Open mike 02/02/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 2nd, 2024 - 63 comments
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Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

63 comments on “Open mike 02/02/2024 ”

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  1. FrankMann 1
    2 February 2024 at 6:27 am

    Stand down everyone, Tova says it's ok to flip-flop… as long as it's National doing it.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350166059/rookie-nz-first-minister-still-exploring-tobacco-tax-cuts-despite-pm-rule-out

    [Please don’t change user names and from now on stick to the other approved name here, thanks – Incognito]

    • Incognito 1.1
      2 February 2024 at 7:59 am

      Mod note

    • Sanctuary 1.2
      2 February 2024 at 9:54 am

      Tova says it's OK because the whole caffeine is as bad as tobacco thing is in the NZF manifesto and well, they "won" the election (with 6% of the vote – 94% of us didn't vote for a corrupt party).

      That would be the same manifesto the MSM refused (because serious political discussion in our determinedly unserious MSM doesn't rate) to tell the public about during the GE. So you see, it is the public's fault for not knowing about something the media couldn't be bothered telling them about.

      And of course, well, this is the big game in the big house and boys will be boys and girls will be girls and no one actually knows anyone with a smoking related disease so it is all consequence free jolly japes and reckons – until it isn’t and then the journo will turn into an insufferable bore on the topic because THEIR favourite aunt or uncle died a horrible death from lung cancer.

  2. Dennis Frank 2
    2 February 2024 at 6:29 am

    Looks like Costello may be off the hook…

    Between Tuesday and Thursday there was also, of course, a helluva lot of pressure on the prime minister and his associate minister of health, Casey Costello. RNZ revealed she’d sought advice about freezing tobacco tax hikes – something we’ve done as a country, in part, to disincentivise smoking – and then Costello said she hadn’t sought the advice.

    Costello puts it down to dumping a whole load of old notes, NZ First policy documents, Hansard records and the like onto health officials to guide their advice and that she “certainly did not specifically request a proposal on excise freeze”. https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350166059/rookie-nz-first-minister-still-exploring-tobacco-tax-cuts-despite-pm-rule-out

    Okay so just a fumble then.

    Costello’s notes also say that “Nicotine is as harmful as caffeine“, which while shocking to many, is not a new position for NZ First. In fact, it’s in the party’s 2023 policy manifesto:“NZ First supports age-appropriate access to nicotine, which in adults, is generally as safe as caffeine is.”

    All those pesky stats about extreme addiction causing cancer can just be air-brushed out of the picture…

    • Muttonbird 2.1
      2 February 2024 at 7:21 am

      Still using the public service to develop NZF policy then.

      • Dennis Frank 2.1.1
        2 February 2024 at 7:31 am

        Could be. Just now on AM Lloyd Burr is interviewing Willie & Goldie simultaneously, Willie was on about this govt being tainted by ties to tobacco – quite rightly. Kept jabbing Goldie with that, who grinned his eye-roll a few times in response & kept reiterating that the legislation is working well, getting the harm stats increasingly reduced.

        So the guts is consensus between Nat & Lab policies which all the hoo-ha is masking. While perception often defeats reality – can't blame the media for any focus on competitive framing though, eh?

        • alwyn 2.1.1.1
          2 February 2024 at 9:40 am

          Who are the people you label Willie and Goldie?

          • Dennis Frank 2.1.1.1.1
            2 February 2024 at 9:48 am

            Jackson, Goldsmith.

            • alwyn 2.1.1.1.1.1
              2 February 2024 at 10:52 am

              Thank you.

              I did assume Jackson but, showing my age, the only Goldie I thought of was former All Black Jeff Wilson.

              • Dennis Frank …
                2 February 2024 at 10:55 am

                Willie continuously called him Goldie so I deduced it was an ongoing thing, and since they seemed to have quite a benign interaction going could be Maori solidarity is the subtext…

  3. Bearded Git 3
    2 February 2024 at 8:09 am

    I think Trotter gets it wrong today on both the Treaty and the SNP.

    The current interpretation of the Treaty has been developed over 40 years largely through the independent judiciary. It should not be permitted to be derailed by populists like Seymour and Peters.

