Open mike 01/02/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 1st, 2023 - 58 comments
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58 comments on “Open mike 01/02/2023 ”

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  1. Sanctuary 1
    1 February 2023 at 7:57 am

    Anyone hear the long interview with Michael Wood on RNZ this morning between 7.30am-8am? If anyone thought he wasn't appointed to take over the role of the mayor then they'll be disabused of that notion after listening to that.

    Also, this story in the Herald (paywalled, but almost worth unlocking) on Wayne Brown's long and whining phone conversation with a Herald "reporter" (who so coy? We all know it is Orsman) is just wow, wow, wow inducing. What a narcissistic bastard Brown is.

    • Stephen D 1.1
      1 February 2023 at 8:15 am

      You can see the full story here.

      https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/10q5l1v/dont_fk_me_over_wayne_browns_30min_phone_call/

      And we’re stuck with him for three years.

      • Visubversa 1.1.1
        1 February 2023 at 9:17 am

        Might not. A friend of mine who worked in aged care for many years says that she has seen that "possum in the headlights" look many times. The sight of Councilor Desley Simpson dragging Mayor Wayne out of the car crash interview by his jacket sleeve was telling also.

        • Sanctuary 1.1.1.1
          1 February 2023 at 9:40 am

          The political consequences for this for Brown are likely to be severe. He was elected to cut services – something that is likely to be unpopular. He is now only three months into his job but at 76 and clearly not up to it he is already the lamest of lame ducks. The CCO's will simply wait him out and his councillors, where he may have had the slimmest of majorities to cut services, will now be scattering like geese at a gunshot.

          Brown is likely to respond by raging at everyone and everything, while the heirs presumptive (Simpson vs Hills) commence their campaigns early.

        • Matiri 1.1.1.2
          1 February 2023 at 10:07 am

          One of the early signs of dementia is not moving your eyes normally, and looking as if you are staring a lot. Possum in the headlights is a good description.

        • weka 1.1.1.3
          1 February 2023 at 10:36 am

          The sight of Councilor Desley Simpson dragging Mayor Wayne out of the car crash interview by his jacket sleeve was telling also.

          Which interview was that?

          • Visubversa 1.1.1.3.1
            1 February 2023 at 12:30 pm

            The one on Saturday where he fronted up a bunch other older blokes to say he didn't to anything wrong.

        • Stephen D 1.1.1.4
          1 February 2023 at 11:30 am

          Could be tricky to get rid of him. Petitions won't cut it.

          [unlinked copypasta removed]

      • Anne 1.1.2
        1 February 2023 at 10:56 am

        What an extraordinary read! Wayne Brown appears to have the emotional IQ of a 7 year old!

        Now we know why the new Auckland ministerial post (we had one under Clark) came about? Hipkins and co. knew they couldn't leave Auckland in the hands of an emotionally stunted clown so they resurrected the ministerial post allowing them to bypass him?surprise

    • Ad 1.3
      1 February 2023 at 9:37 am

      Brown is National's best advertisement for Labour through this election year.

      He should keep speaking out, keep the tweets up.

      Like Biden, Labour is only going to get back in if the Trump-ettes are loud.

      • newsense 1.3.1
        1 February 2023 at 3:46 pm

        And check this very odd attempt to blame Hipkins for Brown, which basically ignores all the local counsellors and MPs and tries to suggest Luxon was all over it.

        Not reassuring in an election year, but it is so different from the reality others were reporting it makes Patterson’s bias clear.

        RNZ sumarises why Chippy didn’t babysit Wayne Brown and so it’s Chippy’s fault.

        • observer 1.3.1.1
          1 February 2023 at 4:13 pm

          Flip a coin, that strange take was heads, whereas tails was …

          "PM Hipkins rode roughshod over local democracy when he took over from the elected mayor and made himself the centre of attention …"

          Just like Ardern, who was attacked for doing nothing ("where is she?") or doing everything ("why is she everywhere?") depending on what side of the bed the commentator got out of.

        • Anne 1.3.1.2
          1 February 2023 at 5:16 pm

          She's done it before… twisted a story to make it seem like it was a govt. or a minsterial failure. I stopped rating her several years ago.

          • Macro 1.3.1.2.1
            1 February 2023 at 5:29 pm

            Same here. In fact I give little credence to any of the so called political commentators of the local media. They all see politics as a sort of game.

