web analytics

Open mike 04/04/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 4th, 2022 - 77 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:


Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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

Step up to the mike …

77 comments on “Open mike 04/04/2022 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Ad 1
    4 April 2022 at 8:25 am

    Fair enough to call for war crime investigations into Russian troops.

    But maybe it's time for the US mainstream media to call for the US to be subject to the ICC for their own war crimes.

    I'm not seeking a kind of moral relativism. Just a global mechanism for the US military to be held to account same as everyone else.

    • Byd0nz 1.1
      4 April 2022 at 8:43 am

      Agree. But, every Country affiliated to the UN are also guilty of these mutual atrocities in Ukraine by not responding to Russian security concerns, they had the chance to avoid this conflict, but instead allowed themselves to kow tow to the Western big powers with their NATO disease of World power ambitions.

      • tsmithfield 1.1.1
        4 April 2022 at 10:02 am

        Rubbish. Do you think that countries shouldn't have the right to associate and align themselves with which ever countries they would like to?

        Don't you think it is rather instructive that countries such as Poland, and now Finland and Ukraine would rather align themselves with the West than Russia that they have historic ties with?

        But perhaps the current behaviour of Russia might give some rational for that position.

        • Byd0nz 1.1.1.1
          4 April 2022 at 11:14 am

          Well if the UN had of addressed legitimate claims of security concerns things would have been different and set a course for peace, but I can see from you post further down that you are a definite war monger type, so no need for me to respond further to you.

          • tsmithfield 1.1.1.1.1
            4 April 2022 at 11:22 am

            And your tacit justification of the Russian actions doesn't make you a "war monger type". Give me a break.

        • mikesh 1.1.1.2
          5 April 2022 at 9:06 am

          Not entirely. I think a country's geographical position should be a factor. Ukraine should prefer alignment with countries to the East of the Black Sea, since hostile relationships with one's neighbors make no sense. However that should not preclude them from enjoying a trading relationship with the West.

      • joe90 1.1.2
        4 April 2022 at 10:29 am

        Russians going door to door dragging men out of their homes and then summarily executing them is someone else's fault?

        Get a fucking grip, moron.

        Maria Genkin: Pictures of some villages freed in Kyiv region, specifically Bucha, are devastating. Dead people lying outside of their houses, in what can only have been a “zachistka” – systemic execution of the men of each house. One body in front of every house.

        https://twitter.com/AseyevStanislav/status/1510333593180069896

        #Zachistka

        • Byd0nz 1.1.2.1
          4 April 2022 at 11:22 am

          Yea well I think your word of ‘Moron’ describes you much better, you totally misread my comment , but that is typical of you who only get your source of bullshit from one sided view points. So you should put a prefix of GI on your handle and become the DH you really are. No further comment needed from me to you.

          • joe90 1.1.2.1.1
            4 April 2022 at 11:31 am

            you totally misread my comment

            Sniveling tankie called on moronic assertion that every Country affiliated to the UN are also guilty of these mutual atrocities bottles it.

            /

      • The Al1en 1.1.3
        4 April 2022 at 11:40 am

        That's the 'whataboutism' sorted, now try condemning the murder of Ukrainian civilians.

        • Byd0nz 1.1.3.1
          4 April 2022 at 11:59 am

          Well, you also misread my original comment. Had the UN addressed the concerns of Russia’s security concerns there would still be as you point out ‘murdered Ukrainians’ , that of break away states in Donbas who have suffered over 8 years of death by the murdering Ukrainian forces. But the civilians you speak of would still be alive. So I stand by my comment implicating Countries affiliated to the UN being guilty for the situation that unfolded.

          • The Al1en 1.1.3.1.1
            4 April 2022 at 1:37 pm

            I misread nothing, but never mind, It's an open opportunity – Feel free to condemn the murder of Ukrainian civilians whenever you're ready.

    • Tiger Mountain 1.2
      4 April 2022 at 8:52 am

      Very few would not be disturbed by Russia’s Ukraine invasion and the inevitable gruesome details and general horror of armed conflict. Some small New Zealand communities still feel the effects of WWI and WWII believe it or not. It is not a video game.

