Open mike 04/06/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 4th, 2023 - 68 comments
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68 comments on “Open mike 04/06/2023 ”

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  1. bwaghorn 1
    4 June 2023 at 7:34 am

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/132169319/railway-advocate-concerned-railway-line-could-be-mothballed-as-use-drops

    Is railway still a good spend , ?

    Maybe we should just be going all in on transitioning our trucking fleet to hydrogen .

    Got a mate in parts in palmerston north,

    If he gets something bought down by train it can take upto 5 days to get in a train off a train and delivered from Auckland.

    It's over night by road

    • weka 1.1
      4 June 2023 at 8:52 am

      Think road maintenance over the next 50 years, including from increasing extreme weather events. Also the problems of hydrogen.

      if we want resiliency in the climate age we need to not put all our eggs in one basket. Nature does diversity for a reason.

      • bwaghorn 1.1.1
        4 June 2023 at 10:18 am

        Pssst occasionally I say things I don't necessarily believe, so I can sit back and learn from the bebate, something I'm not good at, my thinking speed is more entish than elvish.

        • weka 1.1.1.1
          4 June 2023 at 10:35 am

          👍

          It's good to have a topic at the top of OM that people can get their teeth into.

      • Belladonna 1.1.2
        4 June 2023 at 10:47 am

        When it comes to resilience from extreme weather events, I'm not sure that rail is the best option.
        Heavy trains require a much greater degree of safety engineering than roads do. And, there is no possibility of routing around damaged areas, or allowing limited and controlled passage – as you can do for damaged roads undergoing repair.

        Comparing the resilience of the road and rail from Wairoa to Napier for example.

        Both were washed out and badly damaged (including bridges) in Cyclone Gabrielle (and run pretty much parallel, through the same country). The road has been repaired to some extent – although there are go-slow sections, and ongoing heavy repair work – but cars and restricted-weight trucks can get through.

        The rail has no time-frame on the repair.

        https://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/news/300-damage-sites-on-wairoa-napier-rail-line

        Now, it may be possible that this is due to the level of resources thrown at the two repair tasks. But, I suspect it's due more to the higher level of engineering required for a railbed, than for a road.

        The remainder of the rail network (through to the Napier port) has been repaired in the 'ugly fast opening' style – but, my understanding is that there was no road closure to the port – in comparison.

        Rail may well be a significant and useful heavy transit option – but it is not resilient in extreme weather events.

        • weka 1.1.2.1
          4 June 2023 at 12:12 pm

          Heavy trains require a much greater degree of safety engineering than roads do. And, there is no possibility of routing around damaged areas, or allowing limited and controlled passage – as you can do for damaged roads undergoing repair.

          resliency comes from having multiple systems that intersect. Hence don't put all your eggs in one basket (road or rail). I didn't argue that rail is better than road. I'm saying that we need rail for climate mitigation, and we should also design it with adaptation in mind.

          It's pretty clear that the response to Gabrielle is primarily short term focused. Nothing wrong with that except where that's all there is. Changing how we move people and goods is an imperative and we're not even having that conversation yet. Most people want a green BAU replacement for mitigation, and seem to be trying to find a position for resilient BAU and haven't yet realised that this is largely just not possible.

          The more we can relocalise food supply, jobs, education, and healthcare, the easier it will be to adapt to unforseen events. Fortunately for us, that relocalisation also acts as mitigation.

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.2
      4 June 2023 at 8:53 am

      Well….the problem as I see it, is not about Rail per se, but who, is running Rail !

      Get Rail back to NZ Rail. Employ the right people. Electrify it.

      I dont know if you have ever looked at the previous comments on here about this ? Over a long period I have put many links. On Transport Efficiency ? Rail wins hands down. Damage to roads ? Trucks cause the most by a major factor. Hydrogen as a fuel? Its still in VERY early stages. Rail is now.

