Tracey Martin points out that The Greens have signed up not to oppose Labour at any Select Committees stage. This is unprecedented, she says, and needing of attention.
That's not what James and Marama have been saying in interviews where they have been explicit that the party can publicly criticise and not vote for any policy not covered by Cabinet solidarity rules.
Are you stirring here because you oppose the deal Robert?
Robert has consistently been in favour of a deal, and then supports the one that was signed. Here he raises an important political point about the deal.
Hi Bearded; not stirring, just seeking clarification on a point raised by Tracey. My thoughts were as weka's ; the Green's "cultural difference" may make Tracey's concern redundant but it's still an interesting one to explore. As to "the deal"; I'm still celebrating! Few deals are perfect though. I support The Green's new role whole-heartedly.
I'd find her position more credible if she hadn't prefaced in with a formalist position on marijuana – that the habit of not using it created by its legal status somehow has intrinsic merit and must therefore be continued.
In principle it is a considerable impropriety that the Greens lose their power to oppose at the select committee level, and I wonder what clown set that condition. But NZ First had made opposition within the coalition an electoral strategy to differentiate themselves from Labour, in some instances politicising their stance in select committees to that end. In practice I doubt it will make much difference – the Gnats & ACT were hardly about to back any environmentally positive decision, even for the not inconsiderable pleasure of spiting the government that so thoroughly humiliated them.
"In principle it is a considerable impropriety that the Greens lose their power to oppose at the select committee level, and I wonder what clown set that condition."
"conversational agreement" Don't know where TM got that phrase from. The agreement is named a "cooperation agreement".
"If you don't have a majority on Select Committee, you can't change a piece of legislation…"
She does explain that, but I think there are some problems with her analysis. One is that we don't know if it's true that the Greens won't oppose. I'll post the relevant bits of the agreement below. The other is that she is saying that if you don't have a majority in the SC you can't make changes. But later says that NZF voted against some Labour bills. This whol analysis is predicated on a few things: NZF holding the balance of power (the Greens don't), and Labour not having a majority (they do this time).
I'm guessing there is a cultural difference here too. NZF rely on hard man power and leverage, the Greens are much more about the relationships.
3. The Green Party agrees to support the Labour Government by not opposing votes on matters of confidence and supply for the full term of this Parliament. In addition, the Green Party will support the Labour Government on procedural motions in the House and at Select Committees on the terms set out in this agreement. This will provide New Zealanders with the certainty of a strong, stable Labour Government with support from the Green Party over the next three years.
…
37. Both parties commit to a ‘no surprises’ approach for House and Select Committee business. Protocols will be established for managing this.
…
41. The Green Party will support the Government on procedural motions in the House and in Select Committees, subject to consultation being undertaken. This excludes urgency, which will be negotiated on a case by case basis. The Labour Party Whip and Green Party Musterer will establish protocols to ensure these processes work effectively to meet the expectations of both parties.
42. The Green Party undertakes to keep full voting numbers present whenever the House is sitting where the Green Party has committed to support the Labour Government and on matters of confidence and supply. The Green Party also undertakes to keep full voting numbers in Select Committee, unless otherwise agreed.
An interesting read on the geopolitical consequences of the US election, and how it may play out in our part of the world. Australia focused, but relevant all the same:
The problem, however, remains China.
“The Australian government is likely to favour Biden taking a tougher approach to China than did the Obama administration. So it may find itself weighing into the restorationist versus reform debate,” Wright concludes.
But the Lowy Institute’s Roggeveen questions the resolve of any future US president.
The Cold War, he says, was won because the US convinced the world it had the principles and commitment to suffer a war – even a nuclear one – on behalf of its friends.
“The critical question for America’s adversaries and allies in Asia today is whether any of them would believe the same thing. Does the US still have that kind of resolve?” he asks.
“Despite the change in rhetoric in Washington, there is no sign that the US is actually gearing up for a struggle on that scale. Neither presidential candidate is promising to restore America’s military edge in Asia. No matter who is in the White House, Asia’s security system will evolve from one of American dominance to a balance of power.”
And finding that balance means tough times ahead for Australia and its region.
Roggeveen warns: “No matter who wins next month, Australia faces a future in which maintaining our security will increasingly be a job for us alone.”
Lowy Institute are always worth a read on our place in the world because we're in most senses a function of Australia's place within it …
… except, well except for China. Australia's Federal positioning on China is a whole bunch more assertive than ours. Even after the CCP move against Hong Kong, New Zealand released a finely nuanced response with noticeable differentiation from other 5 Eyes member responses.
Maybe Scottie could hire Winston as his new Ambassador to China 😉 I have a sneaking suspicion that our slightly less Aligned status has something to teach Australia with respect to China.
The question that really worries me about China is that, if Biden was to win the election, the Chinese Government may decide that he will provide more support to Taiwan than Trump.
If that is the case they may decide to invade Taiwan before January 20, 2021 while Trump is still President. I doubt that he would really go to war to support Taiwan during the dying stages of his term,
I really hope that that is paranoia on my part but after that changes that Beijing is imposing on Hong Kong I am scared it may not be.
Yes, what has been overlooked by many here is that Biden has on the face of it been even more hawkish on China than Trump. He's been around a lot longer than Trump after all and has seen the US Sino relationship degenerate from optimism to downright hostility over the past three decades.