      But…some of us that have spent a lifetime supporting international solidarity efforts on other countries, regions, anti war and world peace campaigns, Nuke Free NZ, West Papua etc. etc. do feel frustrated at the attention on Ukraine. Invading a foreign country? well US imperialism has more than a little form in that department, Vietnam being Exhibit A, Iraq Exhibit B and Afghanistan Exhibit C.

      It is not “what-a-boutism” but “as wellism” to say poisoning Palestinians water & shooting their teenagers, creating starvation and chaos in various countries like Yemen, and creating global refugee movements deserves similar attention in the media and urgent donation requests.

      As far as us ordinary people can determine with online searches, Russia has 10 military bases or facilities, all on ex Soviet republic territories, and maybe 5 projected elsewhere. The USA has over 750 acknowledged military bases and associated facilities offshore.

      • tsmithfield 1.2.1
        4 April 2022 at 9:59 am

        We can't go back in time and unwind previous injustices. Hence, I think looking backwards at previous incidents is a bit pointless, other than to learn from them and ensure robust processes prevent future incidences and to recompense for damage done.

        But what we can do is focus on the war crimes, and possibly genocide that is confronting us all right now. So, based on failings in the past, what should the world do right now to stop the war crimes going on in Ukraine right now?

        • KJT 1.2.1.1
          4 April 2022 at 10:20 am

          "Previous"?

          How about sanctions in Iran, Afghanistan and Venezuela killing children, and bombings in Yemen and Somalia, right now!

          But they are not “People like us”!

          • tsmithfield 1.2.1.1.1
            4 April 2022 at 10:31 am

            How does any of that help the current situation? Whataboutism isn't a solution. It only minimises current crimes against humanity.

        • mikesh 1.2.1.2
          5 April 2022 at 9:28 am

          Calling the incident 'genocide' seems an exaggeration, but then some say that in war the first casualty is truth.

    • Nic the NZer 1.3
      4 April 2022 at 9:00 am

      The price tag for ICC prosecutions without hypocrisy is too expensive. The US will continue with the status quo.

    • tsmithfield 1.4
      4 April 2022 at 9:26 am

      Ad, there have been prosecutions for war crimes committed by the US military:

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

      It may not be perfect, or all-encompassing, but at least there is a process for crimes to be investigated. I doubt that Russia will submit to such a process.

      Was is happening against Ukranian citizens seems so calculated, widespread, and brutal, that I think it must be bordering on genocide if it already hasn't met that threshold.

      The stuff in Bucha is just harrowing:

      https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/03/ukraine-apparent-war-crimes-russia-controlled-areas

      The other thing is that this sort of behaviour is very bad for Russia and its military. It will simply motivate the west to introduce harsher sanctions and provide more impactful weaponary to Ukraine.

      • Barfly 1.4.1
        4 April 2022 at 10:18 am

        It is what they don't prosecute/convict that is the problem

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%E1%BB%B9_Lai_massacre

        "504 unarmed people were killed by U.S. Army"

        ” Victims included men, women, children, and infants. Some of the women were gang-raped and their bodies mutilated, as were children as young as 12.[1][2] Twenty-six soldiers were charged with criminal offenses, but only Lieutenant William Calley Jr., a platoon leader in C Company, was convicted. Found guilty of murdering 22 villagers, he was originally given a life sentence, but served three-and-a-half years under house arrest after President Richard Nixon commuted his sentence.”

        • tsmithfield 1.4.1.1
          4 April 2022 at 10:21 am

          As mentioned, at least there is a process, though I agree, far from perfect.

          As I mentioned in a previous post, we now need to be learning from those lessons and ensuring that such crimes are fully prosecuted in the current conflict.

      • mikesh 1.4.2
        5 April 2022 at 9:33 am

        War is happening against Ukranian citizens seems so calculated

        But, on the other hand, the Ukrainian government seems to expect all its citizens, civilian or not, to fight in defense of the country.