      FYI..in my opinion light trucks still definitely for delivery. Anyway, I will link a couple…one from a Professor (who absolutely knows what she is talking about )

      The other is a PDF ,not a big one but has all the comparison efficiency figures Rail, Coastal ship, and trucks…albeit doesnt incl hydrogen. As I say…its very early and there are many maybes about Storage (incl on truck…VERY difficult , requires an extremely gas tight tank !)

      https://theconversation.com/why-new-zealand-should-invest-in-smart-rail-before-green-hydrogen-to-decarbonise-transport-153075

      https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/research/reports/497/docs/497.pdf

      • Ngungukai 1.2.1
        4 June 2023 at 8:59 am

        Evidently we have been subsidizing road freight for the past 30-40 years to the detriment of the Rail Network. Also sold off NZ Rail for a pittance under the 1984 Labour Government to the Merchant Banking Fraternity and Wiscounsin Rail who just asset stripped it to the point the NZ Government had to buy it back to try and save it ???

        • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.2.1.1
          4 June 2023 at 9:35 am

          Yep. That Labour..(in name only, who went on to form act)

          • Ngungukai 1.2.1.1.1
            4 June 2023 at 9:46 am

            Correct aka Roger Douglas, Richard Prebble & Michael Bassett.

            • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.2.1.1.1.1
              4 June 2023 at 10:02 am

              And (with others) personally responsible for a massive wealth gain for a VERY small number of associated scumbags…and literally generations of suffering for a large number of NZers.

              Which we are still paying for.

            • Peter 1.2.1.1.1.2
              4 June 2023 at 12:39 pm

              One of the rewards for Prebble is that he still gets to write newspaper columns saying how shit everyone else is at running the country with the suggestion that he has the answers.

        • Ad 1.2.1.2
          4 June 2023 at 9:59 am

          Regional rail was in rapid and irreversible decline well before Richard Prebble got hold of it. It had been declining since the 1920s even when some branch lines were still being built.

          • aj 1.2.1.2.1
            4 June 2023 at 1:20 pm

            declining since the 1920s

            Was the Think Big of those days.

            • Ad 1.2.1.2.1.1
              4 June 2023 at 2:31 pm

              That was the time in our country's history when we needed grand central-driven connection projects.

          • Johnr 1.2.1.2.2
            4 June 2023 at 5:39 pm

            Well AD,at 1212. Have you a reference to support that statement

        • joe90 1.2.1.3
          4 June 2023 at 1:26 pm

          Also sold off NZ Rail for a pittance under the 1984 Labour Government

          National flogged it in 1993.

          /

      • Macro 1.2.2
        4 June 2023 at 1:52 pm

        I attended the Cabinet Economic Committee Meeting when the electrification of the Main Trunk Line was agreed and approved, it was announced to the media immediately after the meeting by Lance Adam-Schneider, then Minister of Railways. Part of the "Think Big" programme under Muldoon.

        • Ad 1.2.2.1
          4 June 2023 at 2:55 pm

          Present at the creation!

          What was it like working with Bill Birch? In that era he was like the godchild of Sutch, just wrong side of the tracks. So to speak.

          • Macro 1.2.2.1.1
            4 June 2023 at 3:50 pm

            I was serving on the Naval Staff at that time in a number of roles, one of which was manpower planning. Defence had just moved from fixed term engagements to Open ended engagements – 3 months notice. The effect on some specialisations was horrific – particularly electric engineering and control engineering as essentially Navy at that time was one of the only organisations in the country with knowledge in this area and our people were in high demand for places like Glenbrook and the oil plants in Taranaki etc. They were leaving in droves and at one point the Admiral had to don no1's (sword and medals) and go up to Parliament and say – any more loss and we tie up another frigate! We were seen as the training establishment and I remember a meeting we had with Bill Birch at the time when these factors were discussed.

            My attendance at the CECM above was in relation to the funding for the then new Resource Protection Vessel ( To be HMNZS Endeavour) which was also under consideration, as was the price of wheat. It was not wrong to say that at that time the country was run from the PM's desk.

