1
            5 April 2015 at 2:18 pm

            We’ve had this argument before. You proved that you’re a complete ignoramus then and are totally dishonest as you twisted words to try to make them mean something else so all I’m going to say is:

            Fuck off troll.

            • TheContrarian 1.2.1.1.1.1
              5 April 2015 at 2:26 pm

              So you just make shit up then…and when someone calls you out on it you resort to naked abuse.

              • weka …
                5 April 2015 at 2:45 pm

                Care to explain why both fixed line and mobile broadband in NZ is still expensive and fast speeds not available in many places?

                • TheContrarian …
                  5 April 2015 at 2:54 pm

                  No idea. But unlike Draco I’m not just going to make statements of certainty on speculative “what ifs”

                  • weka …
                    5 April 2015 at 3:15 pm

                    I don’t think it’s any secret that Telecom was rolling out new tech as it was being sold. There’s no good reason to assume that if the state had still owned telecom that would have stopped. Then it’s just a matter of whether the state could ensure that Telecom served the public good. Technically yes, politically, who knows. I don’t know what you are arguing about really.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.3
      5 April 2015 at 1:15 pm

      The ‘global plus’ mechanism provides an easy way for New Zealanders to access that content without regard to the contractual rights granted and paid for.

      In an internet connected world the only people I should be dealing with are the content creators no matter where they are geographically. I should not be having to deal with the people who want to set themselves up as gatekeepers for that content so that they can become rich from others work while not producing any wealth themselves.

      A likely consequence of actively allowing such things as ‘global plus’ will be to further erode the financial viability of local broadcasters.

      Actually, that’s incorrect. It’s likely to increase the viability as NZ produced content would become available to more people directly from the content producers.

      • weka 1.3.1
        5 April 2015 at 2:49 pm

        It’s not just NZ produced content though. It’s free to air content that currently gets bought in from overseas. What Callplus are doing is allowing people who can afford it to circumvent the current commercial structure. One of the downsides of that may be the loss of free to air broadcasting if the networks here lose enough customers.

        • Draco T Bastard 1.3.1.1
          6 April 2015 at 12:28 pm

          What Callplus are doing is allowing people who can afford it to circumvent the current commercial structure.

          Which is indicative that the current commercial structure doesn’t work and thus needs to be allowed to fail rather than that it should be protected.

  2. Draco T Bastard 2
    5 April 2015 at 11:23 am

    The parties seeking to stop Callplus are Spark (owner of Lightbox), MediaWorks, Sky TV and TVNZ.

    In an action that has become fairly typical. They spend all their time telling us how good a free-market is and the benefits that we would get from it but, once they’re confronted with having an actual free-market, they immediately take steps to prevent it. An actual free-market gets rid of the over paid ticket clippers and they seem to be very well aware of that.

    • NZSage 2.1
      5 April 2015 at 12:08 pm

      Spot on!

      Capitalists constantly tell us that we live in a global market and we have to accept the high international prices for commodity items a la milk, cheese, lamb, petrol etc…

      But when Joe Public gets the chance to leverage cheaper overseas prices it seems the global market rules no longer apply and the same capitalist cry foul.

      They say you can’t have your cake and eat it but boy do these guys try!

    • JanMeyer 2.2
      5 April 2015 at 12:36 pm

      As I say, hard to defend the broadcasters who have seen slow to adapt to the reality of the internet, but “free markets” are predicated on (among other things) the rule of law and that includes being able to protect and enforce contractual rights. Once (or if) the content providers that have granted the so called exclusive rights start to see that they won’t be able to command their exorbitant fees for licenses in the future (because of workarounds like ‘global plus’, if these are established to be legal) it may (hopefully) lead to a world where non-exclusive licences become the norm as it is in the music industry. Then we can watch House of Cards on a variety of streaming, satellite or terrestrial broadcast services.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.2.1
        5 April 2015 at 1:22 pm

        We’re not talking about the content providers but the ticket clippers in the middle between the consumers and the content providers.

        • JanMeyer 2.2.1.1
          5 April 2015 at 1:38 pm

          The content providers have historically granted exclusive rights to broadcast their shows by territory to local broadcasters. My point (hope!) is that over time those licences will become non-exclusive as they are in music. It may well be that not all local broadcasters can adapt to the changing technological landscape quickly enough to survive in their current shape.

          (The ‘ticket clippers’ you refer to – TVNZ, Mediaworks, Sky etc) are of course New Zealand based companies that employ thousands of people and pay taxes to the New Zealand government).

          • Draco T Bastard 2.2.1.1.1
            5 April 2015 at 2:22 pm

            (The ‘ticket clippers’ you refer to – TVNZ, Mediaworks, Sky etc) are of course New Zealand based companies that employ thousands of people and pay taxes to the New Zealand government).

            Actually, most of them a foreign based and pay very little to no tax in NZ. Also, jobs really aren’t that important as there simply isn’t enough work to employ everyone full time. That’s why we’re seeing the rise of Bullshit Jobs.