        • SPC 1.4.2.1
          5 April 2022 at 9:39 am

          Rounding up men of a village and killing them is a war crime – even prisoners of war are entitled to more than that.

    • aom 1.5
      4 April 2022 at 10:22 am

      Perhaps someone can explain. The latest war porn photos were apparently taken days after the Russians left areas near Kyiv. How come there is a photo of two people lifting a body that bent in the middle, presumably long after rigor mortis would have set in? Were the victims all female or children? If not, how does 'civilian' square with all Ukrainian males between 16 and 60 being expected to fight the Russians? Is there any indication of weapons being visible in any of the 'photographic evidence' or are we looking at the reverse of the US ploy when innocents are killed, of placing weapons with bodies?

      Before the accusations of being a Putin apologist start, there is no way – this questioning is because it is wisely said that 'truth is the first casualty of war' not that war crimes on any side are condoned. The personal driver is being a pacifist!

      • tsmithfield 1.5.1
        4 April 2022 at 10:36 am

        "How come there is a photo of two people lifting a body that bent in the middle, presumably long after rigor mortis would have set in?"

        Because rigo mortis isn't a permanent state, but disappears after a few days.

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

        And yes, pretty much what I would have expected from you; an attempt to pass these crimes off as some sort of macabre staging.

        • aom 1.5.1.1
          4 April 2022 at 11:48 am

          Thanks for the explanation for rigor mortis – obviously accepted the common misunderstanding.

          As for passing the crimes off as staging – just about the response one would expect from a gung-ho propagandist for NATO. If you can't provide explanations and evidence, don't resort to sleazy assumptions about valid questions

          • tsmithfield 1.5.1.1.1
            4 April 2022 at 12:06 pm

            "As for passing the crimes off as staging…"

            Oh goodness greatness me. My sincerest apologies. How could I ever have assumed that from you? laugh

  2. aj 2
    4 April 2022 at 8:59 am

    the US mainstream media to call for the US to be subject to the ICC for their own war crimes.

    Never going to happen. Been covering for the war machine since Korea, if not earlier.

  3. Sanctuary 3
    4 April 2022 at 9:22 am

    Russia apologists will probably also engage in whataboutism, denial and deflection on these war crimes in Ukraine. But they have, from the perspective of Russian propaganda, a horrible logical consistancy.

    The Ukraine was invaded to "de-Nazify" it. To Russians (and everyone else), Nazism is the ultimate evil and by definition not Russian (The USSR defeated the Nazis!).

    The Ukraine is basically a part of Russia with a silly dialect and some strange ideas about independence and identity. Once the Nazis are rooted out the general population will welcome their Russian friends.

    So when they invaded the Ukraine and the resistance was ferocious and the entire people rose up against them it was clear that the taint of Nazism was deeper and broader than realised, so the de-Nazification has to also involve a much deeper purification of the Ukraine, and "purification" means "liquidating" lots and lots of the complicit.

    Sounds outlandish, but the Kremlin's apologists on here have made great play of the "Nazism" of elements of the Ukraine army. And if some people (albeit half wits) in NZ believe it, you can bet your bottom dollar a lot of Russian soldiers believe it.

  4. weka 4
    4 April 2022 at 9:59 am

    Long past time NZ cities were moving on this. Rural areas and small towns need bespoke solutions.

  5. tsmithfield 5
    4 April 2022 at 10:18 am

    Russia is about to have issues keeping its war going. That is because a lot of their military componentry required for making and replacing used or destroyed weaponary is manufactured in Ukraine:

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/04/01/vladimir-putin-running-missiles-parts-made-ukraine/

    And the sanctions from the west aren't helping in that respect either.

    • aom 5.1
      4 April 2022 at 10:36 am

      Do you have conclusive evidence to prove that Russia wants to keep the war going?
      It seems that Zelenskyy with aggressive support from NATO are more vested in avoiding a negotiated settlement from the bellicose statements emanating from those sources.

