Open mike 03/02/2024
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6:00 am, February 3rd, 2024 - 95 comments
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- Our slow regional councils
The Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...1 hour ago - Ministers are not above the law after all
Back in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...13 hours ago - NZTA takes the wheel after govt gives it the road map for regional roads (and puts a speed governor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Tolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...15 hours ago - Change in Catalonia?or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...15 hours ago
- Having an enrolment date is not depriving anyone of a vote
David Farrar writes – Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...18 hours ago - Perhaps house prices don’t always go upDon Brash writes – There was a rather revealing headline in the Herald on Sunday today (12 May). It read “One in 8 Auckland homes on market were bought during boom, may now sell for loss”. The first line of text noted that “New data shows one in ...18 hours ago
- Can’t read, can’t write, can’t comprehend – and won’t think…?Mike Grimshaw writes – At a time when universities are understandably nervous regarding the establishment of the University Advisory Group (UAG) and the Science System Advisory Group (SSAG) it may seem strange – or even fool-hardy – to state that there are long-standing issues in the tertiary sector ...18 hours ago
- Time for some perspectiveLindsay Mitchell writes – A lack of perspective can make something quite large or important seem small or irrelevant. Against a backdrop of high-profile, negative statistics it is easy to overlook the positive. For instance, the fact that 64 percent of Maori are employed is rarely reported. For ...18 hours ago
- Will NZ Herald’s ‘poor journalism’ cost lives?
Earlier this year, the Herald ran a series of articles amounting to a sustained campaign against raised pedestrian crossings, by reporter Bernard Orsman. A key part of that campaign concerned the raised crossings being installed as part of the Pt Chevalier to Westmere project, with at least 10 articles over ...22 hours ago - The Kaka’s diary for the week to May 19 and beyond
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 19 include:PM Christopher Luxon is expected to hold his weekly post-cabinet news conference at 4:00pm on Monday.Parliament is not sitting this week. It resumes next week for a two-week sitting session up to and ...1 day ago - Webworm Popup Photos!
Hi,Thanks to all the beautiful Worms who came to the LA Webworm popup on Saturday.It was a way to celebrate the online store we launched last week — and it was super special.As I talk about a lot, I really value our community here — and it was a BLAST ...1 day ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, May 5, 2024 thru Sat, May 11, 2024. (Unfortunate) Story of the week "Grief that stops at despair is an ending that I and many others, most notably ...2 days ago - The Gods Must Be Woke.
Last night the largest solar storm in decades resulted in Aurorae being seen across Aotearoa, causing many to ask why?Why was the sky pink? What was all this stuff about the power grid? Have we, as so many have wondered since the election, reached the end of days?I had a ...2 days ago - More road
We have been on the road in England, squeezing down narrow lanes, flying up the M6, loving hedgerows and villages and cathedrals, liking the 21st century less.There have been moments when it’s felt like a movie trope. The pub in Exford, lovely seventeenth century bar, almost more dogs than people, ...2 days ago - Seeing the Aurora Australis
There’s a solar-storm on at the moment, and since the South Island is having a day and night with clear skies, that means Aurorae. I have just got back from a midnight visit to Tunnel Beach – southwards-looking over the Sea, and without the light pollution. Quite a few others ...2 days ago - Welcome to the current welfare messMichael Bassett writes – I’m not sure that it’s much comfort to anyone to know that the post-Covid surge in violent crimes, gang activity, ram raids, random shootings, thuggery and stabbings is occurring in other countries as well as New Zealand. These days, wagging school, out-of-control welfare and ...3 days ago
- A shovel-ready autopsyOliver Hartwich writes – Cast your mind back to mid-December. A new Prime Minister had just been sworn in, the new Government started its 100-day programme, and Christmas was only days away.Amid all the haste, a report landed that would have deserved our attention.I am talking about the ...3 days ago
- Why we almost blacked out and how to fix itTL;DR: An unseasonally early icy blast at the same time as some long-overdue maintenance almost caused Aotearoa-NZ’s electricity system to black out this week. That’s because a quadropoly of gentailers1 have prioritised paying dividends from their rising profits and adding debt over investing in 1.5 GigaWatts of new wind farms ...3 days ago
- What Is Instagram Trying To Sell Us?
Hi,Before we crack into today’s Webworm, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that Israel is pushing into Rafah. Over 100,000 Palestinians are now attempting to flee the one place that was deemed “safe”.Trouble is, the place they’re fleeing to is already destroyed. Total annihilation is the end goal here.“Israel is ...3 days ago - Precious Little Excitement: Warner Brothers, Peter Jackson, and Gollum
Back in February 2023, I made the cardinal mistake of getting my hopes up. Warner Brothers declared that fresh Middle-earth movies were in the works: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/02/24/it-never-rains-but-it-pours-warner-brothers-and-impending-tolkien-adaptations/ My assumption, based on which rights were available, and what had already been done, was that this was a stab at either the Angmar ...4 days ago - Do We Need a Population Census?
‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...4 days ago - No, the govt will not be cutting back on every budget – and the Defence vote is among those to be ...Buzz from the Beehive Reporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...4 days ago
- The Treasury and productivityLate last week The Treasury released a new 40 page report on “The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections” (productivity forecasts and projections that is, rather than any possible fiscal implications – the latter will, I guess, be articulated in the Budget documents). In short, if (as it has) ...4 days ago
- The Controller and Auditor-General’s rolePeter Dunne writes – I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...4 days ago
- More harm than goodHow Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos Chris Trotter writes – TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...4 days ago
- Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons ChhourAnd why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction? Gary Judd writes – Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...4 days ago
- Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ electionsBryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...4 days ago
- Macklemore's Pro-Palestinian Protest.
Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...4 days ago - Gordon Campbell on miserly school lunches, and the banning of TikTok’s Gaza coverageAnother week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...4 days ago
- Weekly Roundup 10-May-2024Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...4 days ago
- The Hoon around the week to May 10Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...4 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #19 2024Open access notables A Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future: Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...4 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ elections
Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...4 days ago - The Song of Saqua: Volume VIII
Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...5 days ago - Pretending to talk other people’s languages
Fakes can come in many forms.A Rolex, for instance.A tan can be fake. Read more ...5 days ago - What’s new? A social agency with an emphasis on “investment” instead of “wellbeing” – b...Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...5 days ago
- Following the political moneyBryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...5 days ago
- Hipkins would rather no one remember that he was Minister of EducationAlwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...5 days ago
- Fashionable folliesEric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...5 days ago
- Justice for Bainimarama!In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...5 days ago
- March for Nature in JuneDon't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...5 days ago
- Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Thursday May 9
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...5 days ago - The non-woke $3 Lunch.
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...5 days ago - Labour’s chickens come home to roostThe Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...5 days ago
- Calvin Reviews Lord of The Rings5 days ago
- Climate Adam: How to visualise Climate Change (ft. Katharine Hayhoe)This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...5 days ago
- The wrong directionSome good news on climate change today: the energy transition away from fossil fuels is picking up speed, and renewables now make up 30% of global electricity supply. Meanwhile, in Aotearoa, we're moving in the opposite direction, with Genesis Energy announcing that it will resume importing Indonesian coal. Their official ...6 days ago
- National hates democracyIts a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...6 days ago
- No Tikanga Please, We're Lawyers.