    The SNP do have problems but Starmer's continual move to to he Right (witness his recent support for massive bonuses in London's financial sector) will mean anybody in Scotland who supports the “real” Left will vote for either the Greens or the SNP.

    https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2024/02/01/chris-trotter-intransigent-minorities/

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/01/frustration-in-labour-ranks-over-reevess-refusal-to-reinstate-bankers-bonus-cap

    • Sanctuary 3.1
      2 February 2024 at 10:19 am

      "…Trotter gets it wrong today…"

      In other news the sun rose in the east and the pope is still a catholic. Gawd, even Bradbury has kicked Trotter into touch from his site. Trotts has a new audience these days. Middle aged incels and boomer racists over at the "democracy" project.

  4. Hunter Thompson II 4
    2 February 2024 at 8:51 am

    Stuff report (2 Feb 2024) states: "Algal bloom prompts health warning" . Apparently 11 South Canterbury rivers are affected.

    Stuff makes no mention of what caused the algae. Anyone know the reason?

    • Barfly 4.1
      2 February 2024 at 8:59 am

      My guess is hot weather and excess nutrients (cow shit and urine)

    • Belladonna 4.2
      2 February 2024 at 9:19 am

      From the official health warning

      Algal blooms are influenced by a combination of available nutrients in the water and sediments (such as nitrogen and phosphorus), a sustained period of low and stable flows, and favourable weather conditions (e.g. increased temperature, calm days).

      https://www.cdhb.health.nz/media-release/health-warning-algal-bloom-in-te-roto-o-wairewa-lake-frosyth/

      Given that the factor most likely to have changed recently is the weather (temperature/wind) – that's what will have triggered the bloom.

      • Hunter Thompson II 4.2.1
        2 February 2024 at 9:44 am

        The official health warning carefully scrubs around the question of why the "available nutrients" are in the rivers.

        That omission speaks volumes to me.

        • weka 4.2.1.1
          2 February 2024 at 10:49 am

          to be fair the health authorities job there is to notify the public of the danger and risk, not delve into the causes.

          MSM on the other hand, should be headlining this. It's worth noting that the authorities are generally concerned when it gets to the point of killing dogs or making kids sick, but the problem started long before that.

          My understanding is the causes generally are:

          • climate change affecting local weather
          • weather/heat making the water warmer for algae to bloom
          • weather/low water flows making the water warmer, and less disruption to the algae
          • munted rivers because of:
            • low water flow from agricultural water take
            • low water flow land use fuckery eg from deforestation
          • pollution from farm runoff
            • artificial inputs
            • animal outputs

          Probably not a complete list, but those are the main ones I'm aware of.

        • Belladonna 4.2.1.2
          2 February 2024 at 11:22 am

          Or why the temperature is rising?

        • Drowsy M. Kram 4.2.1.3
          2 February 2024 at 11:59 am

          This is a useful site for looking at trends in water quality over time.

          https://www.lawa.org.nz/explore-data/river-quality/#/tb-national

          For example, of the five monitored sites in the vicinity of Palmy with a decent data record (10+ years), one (Kahuterawa stream at Kebbles Farm) is "likely improving", one (Turitea stream at No 1 Dairy) is "likely degrading", and three are indeterminate.

      • Patricia Bremner 4.2.2
        2 February 2024 at 10:47 am

        I'll play Patsy, and ask a rhetorical question….Any moves by this government to improve things Belladonna?

        angry

        • weka 4.2.2.1
          2 February 2024 at 10:49 am

          lol.

        • Belladonna 4.2.2.2
          2 February 2024 at 11:23 am

          Prob about the same as the last one…. SFA.

          • gsays 4.2.2.2.1
            2 February 2024 at 12:39 pm

            On that note: we are in a tizz about Tobacco industry and it's influence on the current government.

            Looking back, it's hard not to draw a similar conclusion with the last government, considering their piss-weak 'reforms' around vaping.

  5. Reality 5
    2 February 2024 at 9:47 am

    What a week. This government's performance has been awful. To think they went round the country electioneering they were going to get the country back on track! Luxon escaping to visit a school amidst all the messiness in Parliament. Suspect he does not much like having to deal with difficult issues.

    • Anne 5.1
      2 February 2024 at 10:11 am

      "Luxon escaping to visit a school amidst all the messiness in Parliament."

      Its traditional for PMs not to be present in parliament on Thursdays. Ardern and Hipkins never were, nor were Key and English – nor their predecessors.

  6. Sanctuary 6
    2 February 2024 at 10:16 am

    On the 10th December 1941 the British capital ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers in the South China Sea. HMS Prince of Wales was a brand new battleship equipped with the latest anti-aircraft weapons. It was an inflection point. For the first time in history, a fast modern battleship manouevering at sea was sunk by airpower. It marked the end of the battleship and the dawn of a new age of naval warfare.