  2. Ghostwhowalksnz 2
    1 February 2023 at 8:00 am

    NZs highest 1 hourly and 24 hr rainfall wasnt in the 'sub tropical north' but the colder West Coast

    https://niwa.co.nz/education-and-training/schools/resources/climate/extreme

    134mm in 1 hr in Hokitika catchment 2004

    869mm in 24 hrs Hokitika catchment 2013

    • Ad 2.1
      1 February 2023 at 9:38 am

      It's just that there isn't 1.7 million people in Haast.

      • weka 2.1.1
        1 February 2023 at 10:07 am

        and despite that, the West Coast is losing infrastructure at an alarming rate and will probably count as one of NZ's first CC displacement populations.

        The other main difference is that the West Coast still has a very large amount of natural ecosystems that are evolutionarily adapted to large rainfall events. I've seen raging rivers in flood and the adjacent forest the water is either still or flowing slowly. The river banks take a bounding but the surrounding forest fares better on the flat. Things to be learned.

        • Sanctuary 2.1.1.1
          1 February 2023 at 10:31 am

          About 4,500 people live in Westport. The town is low lying and sandwiched between two rivers – the town still haven't recovered from the 2021 floods. Yet no one is talking about relocation or managed retreat, just requests for more flood defenses.

          • weka 2.1.1.1.1
            1 February 2023 at 10:34 am

            some people are talking about managed retreat,

            https://www.newsroom.co.nz/planned-retreat-from-flood-prone-westport

            • Ghostwhowalksnz 2.1.1.1.1.1
              2 February 2023 at 12:34 pm

              A few outlying streets that arent able to be protected and if they were would increase the flooding in the central town.

              Westport just had a 1 in 100yr flood , as they say the same happened in 1926. I have pictures of relatives from early 1900s standing in front of houses that are still there

              Same applies to a few streets in Auckland

              I see St Marys bay residents are fuming because the stormwater overflowed 'and ran down their drive' . Thats actually the plan for SW thats designed for 1 in 25 year floods not 1 in 150 years or so.

              their other problem is the SW and sewerage is combined due to the age . Separating the sewage flow is underway but wont change the 1 in 25 yr SW design

        • Mac1 2.1.1.2
          1 February 2023 at 10:37 am

          Like my area where the council administers a huge area with 50,000 people to provide funding by rates, the West Coast has similar problems.

          Huge areas, rural, sparse popn, mountains, massive rivers, long highways, bridges galore and water issues of contamination, potability and flooding.

          The Three Waters issue has to be better explained, understood, consequences of any and all decisions faced.

          My area has faced earthquakes, floods, Sounds roading hugely and possibly irreparably damaged, coastal erosion by nature and by vessels in the Sounds, logging issues with slash and water pollution, sea dredging, dairy, vineyard pollution, ferry traffic and ferry sailing problems, and long coasts open to weather and sea level rise.

          50,000 people in an area the size of Israel.

          Not 1.7 million people with monetary and political clout. (At least our mayors have been reasonable).

          • weka 2.1.1.2.1
            1 February 2023 at 10:56 am

            thanks for that perspective. One of the biggest problem the coast has is that people have historically voted in conservatives and climate deniers.

            A number of the issues you name in your area largely resolve by transition to regenerative models. That's the good news, because we have the tech to do that. Less available is the imagination to see how it works.

            We're very overdue the discussion about attrition of functional infrastructure eg roads, because we can't keep up with repairs. Grim laugh at idea that Auckland will need five years to rebuild (as in replace BAU). What do they think is going to happen with the weather in that five years? What should be happening is immediate shift to transition design. We're in the long emergency right now and many people still don't get it and of those that do, they're struggling to see a way through.

  3. Visubversa 3
    1 February 2023 at 9:26 am

    Can she call a friend? One violent rapist in a woman’s prison is one too many.

    May be an image of 1 person and text that says 'ARE ALL TRANS-WOMEN WOMEN? A THAT'S NOT THE POINT B NOT IN PRISON DEPENDS ON THE CRIME YES BUT'

    • Ghostwhowalksnz 3.1
      1 February 2023 at 10:05 am

      Its rare but other women have been jailed for sexual abuse /rape in UK

      Like this

      A woman who admitted the "shockingly depraved" sexual abuse and rape of a vulnerable young girl has been jailed for life.

      Vicki Bevan, 37, of St Helens, pleaded guilty to 36 sexual offences against the girl, aged under 10, at an earlier hearing at Liverpool Crown Court.

      https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-61415238

      Of course violence against women can come from same sex partners or at same sex bars

      • weka 3.1.1
        1 February 2023 at 10:30 am

        What's your point? Visubversa is pointing out that the Scottish Government are now unable to consistently apply a law they've just passed because it puts women at risk. They were told, they not only didn't listen but they called feminists objecting to the law bigots.

