Open mike 03/11/2020

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 3rd, 2020 - 55 comments
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55 comments on “Open mike 03/11/2020 ”

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  1. Andre 1
    3 November 2020 at 7:09 am

    On the idiocy of Nader, Stein and their voters, and why protest voting for a third party when the ballot choice really is a true binary just impedes making actual progress. With the corollary of how the likes of AOC and Bernie have showed that working within the binary is a much more successful way of achieving actual progress.

    https://www.salon.com/2020/11/02/dear-fellow-progressives-the-lesson-of-history-is-clear–vote-for-joe-biden/

    Yet again, thank whatever gods you will for MMP here, and the Labour government of the 80s for establishing the commission that recommended it, and the Bolger government of the 90s for the courage to put it a referendum, and the voters of the 90s for choosing MMP.

    • weka 1.1
      3 November 2020 at 9:05 am

      how much difference does it make? Of the people not voting Biden, how many are in states where Trump may or may not win?

      • Andre 1.1.1
        3 November 2020 at 9:17 am

        Nader's and Stein's campaigns have very likely delivered us the two worst presidents in our lifetimes.

        This time around, Who?ie Who?kins is still polling in the range of 0.5 to 1 %, according to 270towin's averages. So if there's a massive polling error and it comes down to <1% margins in a few critical states, then it could be the difference. Again.

        https://www.270towin.com/2020-polls-biden-trump/north-carolina/

        https://www.270towin.com/2020-polls-biden-trump/florida/

        https://www.270towin.com/2020-polls-biden-trump/pennsylvania/

        • Nic the NZer 1.1.1.1
          3 November 2020 at 11:04 am

          Getting all your best excuses in early?

          • Andre 1.1.1.1.1
            3 November 2020 at 1:21 pm

            Got anything to say about the idiocy of voting third party in a binary election? Any arguments against the points made either in my comments or the linked article?

            • Nic the NZer 1.1.1.1.1.1
              3 November 2020 at 1:54 pm

              No, your quite right of course. If someone doesn't agree with your political choices calling them a bunch of idiots is clearly the best way to change their mind.

              • McFlock …
                3 November 2020 at 3:27 pm

                If they're genuinely not going to vote against the current buffoon, any insult will likely go over their heads.

          • AB 1.1.1.1.2
            3 November 2020 at 1:34 pm

            Affluent centrists are pretty much immune to the sort of harm that a Joe Biden causes. They rightly loathe Trump, but don't get why some people just can't bring themselves to vote for either. Chris Hedges can get boring because he says the same few things over and over – but here he itemizes Biden's scorecard (link starts from 3m47s). I disagree with his conclusion, but it's well-argued.

            • Andre 1.1.1.1.2.1
              3 November 2020 at 1:57 pm

              Yeah, harm like opening a pathway for them to get healthcare.

              Harm like being part of the administration that created the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, and being likely to appoint a director that will do what the bureau is intended to do.

              Harm like supporting measures to make it easier to vote.

              Harm like increasing infrastructure spending and improving mass transit.

              And so on and so on.

              Frankly, I have trouble understanding how Chris Hedges is taken seriously by anyone. I s'pose he's just part of that convergence moonbat segment that spends their time nursing and inflating grievances and fabricating false equivalences while ignoring real and substantial differences on issues that really matter.

        • weka 1.1.1.2
          3 November 2020 at 11:18 am

          you didn't answer my question Andre.

          • Andre 1.1.1.2.1
            3 November 2020 at 1:18 pm

            I've given you the current polling of green/left slow learners willing to waste their vote in a way that enables the re-election of the dayglo swampzilla diametrically opposed to their beliefs and values. In the states most likely to be critical, if that happens.

            If that's not answering your question, then what you intended your question to be, and what you actually asked, appear to be different things.

            • In Vino 1.1.1.2.1.1
              3 November 2020 at 11:53 pm

              I had not realised that verbosity and complexity could create such a smokescreen of righteousness.

  2. Muttonbird 2
    3 November 2020 at 7:52 am

    Chris Bishop, eh? Hasn't learned a thing. The loss of his electorate seat must be hurting.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/123268596/rising-youth-crime-gang-violence-tackled-at-public-meeting-in-wainuiomata

    • Pataua4life 2.1
      3 November 2020 at 8:18 am

      Did you actually read the article? Sounds like one MP actually doing something and the other just all talk.

      • Muttonbird 2.1.1
        3 November 2020 at 8:40 am

        Did you read the article? The electorate MP had proposed a meeting on crime and safety for that date but was advised against it by Police.