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...6 days ago - Member’s DayToday is a Member's Day, and it seems we've entered the slowdown as things emerge from select committee. First up is the committee stage of Greg O'Connor's Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Government Agency Registration) (Overseas Travel Reporting) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the second readings of Stuart ...6 days ago
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- Bryce Edwards: Following the political money“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...6 days ago
- A Left-Right ranking of universities in NZ: a practical guide for students and parentsRob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim. Extreme Left Auckland University of Technology Evidence The ...6 days ago
- Inflation and GST thresholdsEric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...6 days ago
- Green Party grapples with persistent scandalsJacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...6 days ago
- A law school to be avoided – Auckland University of TechnologyGary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...6 days ago
- 17 people in Malaita stand in way of China’s takeover of the SolomonsCleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...6 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the Hamas Ceasefire Offer, and Mark Mitchell’s IncompetenceWith hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...6 days ago
- Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Wednesday May 8Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...6 days ago
- A few PT announcementsThere’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...6 days ago
- Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Green Party grapples with persistent scandalsParliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...6 days ago
- At a glance – Tree ring proxies and the divergence problemOn February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...6 days ago
- Nothing to sneer at
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...7 days ago - Still on their bullshitWhen in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...7 days ago
- DrawnA ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...7 days ago
- A nod and a wink that will unnecessarily cost Aucklanders tens of millions per yearSimeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...7 days ago
- Correcting the Corrections announcement – a fiscal farce that should bother the OECDBuzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...7 days ago
- Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into ‘Pillar 2’ – or they are going to ChinaChris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...7 days ago
- A balanced and an unbalanced articleDavid Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...7 days ago
- Deeply unserious countryEvery bit of this seems insane. And people wonder why productivity is falling through the floor. Energy News reports that the Environment Court finally threw out Allan Crafar’s appeal against a solar farm. From the story: Consent was granted in 2022. Crafar appealed November 2022. On what grounds? That ...7 days ago
- Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law studentsThe tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied… Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...7 days ago
- https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/?p=77196The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...7 days ago
- Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, May 7
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...7 days ago - HM Prison Aotearoa.
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...7 days ago - Get Your Webworm Merch!
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt’s stubbornness will harm Māori children
Government has remained stubborn and is ramming its Bill into the House today, which the Waitangi Tribunal has said will hurt vulnerable children. ...14 hours ago - ‘Lucky dip’ process too casual for hearing critical submissions on Fast Track approvals billTe Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...21 hours ago
- New Zealand First Member’s Bill to protect women’s spaces
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...4 days ago - Release: Support for climate adaptation inquiryLabour supports a Notice of Motion in the House today to move the Finance and Expenditure Committee to conduct an inquiry on climate adaptation. ...4 days ago
- Greens welcome cross-party approach to climate adaptation
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...4 days ago - Release: Sexual violence prevention among hundreds of job cuts at ACCThe National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...5 days ago
- Government shows allergy to evidence in benefits crackdownThe Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...5 days ago
- Minister of Finance reheats austerity politicsThis morning’s pre-Budget speech from the Minister of Finance offered no “meaningful” news on the Government’s trickle-down economics based plans. ...5 days ago
- A win for Wellington – Greens welcome more housingThe Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...6 days ago
- Release: Backtrack on school lunches a win for Kiwi kidsDavid Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...6 days ago
- Release: Hon Willie Jackson to debate at the Prestigious Oxford UnionHon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...6 days ago
- Members Bill will prevent Māori land confiscationsGreen Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...7 days ago
- TIKANGA IS NOT LAW. IT IS CULTURAL INDOCTRINATION.A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...7 days ago
- Release: National won’t commit to full Nelson Hospital upgradeThe Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...7 days ago
- Release: Labour calls for fast track list to be releasedMinisters must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...1 week ago
- Release: National gaslights women fighting for equal payNational has scrapped the pay equity taskforce that fights for equal pay for women and looks at ethnic pay gaps. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: More job cuts, fewer houses under NationalThe Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Children fall deeper through the cracks in Govt cutsWith Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour honours memory of Sir Robert MartinThe Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: 130,000 cattle saved from live exportLabour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...2 weeks ago
- Central Bank makes clear Government is pouring fuel on housing crisis fireToday’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...2 weeks ago
- New unemployment figures paint bleak pictureThe Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National’s job cuts already starting to bite as unemployment risesUnemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National hiking transport costs for families and young New ZealandersWeekly expenses will grow for more than 1.6 million New Zealanders as the Government ends free and half price public transport fares tomorrow. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour welcomes EU free trade agreementThe New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...2 weeks ago
- Surprise: Landlord tax cuts don’t trickle downThe Green Party is renewing its call for rent controls following reports of rental prices hitting an all-time high. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: $1.7b for no increase in access to medicineThe National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National should heed Tribunal warning and scrap coalition commitment with ACTThis afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: More accountability for preventable workplace deaths this Workers’ Memorial DayLabour is calling for more accountability for preventable workplace deaths because everybody who goes to work deserves to come home safely. ...2 weeks ago
- Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass GravesTe Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac DayOur two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...3 weeks ago
- Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summonsTonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...3 weeks ago
- COVID-19 Inquiry terms of reference consultation results received
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...7 hours ago - The Pacific family of nations – the changing security outlookForeign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...12 hours ago
- NZ and Papua New Guinea to work more closely togetherHealth, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...14 hours ago
- Driving ahead with Roads of Regional SignificanceThe coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...20 hours ago
- New Zealand congratulates new Solomon Islands governmentA high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...2 days ago
- New Zealand supports UN Palestine resolutionNew Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...3 days ago
- Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure SymposiumIntroduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...4 days ago
- $571 million for Defence pay and projectsDefence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...4 days ago
- Climate change – mitigating the risks and costsNew Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...4 days ago
- Getting new job seekers on the pathway to workJobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...5 days ago
- Accelerating Social InvestmentA new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...5 days ago
- Getting Back on TrackCheck against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...5 days ago
- NZ – European Union ties more critical than everYour Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...6 days ago
- Therapeutic Products Act to be repealedThe Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...6 days ago
- Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District PlanThe Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...6 days ago
- Rape Awareness Week: Government committed to action on sexual violenceRape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...6 days ago
- Smarter lunch programme feeds more, costs lessAssociate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...6 days ago
- Report provides insights into marine recoveryNew research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...6 days ago
- NZ to send political delegation to the PacificDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...6 days ago