          • tc 2.2.1.1.2
            6 April 2015 at 10:55 am

            ‘ It may well be that not all local broadcasters can adapt to the changing technological landscape quickly enough to survive in their current shape…’

            So they fight it tooth and nail with the usual weapons of distraction and even more hilarious reasons why we should pay many multiples of the true and fair usage charge for their middle man position.

            Yesterdays business model now and IMO the only way these organisations stay alive is by massive sporting rights acquisitions as they grasp at an immediate realtime audience which long slipped away. Oz with AFL, UK with Football etc.

            This play into content is the same old dumb shit TVNZ did with Tivo, many ISP’s are already way beyond what these old media dinosaur entities have been offering.

  3. Bill 3
    5 April 2015 at 11:44 am

    My tuppence-worth is that the internet offers up a nice example of why ‘the market’ is a dog of a system for production and distribution.

    I can understand why various actors (companies, individuals etc) want to generate or protect an income stream – they kind of have to in a market system.

    I can also see that the internet is a coach and horses riding straight through a host of market orientated expectations.

    That a desperate thrusting up or down of caltrops, roadblocks beside attempts to place cross-hairs on the driving team isn’t surprising. That some believe the circle can be squared… is.

    Imagine the internet without the pressure of market prerogatives bearing down on it? Go on. Now am I wrong to say that can only really come about when all production and distribution happens in a world where the market has been abolished?

    • mickysavage 3.1
      5 April 2015 at 11:56 am

      Agreed. We no longer have to worry about regional distribution. Content makers can have a netflix type arrangement so they can get paid. States and communities have to step up and fund the really important stuff. And these distribution monopolies are superfluous to requirements facing the same fate as the music CD.

      • Coffee Connoisseur 3.1.1
        5 April 2015 at 12:36 pm

        and the jobs that go with the shift?

      • ghostwhowalksnz 3.1.2
        5 April 2015 at 12:58 pm

        It ignores a few realities. Your idea of global distribution doesnt exist.

        Netflix has had to set up its own server farm in Australia before it even could offer local ( Australia and NZ )Service. ( yes small scale use was being run out of North America)

        Does this sound a lot like the biscuit business (regional plants serving local tastes and economic distribution) then it does.

        Its a big big difference in infrastructure terms to providing discreet page views like web pages to continuous HD service like movies/ TV.

      • Bill 3.1.3
        5 April 2015 at 1:13 pm

        But if you’re still talking payments and funding (in a market economy context), then you’re essentially trying to square a circle. Payment implies trying to spin a profit and round and around we go as some try to generate and safeguard cash flow in a – um, difficult? – environment.

        Cut the Gordian Knot I say 😉

  4. dave 4
    5 April 2015 at 4:49 pm

    I wouldn’t worry give them the two fingers and try this out
    http://popcorn-time.se/

  5. Philip Ferguson 5
    5 April 2015 at 5:19 pm

    Yes, an interesting sign of how little capitalist companies really like free competition. And of how they run to get the ‘nanny state’ to protect their interests from their capitalist rivals.

    On capital and the state: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/capital-and-the-state/

  6. RedBaronCV 6
    5 April 2015 at 6:04 pm

    What are they trying to protect – the profits made from broadcast – so they can live off the creators?
    Look at sport – some -NBA basketball springs to mind- are now offering internet fan tickets where they sell the right to watch the games of your choice streamed from their own camerawork. It doesn’t take any imagination to see most sport going this way to a virtual stadium. but they run the risk , over time , of losing fans who never get the taste of the game.
    So I can see them in the fullness of time offering content, maybe delayed to free to air to ensure they are creating new generations of fans.

    Creators of dramas and other shows would no doubt like the same model – a combination of direct profits to them + free to air. It’s the resellers that are complaining note.
    The best thing about the old free to air model as far as I was concerned , was somebody was paid to watch all the crap and pick the best stuff.
    And in the days when we had the NZBC we got the cheapest programmes as there was only one buyer in NZ. As for the existing companies – well a lot of them where only too pleased to use market models to shaft others – caveat emptor perhaps.

  7. Draco T Bastard 7
    5 April 2015 at 6:09 pm

    Global Mode Action: You Canute Be Serious

    If there’s anything immoral in this game, it’s that larger media aggregators trick companies like Lightbox, TVNZ, Sky and Mediaworks into paying through the nose for content knowing damn well New Zealanders can and will buy it for less from Netflix or another global brand.

    There’s no such thing as exclusive NZ rights in 2015.

    That pretty much sums it up I think.

    • Sable 7.1
      6 April 2015 at 11:55 am

      Big US media is all part of the Americanization of our lives and industry. We are a new banana republic of the fading US empire.

  8. Sable 8
    6 April 2015 at 11:53 am

    I really do not know what all the fuss is about. Its very easy to get a proxy. A lot of browsers include them. You could also sign up for relatively inexpensive paid services like UnoTelly that opens up a world of viewing.

    • weka 8.1
      6 April 2015 at 12:07 pm

      Lots of people aren’t in the culture where using a proxy is easy or normal. They don’t know what they are, how they work, which they can trust, are they legal etc.

      I tried a proxy a few years ago to access some BBC content, and the BBC website knew I was using a proxy and would let me in. So, no, it’s not that straight forward.

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  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    44 mins ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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