            • Anne 1.2.2.1.1.1
              4 June 2023 at 5:35 pm

              "It was not wrong to say that at that time the country was run from the PM's desk."

              We didn't have a democratically elected government. We had a malevolent dictator who was known to direct his lackeys to act unlawfully on his behalf.

        • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.2.2.2
          5 June 2023 at 8:05 am

          Aha. So..you say. And your point?

    • Ad 1.3
      4 June 2023 at 9:05 am

      Rail is needed when you need to move bulky, heavy, cheap goods around.

      So if your economy declines in its need for that kind of transport, you need rail less and less.

      Some of the big components for the Motonui, Maui and Kapuni gas and petroleum stations came through by rail in the 1970s and 1980s.

      But then they stopped.

      When the Patea freezing works closed in 1992 and Waitara freezing works closed in 1997, rail use declined further.

      Mostly the left are stuck with nostalgia over rail because it used to employ tens of thousands of working class guys particularly Maori.

      With domestic coal use dying by policy direction, soon there will be very little use for the rail line to Westport, or the Nightcaps-Ohai line to Invercargill. Rail north of Whangarei is almost unused.

      Let it go.

      I'd venture that the Otago Rail Trail makes more money in cycling and tourism than the actual rail ever did.

      Rip up the regional tracks, shift away from bulk cheap exports, and do something smarter.

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 1.3.1
        4 June 2023 at 9:33 am

        Mostly the left are stuck with nostalgia over rail because it used to employ tens of thousands of working class guys particularly Maori.

        Fuck..just bullshit. Read my links. Or not

      • Ngungukai 1.3.2
        4 June 2023 at 9:50 am

        Hopefully they are going to sort out the rail from North Port to Auckland and we will get a fully functional rail and freight service running from Whangarei Port to Auckland.

        • Ad 1.3.2.1
          4 June 2023 at 9:57 am

          There is no rail line to NorthPort.

          There's no capital available for the Whangarei-NorthPort line, which is what would start to make rail Auckland to Northland viable.

          They've done the Designation but it's more than a decade away in reality.

      • weka 1.3.3
        4 June 2023 at 10:33 am

        Mostly the left are stuck with nostalgia over rail because it used to employ tens of thousands of working class guys particularly Maori.

        it's not nostalgia, it's climate consciousness. I would say any comment about rail that doesn't put it in the context of climate is nostalgia for a time when we could pretend that the economy was the most important thing and the environment was something over there for the greenies to worry about.

        • Ad 1.3.3.1
          4 June 2023 at 10:39 am

          When did rail ever do anything for climate change?

          Has any civil defence plan ever relied on rail? Nope.

          Is even commuter rail performing in Wellington or Auckland? Nope.

          Regional rail is the dumb economy. And regional rail is the dumb society.

          • weka 1.3.3.1.1
            4 June 2023 at 11:49 am

            maybe go do some reading on why climate actioners support rail, and how that might look in NZ?

            When did rail ever do anything for climate change?

            this is so inane, I'm not even explaining it.

            Has any civil defence plan ever relied on rail? Nope.

            What happens when a civil emergency takes out the roads?

            Is even commuter rail performing in Wellington or Auckland? Nope.

            Why not?

            Regional rail is the dumb economy. And regional rail is the dumb society.

            Neoliberalism for the win!

          • Scud 1.3.3.1.2
            4 June 2023 at 3:18 pm

            I believe after Bola & a couple of other times, but I'll to unpack a couple of boxes without the wife looking/ or knowing to confirm this.

            • Shanreagh 1.3.3.1.2.1
              4 June 2023 at 7:20 pm

              Are they the ones who have already told her you have got rid of? wink if so I can understand your caution.

          • Patricia Bremner 1.3.3.1.3
            4 June 2023 at 10:13 pm

            Ad, tell that to the Aussies who live in suburbs or satellite towns who Drive-Park then Ride on a train to their work.