Plus at least part of the Democrat movement will be well aware that much of the decline of the US middle and working class, can be laid directly at the loss of good paying jobs to China, and anything that reverses that flow now has considerable bi-partisan support in Washington. It may well be one of the few things everyone agrees on.
The Cold War, he says, was won because the US convinced the world it had the principles and commitment to suffer a war – even a nuclear one – on behalf of its friends.
Given NZ history of the past 30-40 years, I would say we have been largely on our own when it comes to US protection. Certainly NZ did not see any 'protection' during the 80s and 90s after our rejection of the policy of nuclear one-up-man-ship between East and West and the subsequent proliferation of nuclear weaponry.
In fact an RNZ article today serves to suggest that the support and assistance was pretty one sided- ie. NZ working for the US (and its UK toady) not the other way around.
I think you're rather overlooking the very real indirect benefits that small countries like NZ gained from the post-WW2 US led trade order.
The first one that is that whenever a ship left NZ full of our goods, it was always going to arrive safely. And we didn't have to pay a cent for it's security; like it or not it was the massive US Navy that provided that implicit security guarantee.
Equally importantly the mechanisms and rules that meant we could trade on reasonably fair terms and actually get paid reliably were largely devised and supported by the US.
And then of course there is the reality that NZ was able to spend a much smaller fraction of it's GDP on defense than would have otherwise been the case if the US had not been the dominant power.
Most of what we take for granted in the modern world was only possible because the US was willing during the Cold War to pay for much of the necessary security and continuity. It's entirely understandable from their perspective that in return they wanted us on their side.
Yes, there is truth in what you say RedLogix but I am inclined to believe that the US motives were not entirely altruistic. As a super power locked in a battle with the Soviet Union for ultimate world supremacy, the US wanted the Western world to be allied and totally subservient to them. When lil ole NZ at the bottom of the globe declared its independence by banning nuclear powered and armed ships into its waters, they stamped their feet and sulked… and threatened to pull the rug from under our feet. They didn't, and credit to David Lange for ultimately recognising it was mere bluff and bluster – not unlike the methods used by Trump today.
but I am inclined to believe that the US motives were not entirely altruistic.
I totally agree; the US motive was to win the Cold War against the Soviets. They could not do it on the ground in Europe, so effectively they paid for a global coalition … a massive bribe if you will … to oppose them collectively.
That this global order came with so many development benefits for most of humanity was almost an accident, a happy afterthought if you will. The only problem with this plan is that it worked rather too well, and once the US won the Cold War so conclusively, there was no political vision or consensus in Washington about what to do next.
It's been slowly at first, and now rather more rapidly, downhill ever since.
No matter who is in the White House, Asia’s security system will evolve from one of American dominance to a balance of power.
It will be some considerable time before China could project military power in the region at a level that challenges the US. Their carriers for example, are by no means state-of-the-art.
More at issue is America's will to contend, which once was clear, but now seems murky. Taiwan might be invaded while the US temporizes, and their commitment to overturn a fait accompli is questionable. Mind, short victorious wars have been tried before, and frustrated at Tsushima and in the Korean wars. Xi seems autocratic enough to try it – but being mired in an unprofitable conflict is a good way to lose the game.
China doesn't need carriers if there aim is simply to keep the US carriers out of the South China Sea. They have some very effective surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missiles that can keep the US nuclear carriers well away from Taiwan. That will also keep their aircraft out of range of supporting Taiwan from an invasion from the mainland of China.
The island is, after all, only a bit over a hundred kilometers away from the Chinese mainland.
Obviously the Chinese carriers aren't nearly as sophisticated as the US nukes. If you are asking can they oppose the US anywhere in the world the answer is no. Within a thousand km of China though they don't need them. Conversely though they US can't really afford to let such enormously expensive craft get close enough to be hit by a Chinese missile. At about $13 billion for a carrier and probably about $30 billion for a task force and its aircraft you really don't want to let them get too close to a missile launcher.
The US navy love them of course. After all it's a great job if you are an Admiral commanding one.
Carriers are more a matter of extending the conventional power envelope than simple local attack strength. If the South China Sea is the area in contention, then of course China's land-based aircraft will suffice. As distance grows from the mainland however, the possibility of interdicting such forces increases.
A hypothetical parity of forces over the China Seas should not trouble us or Australia greatly, though it is rather consequential for Taiwan. Where it might be problematic for us is if that sphere were to be extended to the south and west, or into the Pacific. At this time, China is not well-placed for such an expansion. The Covid crisis must suffice for the short term at least.
China remember is a nation heavily dependent on both imported inputs for both it's agricultural and industrial sector … and the moment they invaded Taiwan all exports the Western world would cease in an instant.
Hell the marine insurance companies alone would simply have every China bound ship stopped in it's tracks.
The US Navy does not have to operate anywhere near China in order to bring the CCP to it's knees. A naval blockade on shipping enroute to or from China virtually anywhere in the world would do the trick in a matter of a month or less. And it doesn't have to be the US who does all the work, the Japanese, Indians, French and Brits all have more than adequate capacity to do this.
By contrast the PLAN, while it has a lot of ships, has relatively little capacity to project that power reliably past the first island chain.