      • tsmithfield 5.1.1
        4 April 2022 at 10:37 am

        Russia can stop the war anytime it wants to. Just pack up and leave Ukraine.

        • Peter 5.1.1.1
          4 April 2022 at 11:09 am

          Yes, to me the fact they haven't is conclusive evidence it wants to keep the war going.

        • aom 5.1.1.2
          4 April 2022 at 11:55 am

          So could Ukraine. All that is required is to negotiate in good faith. That was obvious, even to blind Freddie, long before any violence occurred. Actually, about seven years ago wasn’t it?

          • Stuart Munro 5.1.1.2.1
            4 April 2022 at 12:03 pm

            So could Ukraine.

            They could pack up and leave? Where should they go? Putin wants all of Ukraine – it's only that his forces are being crushed that has stopped him.

            All that is required is to negotiate in good faith.

            Doesn't work with Russia – have you not noticed the routine shelling of humanitarian corridors? In Russia, good faith doesn't exist at the political level.

            • aom 5.1.1.2.1.1
              4 April 2022 at 5:21 pm

              Get off your war-mongering band-wagon Stuart. The Ukrainians only had about seven years to negotiate instead of acting as an agent for NATO which ultimately folded to the US empire.

              • Stuart Munro …
                4 April 2022 at 5:33 pm

                You should quit the appeasement – there is nothing whatsoever about Putin's war that Left or enlightened folk can support.

                We support democracy, not despotic autocracy.

                Leave the fascist fanboying to Rodney Hide.

                • aom …
                  5 April 2022 at 7:33 am

                  Facing facts does not equate to appeasement, except in the minds of those with a twisted agenda. More to the point, anything other than democracy is not despotic autocracy. In fact, one of democracy's greatest faults is that it is the tyranny of the majority!

                  As an observation, most 'war crimes' in your lifetime have been committed by 'democracies'.

                • mikesh …
                  5 April 2022 at 12:08 pm

                  Britain, for example, wasn't always democratic; you only need to go back to the events of 1381 to see their aristocracy thought about democracy. Democracy seems to be something that develops over a longish period, and is probably not appropriate for all counties at all times.

          • aom 5.1.1.2.2
            4 April 2022 at 12:18 pm

            Strange reply to the statement,"All that is required is to negotiate in good faith. That was obvious, even to blind Freddie, long before any violence occurred."

            • Stuart Munro 5.1.1.2.2.1
              4 April 2022 at 12:29 pm

              Not as strange as pretending that good faith could ever achieve anything with the Putin regime.

              Blind Freddy would tell you as much, if you listened.

          • roblogic 5.1.1.2.3
            4 April 2022 at 4:17 pm

            Good faith? After the recent discovery of mass graves and evidence of Russian plans to commit genocide to solve the "Ukrainian problem"?! Surrender is unthinkable.

  6. tsmithfield 6
    4 April 2022 at 11:17 am

    I think the west should aim to force an end the war with the following two steps:

    1. Inform Russia that they must ceasefire and settle with Ukraine within an acceptable time frame (say a month), and then action their side of the agreement, and come out of this saving some face.
    2. If they don't do this, then

    a) the west will ramp up sanctions to a point that it becomes difficult for Russia to function, and:

    b) the west will tool Ukraine up with the sort of heavy military equipment that will enable them to defeat Russia militarily.

    I think the west has done enough now to show this isn’t an empty threat. And Ukraine has done enough to show they are a potent force with what they have now. So the message should be sent to the Kremlin loud and clear.

  7. Stuart Munro 7
    4 April 2022 at 12:10 pm

    Some truths cannot be spoken in Russia.

    Serving army officer shut down on Russian state TV for saying soldiers are dying in Ukraine – YouTube

    Not that we don't have a few of our own, but it would be funny, if it weren't tragic.

    • mikesh 7.1
      5 April 2022 at 12:18 pm

      Some truths cannot be spoken in Russia.

      I think it's inflammatory that cannot be spoken, actually.

      • Stuart Munro 7.1.1
        5 April 2022 at 6:39 pm

        Clearly you don't think at all.