    On the 2nd of February, 2024, Ukrainian naval suicide drones sank a Russian corvette in the Black sea in a surgically coordinated attack. The attack was controlled by satellite and was ruthlessly efficient. First two drones blew the stern off – immobilising the target – and then two more precisely struck the ship amidships, setting off the ships missiles in a huge explosion. For the first time in history, a fast modern warship manouevering at sea was sunk by naval drones directed by satellite link.

    https://twitter.com/chrisschmitz/status/1753028432118579641?s=19

    Make no mistkae, this is an historic moment and – if you consider how easily the Houthi have been able to close the Red Sea using technology that is now common to many countries – something that is going to have profund implications for a nation as utterly dependent on sea trade as NZ is.

    • Tony 6.1
      2 February 2024 at 10:41 am

      That clip is not at all convincing and I can find zero confirmation from any other source,

      • Sanctuary 6.1.1
        2 February 2024 at 10:45 am

        lol it literally shows the ship exploding. But hey, keep up the copium.

        • Tony 6.1.1.1
          2 February 2024 at 2:08 pm

          As I said it's not at all convincing, a clip from X shows a ship being hit, strange it's not reported in any other media? Can you provide another source which confirms it, otherwise I am calling your copium pathetic.

      • Belladonna 6.1.2
        2 February 2024 at 11:30 am

        What evidence would you find convincing?

        Coverage in the standard media sources makes mention of the ongoing disinformation prevalent on both sides of the war.

        However, there has been no denial from Russia that the ship has been sunk; or that it was sunk as a result of drone strikes (as opposed to surface mines, or torpedoes, or any other explosive source). One would have expected a speedy response from Russia – if there had been no truth in the Ukrainian claim.

        https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-c713c425574e943029271c117f9a16a8

        • Tony 6.1.2.1
          2 February 2024 at 2:16 pm

          Some actual evidence would be helpful, a grainy clip on X without any ship identification doesn't do it for me. Show some evidence from other sources will help, Sanctuary has a bad habit of putting out anti Russian propaganda.

    • Sanctuary 6.2
      2 February 2024 at 10:42 am

      following on from the above – US legislators call for president Biden to strengthen US maritime power – https://gcaptain.com/bipartisan-lawmakers-urge-president-biden-to-strengthen-u-s-maritime-power/

      This chap discusses the call well – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD1tC_-7XWc

      Note the annoyance at the US being expected to defend ships built in China, crewed oout of India and registered in Liberia. If we are not careful we can expect a back to the future moment where naval powers only protect their own shipping. People don’t realise that it used to be that way until first the British and then the Americans swept away pirates and chancers and illegal state actors in the name of global free trade and freedom of the seas. We may have a future where if a Liberian registered, Chinese built container ship is hit by a ballistic missile or hijacked by pirates, don't expect a passing US warship to do anything about it.

      What Mr. Mercogliano doesn't say is a US rebuild of it's ship bulding capacity – along with the laws required to make it competitive and ignoring non-US or allied ships under attack – would be a huge blow to globalisation. Globalisation relies on sea transport costs that are next to nothing. If transport costs rise, the whole cost equation of building factories in China or Vietnam or anywhere else changes.

      • Anne 6.2.1
        2 February 2024 at 11:10 am

        Apologies in advance if my question is naive, but I am far from an expert on such matters:

        What does this mean for NZ if we become part of the AUKUS treaty albeit the second tier of association?

        Its clear to me Collins and Co. have always intended signing up to AUKUS. The palaver in Aussie is, in part, to soften up the NZ voters for the coming announcement. The right have always had as their goal to kill the anti-nuclear legislation or at least render it irrelevant.

        • Dennis Frank 6.2.1.1
          2 February 2024 at 11:25 am

          Not naive! Answers will be speculative however…

          "We are in the exploration phase because it's not defined as to what is in it or not in it," Luxon said of pillar 2. "And that is something we are interested in learning more about." https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/02/winston-peters-and-judith-collins-lay-on-the-charm-for-australia-trip.html

          Can't join something that's not actually there! Like a rat baffled by the smell of cheese wafting in the air, where no cheese exists, Lux is attracted to the prospect of alignment without actually aligning, so as to have it both ways. Rat cunning.