- Low gas production threatens energy securityThere has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...6 days ago
- Defence industry talent, commitment recognisedDefence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...6 days ago
- Speech to the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for IndustryWelcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...6 days ago
- Speech to the Sixth Annual New Zealand Government Data SummitIt is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...6 days ago
- Ceasefire agreement needed now: PetersNew Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...7 days ago
- Daily school attendance data now availableA new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...7 days ago
- Ambassador to United States appointedForeign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...7 days ago
- New permit proposed for recreational gold miningThe Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...7 days ago
- NZ and the UAE launch FTA negotiationsMinister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...1 week ago
- New Zealand Sign Language Week an opportunity for anyone to signNew Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...1 week ago
- Next stop NASA for New Zealand studentsSix tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...1 week ago
- $1.9 billion investment to keep NZ safe from crimeNew Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...1 week ago
- OECD reinforces need to control spendingThe OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...1 week ago
- Agreement delivers Local Water Done Well for AucklandThe Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...1 week ago
- Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with GermanyForeign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...1 week ago
- Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of PlentyThe Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to New Zealand China CouncilThank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...2 weeks ago
- Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi householdsThe Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...2 weeks ago
- Government recommits to equal payThe coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...2 weeks ago
- Transforming how our children learn to readStructured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...2 weeks ago
- NZ not backing down in Canada dairy disputeTrade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...2 weeks ago
- ‘Eat the bugs’: a short history of yet another global conspiracy
Seen comments on social media about eating bugs? Byron Clark explains the short history of our latest conspiracy. “No, Bill Gates nor Klaus Schwab has not funded the research done here,” reads an August 2023 Facebook post from Otago Locusts, the first farm in Aotearoa rearing insects for human consumption. ...1 hour ago - ‘I get bread and milk in the mail’: Why the decline of post will hurt rural communitiesRural post is essential but expensive, and residents are worried about its future. It’s 9.30am on a Monday morning in rural Manawatū, and farmer Mairi Whittle is on an all-terrain vehicle with her two young sons. After moving sheep from one slope to another, she swings by the letterbox. Opening ...1 hour ago
- DoC responsible for $87.5m Ruapehu remediation
Remediating Mt Ruapehu if things go pear-shaped could cost more than $80m – and the new operators aren’t on the hook for any of it The post DoC responsible for $87.5m Ruapehu remediation appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 hour ago - Where the ‘woke’ word fits in a history of racismOpinion: Unfortunately, the term ‘woke’ is back in the news and for the most stupid of reasons: Act leader David Seymour is now designating certain types of food as ‘woke’ or not. As the Government makes cuts to school lunches, let us consider what ‘woke’ might mean here. ...1 hour ago
- Mega-prison’s missing business caseAnalysis: The Government’s decision to return to a mega-style prison seems to be missing a clear business case The post Mega-prison’s missing business case appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 hour ago
- East Coast mayors hold out hope for Budget as rebuild bills mountEast Coast mayors are confident their region remains a priority, despite the Government’s focus on building new roads elsewhere The post East Coast mayors hold out hope for Budget as rebuild bills mount appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 hour ago
- Ockhams: the sad truth about authors’ pot plantsNew Zealand authors hate houseplants. They are frightened of them, have nightmares about them, regard them as bad omens; they are afraid, too, of the responsibility of caring for them, and think of them as an alien species that will take over the selfish planet of their interior lives. There ...1 hour ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 14 MayLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 14 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 hour ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 14 MayThe post Daily crossword, Tuesday 14 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 hour ago
- Fanning the sparks of dying languagesMore than 160 languages are spoken in New Zealand. Week-long events celebrate the unique languages heard across the country, and this week the focus is on the Rotuman language. According to Unesco, the Rotuman language is listed as endangered along with four other Pacific languages – Tokelauan, Niuean, Cook Islands ...1 hour ago
- Chinese ‘volatility’ shows case for Aukus – UK diplomatChina’s massive military buildup and aggressive actions in the South China Sea are creating “volatility” that the controversial Aukus pact can help counter, the UK’s top diplomat in New Zealand says. British High Commissioner Iona Thomas will deliver a speech to the NZ Institute of International Affairs on Tuesday evening, ...1 hour ago
- The politics behind pending health appointmentComment: ‘An outsider planted inside’ the health system is likely to assume one of its top roles The post The politics behind pending health appointment appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 hour ago
- Jim Chalmers’ third budget will have a surplus of $9.3 billion for this financial year
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The third Chalmers’ budget will deliver a surplus of $9.3 billion for this financial year – the second successive surplus of the Albanese government. This will be the first time there have been back-to-back ...5 hours ago - NZ pro-Palestine protester climbs onto Christchurch City Council roofRNZ News A New Zealand pro-Palestinian protester who climbed onto the roof of the Christchurch City Council building has been handcuffed and taken away in a police car. About 20 protesters gathered near the Christchurch Art Gallery today. Officers were called to the scene near Worcester Boulevard about 11.20am, and ...6 hours ago
- Leadership In An Insecure World: Urgent Need To Increase NZ’s Official Development Assistance At T...
The Council for International Development (CID) presented a compelling case to the Finance and Expenditure Select Committees this week at Parliament, urging the New Zealand Government to significantly boost its Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) ...9 hours ago - Te Pāti Māori slams tabling of controversial Oranga Tamariki Bill during Parliament recess
The bill to repeal Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 was introduced to Parliament on Monday. ...9 hours ago - What is the process of an athlete being ‘medically retired’ due to concussion?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Annette Greenhow, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Bond University In recent years, a growing number of professional athletes are medically retiring from sport, particularly in some of Australia’s most popular football codes. In April, Collingwood player Nathan Murphy, 24, medically retired ...12 hours ago
- It’s so hard to see a doctor right now. What are my options?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Scott, Professor of Health Economics, Monash University David Fuentes Prieto/Shutterstock Deciding whether to wait and see if your health condition improves or go to a GP can be a difficult task. You might be unsure about where to go, whom ...12 hours ago
- NZ’s big chill was an early winter warning: power should be subsidised for struggling householdsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodi Gardner, Professor, Law School, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Wirestock/Getty Images Last week’s headlines warning of electricity shortfalls brought the issue of access to energy into (increasingly chilly) homes around the country. The threat of power cuts due ...14 hours ago
- Boycotts, protests, harassment: Eurovision’s future is on the line after its most controversial ye...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jess Carniel, Associate professor in Humanities, University of Southern Queensland Every year claims to be the most controversial year in the Eurovision Song Contest’s history, but it will take a lot to beat the 68th contest. The 2024 Eurovision contest, which took ...14 hours ago
- Pākiri residents would be 'crushed' if sand mining fast-tracked, committee toldA provision in the proposed fast-track law allowing previous court rulings against consents to be put aside would be a 'travesty of justice', they say. ...14 hours ago
- What causes the different colours of the aurora? An expert explains the electric rainbowSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Schmidt, Professor of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney Last week, a huge solar flare sent a wave of energetic particles from the Sun surging out through space. Over the weekend, the wave reached Earth, and people around the world enjoyed the sight of ...15 hours ago
- A minute’s silence is fine but when it comes to violence against women, being quiet isn’t enoughSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Ordway, Associate Professor Sport Management and Sport Integrity Lead, University of Canberra Sport has a role to play in creating a culture of respect, yet women in sport are often seen as “less than” on almost every measure: salaries, sponsorship, broadcasting, ...15 hours ago
- Waitangi Tribunal able to summons minister, court findsThe Waitangi Tribunal’s summons to sitting Minister Karen Chhour as part of its inquiry into the Government’s plans to amend the Oranga Tamariki Act was lawful, the Court of Appeal has found. The ruling runs counter to a judgment by the High Court three weeks ago, in which Justice Andru ...15 hours ago