        The soldier was grieving for his men who had died, and those who were about to die.

        But it didn't suit the official narrative – so he was silenced.

        As Russian truth drifts further and further from the truth on the ground, the damage the truth does will grow until the secret can no longer be contained. The last time this happened, the short victorious war, the Russian state fell to a popular revolution.

  8. Poission 8
    4 April 2022 at 1:18 pm

    Is Red Ink the new normal.Interest rates are destined to rise unless inflationary expectations are lessened.

    “The high inflation environment means that interest rates around the world will be heading up, so there will certainly be further increases in mortgage rates ahead.”

    Recent Reserve Bank analysis showed that if mortgage rates rose to 5 per cent, nearly 20 per cent of recent first-home buyers would face serviceability stress.

    At 6 per cent, this would rise to nearly 50 per cent, and investors and some existing owner-occupiers would also be under pressure.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/300557505/is-this-the-new-normal-bank-lifts-home-loan-rates-near-7-per-cent

    The writing is on the wall,as markets price the increases into the wholesale market,there has to be some signalling from Oligopolies such as Local and central government and utilities that efficiency,and not ideology will be the short term future.

    • Nic the NZer 8.1
      4 April 2022 at 1:27 pm

      Why would the RBNZ think putting 20% of recent first home buyers under serviceability stress is a good policy?

      • Poission 8.1.1
        4 April 2022 at 1:42 pm

        because high inflation is a disaster.Rbnz showed constraint following the Delta outbreak,when in hindsight it should have increased the OCR,hence signalling the arrival of peak money.

        At the same time media and developers were over selling demand (enhancing the FOMO) and forcing increased costs,rather then constraint.

        https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/125970733/developers-take-new-tack-in-search-for-land-as-investors-buy-up-new-homes

        • Nic the NZer 8.1.1.1
          4 April 2022 at 2:02 pm

          So putting up the OCR will actually reduce NZ inflation then?

          • Poission 8.1.1.1.1
            4 April 2022 at 2:21 pm

            The global consensus is that higher interest rates,reduce credit demand by reducing discretionary spending.There are 3 parts to the situation,increased liquidity due to QE,and increased demand for credit due to lower interest rates.

            The third part was the involuntary saving enforced globally due to lockdowns etc from Covid constraints ( 55 billion in NZ ) around 2 trillion in the US and Europe.As spending arose following relaxation,a lot went into asset appreciation such as equities and property.As equities rose above their technical limits,the money transferred to more property and commodities.

            There is only one country that does not have a property forced high inflation economy,and that is Japan.with February inflation coming in at 0.8% and the central bank not increasing their OCR.They also have a decreasing population and a cultural mindset of increased efficiency,and enhanced productivity.

            • Nic the NZer 8.1.1.1.1.1
              4 April 2022 at 5:48 pm

              Well if the OCR hits roughly those numbers that hard the RBNZ will put it back down again (like the prior 2014 tightening). They will probably have another take on inflation then, especially if the inflation rate didn't comply with the desire to lower it. Japan has been running QE like monetary policies since the 90s and seem to better understand how irrelevant cash rates are to inflation outcomes, though it might be just that their inflation rate is presently lower driving their policy.

              • Poission …
                4 April 2022 at 6:06 pm

                There are arguments at present,that the low interest rates are affecting the price of the Yen (lower) which makes commodity pricing higher etc.They have sufficient idle capacity ( nuclear) that is being brought up to standby mode that will (if needed) reduce the energy component of manufacturing.

                Japan does not have the housing risk,in its economy.

  9. McFlock 9
    4 April 2022 at 3:10 pm

    Woman bankrupted in no small part due to her following "sovereign citizen" weirdness.

    Obsessive folks can tear up their own lives as much as the lives of others.

  10. Puckish Rogue 10
    4 April 2022 at 3:13 pm

    Now its no secret that the entertainment coming out of Hollywood recently is bad, very bad.