Yes. The more likely outcome of an increase in China's force level would be to shield a third party like North Korea in some localised action, or to take some contentious real estate unopposed – the Sprattlies for instance. Sabah and The Philippines might be most vulnerable to creeping erosion, in terms of the power imbalance. Push the clock forward 30 years, and retiring US tech, or new tools like drone carriers might change the odds.
Then again, our trade circumstances might be affected by any chilling of the US China situation. The US does a lot of agriculture, and isn't keen on taking our products. Absent China our dairy 'miracle' would look rather wan. The UK would like our stuff, but much more of Boris and they won't be able to afford it.
Farmers are desperate for help. Without their usual influx of migrant workers from the EU, thousands of tonnes of food risk going to waste in fields up and down the country, just as the summer crops come into season.
Totally agree. The immediate strategic goal of any senior PLAN strategist must be to gain control over the first island chain, otherwise their ability to project beyond would be forever crippled. This is why Taiwan is so very high up on their 'to do' list.
Whether the rest of Asia, and the world at large, is willing to tolerate such an expansionary action is another question altogether.
While China may well be dominant right now other parts of Asia, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand have a long and proud history of successfully resisting Han imperialism. It would not take much to re-ignite this sentiment from embers of resentment into a hot conflagration. And there is little doubt on whose side much of the rest of the world would be on. India would be first in the queue, then probably Indonesia.
And backed by Western technology and funding, suddenly China would be looking at formidable obstacles.
Conversely though they US can't really afford to let such enormously expensive craft get close enough to be hit by a Chinese missile.
Sink a US aircraft carrier and you've declared unrestricted warfare, which is a massive consideration.
None of us here are military strategists so I try to avoid pretending to be one. It seems to me that while the US will likely avoid exposing it's carriers to the obvious missile threat, they have plenty of other assets they can deploy in order to make an invasion of Taiwan messy and expensive, such as their extremely capable attack submarine forces. Plus of course the US has missiles of it's own.
Nor is Japan, with it's exceedingly capable navy, likely to stand by idly; they too have strong interests in maintaining an independent Taiwan.
We also rather overlook that Taiwan is not defenseless. While on paper the CCP holds all the cards, an actual invasion is constrained by weather (apparently only two months of the year have reliable weather) and landing zones (there are only 14 beaches that are viable). Plus the entire country has been planning for an invasion for decades, with intricate defenses and in depth intelligence systems that would make life miserable for any force that got itself established.
All the Taiwanese have to do is hold out long enough for the rest of the world to get in place sufficient counter forces to make the invasion too costly and politically disruptive for the CCP to sustain. China has it's own internal vulnerabilities and an invasion of Taiwan would likely activate them as well.
Conversely though they US can't really afford to let such enormously expensive craft get close enough to be hit by a Chinese missile.
The Chinese missile has to hit and that is actually quite unlikely. Most naval vessels have decent missile defences but the US missile defences are pretty much the best.
Rather, China is hoping to use its carriers to help secure the important Indian Ocean trade routes that are the maritime part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
“That’s the real value of these, and it’s worth bearing that in mind when we start to question why they are willing to spend so much money on building carriers with limited air capacity,” Heath said. “For that mission, it may be enough.”
Which means that somewhat under powered aircraft carriers are fine. I'm amazed that they're not nuclear powered though as China does have nuclear power.
Taiwan might be invaded while the US temporizes, and their commitment to overturn a fait accompli is questionable.
I'd say non-existent unless there's going to be a serious military backlash from the conquered area.
Mind, short victorious wars have been tried before, and frustrated at Tsushima and in the Korean wars. Xi seems autocratic enough to try it – but being mired in an unprofitable conflict is a good way to lose the game.
History has shown that its damn near impossible to maintain effective control over an invaded area over the long term. Still, China has shown their willingness to attempt to do so.
Roggeveen warns: “No matter who wins next month, Australia faces a future in which maintaining our security will increasingly be a job for us alone.”
That's the position that we're in as well.
Of course, not really alone as we do have friends and potential allies but the changing global circumstances does mean that we have to build up our defence forces.
Perhaps the addition of the third person might make things a bit different, but up until that time Social Welfare's benefit fraud unit investigators would almost undoubtedly try to say this kind of arrangement was a relationship in the nature of marriage and treat the individuals accordingly. It would either mean refusing to grant a benefit on the basis of the other person's income, or granting a married rate of benefit, and/or potentially establishing a large overpayment and/or prosecution for fraud.
Just another reminder of the importance of individualising benefit entitlement. Let's hope this government cares enough to make it happen.
A friend from NZ First informs me that Winston Peters insisted on a cannabis referendum rather than a members bill. But I'm failing to find evidence this is so.
It would make an interesting piece of journalism if it is true. Winston's legacy rising from the grave & thwarting progressive efforts.
"I came into politics for two reasons, one to represent Te Tai Tokerau, and the other, to make a difference for Māori. And that's what I've been doing and I'll continue to do,'' he says.
The caucus of 64 MPs is very big and Davis says that will require some management especially with the backbench and he's happy to take on that role and leave the deputy prime minister role to someone else.
Before the election Ardern and Davis spoke about the deputy prime minister job and she told him it was a decision for him to make alone… The Labour caucus will elect the members of Cabinet and the wider executive in its caucus meeting being held currently.
Ardern will publicly announce her ministers, including the deputy prime minister, at 1pm.
It’s expected senior MP Grant Robertson will be announced as both finance minister and Ardern’s deputy.