- Court of Appeal overturns decision that blocked Children's Minister from Waitangi Tribunal summ...But a bill has been introduced to Parliament, meaning the Tribunal no longer has jurisdiction over the case. ...15 hours ago
- Snap Protest Against Archive Cuts On Tuesday 14 MayThe PSA is holding a snap protest at 8am, Tuesday 14 May outside the National Library in Wellington against the decision to not continue funding digitising the national archives. ...15 hours ago
- Goodbye to Fair Go, television’s ‘plucky little battler’ Ahead of the final episode of Fair Go, some of the show’s former presenters look back at what the iconic consumer affairs series meant to them. Fair Go, as former presenter Haydn Jones puts it, was “the show nobody wanted to appear on”. You either had to be ripped off ...15 hours ago
- How a long-lost fish species was brought back to BendigoSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sean Buckley, Lecturer in Molecular Ecology and Environmental Management, Edith Cowan University Greta Valley Landcare Group, CC BY The southern pygmy perch hadn’t been seen in Bendigo Creek since the mid-19th-century goldrush, when a booming town sprang up around the central ...15 hours ago
- How to cope with not seeing the aurora this weekend when everyone else didDidn’t see the amazing and exquisite southern lights over the weekend? You’re not alone: Shanti Mathias has some tips on how to cope. Not to gloat, but I had a very lovely weekend. I went for a long bike ride in the sunshine. I read a magazine on the back ...17 hours ago
- Roads Over Everything Else Will Cost People And PlanetThis morning’s announcement from the Minister of Transport highlights his lack of ideas and lack of appetite to confront the climate crisis ...18 hours ago
- Auckland Man Sentenced To Home Detention For Pokies Gambling Grant FraudAt the time of the offending, Mr Ape ran Hoop Star Basketball Academy and submitted fraudulent grant applications that represented over $75,000 in fictitious costs. ...18 hours ago
- Local Authority Financial Statistics: Year Ended June 2023Local authority financial statistics provide information on the annual performance of core non-trading activities of all New Zealand's territorial and regional councils. ...19 hours ago
- Transport Minister announces new 'Roads of Regional Significance'The government its expanding Roads of National Significance to regional routes, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. ...20 hours ago
- Why public housing is under threat from the debt narrativeKāinga Ora’s debt problem is serious – but so is the urgent need for more affordable homes, says poverty campaigner Alan Johnson. As Kāinga Ora cancels projects and sells land previously earmarked for development, it’s clear that two issues are set to dominate the public housing narrative over the next ...20 hours ago
- Watch live: Transport Minister announces new 'Roads of Regional Significance'The government its expanding Roads of National Significance to regional routes, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. ...20 hours ago
- Fiji Water workers strike almost a week – but union ‘hopeful’ for dealBy Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist A National Union of Workers (NUW) official is hopeful Fiji Water employees who have been on strike for almost a week will return to work shortly. Last Tuesday, a group of workers for Fiji Water went on strike over pay disputes at the multi-million ...20 hours ago
- Wellington Residents’ Views Being Misrepresented In Long-Term Plan ConsultationTrue to form, Wellington City Council’s consultation has been a flop. If they’ve been recording residents’ answers incorrectly, then the only option is to go back to the drawing board and start public consultations again from scratch. ...20 hours ago
- Mayor told about Auckland parking changes in April, Auckland Transport head claimsThe head of Auckland Transport is a "little bit surprised" by the mayor's claim he was blindsided by the changes. ...20 hours ago
- 15,000 squares, 500 hours, 19 months: how I used embroidery to make sense of Australia’s catastrop...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Clement, Lecturer in Visual Art and McGlade Gallery Director, Australian Catholic University Tracey Clement, Impossible Numbers. Tracey Clement I slip the needle through a small loop of black thread, pull it tight and snip. Done. I have just tied off the ...21 hours ago
- More desalination is coming to Australia’s driest states – but super-salty outflows could trash...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jochen Kaempf, Associate Professor of Natural Sciences (Oceanography), Flinders University Gonzalo Buzonni/Shutterstock From around 1996 to 2010, Australia was gripped by the millennium drought. As water shortages bit hard, most of Australia’s capital cities built large seawater desalination plants – Sydney, ...21 hours ago
- Can university protest camps be removed? What does the law say?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria O’Sullivan, Associate Professor of Law, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Students have been protesting on university campuses across Australia for several weeks now, calling on their institutions to cut ties with weapons manufacturers supplying arms to Israel. Some have noted their ...21 hours ago
- Where did money come from?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Hail, Adjunct Associate Professor, Torrens University Australia Wolfilser/Shutterstock This article is part one of The Conversation’s “Business Basics” series where we ask leading experts to discuss key concepts in business, economics and finance. For the most part, economists continue ...21 hours ago
- A record-breaking year for political donations is no cause for celebrationBig business is pouring eye-watering sums into parties on the political right. Max Rashbrooke wonders what it’s getting in return. A couple of years ago, a National Party contact told me it had “never been easier” to get big donations from businesses. Anger about the Covid-era “fortress New Zealand” policy, ...21 hours ago
- AI-assisted writing is quietly booming in academic journals. Here’s why that’s OKSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julian Koplin, Lecturer in Bioethics, Monash University & Honorary fellow, Melbourne Law School, Monash University Glenn Carstens-Peters / Unsplash If you search Google Scholar for the phrase “as an AI language model”, you’ll find plenty of AI research literature and also ...22 hours ago
- What is it about Gaza? Wars are raging around the world, so why are young people so passionate about...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin O’Brien, Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University University campuses around the world have become the site of tiny tent cities in recent weeks, with student activists protesting the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Though the protests on ...22 hours ago
- Too many Australians aren’t getting a flu vaccine. Why, and what can we do about it?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Seale, Associate Professor, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Australia’s childhood immunisation program gets very good uptake every year – almost 94% of five-year-olds have had all their routine vaccinations. But our influenza vaccine coverage doesn’t get such a ...22 hours ago
- Announcement From Councillor Ray Chung, WellingtonWellington City is in the worst shape it’s ever been – economically, socially, and culturally. ...22 hours ago
- Why the UK parliament is monitoring our fast-track consenting billIn this extract from The Bulletin, Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the proposed law and the ongoing concern about it. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Where we’re at with the fast-track ...23 hours ago
- NZTA tells dealers to repay Clean Car rebates on almost 200 EVsWaka Kotahi has found almost 200 cases where car dealers pocketed electric vehicle subsidies, then broke the law. ...24 hours ago
- Heath funding fails to keep up with inflation or demand – doctors' unionSome experts argue it's time to consider alternatives ways to pay for healthcare which could take politics out of it. ...24 hours ago
- Can you really provide meals for teens for $3 a pop? And will they eat it?The revamped school lunch programme is budgeting $3 per lunch, rather than the current $8. But is it really so simple to cut costs? Shanti Mathias investigates. Last week, associate education minister and Act Party leader David Seymour announced the government’s revamped school lunch programme, which will provide food to ...1 day ago
- A Kiwi mermaid in Paris, 100 years agoExactly 100 years ago, on the eve of another Paris Olympics, young Kiwi Gwitha Shand was the talk of the swimming world. The 19-year-old from Christchurch had broken the world record in the 440-yard freestyle multiple times leading up to the 1924 Olympics, and was described in newspapers as one ...1 day ago
- Ockhams: Penguin shock on eve of book awardsThe New Zealand book trade is still reeling after the shock news that Penguin has axed its head of publishing. The redundancy comes just as the biggest week of the year in New Zealand literature is set to take place. The winners of the Ockham national book awards are announced ...1 day ago
- The haves and have-nots of aged careA rest home with a concierge, iced tea fountain, hybrid Jaguars to drive, and caviar on the menu. That’s not imaginary or from some far-flung country – it’s reality here in Aotearoa. Oceania Healthcare just officially opened ‘The Helier’ – a retirement apartment and aged-care complex in the Auckland suburb ...1 day ago
- I don’t know what Aukus is and at this point I’m afraid to askThe USA and China are beefing, Winston Peters is getting sued by some Australian guy, and Helen Clark and Don Brash are friends now? Here’s everything you need to know about Aukus but were too afraid to ask. What is Aukus? Aukus, which stands for Australia, the United Kingdom, and ...1 day ago
- Mining lobby: Fast-track bill’s ministerial powers ‘not unusual’ Ministers make the final decision in many areas, but the ability to control the front and back end of the process would be unique The post Mining lobby: Fast-track bill’s ministerial powers ‘not unusual’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 13 MayLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 13 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
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Look, everyone must have a job and her chosen job is to peddle carcinogens to poor people. Nothing wrong with that:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350166539/pm-christopher-luxons-sister-law-works-tobacco-company
My brother in law votes National. I have relatives who are industrial farmers.