    Lazy writing, identity politics, sequels and superhero movies galore but every now and then a movie trailer comes along that makes me think theres hope for Hollywood yet

    This trailer looks good and I can't wait for it to come out:

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Government support for Levin community hit by tornado
    The Government is contributing $100,000 to a Mayoral Relief Fund to help the Levin community following this morning’s tornado, Minister for Emergency Management Kiri Allan says. “My thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by severe weather events in Levin and across the country. “I know the tornado has ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • Statement from the Quintet of Attorneys General in support of Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova a...
    The Quintet of Attorneys General have issued the following statement of support for the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and investigations and prosecutions for crimes committed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine: “The Attorneys General of the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand join in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • Andrew Little Budget 2022 post-Budget health speech, Auckland, 20 May 2022
    Morena tatou katoa. Kua tae mai i runga i te kaupapa o te rā. Thank you all for being here today. Yesterday my colleague, the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson, delivered the Wellbeing Budget 2022 – for a secure future for New Zealand. I’m the Minister of Health, and this was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

  • Govt helps supermarket shoppers get a fair deal
    Urgent Budget night legislation to stop major supermarkets blocking competitors from accessing land for new stores has been introduced today, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Dr David Clark said. The Commerce (Grocery Sector Covenants) Amendment Bill amends the Commerce Act 1986, banning restrictive covenants on land, and exclusive covenants ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Prime Minister: Wellbeing Budget 2022 speech
    It is a pleasure to speak to this Budget. The 5th we have had the privilege of delivering, and in no less extraordinary circumstances.  Mr Speaker, the business and cycle of Government is, in some ways, no different to life itself. Navigating difficult times, while also making necessary progress. Dealing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Future resource management system implementation funding
    Budget 2022 provides funding to implement the new resource management system, building on progress made since the reform was announced just over a year ago. The inadequate funding for the implementation of the Resource Management Act in 1992 almost guaranteed its failure. There was a lack of national direction about ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Funding certainty for quality public media
    The Government is substantially increasing the amount of funding for public media to ensure New Zealanders can continue to access quality local content and trusted news. “Our decision to create a new independent and future-focused public media entity is about achieving this objective, and we will support it with a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Funding boost secures Defence capabilities
    $662.5 million to maintain existing defence capabilities NZDF lower-paid staff will receive a salary increase to help meet cost-of living pressures. Budget 2022 sees significant resources made available for the Defence Force to maintain existing defence capabilities as it looks to the future delivery of these new investments. “Since ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Budget 2022 supports resilient and sustainable cultural sector
    More than $185 million to help build a resilient cultural sector as it continues to adapt to the challenges coming out of COVID-19. Support cultural sector agencies to continue to offer their important services to New Zealanders. Strengthen support for Māori arts, culture and heritage. The Government is investing in a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Minister of Finance: Wellbeing Budget 2022 Speech
    It is my great pleasure to present New Zealand’s fourth Wellbeing Budget. In each of this Government’s three previous Wellbeing Budgets we have not only considered the performance of our economy and finances, but also the wellbeing of our people, the health of our environment and the strength of our communities. In Budget ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Wellbeing Budget 2022 Speech
    It is my great pleasure to present New Zealand’s fourth Wellbeing Budget. In each of this Government’s three previous Wellbeing Budgets we have not only considered the performance of our economy and finances, but also the wellbeing of our people, the health of our environment and the strength of our communities. In Budget ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Coronial delays addressed by Budget 2022
    Four new permanent Coroners to be appointed Seven Coronial Registrar roles and four Clinical Advisor roles are planned to ease workload pressures Budget 2022 delivers a package of investment to improve the coronial system and reduce delays for grieving families and whānau. “Operating funding of $28.5 million over four ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Paving the way for better outcomes for disabled people
    Establishment of Ministry for Disabled People Progressing the rollout of the Enabling Good Lives approach to Disability Support Services to provide self-determination for disabled people Extra funding for disability support services “Budget 2022 demonstrates the Government’s commitment to deliver change for the disability community with the establishment of a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Investing in education so all Kiwis can succeed