        • Sanctuary 6.2.1.2
          2 February 2024 at 11:41 am

          Sea denial now completely dominates littorial surface naval warfare. That means keeping sea lanes open for freedom of navigation around littorial choke points is going to potentially become a much more violent affair and require a lot of effort from nations dedicated to retaining thwe current world order – which includes freedom of navigation on the high seas and in key waterways. Arguably, it makes being in a bloc with the premier naval power vital. NZ is a security price taker, not a price setter. As a country we've never had to exist in a world where we are not a client state of the dominant global naval power, with all the security and trade advantages that accrue from that. First the Royal Navy then the US Navy guaranteed our frozen sheep and milk powder made it to market without fear of piracy or subject to arbitrary taxes and levies from the navies of states whose coasts our cargo happens to pass. We may be required to have a bigger navy and contribute warships to ensuring the Red sea stays open for our shipping.

          If the US (re)introduces protectionist maritime laws in would be a signal to everyone to re-establishment their own shipping companies to guarantee otheir export cargoes have ships to carry them and local crews to crew them (apparently being shoved to the bottom of the destination list by the big shipping companies during the pandemic disruptions wasn't a big enough clue to the neoliberal wishful thinkers in our bureaucracy that we might need to revive our shipping tonnage).

          Ultimately, if the costs of imports rise significantly due to transport costs then demand for our products will weaken as import subsitution enters the equation for everyone including NZ. That would affect the balance of payments and would make for higher costs for consumer products, although I'd imagine it would help the balance of payments and provide more jobs.

        • SPC 6.2.1.3
          2 February 2024 at 9:38 pm

          We can participate in AUKUS 2 and retain our nuclear free policy.

          It's useful, because we are a defence partner with Oz and it relates to tech development co-operation – defence, cyber security, IT, AI etc. Keeping up will help our local industry.

          https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/02/02/nz-eyes-aukus-pillar-two-what-is-it-and-how-could-it-impact-us/

          It does not involve any compromise to our defence and foreign policy independence.

          It will make it appear that we are more a part of the "western hegemon", but given we are already an associate of NATO, it is consistent with existing co-operation

          NATO and New Zealand are strengthening relations to address shared security challenges in areas such as science and technology, cyber defence, and climate security, and to contribute to upholding the rules-based international order. They also cooperate as part of NATO’s broader relations with its partners in the Indo-Pacific region. New Zealand has made valuable contributions to NATO-led operations and missions.

          https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_52347.htm

          NATO has of late indicated an interest in defence co-operation in the Pacific – complementary to the QUAD – India, Oz, Japan and USA that Kurt Campbell, a sort of Knight of the Pacific, organised.

          We are not a member of QUAD.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrilateral_Security_Dialogue

          • Anne 6.2.1.3.1
            2 February 2024 at 10:17 pm

            Thank-you both Sanctuary and SPC. That was all very interesting.

            My primary concern was that NZ's independent foreign policy and our stand against the proliferation of nuclear weapons would be compromised. I take your word it will not be which is reassuring – at least for the time being.

            • SPC 6.2.1.3.1.1
              2 February 2024 at 10:29 pm

              For Oz, AUKUS (1) is nuclear powered subs so they can sustain a longer period at sea – part of an upgraded capability.

              Proliferation would not result from that, and Oz already hosts nuclear weapon capable vessels (ship and sub). So no change there.

              Our separation from that allows us to sustain our historic policy on non proliferation, especially as to the Pacific.

              The best way forward there is to use our separation from QUAD and some of the rhetoric of USA and Oz on Taiwan to broker positive developments as per Korea, Taiwan and the South Sea atoll/fake islands to reduce regional tensions.

      • Ad 6.2.2
        2 February 2024 at 11:28 am

        New Zealand exports about $66b and imports about $70b by sea. We are massively exposed to all of this. By volume, our exports are 99.7% by sea.

        The warning signals are increasing to this risk:

        • Drought in the Panama Canal has forced a cut in through-shipping of 36%
        • Most Russian-flagged ships are no longer able to enter the EU and indeed most OECD countries, both of which have knock-on effects in marine trade worldwide.
        • Most Black Sea and Azov Sea commercial shipping has collapsed
        • Russian oil company ships have been forced to use the Baltic Sea, where they are under really high NATO-country scrutiny.
        • Russia is hardly building any new tankers at the moment, so the average age of tankers is going up fast
        • Red Sea freight traffic has decreased by 25%, and that includes all major lines that service New Zealand
        • And of course Somali pirates are back in action against freight off the African coast

        What we now need to watch in the next 24 hours is whether Iran escalates with a Strait of Hormuz retaliation to the US counterstrike against its own base.