      • bwaghorn 1.3.4
        4 June 2023 at 12:51 pm

        It's the bulk product s that are leaving the new Plymouth line due to it being cheaper to truck it,

        So we either have to subsidize rail ,more, or charge higher rd users on trucks! Both will have knock effects upstream and down.

        • Ad 1.3.4.1
          4 June 2023 at 2:30 pm

          We don't have to do either.

          We have let most of our regional rail die including the Catlins Line, Otago inland line, Canterbury inland lines, the Blackball line, the Greymouth line, the Nelson line, the Dargaville line, the Otira line, the Paeroa line, the Waihi line, the Thames line, the Rotorua line, and dozens more …

          … and guess what we are more efficient, more responsive, stronger and more adaptable as a country than we have ever been.

          Go right ahead and invest more to Tauranga, Auckland and Hamilton where the freight and most of the passengers are and will be.

          Stop wasting time and taxpayer money on regional rail.

          • bwaghorn 1.3.4.1.1
            4 June 2023 at 3:10 pm

            "Stop wasting time and taxpayer money on regional rail.

            What about in 30 years and nzs approaching 15 million people, the region s will soak alot ofvthat up, .

            Surely it's cheaper to maintain then now for future need than to let them go to ruin,

  2. Ad 2
    4 June 2023 at 10:36 am

    So what's it like inside the Green Party at the moment?

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/left-wing-green-party-members-lose-leader-nicole-geluk-le-gros/6HIOHIPL2VETHFR5THNQWCMOQ4/

    Maybe it's time to stop claiming there's nothing wrong as Incognito did two weeks ago.

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2023/06/04/standard-attack-dr-edwards-for-green-conspiracy-as-greens-quietly-purge-ultra-woke-conspirators/

    Outside the non-reality of the RoyMorgan poll, this is what a competitive non-mainstream party looks like, and it ain't the Green Party:

    https://www.act.org.nz/a_time_for_truth_offers_real_change

    • Bearded Git 2.1
      4 June 2023 at 11:41 am

      ACT are a worry, though much of their vote is Luxon generated.

      The Greens are concentrating on Climate Change, the Environment and Inequality at this election now the gender/woke obsessed fanatics* have been put in their place.

      These three issues will attract many votes, especially given Labour's shift to the centre under Hipkins.

      I'm predicting Greens 11% this election.

      *gender should be a cross-party issue

      • weka 2.1.1
        4 June 2023 at 12:07 pm

        I think the Greens are handling this relatively well. The shift towards environmental, climate and inequality issue and the quiet downplaying of the excesses of identity politics seems on point for the election campaign. I don't know how that is happening (thinking about Davidson's public facing work while KJK was here suggests she's still pretty out there), but am glad it is.

        • Bearded Git 2.1.1.1
          4 June 2023 at 12:23 pm

          Agreed Weka.

          I can see TMP getting at least 3% because its leaders seem adept at keeping a high profile.

    • weka 2.2
      4 June 2023 at 12:00 pm

      Coughlan appears to be saying that the Green Left Network removed Geluk-Le Gros because she supports an identity politics position that is too far even for the Greens and that it was causing problems for the party. Seems a good thing to replace her in that case, especially if the concern is what she would be doing in election year.

      I can't see the problem, it's not like NZ voters are going to be following that level of detail, and it's hardly clickbait that the MSM can run with. It seems like normal level repositioning that goes on in all political parties.

    • Visubversa 2.3
      4 June 2023 at 12:13 pm

      "Lived experience"? – as in "my lived experience – which is what I say and most of which I make up, outweighs your biological reality every time"?

      Yet another reason to avoid the Green Party!

      • weka 2.3.1
        4 June 2023 at 1:21 pm

        I'm not sure Coughlan represents the constitutional change accurately (am still trying to get my head around it), but here ist he list of initial Lived Experience Networks.

        • Inclusive Greens (disability);
        • Rainbow Greens;
        • Green Women;
        • Young Greens;
        • Rural Greens;
        • Pasifika Greens

        https://elections.nz/assets/party-files/Constitution-of-the-Green-Party-of-Aotearoa-New-Zealand-June-2022.pdf

        There is provision to add more.

        I'm not sure the LENs are inherently a problem, or if it's simply that GP culture now blocks sexed based rights discussion. I take the position that it's better to try and reclaim the GP rather than reject them out of hand (same with the rest of the left)

  3. joe90 3
    4 June 2023 at 10:41 am

    First Armenian leader to attend the inauguration of a Turkish leader.

    @revishvilig

    Preisdent of Azerbaijan Aliyev and Prime Minister of Armenia Pashinyan at the inauguration of the Turkish President Erdogan. Substantial changes taking place in the South Caucasus

    https://twitter.com/revishvilig/status/1665091282404777990

  4. joe90 4
    4 June 2023 at 1:11 pm

    Lotsa shenanigans in the Russian border region. A town of 40,000 is being bombed by separatists, people have been evacuated and there are reports of widespread looting by locals and Russian forces. And it was supposed to be a wee imperialist venture where only Ukrainians would die, only Ukrainian children would be terrorised, and only Ukrainians would have their homes and communities destroyed.

    Shame, really.

    /

    https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230603-frightening-thousands-of-russians-flee-shelling-to-belgorod

    • mikesh 4.1
      4 June 2023 at 2:15 pm

      According to an article the Weekend Herald the attack was carried out by Russian dissidents.

  5. Stephen D 5
    4 June 2023 at 4:05 pm

    ACT wants the Education portfolio.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/132220276/act-is-on-the-brink-of-holding-some-power-what-does-that-mean

    ”What does it want?

    It’s testament to ACT’s confidence that Seymour sees one of his caucus as education minister. This is potentially a fish hook for Luxon who also sees the portfolio as a priority.

    ACT wants enormous reform – and that goes far beyond the return and expansion of charter schools (which Luxon has already committed to).

    School funding would depend on digital quarterly reporting, especially of attendance (importantly, income wouldn’t be dependent on the results, but the frequency of reporting.)

    This does seem rather bureaucratic for an anti-bureaucracy party – but underlines the importance they attach to chronic truancy.”

    Wow, interesting times head. And not in a good way.

    It’s about time the media started investigating ACT policy.

    • Peter 5.1
      4 June 2023 at 5:53 pm

      Previously Act's big education thing (bedsides charter schools) was 'voucher' education.

      I haven't seen any mention about that or that their other great driver, parental choice, will mean school zoning is done away with.

      Principle seems to go down the tubes with Seymour when electoral reality kicks in. You want parental choice? Yes. If that affects the values of your constituents' houses? No.

  6. joe90 6
    4 June 2023 at 8:07 pm

    What could have been.

    4/6/1989

  7. SPC 7
    4 June 2023 at 11:53 pm
    • Take New Zealand from five tax rates on income down to two. It reduces the incentive for tax avoidance and sends a message that if you work hard and do well, you get to keep more of your own money
    • Reduce the number of public servants and remove whole departments that add no value for the public
    • Invest in safer communities by increasing the number of prison beds so dangerous criminals can be kept off the streets
    • Provide the ability to lock up serious youth offenders with the construction of 200 new youth justice beds under the management of the Department of Corrections
    • Increase capitation rates for GP practices, ensuring New Zealanders can get an appointment with their GP when they need one
    • Pay good teachers more and pay the best teachers a lot more with the Teaching Excellence Reward Fund
    • Protect New Zealand and its allies by increasing defence spending to match Australia’s at 2% of GDP
    • Share over a billion dollars a year with councils for infrastructure through GST-sharing, but only if they say ‘yes’ to building more homes.

    https://www.act.org.nz/time-for-truth

    The tax is 17.5 cents to $70,000 and 28 cents over that level.

    More spending, and huge reductions in tax revenue. It would result in an immediate downgrade in our credit rating.

    Of course the policy is not serious, because they are not proposing it as policy to be applied by any government. One wonders it they will even have it costed by any reputable body.

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    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

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