        Your response appears to be 'but women rape too'. What does that even mean in this context? In the UK, rape is a crime that is committed by males, irrespective of their gender identity.

        Its rare but other women have been jailed for sexual abuse /rape in UK

        Ok, I'll take your use of 'other' to mean you are in the camp that believe these men are in fact women. Below are tweets about the two 'other' women you are responding to. I call them men.

        If these two men are women, it means that the two women who have been raped that managed to get Bryson into a court should be required to refer to Bryson as 'she' and talk about 'her penis' and 'her behaviour' and say 'she raped me'.

        https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1618978379621076992

        https://twitter.com/JessDeWahls/status/1619419198945386502

      • Molly 3.1.2
        1 February 2023 at 11:03 am

        "Of course violence against women can come from same sex partners or at same sex bars"

        Statistics on violence that identifies men as the perpetrator for the vast majority of sexual crime, include the small number of women that are also perpetrators.

        So… did you have a further point?

        • Ghostwhowalksnz 3.1.2.1
          1 February 2023 at 7:22 pm

          So violence from trans women against is also rare

          Just saying there is no such thing as absolute safety , even when no men around

          Id hate to think of the violence in mens prisons and mixed bars as of course they arent the same , not that I ever claimed it was equivalence

          • Molly 3.1.2.1.1
            1 February 2023 at 10:52 pm

            "So violence from trans women against is also rare"

            ?. Unclear what you mean and/or what statistics are you referencing?

            (Just as female offenders are included in stats so are men who declare themselves women – offenders or not).

            "Just saying there is no such thing as absolute safety , even when no men around"

            I haven't seen anyone who claimed this. Safeguarding is about reducing likelihood, no one can guarantee safety.

            "Id hate to think of the violence in mens prisons and mixed bars as of course they arent the same , not that I ever claimed it was equivalence"

            Still unclear what you were contributing to the discussion.

        • Corey Humm 3.1.2.2
          1 February 2023 at 7:34 pm

          As a survivor of sexual abuse myself, Yes men are the majority of perpetrators in reported sexual abuse cases and unreported cases but ask any sexual abuse counselor and they'll tell you that men are overwhelmingly less likely to report a sexual assault compared to women due to shame, fear, humiliation.

          Women saw sexually assaulting men is also not uncommon, but men reporting on it is because they think noone will believe a man was raped by a woman and many who have attempted to report it have been laughed at by police or friends.

          There aren't enough studies on male sexual abuse from women but around 35% of men who actually do report sexual abuse are abused by women. It does happen, it's not uncommon and we need to change our societal prejudices so male victims of sexual assault feel more comfortable coming forward regardless of the gender. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sexual-victimization-by-women-is-more-common-than-previously-known/

          Other than that I totally agree with you and weka on this point and Sturgeons totally backed herself into a corner.

          It's disgraceful that these two or anyone else were put into a female prison and that anyone with concerns is demonized and could face real world consequences.

          The one good that is coming of this is that we are discussing rape in prison which is totally ignored and laughed about. Rapists shouldn't be in general population at male or female prisons, period.

          Noone should be sexually victimized while in the custody of the state.

          And noone should be called bigoted for sharing concerns and fears about their changing rooms, toilets and single sex spaces.

          All the progress the LGBT have made has been put at risk over the last 7 years by a radical minority inside the LGBT+s on an ideology campaign that is deeply unpopular, purposely divisive and disruptive and risks the LGBT losing public support but anyone who speaks out about it publicly (we do in private among friends) gets crucified, can lose their job their community and be labeled a bigot and heteros may not feel it but us queers can confirm the public is really over it.

          If one more woke hetero activist tells this gay dude that same sex attraction is transphobic and that a vagina is a male sex organ I'm going to scream.

          I support trans people but I do not support TRAs.

          • Molly 3.1.2.2.1
            1 February 2023 at 11:00 pm

            I'm sorry to hear of your sexual abuse Corey. I hope you did not feel compelled to disclose in order to give weight to your very salient points.

            I believe that there is a strong sex divide in experience, impact and societies responses to sexual assault and you are right in saying more research and support services are needed for male victims.

    • weka 3.2
      1 February 2023 at 10:31 am

      For those that haven't seen it, here's the video that the above image is referring to.

      https://twitter.com/PeterAdamSmith/status/1620051699900755970

      • weka 3.2.1
        1 February 2023 at 10:32 am

        My comment from last night in DR,

        and just like that the central pillar of the edifice of gender ideology crumbles.

        Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister in Scotland and leader of the SNP, championed gender self ID and pushed through the law there despite concerns. She called gender critical feminists raising those concerns bigots.

        Self-ID means that any man can say they are a woman at any time and then should be treated as such. She was told, she didn't listen.

        Now she is confronted with the problem of convicted rapists using self-ID to gain access to women's prisons, with two very high profile cases in the past week. Trans women are women, except when they are not. Finally.

        Well done this journo for asking the questions. She can't/won't answer because if she was truthful the whole thing would fall over, and she would be branded a transphobe and bigot.

        Look at the retweet, quote tweet and likes numbers. And 3.3 million views.

        • SPC 3.2.1.1
          1 February 2023 at 11:28 am

          The next issue will be the right of a women's refuges to deny access to people who have assaulted other women.

    • SPC 3.3
      1 February 2023 at 11:03 am

      They have been left with the ambulance at the bottom of the hill patch to their self ID legislation.

      Keith Brown … justice secretary has announced a … review by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) into its transgender policy

      On Sunday, Brown announced that no transgender inmate with a history of violence against women will be moved from a men's jail to a women's jail until the review ends.

      The rule also applies to newly-convicted or remanded individuals.

      Brown said the issue was "highly emotive" and public concern is "understandable". He went on: "As the First Minister pointed out last week, we must not allow any suggestion to take root that trans women pose and inherent threat to women.

      https://www.holyrood.com/news/view,transfers-of-violent-transgender-prisoners-paused-amidst-review

  4. Drowsy M. Kram 4
    1 February 2023 at 10:51 am

    National announces caucus reshuffle as Napier retreat kicks off

    Does anyone think that the drop down the ranks of Kuriger and Simpson should be taken as an indication that these two may retire?

    In Simpson's electorate (Coromandel), Labour's 2020 party vote majority over National was 5000+, and the impact of CC on the region won't necessarily do him any favours.

    National Party climate spokesperson defends drilling stance
    [11 November 2022]
    Climate change Minister James Shaw leaves today for the COP27 conference in Egypt.

    Also flying out today is opposition climate change spokesperson Scott Simpson – this coming in the same week his National Party reaffirmed it will repeal the Government's offshore oil and gas exploration ban if it wins next year's election.

    That stance earned a rebuke from Shaw, who described it as "bonkers".

    Simpson spoke to Corin Dann.

    "It's the compulsory nature that's the problem. That was the old problem that Helen Clark had with the light bulbs and the showerheads." – Scott Simpson

    Will the opposition NAct parties attempts to surf a VFF-style anti-control wave pay off?
    Time will tell.

    What NZ doesn’t need – middle-aged, risk-averse Pākehā men with narrow backgrounds [Rod Oram; 27 January 2023; updated 29 January]

    Second, National has just changed its climate spokesman yet again – from Scott Simpson back to Todd Muller. That’s a good choice in one sense – Muller knows more and has a better sense of the big picture than Simpson has.

    But it’s also a worry. Muller ran Fonterra’s government relations before he went into politics. It’s hard to imagine him being tough enough to crack the dairy and meat sectors’ climate defensiveness, which is increasingly a major threat to their international competitiveness.

    Third, National just simply doesn’t get the five most fundamental things about the climate crisis: it’s right here, right now; it’s accelerating rapidly; it sets the timetable for our responses; we can’t keep putting off action hoping for a better time to act later; and the right action now helps us build a more resilient, more sophisticated and wealthier economy and society.

    • woodart 4.1
      1 February 2023 at 11:18 am

      good post drowsy. expecting conservatives to be progressive, look at new ideas is an oxymoron.rod oram is exactly correct.simpson would seem to be on shakey ground (slidey ground) in the coromandel with his constant feeble arguments against climate change.

    • Macro 4.2
      1 February 2023 at 11:29 am

      In Simpson's electorate (Coromandel), Labour's 2020 party vote majority over National was 5000+, and the impact of CC on the region won't do him any favours.