        We also need to watch any threat to Ballance and Ravensdown ships who supply 94% of our fertiliser from Morocco. That chokes pasture productivity ie milk and meat volume.

        Thankfully Indian and Chinese insurers are filling on for their own fleets, so far.

        We are in such a delicate trade point, it will take very little to turn this into a trade-related recession that is very hard to pull out of here. Something akin to 1979.

        Sure hope we've offered to support the Malacca Strait Patrol with its constituents of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

    • Ad 6.3
      2 February 2024 at 11:31 am

      Very encouraging.

      Great to see this drone swarm tech innovation being used at sea, and of course on Russian oil refineries.

      • Sanctuary 6.3.1
        2 February 2024 at 12:09 pm

        Kremlin trolls like to push the narrative that Ukraine can't win, that Russia through the impacable will of it's blood drenched dictator will continue to feed manpower straw into the battlefield furnance until victory has been achieved. However, war isn't just about throwing men into frontal assaults with all the concern for human life of Stalin.

        Ukraine has been actively targeting Russian EW and SAM systems for a while now, things Russia has great difficulty replacing. It is now producing long range attack drones that will force Russia to deploy it's anti-aircraft missiles away from the battlefront to defend refineries and power plants in Russia – and since Jake Sullivan has no say in what Ukraine can and cannot atack with it's own weapons that is exactly what they are doing. That is leaving gaps for missile ambushes and Russian airpower os being heavily degraded. Russia might be able to refurbish large numbers of 80 year old tanks and empty it's prisons and ethnically cleanse it's minorities for manpower, but they can't replace AEW aircraft and they produce hardly any modern jets, whilst theit potent attack helicopter force is so worn out they are cannibalising airframes to try keep a few flying. Oh – and notice how few advanced missiles they are firing nowadays? Russia is relying on North Korean ammunition and missiles and Iranian drones to stay competitive, it is now every bit reliant on its third party suppliers to stay in the war as Ukraine is.

        Remember, Russia's key weapon in halting the Ukrainian attacks in the past summer was massively mined defensive belts heavily defended by aviation assets. Also remember Ukraine is only a 25km advance away from cutting land routes west from Mariupol and being able to hit the Kerch bridge. Once Ukraine has F-16s and gets back it's US ammunition supplies (although the Germans are now supplying huge amounts of weapons to Ukraine, this war is rapidly turning into a Russo-German conflict, who had that on their bingo card in 2021?) things might just look up for them next summer.

      • Sanctuary 6.3.2
        2 February 2024 at 12:26 pm

        I wouldn't get to pleased about drone swarms though. We are seeing a pace of technology development not seen since the first/second world war. Both sides are using AI drone technology to overcome EW interference of FPV signals. The Ukrainians for instance now use a "mothership" drone to deposit 6-12 AI killer drones on the ground in isolated locations near roads and choke points, while other drones watch for traffic. Once movement is spotted, the AI drones are activated, they rise into the air use AI to identify a target, talk to each other to ensure they are targetting the same vehicle/person and destroy it.

        So the human is now out completely out of the kill loop. Welcome to the rise of the killer robots. It is completely terrifying.

        • Ad 6.3.2.1
          2 February 2024 at 2:53 pm

          Machines destroying machines as a concept of war also has upsides.

          Imagine war without useful capital ships even aircraft carriers and big land craft, or bomber jets in a massive scale, or tanks.

          At some point there could be rules of war where two country teams just Warhammer and call it a win.

          Long way from Terminator yet.

        • SPC 6.3.2.2
          2 February 2024 at 9:20 pm

          Electric battery powered lasers provide cheaper air defence and can be used against drone swarms.

    • Macro 6.4
      2 February 2024 at 9:47 pm

      I once worked with a survivor from HMS Repulse. He was a Gunner CPO on Repulse, and after the sinking the survivors ended up on the Malaysian Peninsula by Desaru. The Japanese Army chased them down to Singapore where they managed to get a small boat and sail out of Singapore Harbour under the eyes of the Japanese Army and they made it to Indonesia. He was then sailing from Indonesia to Perth Australia when a Japanese Cruiser came over the horizon and shelled the ship, sinking it, and then sailing off without picking up any survivors. They were in a lifeboat for some days almost dying when the last ship from Perth heading to India happened to pass close by, saw them, and rescued them. After recuperating in Madras (now Chenei), he was repatriated back to England, and posted to a destroyer that was to support the Anzio Landings. That ship was sunk after being dive-bombed on the day of the landings. Fortunately another was was at hand and the crew stepped from one ship not the other. He said that was the easiest sinking to survive. Although he suffered 3 sinking during the war he never received the 3 lots of survivors leave to which he was entitled.