        However, on the same day Andersen postponed her event, Bishop announced he would be hosting his own meeting, which went ahead on Monday night.

        Bishop can't help himself.

        • Sabine 2.1.1.1
          3 November 2020 at 10:01 am

          So it was dangeorus for the Labour guy but not the National guy? or did the reluctance of the coppers have something to do with the complaint of the community 'we call the police but they don't do much, if they show up at all'.

          Yes, i read the article, and frankly she should have shown up. Bishop is now in the opposition and he can do what he wants. And for what its worth, she could have shown up and she should have.

          • Muttonbird 2.1.1.1.1
            3 November 2020 at 10:08 am

            And by doing so would have gone against the advice of Police and community leaders.

            Perhaps you're right and the Police don't want to be exposed but it's also clear Bishop is already campaigning for 2023.

            Also, these issues don’t develop overnight. Perhaps black-ops Bishop should ask himself where such advocacy was in the years he held the seat.

            • Gabby 2.1.1.1.1.1
              3 November 2020 at 10:35 am

              If that encourages Labour to get on top of the issues, well then fine.

              • Muttonbird …
                3 November 2020 at 10:41 am

                It's interesting that while Andersen takes the advice of officials she has met with, Bishop does not.

                This adds to the maverick nature of the man, he who was responsible for hacking the budget last year.

                Who would trust him? Not Hutt South, clearly.

                • Poission …
                  3 November 2020 at 10:51 am

                  The threatened victims,went out and spoke up.They have had enough of the intimidation of gang violence,and the enslavement of their children by drug dealers,they have to live there.

                  Maybe Anderson should actually start working in her electorate,and start listening to the poor and threatened.

                  • Muttonbird …
                    3 November 2020 at 11:14 am

                    She did start working in her electorate. Organised a meeting on crime and community safety and alerted residents of that meeting just one week after the election.

                    Was advised against proceeding with the meeting at that time.

                    Read the article.

                • RedBaronCV …
                  3 November 2020 at 11:20 am

                  Did Bishop get the same advice from the police that Anderson got ? Or was something being played in the background. They turned out to Bishops meeting didn't they? Would they have gone to Andersons?

                  • Muttonbird …
                    3 November 2020 at 11:22 am

                    Unknown from the information in the article. There was at least one sergeant at the meeting but it's not known if it was sanctioned by Police.

                    I doubt Bishop would have bothered seeking advice from Police or community leaders about the meting. He does his own thing for political purposes.

                    This was a chance for Bishop to kick Anderson for having the temerity to win his seat.

                • Tricledrown …
                  3 November 2020 at 12:28 pm

                  Bishop behaving badly while telling others to behave better

                  • greywarshark …
                    3 November 2020 at 1:35 pm

                    Ginny Andersen has been Hutt South Labour MP since 2017 so should have built up a relationship with police by now. So hasn't been hesitant to front up to residents because of being a newbie and feeling her way so to speak. She will have to be more upfront advocating for the locals and show herself committed to walk the walk and not just do the talk.

                    …Ginny studied Te Reo Maori at secondary school and university and previously taught night classes as part of Adult and Community Education. These days she donates her time to the local timebank and runs Te Reo classes at the local library when she can.

                    Over the past three years Ginny has combined her professional experience and her personal passions into being a strong advocate for the Hutt South electorate as well as in her roles on the Justice Select Committee and as Deputy-Chairperson of the Governance and Administration Select Committee. https://www.labour.org.nz/ginnyandersen

                    • greywarshark …
                      3 November 2020 at 3:48 pm

                      I got confused – it seemed as if Ginny Andersen had been MP for a while, but I see that Chris Bishop was actually Hutt South 2017-2020. So perhaps my suggestion that Andersen is a bit new in the post and didn't want to barge in was right. She could instead be talking to the local commander and looking at behind the scenes methods.

                      If Bishop wanted to have a meeting, good. Perhaps the good systems that he brought in during his reign can be continued? How effective has he been? I'll eat my pie if he has been good for advancing harmony and better conditions during his work period as MP.

                • Gabby …
                  3 November 2020 at 2:10 pm

                  I wonder what the basis for that advice was. Mind yerown bidniss?

    • WeTheBleeple 2.2
      3 November 2020 at 8:33 am

      If someone had shot up my neighborhood several nights in a row I'd be wanting officials etc to front and at least feign reassurance to the community under stress. Whatever color pin they wear.

    • Treetop 2.3
      3 November 2020 at 3:20 pm

      Sounds like there needs to be some restructuring in the police to sort out issues which occur like in Wainuiomata. This area is in a deep basin.