Usually they are, but not always – last term with Winston Peters, and previously with Jim Anderton as deputy. The deputy leader not being deputy PM when the role is available is unusual though.
I am waiting to see what the cabinet line up will be at 1pm. On midday news on 1, Davis made a statement that he did not want to be the deputy PM before or after the election. I think Hipkins will get it.
I would have thought Hipkins is too important in big operational portfolios to risk with adding anything else? They might want someone from their Maori caucus – though obviously that would be an invitation to Garner, Hosking, Tova et al to circle for the kill like they tried to do with Davis. The person most immune to their slavering glee at any sign of weakness or indecision, would be Parker.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieve it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
For anyone who has been debating the merits or otherwise of NZ Greens having any part of an arrangement with Labour, it's worth noting that in NZ, the Greens got 7.6% of the party vote (minus specials) and 10 MPs. In the recent Queensland state election, the Greens got 9.2% of the primary vote and 2 MPs and one of those was mainly because of preferences from the LNP to spite Labor. In the last British GE, the Greens only had 2.7% of the vote, but with a 650 seat Parliament that should still have translated into 17 MPs, but only 1 was elected (Carolyn Lucas). Whether the NZ Greens had stayed on the opposition benches or struck a deal with Labour, MMP still gives them more clout than in any FPP system.
I have said a few times here that under the so called terrible election result in 2019 Corbyn would now be pm in the UK if they had MMP….with the support of the greens SNP and lib dems
It was quite a fight to get MMP through and support was beginning to falter near decision time, but it passed and enabled us to see the society we have and to give voice to others besides the settled majorities.
Pity that other countries can't be as far-seeing and determined to hold onto what's good in their country and politics as we are. And we're holding on by our fingernails! But we'll be safe, they're good and strong because of all the calcium in the cow's milk we drink. We're all grown-up bonnie babies and many of us hope now to hold onto that good past to pass on to our children and grand-children. Good on us.
Looking back – the covid spreadsheet that Michelle Boag released. Does anyone know if she pays or is likely to pay any penalty or be prosecuted for doing this? Or is this level of privacy violation just waived through no downside whatsoever?
Under the Privacy Act at the time, there was no ability to take action against her. The updated Privacy Act which takes effect shortly has more options around that.
Interesting the USA media that attempts to be responsible, as I read it, is censoring itself and is not printing content that criticises Biden and his son. It seems that they feel that they are on the edge there and hesitate to take another step because of a likely void in front.
Responsible and credible media have examined the claims about Hunter Biden’s laptop and found them completely lacking in credibility.
It's nothing more than smears from the least credible member (and that's sayin' something) of a political campaign who claims to have evidence (with a truly incredible story of how he came by the evidence), yet refuses to share that evidence around for examination.
That Caitlin Johnstone and Greenwald and other convergence moonbat media are throwing tantrums over other media not shouting it from the rooftops just shows how far gone they are. Which is extra ironic, considering how hyperactive they all were in minutely examining evidence around russian fuckery to find any minutiae they could inflate into something they could misrepresent as disqualifying the entire mountain of evidence.
There is every reason imaginable to be suspicious of the Hunter Biden story. Rudy Giuliani is, to put it mildy, an unreliable source. The story about Hunter’s laptop being left in a repair shop is so fishy it stinks. The unwillingness to provide a full set of documents to reporters is an obvious tell that something is amiss. And even if it turns out that all the emails and other documents are legitimate, they still don’t implicate Joe Biden. They merely show what we already knew: that Hunter Biden would occasionally trade on his name in his business dealings.
snip
Having been suckered by conservatives over the email story in 2016, is it any wonder that reporters wanted at least a little bit of confirmation before splashing yet another conservative smear campaign on their front pages? And that they became justifiably dubious about the whole thing when Rudy Giuliani resolutely refused to let anyone see the entire document cache?
Of course not. The mainstream media did try to report the Hunter Biden story, but they ran into blockade after blockade. In the end, there was nothing there.
If you're into weird conspiracy theories, the latest on that is the package was sent deliberately improperly closed. So when the usb stick inevitably fell out, they could do a song and dance about it. But that kinda didn't play out as planned when UPS found the USB stick.
Yeah, I know. It doesn't make any more sense than any other part of the story, but hey.
Cut off the food supply, then after a couple days wave around a bucket of KFC outside the fence in view of the Oval Office. He'll come running out quick enough. Well, waddling anyway.
With all the turmoil in the world going on its nice to see our nature cycle operating well in our garden. Pegleg our patriarch of the blackbirds has one again mated with a female and is now feeding his family like his life depended on it. Gammy leg and all he stuffs his beak with food and flies in and out of the hedge like its Auckland Airport runway. He is now nearly eight in the new year and still looks glossy and sure of himself. He is also very territorial and we have witnessed some fantastic aerial acrobatics fighting off younger cock birds. Oh the beauty of life for a super stud
Not to butt in on your conversation, but Blackbirds, always my favourite in NZ.
When I was gardening in my last job they used to follow me around wherever I was cultivating, weeding or planting for a feed. Always up front without fear and, though not quite like the easy riders on the backs of Rhino, close enough to give me a chuckle. Love the call songs, too.
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A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
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The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
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When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
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The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
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The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Rise and fall of the White Helmets – Guardian story.