      We always encouraged him to write it down. It was a great story.

      I'm Lt Cdr RNZN (Rtd.)

  7. Reality 7
    2 February 2024 at 10:27 am

    Yes Anne I knew that but it struck me as convenient for the PM to be away from Parliament after this week in particular.

    • Dennis Frank 8.1
      2 February 2024 at 2:08 pm

      Using the politics of kindness, she carefully refrained from calling Jacinda chief tinker:

      "We are not a party of tinkering. We are a party of transformation."

      There was immense frustration in the community "with tinkering when they were promised transformation".

      "Only the Greens can be trusted to continue to push for, and to win concrete gains on that necessary transformation," Swarbrick said.

      Asked if Labour was no longer the voice of the left, Swarbrick said she was not there to talk on behalf of the Labour Party.

      She had felt during the 2023 campaign that the "rhetoric of transformation was met with the reality of tinkering". "That is not good enough."

      Hipkins has not yet said "We need to tinker more!" Give the poor man time, he's still thinking it through, weighing up whether the focus groups will be bowled over by the notion of yet more tinkering.

      • Robert Guyton 8.1.1
        2 February 2024 at 2:50 pm

        "Hipkins has not yet said "We need to tinker more!" Give the poor man time, he's still thinking tinkering it through…

        fify

  9. Jilly Bee 9
    2 February 2024 at 1:48 pm

    Oh dear, Tama Potaka getting his arse spanked at the National Iwi Chairs Forum at Kerikeri – oh dear, how sad, never mind. I suppose he's trying to inject a bit of humour into the proceedings. I have no time for David Seymour by the way and I'm not trying to defend him, but Tama, of all people should get his facts correct before mouthing off. Of course, nothing on Stuff or the Herald – yet, and I won’t die holding my breath.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/508251/tama-potaka-scolded-for-joking-about-david-seymour-s-hapu

  10. Ad 10
    2 February 2024 at 2:48 pm

    US Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer is promising a vote on the border security – Ukraine armaments bill next week.

    https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/02/01/congress/senate-bill-text-supplemental-border-00139118

    The utterly frustrating thing about this is that the deal was clearly possible through 2023, so why didn't the White House gt its shit together then with the Republican house majority instead of turning into election dynamite.

    Sure it's not as bad as our Three Waters, but it's poor handling.

    • Barfly 10.1
      2 February 2024 at 3:58 pm

      Ukraine would have had its supplies assured if the Democrats had supported McCarthy against the hard right Republicans instead of cheap political point scoring

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    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  A lack of perspective can make something quite large or important seem small or irrelevant. Against a backdrop of high-profile, negative statistics it is easy to overlook the positive. For instance, the fact that 64 percent of Maori are employed is rarely reported. For ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    18 hours ago

  • Will NZ Herald’s ‘poor journalism’ cost lives?
    Earlier this year, the Herald ran a series of articles amounting to a sustained campaign against raised pedestrian crossings, by reporter Bernard Orsman. A key part of that campaign concerned the raised crossings being installed as part of the Pt Chevalier to Westmere project, with at least 10 articles over ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    22 hours ago

  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to May 19 and beyond
    TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 19 include:PM Christopher Luxon is expected to hold his weekly post-cabinet news conference at 4:00pm on Monday.Parliament is not sitting this week. It resumes next week for a two-week sitting session up to and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    24 hours ago