Are we really going after MP's relatives now? That's not the story. The story is what Luxon means when he says due process has been followed regarding conflicts of interest.
The criticism isn't of her.
Another brick in the wall, that's all.
Muttonbird decided to focus on her. Which means the right can focus on the family of left politicians.
The right do do that, all the time.
The article decided to focus on her, it's the headline.
I'd say marketing manager for Phillip Morris is right up there for worst things to dedicate your life to. Worse even that voting National and industrial farming.
Good to know you are setting your standards by National and the MSM.
If you are going to do what they do, then you can't complain when they do it.
Few would likely give one about Mr Luxon’s sister in law if she was not in the Tobacco Industry, totally fair game with the current situation with Minister Costello.
I still recall Judith Collins effectively executing Ian Lees Galloway’s career on TV one morning by mentioning an affair. Clarke Gayford was pursued by a nasty online campaign to the extent that NZ Police issued a rare statement along the lines that Mr Gayford was of no interest to them on any matter.
Turn the other cheek, take the high road? I don’t think so in 2024.
If you have tory relatives it is not your fault!
If you have tory relatives it is not your fault!
Correct. Most of us have them.
But if you are the PM and have a relative by marriage who works for the tobacco industry at a time when there are questions of interference in policy making by tobacco industry chiefs, then you can expect it to be reported by the media and be commented upon elsewhere.
When weka says: "the right can focus on the family of left politicians." The right have been doing that for the past 15 years.
Remember the personal barbs and malicious 'revelations' about Nanaia Mahuta and her family. Remember the salacious and disgusting lies spread about Jacinda Ardern's partner, Clarke Gayford. The police were forced into making a public statement denying them. There were other minsters also whose personal lives were questioned for no other reason other than to discredit them.
We can go back further and remember the salacious and disgusting lies spread about Helen's husband Peter Davis – not to mention Helen Clark herself. Iirc, some of her ministers were also on the receiving end.
The right has practiced dirty politics in the form of personal slander, innuendo and misinformation on a grand scale, so any response in return could almost be claimed as justified. They are the one's who introduced this phenomenon to NZ political society.
Goes way way back…..Muldoon in the public toilets with the Moyle affair 1976….
That National reflect 39% of the electorate is a sad indictment on the hollow values many people in this country support.
Winning is everything and if you have to play dirty to win, so be it!
Brash, wasn't it, who said words to that effect.
Luxon prior to last election:
“The only target I have is winning government. It’s that simple. All that matters is winning government on October 14.”
Luxon had arrived at the conference wearing a red Crusaders’ jersey, saying he liked the team “because they win. They win nice or they win ugly but they win.”
Asked if that meant he was happy for National to “win ugly”, he said, “I just want to win”.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/national-party-leader-christopher-luxon-admits-45-per-cent-election-result-target-is-a-stretch-goal/I7VYCGVDFJCRJJHBDCAL6OYNGU/
On a par with;
”I did not have sex with that woman.”
”I did not inhale.”
The only person I have ever seen using those words was you Robert.
Can you produce any evidence of anyone else saying them?
[deleted]
[I don’t know what you are on about, but you’ve been here long enough to know I don’t like having to moderate on Saturdays. Take the weekend off – weka]
Are you stalking a member of this forum?
Not great.
You'll feel compelled, alwyn, to provide evidence (see:
3 February 2024 at 1:05 pm )
As well, you'll probably have to face weka et al, who don't seem to favour the kind of sly innuendo you've indulged in here.
mod note
"Goes way way back…."
Oh yeah Kat. I am personal testament to that. Muldoon had a black list and my name ended up on it courtesy of a jealous person who had a specific 'channel' through which she could feed falsehoods.
Muldoon had a bunch of shady individuals (a few of whom were involved in that scurrilous rag "The Truth”) who did his dirty work for him. Moyle was his most notable target but there were plenty more behind the scenes whose stories have never been told.
"Are we really going after MP's relatives now?"
You are right, weka. I admire yr patience.
There seems to be a pandemic of worrying about the mote in our metaphoric brother's eye. I have a feeling we could mill the beam in our own (to further mangle an allegory), if someone finds a senior Labour person with links to the alcohol industry.
The best known Labour Politician with links to the alcohol industry was probably their first Prime Minister, Michael Joseph Savage who worked for Sir Ernest Davis' company Hancock and Company from 1908 until he entered Parliament in 1919.
Sir Ernest "Booze" was a major supporter, and financer, of the early Labour organization in New Zealand. This included lodging securities for jailed agitators during the 1912 Waihi miner's dispute and providing John A Lee with a hotel to manage after he lost his seat in Parliament in 1928.
One might not approve of him but Ernest Davis was a fascinating man.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4d7/davis-ernest-hyam
Cheers, Alwyn. I will give him a looksie.
I haven't read enough of NZ political history, but what I have, I find interesting.
John A Lee's autobiography is one of the most recent.
Funny how his version of events differs a lot from public perception of those early Labour leaders.
International Tobacco is a vile money trench, second only to the Arms Industry.
Baldrick must have known this connection would be outed…but perhaps just does not give a shit, or take it seriously. A number of Natzos over the years have “worked”–it is just a big cruise for execs–in tobacco, and now there seem to be senior tobacco linked MPs galore.
Yes, tobacco does seem to be a feeder industry for National/NZF politicians. I wonder if this is what they mean when they talk about working in the real world.
anyone remember Todd Barclay?…
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/tobacco-lobbyists-stand-for-national-seats/DKVPIFNF7H3BUDCAXF4SGU6QZE/
Yes.
Yes.
She has been in the job since 2004, probably before being an in law.
It's quite likely she has never discussed the tobacco industry with the Christopher the Unready.
C’mon, Baldrick is a money man. It is vital for such types, men particularly, to size up others for their usefulness or threat. They desperately need to know what others in their circles “Do”.