      Is the police station there operational 24 hrs a day or do police need to come from the Hutt Valley?

  3. KSaysHi 3
    3 November 2020 at 9:16 am

    Stuff powered by microbes. Using plants as switches, just touch and you power up light and sound. How cool is that?

  4. Muttonbird 4
    3 November 2020 at 12:21 pm

    Hey Joe. How do you put a tweet up here?

  5. greywarshark 5
    3 November 2020 at 1:23 pm

    Are these freemarket/neolib trade agreements we have signed preventing controlling the housing market in an effective way that aids the NZ citizens who want to become 'wealth creators', against the world's financial manipulators? We entered into the trade agreements to ensure that we can sell to the rest of the world without negative barriers so that we can grow the country's GDP and earn overseas so that we can import their machinery and such.

    But it appears that we have given more than we can ever get back, and it is an ongoing drain of our resources from our hands to others, or from here to other countries and econonomies. Just recently, another concern has been raised about water and its misuse – Omihi Creek in Hurunui which has a permit that could enable water bottling. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwKjKlNRMJPBTJZMHLvhkjzxjfr

    Some of us marched in the streets to ensure that our government knew we were watching treaty negotiations and didn't want what they offered. Our local Gnat MP Nick Smith used to sneer at marchers quoting the usual put-down of Rent-a-Crowd. We obviously didn't have sufficient money to buy the size of crowd that would be listened to. Perhaps just one or two men like Peter Talley could make a difference if on the side of the people.

    Some snappy info on trade agreements and the WTO and MFAT –
    https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/trade/free-trade-agreements/ (Can't find any mention of date on this page so don't know what status the information has.)

    MFAT leads New Zealand's free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations. FTAs open up market opportunities, streamline processes, reduce costs, and create more certainty and security for companies doing business overseas. They help New Zealand businesses become and remain more competitive in overseas markets.

    We have successfully completed ten free trade agreements.

    We remember this one: The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a free trade agreement involving 11 countries in the Pacific region.

    New Zealand is in negotiations to conclude five free trade agreements, with another process towards negotiations underway.

    Free Trade Agreements concluded but not in force – Six.

    and
    https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/trade/our-work-with-the-wto/

    Are we left with any wiggle room to make and enforce decisions to benefit little us? Or are we like the tiger? worms in my compost heap, reacting, moving, twisting, looking for suitable food and vulnerable to changes of temperature and moisture? I'm a bit more complex than my worms which, I'm wondering, might have a better life than a human, knowing much but having no or little agency in the world.

  6. Andre 6
    3 November 2020 at 1:34 pm

    When you're senator for a picturesque western state like Colorado, facing a tough re-election, it's natural to try to capitalise on the dramatic natural beauty in-state. Like this:

    But I guess if you're a Repug, screwing up just comes effortlessly.

    https://twitter.com/JamesDakinOwens/status/1318186639592771587

    (The Grand Canyon is entirely in Arizona, a long way away from Colorado)

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 6.1
      3 November 2020 at 2:55 pm

      People of the Land… : )

      • Andre 6.1.1
        3 November 2020 at 3:03 pm

        That clip never gets old.

        The best bit is watching Cleavon Little desperately trying to hold a straight face and there's just the tiniest quirks around his mouth and eyes to show what a battle he's having to not crack up too early.

  7. RedBaronCV 7
    3 November 2020 at 1:49 pm

    Well I see covid has escaped from the fisher people into the community just as they are about to release some of them. Given the time line did the staff member catch it at about day 10 and if it is infectious early on how did it get passed around in isolation? Why do we assume it is safe to let anybody go.

    And are the fishing companies going to meet all the extra costs of testing cleaning supermarkets and schools etc etc.

    And one other thing – given that the passage time for say a car carrier is about 21 days to japan – why did the the fishing companies not send the deep sea trawlers up to Russia to collect these crews -apart from the few needed to steer the thing – do the fishing bit – keeping the crews entirely offshore the whole time – drop them off when finished and then unload the cargo here – I assume. They would have had to get themselves organised of course.

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 7.1
      3 November 2020 at 2:32 pm

      In the not only, but also…….

      "• The number of places available for managed isolation for Christmas are dwindling and the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment has issued a warning to any overseas New Zealanders wanting to get home for the festive period.

      MBIE announced yesterday its new system was now "becoming fully booked" in the lead-up to the big day."

      https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/christchurch-quarantine-worker-has-covid

      And yea got to wonder at sealord et al. Slave ships still exist. (But I bet the Russ/Ukrainians pretty happy at the Accommodation level…..)

      • greywarshark 7.1.1
        3 November 2020 at 3:26 pm

        Something I noticed once again was the mention of sharing of rooms by the fishers which is thought to have contributed to the community infection that has emerged. It was said again too that it had probably been to save costs. Surely the government is in charge of the way that people are held in isolation. There is no way that they would be under-mining their system of single isolation to save costs, surely. Therefore it has been decided by the shipping company/ies. And no way should they be allowed to make decisions that interfere with the protocols set by the government. This is really bad and the government should ensure that this does not happen again. The fishing companies should have to pay for the costs resulting from the community case that has arisen.

        I see that the professionals are saying that hotels are not satisfactory for the job and that better housing for those in isolation should be provided. And as it is constantly in the news about the continuing rampage that the virus is on, it would be a good idea for some smart pre-fab building designers be brought in to find a suitable version from what is available and something go in toot sweet at a suitable location. It has to be well made and be expected to last say 20 years, and will pay for itself in that time if not for Covid then useful for some other purpose in our fraught times.

        Dr Nick Wilson and others are the voice of reason and the government must listen and act on their suggestions. No time to rest on our laurels or any other plant of comfort!

        https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/429729/covid-19-community-case-border-system-needs-urgent-review
        Wilson said people in isolation at Sudima were sharing rooms which was a breach of normal quarantine practice. Even when this was not occurring, hotels are not designed for quarantine, with "shared airspace" and unsuitable ventilation systems.

        "This is an area that needs an urgent review. It's not adequate that workers are being placed at risk.
        "We've had a nurse infected, a maintenance worker, a port worker. These are system failures because we should be stopping all cases at the border."

        Wilson repeated his suggestion for purpose-built quarantine facilities, at sites like Ohakea airbase, where staff could live on the base for two-to-three week periods at a time so infections are contained.

        New Zealand also needs to reduce the number of infected people coming into the country from areas where the pandemic is out of control with measures like pre-flight testing, and move facilities out of Auckland, he said.

        "Basically we're having border control failures every two weeks and we could end up with another Auckland August outbreak if we don't improve."

      • Stuart Munro 7.1.2
        3 November 2020 at 5:13 pm

        The food ought to be better at least. Mind, Ukrainian cooks kick ass – I've had chicken gizzard stew that was absolutely fabulous. The bread's always good too – but the rule for observers used to be, on former soviet vessels, to bring soy sauce & wasabi – there was always jack mackeral for sashimi – second only to tuna. On some ships there was tuna too.

  8. RedBaronCV 8
    3 November 2020 at 3:15 pm

    And Labour sends its first group of supporters down the river. Would it really hurt, even if it is confined at first to only larger workplaces and for the opt in period to last for a only a specified period of time to actually have an opt in period so unions can have a discussion with prospective members at least? How on earth will we ever get to a modern workplace with more worker input right up to board level if we don't start somewhere. And he obviously has no idea just how much pressure is put onto anyone who wants to be in a union to desist.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300148639/new-workplace-minister-michael-wood-says-unions-need-to-attract-new-members-themselves

    • greywarshark 8.1
      3 November 2020 at 3:38 pm

      RBCV Why not write and say that to Michael Wood. If we want things to happen in the next three years we will have to be proactive and questioning, and follow up again. And if nothing changes express displeasure publicly.

      I think I heard that Auckland Water person has just stepped down – was receiving $800,000 pa salary. MPs don't get that but it seems that the belief of Treasury and business that workers were getting complacent and being paid too much which apparently prompted neolib introduction, has remained with the upper levels of management.

      We need MPs to work their butts off for us, not say airily that the peeps can manage on their own while they lord it over all. That reminds me of Lord of the Rings; perhaps some politicians think that the beltway is a giant ring encircling them and giving them magical properties over us hobbits with bad habits!

  9. greywarshark 9
    3 November 2020 at 4:04 pm

    It's getting to the stage where tourists are wise not to come to NZ. Travel all the way here and find that there is a mickey mouse attitude to caring for the customer! We have had one father from Scotland I think, criticising us roundly some years back. Justified too I thought. Then there has been the hands-off attitude to the White Island tourism venture, and I think very poor reporting from scientific checks, with not enough advice as to possible eruption.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/429760/inquest-into-fatal-mt-ruapehu-ski-bus-crash-begins-hears-from-bereaved-father
    The inquest into Hannah Francis' death, held before Coroner Brigitte Windley, began this morning in Auckland.
    Hannah died on 28 July, 2018 after a shuttle bus operated by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts crashed into a bank and rolled on to its side during its descent from the Tūroa skifield…

    The driver, who cannot be named for legal reasons, could not get the bus into gear nor brake effectively, Francis said. Other passengers started to scream and panic, and Francis later learned a passenger opened the back door and jumped out.
    "It became clear to me that within half a minute to a minute that we were going to crash, and the only question was how bad it was going to be," Francis said

    The 24-year-old bus was later revealed to have failed its Certificate of Fitness nine times.
    The fleet was subsequently retired by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts.

    • Andre 9.1
      3 November 2020 at 5:20 pm

      I've followed plenty of the old RAL buses down the Ohakune Mountain Road.

      Some of the drivers knew how to use the engine for most of the braking, others … did not. The ones that didn't engine brake well would have seriously smoking brakes several kilometres before the crash site, to the point I'm a little surprised I never saw any of them crash because of cooked brakes.

      I'm guessing this case was the one where the luck ran out, and the brakes totally cooked with the linings overheating and/or boiling the brake fluid so the brake fluid couldn't transfer pressure.

  10. Adrian 10
    3 November 2020 at 4:54 pm

    People must be stupid , if you choose to go on to an active volcano then what do you fucking expect, they don't erupt to a timetable. And in the unfortunate case of the young woman from Scotland , she was jumping out of a plane over mountains, what could possibly go wrong. Well the plane could crash on take-off, but that's what they do sometimes.

    It's not the country's fault that shit happens. We could cure the problem by making sure nobody leaves home ever, and nobody comes here to do stuff. Problem solved.

    Or is it, 90% of people die in their own home, well thats us fucked then..

    • greywarshark 10.1
      4 November 2020 at 1:20 pm

      I'm just stupid Adrian. I know that you are volatile and great at recriminations sprayed around like a hippotomus' rear end, yet I stopped and read some of your comment. I think it's really 'off'. Well I've only got myself to blame! Shit happens.

  11. logie97 11
    3 November 2020 at 6:04 pm

    Chris Hipkins was fronting in his new ministerial capacity at today's Covid briefing alongside Dr Bloomfield.

    He was asked several questions which he appeared to front-foot quite assuredly.

    However there were questions that required Dr Woods to take, because Hipkins said that he is in the process of discussing/handing over from Dr Woods and should be able to answer in a couple of days. Might I suggest that Dr Woods should have fronted today's session as part of the handover and at least portrayed an image that the government is on top of the issues raised in the questions.

    Not a good look in my opinion.

  12. greywarshark 12
    3 November 2020 at 10:33 pm

    I wonder what affect a presidential change might have on poor Julian Assange? How is he? Guess.

    https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/10/20/qa-assanges-lawyer-jennifer-robinson
    Al Jazeera: What would a typical day during the trial look like for Assange?
    Robinson: During Assange’s confinement in the high-security Belmarsh prison in London, he was strip-searched whenever he arrived at court. He was driven back and forth from Old Bailey court at the back of the prison van. After a day in court, he would be driven “home” to Belmarsh and then strip-searched again. During the trial, he would spend his days between the cells downstairs in the court building and the courtroom upstairs.

    He still spends 23 hours a day in his cell. Although he has not formally been placed in solitary confinement, the conditions of his detention effectively amount to solitary confinement.

    Al Jazeera: When was the last time Assange saw his family?
    Assange has had no visitors for six months. He had no meetings with family since all visits were cancelled. We, his lawyers, could also not do videoconferencing with him. The medical advice was that he should not do videoconferencing.

    Because of his pre-existing healthcare concerns, he could only get phone calls. I am not in a position to comment on his health. But in his visits to psychiatric facilities, he has made clear that he is determined to [take his own life] if he gets extradited.
    .

    Aljazeeras graphics for info on USA politics.
    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/2/infographic-all-you-need-to-about-us-elections

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

    • greywarshark 12.1
      4 November 2020 at 1:22 pm

      I thought it was very relevant about the sort of goings on that the USA is deep into. Still I know that Julian A is regarded as irrelevant to some here.

  13. greywarshark 13
    4 November 2020 at 4:04 pm

    From Tim Watkin – I don't know if this has been up already but it sounds balanced and realistic on the Labour lineup of Ministers and portfolios.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/429682/analysis-ardern-s-new-cabinet-in-safe-hands-but-nothing-flashy

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  • Winding back the hands of history’s clock
    Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
     Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    1 day ago

  • Business confidence sliding into winter of discontent
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll results
    Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • New HOP readers for future payment options
    Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 day ago

  • 2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Road photos
    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    3 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

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

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
    The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Streamlining Building Consent Changes
    The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.      “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
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