Tracey Martin points out that The Greens have signed up not to oppose Labour at any Select Committees stage. This is unprecedented, she says, and needing of attention.
Any thoughts here?
https://www.facebook.com/traceymartinnzfmp/videos/1722520804591720
[comments about the deal start around 6m 43s – weka]
Winston should have handed over leadership to Tracy Martin she is straight up.
She's the one NZF MP I was sorry to see go. She was great in Internal Affairs. Demonstrated a real willingness to listen and engage.
That's not what James and Marama have been saying in interviews where they have been explicit that the party can publicly criticise and not vote for any policy not covered by Cabinet solidarity rules.
Are you stirring here because you oppose the deal Robert?
Robert has consistently been in favour of a deal, and then supports the one that was signed. Here he raises an important political point about the deal.
Thanks Weka.
Hi Bearded; not stirring, just seeking clarification on a point raised by Tracey. My thoughts were as weka's ; the Green's "cultural difference" may make Tracey's concern redundant but it's still an interesting one to explore. As to "the deal"; I'm still celebrating! Few deals are perfect though. I support The Green's new role whole-heartedly.
Cheers Robert…. apologies for accusation!
No worries at all.
I'd find her position more credible if she hadn't prefaced in with a formalist position on marijuana – that the habit of not using it created by its legal status somehow has intrinsic merit and must therefore be continued.
In principle it is a considerable impropriety that the Greens lose their power to oppose at the select committee level, and I wonder what clown set that condition. But NZ First had made opposition within the coalition an electoral strategy to differentiate themselves from Labour, in some instances politicising their stance in select committees to that end. In practice I doubt it will make much difference – the Gnats & ACT were hardly about to back any environmentally positive decision, even for the not inconsiderable pleasure of spiting the government that so thoroughly humiliated them.
"In principle it is a considerable impropriety that the Greens lose their power to oppose at the select committee level, and I wonder what clown set that condition."
Is that your reading of the Agreement?
I too found her cannabis view stunted and her criticism of Chloe, tainted by something – probably personal/political.
Taking Auckland Central was such thick icing on the cake on the night. Now if only 67 per cent of specials can vote yes….
"conversational agreement" Don't know where TM got that phrase from. The agreement is named a "cooperation agreement".
"If you don't have a majority on Select Committee, you can't change a piece of legislation…"
She does explain that, but I think there are some problems with her analysis. One is that we don't know if it's true that the Greens won't oppose. I'll post the relevant bits of the agreement below. The other is that she is saying that if you don't have a majority in the SC you can't make changes. But later says that NZF voted against some Labour bills. This whol analysis is predicated on a few things: NZF holding the balance of power (the Greens don't), and Labour not having a majority (they do this time).
I'm guessing there is a cultural difference here too. NZF rely on hard man power and leverage, the Greens are much more about the relationships.
I'll be interested to hear what the Greens say.
…
…
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18lT-joBRNuvB08p_SP__j1kH31AaoPcB8MP851hwynI/edit
Looks like it's not as black and white as Martin is making out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRhYgW3FUus
Support budget+coordinate on Select Committee+2 weak Ministerial positions
it would be helpful if you posted something that was a) accurate and b) coherent.
A link to whatever you are discussing, please?
can you see the embedded video?
An interesting read on the geopolitical consequences of the US election, and how it may play out in our part of the world. Australia focused, but relevant all the same:
Lowy Institute are always worth a read on our place in the world because we're in most senses a function of Australia's place within it …
… except, well except for China. Australia's Federal positioning on China is a whole bunch more assertive than ours. Even after the CCP move against Hong Kong, New Zealand released a finely nuanced response with noticeable differentiation from other 5 Eyes member responses.
Maybe Scottie could hire Winston as his new Ambassador to China 😉 I have a sneaking suspicion that our slightly less Aligned status has something to teach Australia with respect to China.
Australia-American Imperialism’s faithful Pacific deputy dog since WWII.
Scott better not go swimming, there could be a passing Chinese submarine about…
The question that really worries me about China is that, if Biden was to win the election, the Chinese Government may decide that he will provide more support to Taiwan than Trump.
If that is the case they may decide to invade Taiwan before January 20, 2021 while Trump is still President. I doubt that he would really go to war to support Taiwan during the dying stages of his term,
I really hope that that is paranoia on my part but after that changes that Beijing is imposing on Hong Kong I am scared it may not be.
Yes, what has been overlooked by many here is that Biden has on the face of it been even more hawkish on China than Trump. He's been around a lot longer than Trump after all and has seen the US Sino relationship degenerate from optimism to downright hostility over the past three decades.
Plus at least part of the Democrat movement will be well aware that much of the decline of the US middle and working class, can be laid directly at the loss of good paying jobs to China, and anything that reverses that flow now has considerable bi-partisan support in Washington. It may well be one of the few things everyone agrees on.
Given NZ history of the past 30-40 years, I would say we have been largely on our own when it comes to US protection. Certainly NZ did not see any 'protection' during the 80s and 90s after our rejection of the policy of nuclear one-up-man-ship between East and West and the subsequent proliferation of nuclear weaponry.
In fact an RNZ article today serves to suggest that the support and assistance was pretty one sided- ie. NZ working for the US (and its UK toady) not the other way around.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/iran-threatens-legal-action-against-new-zealand-government-if-sis-raid-is-proven/AWBOBXG5JC7UARM5WWMVBLW7DY/
Apols. I linked to the wrong version:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/429633/iran-threatens-legal-action-against-new-zealand-government-if-sis-raid-is-proven
It contains what looks like an interesting new addition to the “The Service” podcast series released around six weeks ago.
I think you're rather overlooking the very real indirect benefits that small countries like NZ gained from the post-WW2 US led trade order.
The first one that is that whenever a ship left NZ full of our goods, it was always going to arrive safely. And we didn't have to pay a cent for it's security; like it or not it was the massive US Navy that provided that implicit security guarantee.
Equally importantly the mechanisms and rules that meant we could trade on reasonably fair terms and actually get paid reliably were largely devised and supported by the US.
And then of course there is the reality that NZ was able to spend a much smaller fraction of it's GDP on defense than would have otherwise been the case if the US had not been the dominant power.
Most of what we take for granted in the modern world was only possible because the US was willing during the Cold War to pay for much of the necessary security and continuity. It's entirely understandable from their perspective that in return they wanted us on their side.
Yes, there is truth in what you say RedLogix but I am inclined to believe that the US motives were not entirely altruistic. As a super power locked in a battle with the Soviet Union for ultimate world supremacy, the US wanted the Western world to be allied and totally subservient to them. When lil ole NZ at the bottom of the globe declared its independence by banning nuclear powered and armed ships into its waters, they stamped their feet and sulked… and threatened to pull the rug from under our feet. They didn't, and credit to David Lange for ultimately recognising it was mere bluff and bluster – not unlike the methods used by Trump today.
but I am inclined to believe that the US motives were not entirely altruistic.
I totally agree; the US motive was to win the Cold War against the Soviets. They could not do it on the ground in Europe, so effectively they paid for a global coalition … a massive bribe if you will … to oppose them collectively.
That this global order came with so many development benefits for most of humanity was almost an accident, a happy afterthought if you will. The only problem with this plan is that it worked rather too well, and once the US won the Cold War so conclusively, there was no political vision or consensus in Washington about what to do next.
It's been slowly at first, and now rather more rapidly, downhill ever since.
The problem with a system of winners and losers is that, eventually, the losers will rebel.
Nicely put and I think we’re on the same wave length.
No matter who is in the White House, Asia’s security system will evolve from one of American dominance to a balance of power.
It will be some considerable time before China could project military power in the region at a level that challenges the US. Their carriers for example, are by no means state-of-the-art.
More at issue is America's will to contend, which once was clear, but now seems murky. Taiwan might be invaded while the US temporizes, and their commitment to overturn a fait accompli is questionable. Mind, short victorious wars have been tried before, and frustrated at Tsushima and in the Korean wars. Xi seems autocratic enough to try it – but being mired in an unprofitable conflict is a good way to lose the game.
China doesn't need carriers if there aim is simply to keep the US carriers out of the South China Sea. They have some very effective surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missiles that can keep the US nuclear carriers well away from Taiwan. That will also keep their aircraft out of range of supporting Taiwan from an invasion from the mainland of China.
The island is, after all, only a bit over a hundred kilometers away from the Chinese mainland.
Obviously the Chinese carriers aren't nearly as sophisticated as the US nukes. If you are asking can they oppose the US anywhere in the world the answer is no. Within a thousand km of China though they don't need them. Conversely though they US can't really afford to let such enormously expensive craft get close enough to be hit by a Chinese missile. At about $13 billion for a carrier and probably about $30 billion for a task force and its aircraft you really don't want to let them get too close to a missile launcher.
The US navy love them of course. After all it's a great job if you are an Admiral commanding one.
Carriers are more a matter of extending the conventional power envelope than simple local attack strength. If the South China Sea is the area in contention, then of course China's land-based aircraft will suffice. As distance grows from the mainland however, the possibility of interdicting such forces increases.
A hypothetical parity of forces over the China Seas should not trouble us or Australia greatly, though it is rather consequential for Taiwan. Where it might be problematic for us is if that sphere were to be extended to the south and west, or into the Pacific. At this time, China is not well-placed for such an expansion. The Covid crisis must suffice for the short term at least.
China remember is a nation heavily dependent on both imported inputs for both it's agricultural and industrial sector … and the moment they invaded Taiwan all exports the Western world would cease in an instant.
Hell the marine insurance companies alone would simply have every China bound ship stopped in it's tracks.
The US Navy does not have to operate anywhere near China in order to bring the CCP to it's knees. A naval blockade on shipping enroute to or from China virtually anywhere in the world would do the trick in a matter of a month or less. And it doesn't have to be the US who does all the work, the Japanese, Indians, French and Brits all have more than adequate capacity to do this.
By contrast the PLAN, while it has a lot of ships, has relatively little capacity to project that power reliably past the first island chain.
Yes. The more likely outcome of an increase in China's force level would be to shield a third party like North Korea in some localised action, or to take some contentious real estate unopposed – the Sprattlies for instance. Sabah and The Philippines might be most vulnerable to creeping erosion, in terms of the power imbalance. Push the clock forward 30 years, and retiring US tech, or new tools like drone carriers might change the odds.
Then again, our trade circumstances might be affected by any chilling of the US China situation. The US does a lot of agriculture, and isn't keen on taking our products. Absent China our dairy 'miracle' would look rather wan. The UK would like our stuff, but much more of Boris and they won't be able to afford it.
Absent China is just a matter of the time needed for China to build up its own dairy herd.
I'm pretty sure that the UK would love to buy food – especially considering their own problems with the sudden lack of imported labour:
BAU is showing that its not up to the task.
Totally agree. The immediate strategic goal of any senior PLAN strategist must be to gain control over the first island chain, otherwise their ability to project beyond would be forever crippled. This is why Taiwan is so very high up on their 'to do' list.
Whether the rest of Asia, and the world at large, is willing to tolerate such an expansionary action is another question altogether.
While China may well be dominant right now other parts of Asia, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand have a long and proud history of successfully resisting Han imperialism. It would not take much to re-ignite this sentiment from embers of resentment into a hot conflagration. And there is little doubt on whose side much of the rest of the world would be on. India would be first in the queue, then probably Indonesia.
And backed by Western technology and funding, suddenly China would be looking at formidable obstacles.
Conversely though they US can't really afford to let such enormously expensive craft get close enough to be hit by a Chinese missile.
Sink a US aircraft carrier and you've declared unrestricted warfare, which is a massive consideration.
None of us here are military strategists so I try to avoid pretending to be one. It seems to me that while the US will likely avoid exposing it's carriers to the obvious missile threat, they have plenty of other assets they can deploy in order to make an invasion of Taiwan messy and expensive, such as their extremely capable attack submarine forces. Plus of course the US has missiles of it's own.
Nor is Japan, with it's exceedingly capable navy, likely to stand by idly; they too have strong interests in maintaining an independent Taiwan.
We also rather overlook that Taiwan is not defenseless. While on paper the CCP holds all the cards, an actual invasion is constrained by weather (apparently only two months of the year have reliable weather) and landing zones (there are only 14 beaches that are viable). Plus the entire country has been planning for an invasion for decades, with intricate defenses and in depth intelligence systems that would make life miserable for any force that got itself established.
All the Taiwanese have to do is hold out long enough for the rest of the world to get in place sufficient counter forces to make the invasion too costly and politically disruptive for the CCP to sustain. China has it's own internal vulnerabilities and an invasion of Taiwan would likely activate them as well.
The Chinese missile has to hit and that is actually quite unlikely. Most naval vessels have decent missile defences but the US missile defences are pretty much the best.
This is a better article on China's aircraft carriers:
Which means that somewhat under powered aircraft carriers are fine. I'm amazed that they're not nuclear powered though as China does have nuclear power.
I'd say non-existent unless there's going to be a serious military backlash from the conquered area.
History has shown that its damn near impossible to maintain effective control over an invaded area over the long term. Still, China has shown their willingness to attempt to do so.
That's the position that we're in as well.
Of course, not really alone as we do have friends and potential allies but the changing global circumstances does mean that we have to build up our defence forces.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/300147297/i-chose-my-best-friend-as-my-life-partner-over-romantic-love
Perhaps the addition of the third person might make things a bit different, but up until that time Social Welfare's benefit fraud unit investigators would almost undoubtedly try to say this kind of arrangement was a relationship in the nature of marriage and treat the individuals accordingly. It would either mean refusing to grant a benefit on the basis of the other person's income, or granting a married rate of benefit, and/or potentially establishing a large overpayment and/or prosecution for fraud.
Just another reminder of the importance of individualising benefit entitlement. Let's hope this government cares enough to make it happen.
Right on Chris.
individualising benefit entitlement
Which was one of the reasons why I've so strongly advocated for UBI's, which are always individualised.
A friend from NZ First informs me that Winston Peters insisted on a cannabis referendum rather than a members bill. But I'm failing to find evidence this is so.
It would make an interesting piece of journalism if it is true. Winston's legacy rising from the grave & thwarting progressive efforts.
Or not. I certainly find it an interesting angle.
My recollection is that NZ First refused to support legislation and insisted on a referendum.
Good to see Brigitte Morten on RNZ this morning – must be scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to find someone to do the right's work.
Just now. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/429655/kelvin-davis-to-focus-on-backbenchers-making-a-difference-for-maori
"I came into politics for two reasons, one to represent Te Tai Tokerau, and the other, to make a difference for Māori. And that's what I've been doing and I'll continue to do,'' he says.
The caucus of 64 MPs is very big and Davis says that will require some management especially with the backbench and he's happy to take on that role and leave the deputy prime minister role to someone else.
Before the election Ardern and Davis spoke about the deputy prime minister job and she told him it was a decision for him to make alone…
The Labour caucus will elect the members of Cabinet and the wider executive in its caucus meeting being held currently.
Ardern will publicly announce her ministers, including the deputy prime minister, at 1pm.
It’s expected senior MP Grant Robertson will be announced as both finance minister and Ardern’s deputy.
What is the difference between deputy leader and deputy PM?
I always thought they were the same thing and they appear not to be.
Usually they are, but not always – last term with Winston Peters, and previously with Jim Anderton as deputy. The deputy leader not being deputy PM when the role is available is unusual though.
Yeah think I got it.
I am waiting to see what the cabinet line up will be at 1pm. On midday news on 1, Davis made a statement that he did not want to be the deputy PM before or after the election. I think Hipkins will get it.
I would have thought Hipkins is too important in big operational portfolios to risk with adding anything else? They might want someone from their Maori caucus – though obviously that would be an invitation to Garner, Hosking, Tova et al to circle for the kill like they tried to do with Davis. The person most immune to their slavering glee at any sign of weakness or indecision, would be Parker.
Parker would be interesting. Keeps his thoughts to himself, loyal and calm as.
Robert Fisk gone. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/veteran-journalist-and-author-robert-fisk-dies-aged-74-1.4397069
A real loss. So few journalists of stature left.
Shame….fantastic and brave journalist….his coverage of the middle East second to none
For Robert Fisk.
Richard Burton reads Do not go gentle into that good night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DLqN1RvfUc
Thanks Sacha.
I have read his Great War for Civilisation twice. Time to give it another going over.
For anyone who has been debating the merits or otherwise of NZ Greens having any part of an arrangement with Labour, it's worth noting that in NZ, the Greens got 7.6% of the party vote (minus specials) and 10 MPs. In the recent Queensland state election, the Greens got 9.2% of the primary vote and 2 MPs and one of those was mainly because of preferences from the LNP to spite Labor. In the last British GE, the Greens only had 2.7% of the vote, but with a 650 seat Parliament that should still have translated into 17 MPs, but only 1 was elected (Carolyn Lucas). Whether the NZ Greens had stayed on the opposition benches or struck a deal with Labour, MMP still gives them more clout than in any FPP system.
I have said a few times here that under the so called terrible election result in 2019 Corbyn would now be pm in the UK if they had MMP….with the support of the greens SNP and lib dems
It was quite a fight to get MMP through and support was beginning to falter near decision time, but it passed and enabled us to see the society we have and to give voice to others besides the settled majorities.
Pity that other countries can't be as far-seeing and determined to hold onto what's good in their country and politics as we are. And we're holding on by our fingernails! But we'll be safe, they're good and strong because of all the calcium in the cow's milk we drink. We're all grown-up bonnie babies and many of us hope now to hold onto that good past to pass on to our children and grand-children. Good on us.
Little was a surprise pick for health minister.
I missed who got justice?
Kris Faafoi gets Justice
Who is Minister for Women?
Aha, Jan Tinetti
Looking back – the covid spreadsheet that Michelle Boag released. Does anyone know if she pays or is likely to pay any penalty or be prosecuted for doing this? Or is this level of privacy violation just waived through no downside whatsoever?
Under the Privacy Act at the time, there was no ability to take action against her. The updated Privacy Act which takes effect shortly has more options around that.
Thanks – I'll have a look at the new updates.
You're funny, the privileged facing consequences…
Can we please get a separate post for the new cabinet? Full list is here: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-cabinet-focused-covid-19-recovery
Micky is in the process of putting one up I think.
Thanks!
And Sean Connery:
Robert, WeTheBleeple and others might find this interesting.
https://twitter.com/BioHeritageNZ/status/1323006947180843008
Interesting the USA media that attempts to be responsible, as I read it, is censoring itself and is not printing content that criticises Biden and his son. It seems that they feel that they are on the edge there and hesitate to take another step because of a likely void in front.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2011/S00003/greenwalds-intercept-resignation-exposes-the-rot-in-all-mass-media.htm
Nope.
Responsible and credible media have examined the claims about Hunter Biden’s laptop and found them completely lacking in credibility.
It's nothing more than smears from the least credible member (and that's sayin' something) of a political campaign who claims to have evidence (with a truly incredible story of how he came by the evidence), yet refuses to share that evidence around for examination.
That Caitlin Johnstone and Greenwald and other convergence moonbat media are throwing tantrums over other media not shouting it from the rooftops just shows how far gone they are. Which is extra ironic, considering how hyperactive they all were in minutely examining evidence around russian fuckery to find any minutiae they could inflate into something they could misrepresent as disqualifying the entire mountain of evidence.
Then Tuckwit Carsehole claims the evidence got lost in the mail, or the dog ate it, or sutin.
If you're into weird conspiracy theories, the latest on that is the package was sent deliberately improperly closed. So when the usb stick inevitably fell out, they could do a song and dance about it. But that kinda didn't play out as planned when UPS found the USB stick.
Yeah, I know. It doesn't make any more sense than any other part of the story, but hey.
They are on the edge enough to build a "non-penatrable barrier" around the Whitehouse. Tweety is from the NBC News Whitehouse correspondent.
Cut off the food supply, then after a couple days wave around a bucket of KFC outside the fence in view of the Oval Office. He'll come running out quick enough. Well, waddling anyway.
Hi Robert
With all the turmoil in the world going on its nice to see our nature cycle operating well in our garden. Pegleg our patriarch of the blackbirds has one again mated with a female and is now feeding his family like his life depended on it. Gammy leg and all he stuffs his beak with food and flies in and out of the hedge like its Auckland Airport runway. He is now nearly eight in the new year and still looks glossy and sure of himself. He is also very territorial and we have witnessed some fantastic aerial acrobatics fighting off younger cock birds. Oh the beauty of life for a super stud
Not to butt in on your conversation, but Blackbirds, always my favourite in NZ.
When I was gardening in my last job they used to follow me around wherever I was cultivating, weeding or planting for a feed. Always up front without fear and, though not quite like the easy riders on the backs of Rhino, close enough to give me a chuckle. Love the call songs, too.