Luxon is being mocked in the House by the Opposition, who respond to his evasions with derisive exclamations. Check out the moment he said, "companies" rather than "countries"; seemingly an inconsequential slip, but indicative of his unreadiness for answering questions from the other side of the House. Theirs is a guttural reaction. Key used to draw disgust with some of his comments and gestures; Luxon gets derision, which is far more damaging, imo.
Luxon makes Shipley look competent and intellectual….and one of the top three National PM's in a generation…..take your pick on the other two.
Hager painted the Nats as hollow men, Trotter paints the Labs same: https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-hollow-party.html
Yeah, when focus groups head in the opposite direction to voters no Lab politician will ever know what to think, so they will just continue to stand around looking vacant until someone comes along and tells them what to think.
Trotter's facetious verdict is to ask Helen to come out of retirement & rescue them, but yesterday's leaders are rarely relevant today. It's really up to a younger generation within Labour to seize the time. Labour's hollowness is reflected in the poll trend:
A biased snip of February snipes – rigor catches up with the best of us, eventually.
"Why, why, why Delilah"
Trotters a useful tool, thats why he's gets his granny soapbox.
It's really up to a younger generation…to form their own party and crack on with it. Convert a sitting or former MP to the cause and off you go, target an electorate as MMP makes it a shed load easier than Oz/UK etc.
Leave the centrists who blew a majority term to it, that's not your party kids look at what happened to Cunliffe. Remember it was almost Shane Jones as leader back then so get out now.
I think you are on the money tc.
A timely reminder of how things were not so long ago. Leave the pollies of both blue and red hues to wallow in the tar pits of last century's ideology. Let them bicker about their differences, which after all, only a cigarette paper separates them.
Policy ideas for this new party to keep a resurgent Greens honest…
F.T.T. to pay for a UBI.
Any migrant arriving is part of a union.
Meaningful reform of housing/landlording.
Internet/water/energy are non profit activities.
How can Labour have been driven by focus groups when those focus groups apparently would have told them lifting Maori, honouring Te Tiriti, improving water quality, and compassion for transgender people were such unpopular policies?
Trotter's argument (and your own) makes zero sense.
Trotter talks bullshit. His claim Helen Clark manipulated the political scene in the 90s (I paraphrase what he said) to her personal advantage is bordering on conspiratorial claptrap. She's not clairvoyant nor does she have psychic abilities.
Reading Paul Buchanan's (Pablo) latest post "The New Zealand Junta" makes infinite more sense:
And there you have the real reason for what happened on October 14, 2023. Not some of the bullshit I’m reading on this site.
See first on sidebar for full post!
Get this, from Hipkins in response to Chloe:
He's talking in code. Translation: Labour must represent those who don't want "to confront the challenges of our time". Tinkering is cool, the top tinker believes.
Chloe also sends a message in subliminal code: "Hey guys, I'm really leftist!" By positioning her co-leadership aspiration for "the leading left-wing party in Parliament", she's letting the Green Left Network know they don't need to put up a candidate to oppose her. That's clever, and I suspect she'll succeed in fooling them…
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/02/chl-e-swarbrick-s-big-plans-to-get-first-green-party-led-government-elected.html
Have to say I'm coming round to CS again now as co-leader. I hope that any other candidates go hard on the Green-led government as well.
However, I'd also like to see the plan not just the rhetoric.
"Have to say I'm coming round to CS again now as co-leader…"
Have you forgiven her trespasses against you? 🙂
not really. More that I can see past the transgressions to what really matters. Something the Greens could learn from 😉 And a number of gender critical people.
Why do you reckon Chloe doesn't get it?
She's smart-as 🙂
no idea. No Debate means it doesn't get talked about.
Smart people can be dumb in some things, that's not unusual.
But Chloe's not just "smart", she's a lively intellect and can parse all sorts of issues, elegantly. Why do you think she's failed to grasp your issue-de-jour?
Group-think. Even got James under control.
Like I said, No Debate means it's never been talked about. You can't actually talk with people with that belief in that position about the issues. That's intentional, No Debate is intended to suppress dissent. So I literally don't know her thinking apart from the slogans.
I can tell you that there is such a thing as Peak Trans, which is where people who used to believe in gender identity ideology come to realise it's batshit crazy, they 'peak' as they realise that it doesn't make sense. Many left wing people have been through that process. Being smart, having a lively intellect that can parse all sorts of issues doesn't transcend that, and in fact ideology often stops very smart people from understanding things.
My initial point was that I can tolerate someone having quite different views from me and still allow them to be good at what they do. That capacity is being lost from the Greens and it is heartbreaking.
So when CS says she can work across the aisle, I think that means she can work with right wing politicians but she can't work with left wing gender critical feminists. I could be wrong, but afaik she is a strong believer in gender identity ideology and the politics that go with it (as opposed to the people who toe the line because they have a career to protect).
Not sure if you mean it this way, but when you talk about GCF in that way, it comes across as minimising. It's not my issue du jour. It's the most important political issue of our time after climate/ecology. Whole swathes of women have abandoned the left over it, and it's been going on for decades, but particularly the last decade.
I've been writing about GCF on TS since 2020. I've been involved in the debate on twitter since 2018, often substantially. I've lost a big chunk of political engagement (blocked on twitter, NRT no longer allows his blog posts to be cross-posted) because of my beliefs. I've gotten off pretty lightly. Many women have lost jobs, careers, friends and family, been arrested and abused. There are many women who've been working hard on this for a decade, others for longer. Some GCFs believe the political work on this will be decades long.
So please don't treat this as some passing/short lived trend.
Issue-de-jour was careless, I meant, the issue that consumes so much of your energy. I didn't mean it was a passing phase for you.
"It's the most important political issue of our time after climate/ecology."
Is it?
If we f*ck up the the climate response, is that on par with getting the "what is a woman" debate wrong?
Will we all burn in hell? 🙂
Huh. Mainstreamers fucked up the collective climate response more than 20 years ago, definitively. As for discrimination against women, it depends on how many feel they are victims of that. The potential number is huge, the actual number small, I suspect…
One in four women are sexually assaulted by a man. How many of those women are actual victims of male violence against women and how many just feel like they are?
Women still get paid less than men. How many are actually paid less compared to how many just feel like they are?
Just the women initially. Been there, done that. It's part of why we're destroying the planet.
Not respecting women and not respecting nature are the same thing.
I don't think Swarbrick's message is subliminal, it's overt.
Chloe has lofty aims to make the Greens the largest left wing party in NZ. People can laugh and say she is unrealistic, but look at what happened in Germany?
Die Grunen (The Greens) have 118 seats in the German lower house and are part of the coalition government. They also part of the coalition governments in 10 out of 16 states. They have formed coalition state governments even with the conservative CDU/CSU party and won seats in ultra-conservative Bavaria. They are no longer written off as a loony left opposition fringe party – they are an alternative government.
With organisation, support and of course money, it is possible and Chloe might just be the person to lead it forward into a new era.
At the same time, Chloe must counter Brooke.
Chloe: "I raise you three hundred cycle lanes to your pittance of a minimum wage increase….."
Slightly different situation in Germany however, as they also have a separate Left party that is where a good portion of the NZ Greens would naturally fit, being hard core Socialists or even further Left than that.
Having that segment in a separate party makes it easier for the German Greens to go into coalition with parties right across the political spectrum as they are not viewed as anywhere near as loony-left as the NZ Greens are viewed, given the environmentalists and the Socialist are all lumped in together.
NZ Greens have relied on the votes of the hard Left since foundation, so I can't see the NZ Greens fracturing in a hurry.
I think if Swarbrick can stabilise the Greens now and achieve the same level of success at the next election, say 15 MPs, then that will provide a solid base to work from. Their growth is only going to come by further cannibalising Labour and by attracting a higher proportion of first time/younger voters than the other parties, and that will take time.
Becoming the largest left wing party in NZ is a good goal for the party I guess but it won't change much in NZ if they still can't get control of the parliament so they can effect the changes they want. Hard to get that control if the only partner you will go into coalition with is the same party you have been cannibalising…
I agree with your analysis – however their leftist zero-sum thinking re Labour has been self-imposed handicap for so long now it seems unrealistic to expect them to wake up & smell the roses. They could proceed to a convergence with Labour instead if both parties adopt resilience as their basis for a new economy.
Cynics will point out that both parties contain too many morons to enable that to happen but I remain optimistic despite such realism!
Tinkering is cool, the top tinker (sic) believes.
A tinker a mender of pots and pans. Don't you mean "tinkerer".
Play on words often hews to tradition. I was just using her framing. Some users of language prefer contemporary usage but we need not do the binary either/or on language use. Notice that I didn't use the antique verb origin (tink).
Labours new election slogan for 2026…..NO TINKER WE TAYLOR….
I don't think Chloe Swarbrick's message was particularly helpful. There's probably a number of ways to press the importance of change without ridiculing your political partner.
Note Hipkins’ response was far more measured and respectful. Best to keep the fire and brimstone for the actual opposition.
who did she ridicule?
Absolute bullshit. That is not the full quote. I saw him on TV1 news tonight and his response was eminently sensible. He was not aiming any broadside at the Greens. In fact he sent a message of good will to them.
The video is not up on their site yet.
Diddums?
Looks more like msm trying to escalate hostility between NZ & China!
Get used to it, lad. The windy city often does this. Getting high often defuses mental states of cluelessness. You mean the airline still isn't offering such a useful alternative??
Yeah, he's right to wish for a high-speed rail option. You only need to figure out the time the bus takes to reach Ak to agree with him. Cue a brain-wave: Belt & Road is usable as policy basis for offering to build such infrastructure into 3rd-world countries like ours.
Michael Leunig captures the moment.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=405723482125404&set=a.163598666337888
Thanks, Robert. I love Michael Leunig but hadn't seen anything of his lately. Spurred me to visit his website and scroll through his recent cartoons.
I liked his Interview With God.
Another announcing new technology which recycles used plastic bags into politicians caused a chuckle.
James presents a triad to Newsroom:
Three usually creates process, so this governance triad is likely to embed, and will therefore become an effective legacy for him.
"this governance triad"
is the result of their governance a triasco?
Good to see Argentina taking the first steps to rectify the damaging effects of Big Government interventionist economic policies (implemented from both the left and right wing of Argentinian politics).
Argentina is just another example of how these sorts of Government knows best and can drive economic growth policies do real long term structural harm to a country. Left wingers who promote these ideas tend to ignore the evidence of failure from real World outcomes.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/no-obstacle-argentina-mega-reform-bill-congress-government-says-2024-01-30/
Austerity usually isn't popular but if the IMF estimate is validated by performance – "expected economic contraction estimated by the IMF at 2.8%" – it may succeed.
The country is on the verge of a massive default in debt with inflation rate over 200%. I think to get out of that self-inflicted mess requires some short term pain. Remember it is the policies of previous governments of Argentina that caused the mess they are in now not the policies being proposed by the new one.
A very interesting read today in the Herald (yes, I confess I subscribe). I like Mary Holm's no nonsence advice on money matters. Today a letter to her asked 'I find it appalling and upsetting that many people seek your advice on how to beat the tax man.' She basically agreed with the tone of the letter and went on to say that if people do ask how to dodge paying their fair share of tax, she tells them politely where to go. Of course the comments after the various letters received and answered went along the usual lines of Granny Herald commenters – 'it's all the Labour Government's fault'. To this long time Labour voter – yes I've kept the faith since my first vote in 1966 – tax evasion and avoidance (both equally as bad as each other IMHO), is a no no with me and those idiots who do get caught rorting the system deserve all that is dished up to them. I'll include the link, though it is paywalled https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/why-dodging-the-tax-dept-could-backfire-on-you-mary-holm/ZHMVV4KLSJGRFGUDEN4DF3B3BI/
Stuff has done a fascinating analysis of the core Public service in NZ and it's massive growth over the past 6 years under the last Labour led government.
I challenge any left leaning person to explain why we still have a need for over 9,400 "Information Professionals" (i.e. mostly Coms people) since the end of the significant public health risks from Covid-19. The growth in this area under Labour was in the region of 90%. How is the average New Zealander getting better value from their interaction with the Public service as a result of all these extra PR and Coms roles?
This is a major factor in why people got sick of Labour and voted for change last October.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350164796/heres-what-our-63000-public-servants-actually-do-and-why-we-have-so-many-them-now
The Public service spends huge amounts of taxpayers money on IT projects. The point of which should be to improve the efficiency of the Public service (i.e. better service with the same or less resources). However instead of requiring less people we have much, much more. Where are the better services that we are getting as a result? Can people name me an area of the Public service that has improved significantly in the past 6 years as a result of IT spending?
"and indeed Inland Revenue actually reduced its contact centre staff significantly as a big IT upgrade allowed it to handle more things online."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350164796/heres-what-our-63000-public-servants-actually-do-and-why-we-have-so-many-them-now
How come we have had a massive increase in staffing in the Social Welfare agencies at a time when Unemployment has fallen to lows not seen since the 1960’s? Shouldn't we require less people in this area now considering we have less people to provide support to?
Please provide the figures for massive increase in SW staffing, and unemployment in recent times compared to the 60s. You're in premod until that happens.
Wouldn't it be nice if our government produced a scorecard that monitored core KPIs on its own performance?
That way everyone who paid taxes could have confidence (or otherwise) in the performance of our elected (and non elected) administrators.
But the turkeys aren't going to vote for Xmas are they…
Why do I have to provide data on SW staffing levels in the 1960's? I'm not comparing staffing levels front the 1960's to today. I'm stating unemployment has fallen to levels not seen SINCE then so you SHOULD see recent trends in Social welfare staff falling not INCREASING conpared to when they were higher (i.e 7 or 8 years ago)
If the staffing levels were increased due to Covid for an entire budget period then that also is the fault of the Labour led government. This was an emergency period and any increased staff should have been on temporary or fixed term contracts of 2 years maximum. What are these staff doing now given we have stopped Covid payments?
[reread my comment, because you’ve obviously misunderstood. The comma is a clue. I know what you are stating, and I’m telling you as a moderator to produce some evidence for your claims. You make arguments like this a lot that are big assertions without substance. In this case I think your premise is entirely faulty, which is why I’m asking you to produce the evidence so we can examine it.
The claims you made that need evidence:
Please provide evidence for both of those things. – weka]
I provided you a link to a Stuff article which details the increase in staffing in these agencies over the past few years (i.e. the period in time I am referring to). Please explain why this is not good enough as evidence for you?
As for the 1960’s claim – fair enough I apologise for using the 1960’s as a baseline. The official unemplyment rate as measured by the HLFS only stretches back to 1986 so it would be more accurate to state it is the lowest since modern reporting on unemployment started i.e. the lowest on record.
Evidence here is the following for each claim you made. Plus clarifying the timeframe on the first:
Moderators aren’t going to read an article to parse what you mean.
The rationale for all this is to increase the standard of debate. I already explained the problem with your original comment.
Claim:
-We have had a massive increase in staffing in the Social Welfare agencies in recent times (and please clarify the time frame).
The timeframe in question is from Labour's time in office (i.e. from 2017 to 2023). An increase in numbers of a third over such a short period of time is very large. In comparison the total population of NZ till the end of last year only grew by less than ten percent
Population in 2017 divided by population in 2023 :
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/national-population-estimates-at-30-june-2017
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/national-population-estimates-at-30-june-2023/
"MSD, the second-largest organisation, grew by a more hefty 33%. Most of this growth was in social workers and contact centre workers."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350164796/heres-what-our-63000-public-servants-actually-do-and-why-we-have-so-many-them-now
Claim:
– Unemployment has fallen to lows not seen since the 1960’s
As stated this should more accurately have stated the unemployment rate has falled to levels not seen since modern record keeping began.
"Unemployment fell in the December quarter to 3.2 per cent, the lowest since modern records began in 1986."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/unemployment-lowest-since-1986-falls-to-32-per-cent/YCIAG7QWZH3KBAYZAOJHE3FA6A/
thank-you Gosman. That’s perfect, and a really good example of how to back up one’s argument. Out of premod now.
Off the top of my head in the 60's there wasn't the massive, massive subsidy to landlords by way of accommodation supplement, benefits were paid at the same rate as the pension so people didn't have to keep applying for hardship payments, sole parents like my grandmother who left a violent relationship got nothing unless they were a widow, all the benefit was paid to the husband for couples, sick people were left alone to be sick and get better and had doctors and hospitals in their little towns, the welfare system in most towns was a job in the public service esp all those injured war veterans who also had good support through the rehab leagues set up around the country to help them get back to work, unwell were locked up in mental institution, while those with intellectual disabilities were locked up in their own institutions, 51,000 people were getting war pensions in 1965 and 116,000 superannuation (compared to 898,000 getting superannuation now). It was also run as a bureaucracy i.e. rules based where either you qualified for help or not and that was that. You aren't comparing apples with apples and your comparison is quite facile.
Puao-Te-Ata-Tu is the only good source I've found that shows staff numbers albeit in 1988. 6,268. This would not have included the Labour department staff who were a separate department and didn't merge til about 1998.
https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/archive/1988-puaoteatatu.pdf
Stuff article has MSD staff at 9,077. but notes extra were taken on to do COVID payments, etc. They were likely funded for a full budget cycle so presumably will drop off at the end of it as is the normal budget / funding process.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350164796/heres-what-our-63000-public-servants-actually-do-and-why-we-have-so-many-them-now
Also a fall in the unemployment rate doesn't necessarily mean a fall in benefit numbers.
It is a maths puzzle.
Number of jobs increase so labour market is larger. Immigrants come into NZ and do those jobs. Number of NZer's unemployed stays the same. Unemployment rate drops as while the number unemployed is the same it is now a smaller proportion of a larger labour market.
With the massive increase in immigration in the last couple of years combined with people working longer to make ends meet there is an increasing disconnect between the two things.
Looking at stats info – in 1999 there were 18,000 over 65 year olds in the workforce. There is now 118,000. That is also impacting on freeing up jobs for young people.
https://infoshare.stats.govt.nz/ViewTable.aspx?pxID=659101e7-c4ff-4caa-a281-41a4e44779fa
Definitely gonzo, loved the multi-colour graphic showing how tiny the health spend is compared to the biggies – no wonder the hospitals are in perpetual crisis. Kindness??
Labour's creation of a supersized gravy train for consultants will be the envy of Nat supporters everywhere!! All Hipkins needs to do to guarantee himself a knighthood in the next honours list is to say "Hey, I did that!" It will help if he explains that it was a carefully-orchestrated directive campaign behind the scenes, so as to reassure the Nats that they really are on the same side.
Really –
For the first time, I'm worried about violence this Waitangi day. Its going to take real leadership from both sides to make this a peaceful day.
Pablo has an interesting take on our new “government.”
https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2024/02/the-new-zealand-junta/
”Another thing about the new government is its utter disdain for the public. Polls only mattered in the election campaign but now are ignored. Fighting crime was a priority before the election, then it was not. It did not reveal its full coalition agenda during the campaign and did not consult with other parties or the public in the implementation of its first 100 day plan of action. Instead, the coalition has rewarded its donors and supporters in (among others) the fossil fuel and tobacco industries even though their repeal policies are unpopular and in some instances detrimental to public health, environmental and other social outcomes. This is truly a government for and by the few, even if it was able to claim an electoral victory as its legitimating mantle.
For this reason I prefer not to call them something silly like the “coalition of chaos.” They are that, to be sure, because to put it kindly the talent pool in the coalition parties runs very thin while the egos of their leaders and lieutenants run very deep. This could eventually lead to their collapse and downfall, but for the moment what strikes me is their despotic dispositions. In other words, it is their way or the highway, minus the resort to repression that we see in military dictatorships.
For this reason I choose to refer to the National-ACT-NZ First triumvirate as New Zealand’s junta. In the broadest and original sense, junta refers to a military or political group ruling the country after it has been taken over. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as “a council or committee for political or governmental purposes.” What is important is that it does not always have to have a military component and it does not always involve a violent accession to power and usurpation of previous authority. A junta, as it turns out, can be installed constitutionally, peacefully and via normal political institutions and procedures.”
The NZ Midwifery Council's controversial changes to their Scope of Practice
2 Feb 2024 Interview with Deb Hayes, a practising midwife – the petition organiser
New Zealand's Midwifery Council has spent four years devising new guidelines which have taken out the words 'mother' and 'baby', and replaced them with the word 'whanau', a word which in te reo Māori means 'family', including extended family. Deb Hayes, a practising midwife, has been instrumental in initiating a Parliamentary Petition against the change of language in the NZ Midwifery Council's Scope of Practice guidelines.
The petition, hosted on the Women's Rights Party NZ website, can be signed here – https://womensrightsparty.nz/midwifer…
or, go direct to it here: https://petitions.parliament.nz/6e261…
I don't care whether they use the words 'mother' or 'baby' or 'gestational vessel' or 'whanau' I just want people to stop having kids they don't want, having kids they won't support, or killing their kids.
I take it that you are not a supporter of the current Government then?
As their mean spirited welfare, wage, health, environmental and infrastructure policies are going to result in killing and/or, blighting, the lives of many thousands more children.
No I'm not, but link please?
National, ACT and NZF policies were well canvassed during the recent general election, you can look those up yourself pretty easily.
Luxon is an ex PM walking……….just trying to find the link…..
Now that Luxon has a Maori alter ego to be his shadow at the marae, it's time to move onto puns about the blind man and his seeing eye dog chum Potaka wandering around Waitangi together.