    Fairer Equity Funding system to replace school deciles The largest step yet towards Pay Parity in early learning Local support for schools to improve teaching and learning A unified funding system to underpin the Reform of Vocational Education Boost for schools and early learning centres to help with cost ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Primary sector backed to grow and innovate
    $118.4 million for advisory services to support farmers, foresters, growers and whenua Māori owners to accelerate sustainable land use changes and lift productivity  $40 million to help transformation in the forestry, wood processing, food and beverage and fisheries sectors  $31.6 million to help maintain and lift animal welfare practices across Aotearoa New Zealand A total food and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • More support for first home buyers and renters
    House price caps for First Home Grants increased in many parts of the country House price caps for First Home Loans removed entirely Kāinga Whenua Loan cap will also be increased from $200,000 to $500,000 The Affordable Housing Fund to initially provide support for not-for-profit rental providers Significant additional ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Budget lifts up to 14,000 children out of poverty
    Child Support rules to be reformed lifting an estimated 6,000 to 14,000 children out of poverty Support for immediate and essential dental care lifted from $300 to $1,000 per year Increased income levels for hardship assistance to extend eligibility Budget 2022 takes further action to reduce child poverty and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • A booster for RNA research and development
    More support for RNA research through to pilot manufacturing RNA technology platform to be created to facilitate engagement between research and industry partners Researchers and businesses working in the rapidly developing field of RNA technology will benefit from a new research and development platform, funded in Budget 2022. “RNA ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Unleashing business potential across NZ
    A new Business Growth Fund to support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow Fully funding the Regional Strategic Partnership Fund to unleash regional economic development opportunities Tourism Innovation Programme to promote sustainable recovery Eight Industry Transformation Plans progressed to work with industries, workers and iwi to transition ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Securing the wellbeing of Pacific communities
    Budget 2022 further strengthens the economic foundations and wellbeing outcomes for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa, as the recovery from COVID-19 continues. “The priorities we set for Budget 2022 will support the continued delivery of our commitments for Pacific peoples through the Pacific Wellbeing Strategy, a 2020 manifesto commitment for Pacific ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government delivers timely support for whānau
    Boost for Māori economic and employment initiatives. More funding for Māori health and wellbeing initiatives Further support towards growing language, culture and identity initiatives to deliver on our commitment to Te Reo Māori in Education  Funding for natural environment and climate change initiatives to help farmers, growers and whenua ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government delivers critical infrastructure
    New hospital funding for Whangārei, Nelson and Hillmorton 280 more classrooms over 40 schools, and money for new kura $349 million for more rolling stock and rail network investment The completion of feasibility studies for a Northland dry dock and a new port in the Manukau Harbour Increased infrastructure ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • A health system that takes care of Māori
    $168 million to the Māori Health Authority for direct commissioning of services $20.1 million to support Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards $30 million to support Māori primary and community care providers $39 million for Māori health workforce development Budget 2022 invests in resetting our health system and gives economic security in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Investing in better health services
    Biggest-ever increase to Pharmac’s medicines budget Provision for 61 new emergency vehicles including 48 ambulances, along with 248 more paramedics and other frontline staff New emergency helicopter and crew, and replacement of some older choppers $100 million investment in specialist mental health and addiction services 195,000 primary and intermediate aged ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • A Secure Future for New Zealanders’ health
    Landmark reform: new multi-year budgets for better planning and more consistent health services Record ongoing annual funding boost for Health NZ to meet cost pressures and start with a clean slate as it replaces fragmented DHB system ($1.8 billion year one, as well as additional $1.3 billion in year ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Cost of living package eases impact on households – 2.1 million Kiwis to get new targeted payment
    Fuel Excise Duty and Road User Charges cut to be extended for two months Half price public transport extended for a further two months New temporary cost of living payment for people earning up to $70,000 who are not eligible to receive the Winter Energy Payment Estimated 2.1 million New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Budget highlights underlying strength of economy in face of global headwinds