      Simpson is still pretty popular in Coromandel despite the swing to Labour on the party vote last election, and has been Nat spokesperson on CC. I understand is a the go to for Shaw on across party agreements on Climate action. Lots of retired farmers and rural folks from BoP and the Waikato retire here. Coromandel has one of the highest concentrations of retired folk in the country. Also one of the highest concentrations of "ghost houses" ie beach houses for the wealthy. So whereas Jeanette Fitzsimmons was able to once secure the electorate seat after a nod and wink to Labour voters, I can't see any such arrangement happening again. I think Nats are thinking let Simpson win the Electorate seat and see where the list seats lie. Having said that he will have completed 9 years as MP so may just be deciding to pass it on to the next.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 4.2.1
        1 February 2023 at 11:35 am

        Thanks Macro for that info/insight.

      • Incognito 4.2.2
        1 February 2023 at 1:14 pm

        Good comment, thanks.

        Owning a beach house doesn’t make it one’s electorate, does it?

        • Macro 4.2.2.1
          1 February 2023 at 3:13 pm

          Owning a beach house doesn’t make it one’s electorate, does it?

          No – just trying to give flavour to the over all social mix of the electorate. It is by and large a well healed electorate. Those beach houses frequently become the residence. How come Sandra Goudie continued to be MP and subsequent Mayor? She was good at door knocking and the oldies liked her.

          Yes there is a smattering of alternative life stylers in the area, but they mostly choose anonymity rather than political activism – except on some issues such as Coromandel Watchdog.

    • Visubversa 4.3
      1 February 2023 at 12:46 pm

      The NACTS are just like the Republicans in the USA. Nobody was saying that you have to have energy efficient lightbulbs and/or water saving shower heads immediately. However, the Building Standards were being changed to require the showerheads in new builds – just like dual flush toilets and other water saving measures. You can still buy the old style lightbulbs, but nobody much does because they have such a short lifespan.

      The Republicans are trying to make a drama about gas stoves, particularly gas hobs. The Federal Government is pointing out that in a domestic setting – not only is it a fossil fuel but it produces water vapour and contributes to respiratory diseases – especially to children, in badly ventilated dwellings.

      The Republicans are saying that the "Feds" are coming for your gas stoves!

  5. Stephen D 5
    1 February 2023 at 11:35 am

    The Cabinet Reshuffle

    Are comments off for a reason?

  6. joe90 6
    1 February 2023 at 12:46 pm

    Priorities.

    /

    https://twitter.com/ShayKhatiri/status/1620178113622843392

    https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/watch-iranian-blogger-couple-dancing-in-public-sentenced-to-over-10-years-in-prison/ar-AA16TP9T?

    Tehran — An Iranian man has been jailed for more than eight years after decapitating his wife and displaying her head in public in a case that shocked the country, the judiciary said Wednesday. Mona Heidari, 17, was killed in February 2022 by her husband and brother-in-law in Ahvaz, the capital of the southwestern province of Khuzestan.

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-man-decapitated-teen-wife-paraded-head-in-public-8-year-prison-sentence/

  7. Molly 7
    1 February 2023 at 2:43 pm

    A spot of nostalgia – this recalls (for me) the fa'afafine voices of my younger days. Before they were rewritten and repurposed:

    https://twitter.com/msediewyatt/status/1620578562452619266?s=20&t=L1Vk_9LiozD0js0sOMG1ZA

  8. Mike the Lefty 8
    1 February 2023 at 5:38 pm

    The ACT Party are becoming a populist party.

    A billboard near Palmerston North implies if you are sick of lower speed limits on roads then voting ACT will change it.

    ACT going for the populist vote suggests that their traditional neo-liberal economic policies are not going down so well for the general public.

  9. Stephen D 9
    1 February 2023 at 6:21 pm

    With the Brynderwyns closed, maybe Judith was right?

    Time for a tunnel!

  10. Cave Johnson 10
    1 February 2023 at 10:57 pm

    Anyone else thinking that a huge weakness of '3 Waters' is in its naming. So many people who oppose the programme have no real idea what it's about. The '3 Waters' name is a tidy programme name but because it doesn't directly convey any public benefit it makes it very easy to attack/oppose without seeming negative. If it had been branded 'Safer, Cleaner Waters' from the very start, for example, opponents might have had to to explain their objections rather than just demand it be stopped. This post was inspired by a conversation I had with someone who described '3 Waters' as a policy no-one wants, then quickly revealed they had zero knowledge about what it was.

    • Mike the Lefty 10.1
      3 February 2023 at 9:42 am

      Dead right! but I think its too late now. Once you are stuck with a negative label it is very hard to get rid of it.

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    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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 days ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    7 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 week ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    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 from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 weeks ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 weeks 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
    13 hours 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
    14 hours 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
    15 hours 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days ago
  • 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
    5 days 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
    5 days ago
  • 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
    5 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Government backs women in horticulture

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