  • Webworm Popup Photos!
    Hi,Thanks to all the beautiful Worms who came to the LA Webworm popup on Saturday.It was a way to celebrate the online store we launched last week — and it was super special.As I talk about a lot, I really value our community here — and it was a BLAST ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    24 hours ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, May 5, 2024 thru Sat, May 11, 2024. (Unfortunate) Story of the week "Grief that stops at despair is an ending that I and many others, most notably ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • The Gods Must Be Woke.
    Last night the largest solar storm in decades resulted in Aurorae being seen across Aotearoa, causing many to ask why?Why was the sky pink? What was all this stuff about the power grid? Have we, as so many have wondered since the election, reached the end of days?I had a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • More road
    We have been on the road in England, squeezing down narrow lanes, flying up the M6, loving hedgerows and villages and cathedrals, liking the 21st century less.There have been moments when it’s felt like a movie trope. The pub in Exford, lovely seventeenth century bar, almost more dogs than people, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Seeing the Aurora Australis
    There’s a solar-storm on at the moment, and since the South Island is having a day and night with clear skies, that means Aurorae. I have just got back from a midnight visit to Tunnel Beach – southwards-looking over the Sea, and without the light pollution. Quite a few others ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • Welcome to the current welfare mess
    Michael Bassett writes – I’m not sure that it’s much comfort to anyone to know that the post-Covid surge in violent crimes, gang activity, ram raids, random shootings, thuggery and stabbings is occurring in other countries as well as New Zealand. These days, wagging school, out-of-control welfare and ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • A shovel-ready autopsy
    Oliver Hartwich writes –  Cast your mind back to mid-December. A new Prime Minister had just been sworn in, the new Government started its 100-day programme, and Christmas was only days away.Amid all the haste, a report landed that would have deserved our attention.I am talking about the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Why we almost blacked out and how to fix it
    TL;DR: An unseasonally early icy blast at the same time as some long-overdue maintenance almost caused Aotearoa-NZ’s electricity system to black out this week. That’s because a quadropoly of gentailers1 have prioritised paying dividends from their rising profits and adding debt over investing in 1.5 GigaWatts of new wind farms ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • What Is Instagram Trying To Sell Us?
    Hi,Before we crack into today’s Webworm, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that Israel is pushing into Rafah. Over 100,000 Palestinians are now attempting to flee the one place that was deemed “safe”.Trouble is, the place they’re fleeing to is already destroyed. Total annihilation is the end goal here.“Israel is ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • Precious Little Excitement: Warner Brothers, Peter Jackson, and Gollum
    Back in February 2023, I made the cardinal mistake of getting my hopes up. Warner Brothers declared that fresh Middle-earth movies were in the works: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/02/24/it-never-rains-but-it-pours-warner-brothers-and-impending-tolkien-adaptations/ My assumption, based on which rights were available, and what had already been done, was that this was a stab at either the Angmar ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • Do We Need a Population Census?
    ‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago

  • No, the govt will not be cutting back on every budget – and the Defence vote is among those to be ...
    Buzz from the Beehive Reporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The Treasury and productivity
    Late last week The Treasury released a new 40 page report on “The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections” (productivity forecasts and projections that is, rather than any possible fiscal implications – the latter will, I guess, be articulated in the Budget documents). In short, if (as it has) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • The Controller and Auditor-General’s role
    Peter Dunne writes –  I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • More harm than good
    How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos   Chris Trotter writes –  TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour
    And why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction?   Gary Judd writes –  Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ elections
    Bryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Macklemore's Pro-Palestinian Protest.
    Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on miserly school lunches, and the banning of TikTok’s Gaza coverage
    Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 10-May-2024
    Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to May 10
    Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #19 2024
    Open access notables A Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future: Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ elections
    Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VIII
    Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 days ago

  • Pretending to talk other people’s languages
    Fakes can come in many forms.A Rolex, for instance.A tan can be fake. Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • What’s new? A social agency with an emphasis on “investment” instead of “wellbeing” – b...
    Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • Following the political money
    Bryce Edwards writes –    “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Hipkins would rather no one remember that he was Minister of Education
    Alwyn Poole writes –  After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Fashionable follies
    Eric Crampton writes –  A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Justice for Bainimarama!
    In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • March for Nature in June
    Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Thursday May 9
    Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • The non-woke $3 Lunch.
    I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Labour’s chickens come home to roost
    The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • Calvin Reviews Lord of The Rings
    Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago

  • Climate Adam: How to visualise Climate Change (ft. Katharine Hayhoe)
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • The wrong direction
    Some good news on climate change today: the energy transition away from fossil fuels is picking up speed, and renewables now make up 30% of global electricity supply. Meanwhile, in Aotearoa, we're moving in the opposite direction, with Genesis Energy announcing that it will resume importing Indonesian coal. Their official ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • National hates democracy
    Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • No Tikanga Please, We're Lawyers.
    Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Member’s Day
    Today is a Member's Day, and it seems we've entered the slowdown as things emerge from select committee. First up is the committee stage of Greg O'Connor's Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Government Agency Registration) (Overseas Travel Reporting) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the second readings of Stuart ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Hurrah for coal – Shane Jones welcomes Genesis Energy’s import plans as natural gas production s...
    Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Following the political money
    “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago

  • A Left-Right ranking of universities in NZ: a practical guide for students and parents
    Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim. Extreme Left   Auckland University of Technology Evidence The ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  •  Inflation and GST thresholds
    Eric Crampton writes –  I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Green Party grapples with persistent scandals
    Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes –  Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • A law school to be avoided – Auckland University of Technology
    Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 17 people in Malaita stand in way of China’s takeover of the Solomons
    Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the Hamas Ceasefire Offer, and Mark Mitchell’s Incompetence
    With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    6 days ago

  • Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Wednesday May 8
    Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • A few PT announcements
    There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago

  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Green Party grapples with persistent scandals
    Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago

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

  • Nothing to sneer at
    Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Still on their bullshit
    When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • Drawn
    A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • A nod and a wink that will unnecessarily cost Aucklanders tens of millions per year
    Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • Correcting the Corrections announcement – a fiscal farce that should bother the OECD
     Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  •  Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into ‘Pillar 2’ – or they are going to China
    Chris Trotter writes –  Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • A balanced and an unbalanced article
    David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Deeply unserious country
    Every bit of this seems insane. And people wonder why productivity is falling through the floor. Energy News reports that the Environment Court finally threw out Allan Crafar’s appeal against a solar farm. From the story: Consent was granted in 2022. Crafar appealed November 2022. On what grounds? That ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students
    The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…  Gary Judd KC writes –  I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/?p=77196
    The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, May 7
    TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • HM Prison Aotearoa.
    A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • Get Your Webworm Merch!
    Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    7 days ago

  • COVID-19 Inquiry terms of reference consultation results received
    “The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • The Pacific family of nations – the changing security outlook
    Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests  Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues  Ladies and Gentlemen,  Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru    It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • NZ and Papua New Guinea to work more closely together
    Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Driving ahead with Roads of Regional Significance
    The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • New Zealand congratulates new Solomon Islands government
    A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office.    “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • New Zealand supports UN Palestine resolution
    New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium
    Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • $571 million for Defence pay and projects
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Climate change – mitigating the risks and costs
    New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Getting new job seekers on the pathway to work
    Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Accelerating Social Investment
    A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says.  “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Getting Back on Track
    Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with  your Board and team, for hosting me.   I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • NZ – European Union ties more critical than ever
    Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith,   Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States,   Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us.   Ladies and gentlemen -    In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations.   ...
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    5 days ago

  • Therapeutic Products Act to be repealed
    The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
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    6 days ago

  • Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District Plan
    The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
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    6 days ago

  • Rape Awareness Week: Government committed to action on sexual violence
    Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston.  “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
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    6 days ago

  • Smarter lunch programme feeds more, costs less
    Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
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    6 days ago

  • Report provides insights into marine recovery
    New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
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    6 days ago

  • NZ to send political delegation to the Pacific
    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region.   The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu.    “New Zealand has deep and ...
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    6 days ago

  • Low gas production threatens energy security
    There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co.  Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
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    6 days ago

  • Defence industry talent, commitment recognised
    Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
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    6 days ago

  • Speech to the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry
    Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
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    6 days ago

  • Speech to the Sixth Annual New Zealand Government Data Summit
    It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government.  I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
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    6 days ago

  • Ceasefire agreement needed now: Peters
    New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
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    7 days ago

  • Daily school attendance data now available
    A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour.  The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
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    7 days ago

  • Ambassador to United States appointed
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America.    “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says.    “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
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    7 days ago

  • New permit proposed for recreational gold mining
    The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
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    7 days ago

  • NZ and the UAE launch FTA negotiations
    Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
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    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Sign Language Week an opportunity for anyone to sign
    New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
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    1 week ago

  • Next stop NASA for New Zealand students
    Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
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    1 week ago

  • $1.9 billion investment to keep NZ safe from crime
    New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
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    1 week ago

  • OECD reinforces need to control spending
    The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli.   ...
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    1 week ago

  • Agreement delivers Local Water Done Well for Auckland
    The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
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    1 week ago

  • Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with Germany
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today.    "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
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    1 week ago

  • Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of Plenty
    The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
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    2 weeks ago

  • Speech to New Zealand China Council
    Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today.    Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
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    2 weeks ago

  • Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi households
    The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
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    2 weeks ago

  • Government recommits to equal pay
    The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says.  “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
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    2 weeks ago

  • Transforming how our children learn to read
    Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.  “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
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    2 weeks ago

  • NZ not backing down in Canada dairy dispute
    Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
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    2 weeks ago

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