    A return to surplus in 2024/2025 Unemployment rate projected to remain at record lows Net debt forecast to peak at 19.9 percent of GDP in 2024, lower than Australia, US, UK and Canada Economic growth to hit 4.2 percent in 2023 and average 2.1 percent over the forecast period A ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Budget 2022: A secure future in difficult times
    Cost of living payment to cushion impact of inflation for 2.1 million Kiwis Record health investment including biggest ever increase to Pharmac’s medicines budget First allocations from Climate Emergency Response Fund contribute to achieving the goals in the first Emissions Reduction Plan Government actions deliver one of the strongest ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Budget 2022: A secure future
    Budget 2022 will help build a high wage, low emissions economy that provides greater economic security, while providing support to households affected by cost of living pressures. Our economy has come through the COVID-19 shock better than almost anywhere else in the world, but other challenges, both long-term and more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Health Minister to attend World Health Assembly in Geneva
    Health Minister Andrew Little will represent New Zealand at the first in-person World Health Assembly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from Sunday 22 – Wednesday 25 May (New Zealand time). “COVID-19 has affected people all around the world, and health continues to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New efforts to counter illegal timber trade
    New Zealand is committing to trade only in legally harvested timber with the Forests (Legal Harvest Assurance) Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament today. Under the Bill, timber harvested in New Zealand and overseas, and used in products made here or imported, will have to be verified as being legally harvested. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Deaths in New Zealand lower than expected so far during the pandemic
    The Government has welcomed the release today of StatsNZ data showing the rate at which New Zealanders died from all causes during the COVID-19 pandemic has been lower than expected. The new StatsNZ figures provide a measure of the overall rate of deaths in New Zealand during the pandemic compared ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New law helps secure New Zealand’s maritime domain
    Legislation that will help prevent serious criminal offending at sea, including trafficking of humans, drugs, wildlife and arms, has passed its third reading in Parliament today, Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta announced. “Today is a milestone in allowing us to respond to the increasingly dynamic and complex maritime security environment facing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Trade and Export Growth Minister to travel to Bangkok for APEC
    Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor is set to travel to Thailand this week to represent New Zealand at the annual APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting in Bangkok. “I’m very much looking forward to meeting my trade counterparts at APEC 2022 and building on the achievements we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government welcomes historic pay-equity deal
    Settlement of the first pay-equity agreement in the health sector is hugely significant, delivering pay rises of thousands of dollars for many hospital administration and clerical workers, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “There is no place in 21st century Aotearoa New Zealand for 1950s attitudes to work predominantly carried out ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government delivers new ICU space at Christchurch Hospital
    Health Minister Andrew Little opened a new intensive care space for up to 12 ICU-capable beds at Christchurch Hospital today, funded from the Government’s Rapid Hospital Improvement Programme. “I’m pleased to help mark this milestone. This new space will provide additional critical care support for the people of Canterbury and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Next steps for specialist mental health and addiction services
    Budget 2022 will continue to deliver on Labour’s commitment to better services and support for mental wellbeing. The upcoming Budget will include a $100-million investment over four years for a specialist mental health and addiction package, including: $27m for community-based crisis services that will deliver a variety of intensive supports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • 195,000 children set to benefit from more mental health support
    Budget 2022 will continue to deliver on Labour’s commitment to better mental wellbeing services and support, with 195,000 primary and intermediate aged children set to benefit from the continuation and expansion of Mana Ake services. “In Budget 2022 Labour will deliver on its manifesto commitment to expand Mana Ake, with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Belarusian leaders and defence entities targeted under latest round of sanctions
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has today announced sanctions on Belarusian leaders and defence entities supporting Russia’s actions in Ukraine, as part of the Government’s ongoing response to the war. “The Belarusian government military is enabling the illegal and unacceptable assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty,” Nanaia Mahuta said.  “Under the leadership of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Queen's Platinum Jubilee Tree planting event at Government House
    Just after World War 2, there were incentives to clear forest and bring land into agricultural production. In places, the land had been stripped bare as forests were felled for sheep grazing. Today, you only have to look at the hills around Taihape and see the stumps of a once ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago