Open mike 04/10/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 4th, 2022 - 60 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 …

60 comments on “Open mike 04/10/2022 ”

  1. gsays 1

    A distrust of media has been part of the zeitgeist for a wee while now.

    I took the time to read this:

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130054463/potholes-are-increasing-on-the-roads-the-experts-explain-why

    It turns out the experts were Waka Kotahi national manager maintenance and operations Neil Walker, Waka Kotahi Bay of Plenty system manager Roger Brady and National Road Carriers chief operating officer James Smith.

    The first two 'experts' blamed the rain (I am reminded of the closed railways in the UK in the mid '90s that had 'the wrong kind of snow') and the trucking interests spokesman blamed poor build quality.

    The rain blamers mentioned the water freezing beneath the road surface. I know it is spring, but it ain't been that cold lately.

    Where is the analysis of axle weights and the relative damage? Those Fonterra trucks, fuel tankers, Pak 'n' Save trucks and logging trucks have got nothing to do with it.

    Are we to blame the increase of e-bikes for the damage of our roads?

    It all reeked of a puff-piece after too many motorists were effected by potholes.

    A bit of a shotgun blast first thing, aiming at trucking, lazy (or bought) media and the inevitable result of neo-liberal approach to road maintenance.

    • tc 1.1

      Axle weights that were increased a few times under our previous govt.

      Their impact on shoulders which appear to disappear, bridges etc .

      They left the maintenance budget alone when a significant lift was required to match their roads of national significance program.

      And here we are.

    • Jimmy 1.2

      Road to Zero ……….maintenance.

    • Bearded Git 1.3

      Trucks do hudreds of times more damage to roads than the average family saloon.

      https://www.insidescience.org/news/how-much-damage-do-heavy-trucks-do-our-roads

      https://streets.mn/2016/07/07/chart-of-the-day-vehicle-weight-vs-road-damage-levels/

      https://www.denenapoints.com/relationship-vehicle-weight-road-damage/

      "When an 80,000-pound 18-wheeler full of cargo is compared to a 4,000-pound passenger car, the truck is 20 times heavier than the car. But taking the 4th power of the relative loads, the semi would cause 160,000 times more road damage than the car.”

    • aj 1.4

      In NZ it has nothing to do with freezing in most places. And nothing to do with e-bikes.

      Any weakness in a road surface will allow water into the basecourse. This softens the ground and allows a shallow hollow to form which holds more water when roads are wet.

      Wheels hitting a cm of water force it down into the tarmac and basecourse, causing further damage. The pool deepens then the road surface breaks up. A hole, holding more water. The heavier the vehicle the more force is exerted by water. Heavy vehicles don't help, but the main problem is traffic volume and the persistence of wet weather. An otherwise good looking road can turn to custard quick quickly if the seal is old.

      Chip seal roads have a life span, as the chip seal mix becomes brittle over time. I think it's less than 10-15years. So roads need resealing to protect the sub-surface from getting wet. Apparently there is a lot of deferred maintenance in the last 10-15yrs 'to save money' and thousands of km of roads are becoming brittle, and the weather has been very wet.

      • joe90 1.4.1

        The depths of low load bearing capacity and moisture sensitive soils make it uneconomical to excavate bases and replace them with more suitable road foundation materials and use superior pavement layers.

        So we're stuck with having to fill and re-contour road bases and continually relay flexible pavement layers.

  2. Sanctuary 2

    Where is Mark Lambert?

    AT have known about the rail shutdown for seven months, but they only deigned to tell elected representatives one week out from local body election. The CEO of Auckland Transport, who earns around $600,000 a year, can't be bothered to front the media or indeed inform his notional superiors of what his organisation is up to.

    This is a massive "fuck you" to the commuters of Auckland and a display of incompetent arrogance from AT. How are you supposed to use the much touted train and bus PT link to the airport from Puhinui If the the train line is kaput for months?

    If you were suspiciously minded then on top of the white antting of light rail this is sufficient evidend to raise questions as to whether or not this amounts to deliberately sabotage of the train network just as the CRL is completed.

    The board of AT needs to be sacked.

    • Sabine 2.1

      Couple that with the return of the fuel excise tax.

      Hey, maybe the commuters should buy an E-vehicle, those who can't afford should spend 2 grands on an E-bike and cycle on the awesome cycle ways in Auckland.

      And for those who can't afford the vehicle or bike, walk.

      https://www.driven.co.nz/news/government-confirms-fuel-excise-tax-will-be-reintroduced-in-january/

    • And this is why Aucklanders are cynical about the point of voting for local representatives. We know that the vast majority of the stuff which affects us on a daily or weekly basis is decided by bureaucrats, or even worse, bureaucrats in COOs – which are deliberately designed to keep politicians at arms length. Elected representatives have little influence on decision-making and less control.

      AT have form. We have documented instances where they have flat-out lied – both by implication (plans presented which don't reflect the actual design or built reality); and explicitly (time-frame for a wharf rebuild, which was completely untrue) – to local community boards over issues specifically affecting their community.

      'Consultation' is a sham box-ticking exercise. Another reason that people are reluctant to waste their time engaging with them. They quite simply do not listen to any view which doesn't align with what they've already decided to do.

      And they (or their contractors) regularly waste vast amounts of time and money – both at the trivial level (road cones set out and taken up 10 times, before a small project actually begins) and at the seriously expensive level: roads dug up and re-surfaced multiple times because of poor quality; moving to chip seal (because it's cheaper), without understanding that you have to replace it more frequently, it causes damage to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, potholes more frequently, and washes into stormwater drains; roundabouts replaced 3 times because the design was poor, or they didn't liaise with other major utilities, etc.

      AT care about neither politicians nor democracy. They like the current situation just fine.

  3. Adrian Thornton 3

    No free speech allowed in Labour UK..no surprise about that I guess…

    Labour conference delegate suspended after opposing arming Ukraine

    "A LABOUR conference delegate who spoke against uncritical support for the Ukrainian government on Tuesday has been suspended.

    Angelo Sanchez of Leicester South CLP was the only speaker to oppose Composite 13 at conference, which backed sending more weaponry to the authorities in Kiev as it battles the Russian invasion.

    Pointing out that the Ukrainian government has ripped up collective bargaining rights and banned opposition parties, Mr Sanchez had told conference: “It means that the future Labour government would be sending money to a government, the Ukrainian government, that is repressing the left in their own country, a government that is criminalising socialist parties and imprisoning Ukrainian activists."

    https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/labour-conference-delegate-suspended-after-opposing-arming-ukraine

    • Barfly 3.1

      Well Churchill jailed this bloke and banned his party

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

      So I figure Zelenskyy is in good company when banning pro Putin/Russia parties.

      • Adrian Thornton 3.1.1

        I assume you mean this Churchill…not sure if I like the sort of company you are keeping there pal…

        Churchill urged US to ‘wipe out’ Moscow with A-bomb
        "
        former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill privately became an advocate for an Anglo-American first strike atom bomb attack against the Soviet Union, as once secret FBI records indicate. Churchill’s 1946 speech at Fulton, Missouri, warning against his former Communist ally during World War II, set the stage for a new conflict known as the Cold War, which lasted for decades and still haunts international relations today."

        The British planned to start World War III by invading Russia with the German army

        But then again, the Liberal class seem to have morphed seamlessly into a scary new class of imperialist war hawks…so maybe Churchill is exactly the right sort of company for you?

        • Barfly 3.1.1.1

          Whilst not a fan of war – I think that East Germany, Poland. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria probably wouldn't have minded not having the Bolshevik's foot on their throat for nearly 50 years

      • Bearded Git 3.1.2

        That is a dumb argument Barfly. Churchill was far from an angel.

        Zelensky has banned a party (For Life) that had popular support in Ukraine and might potentially have unseated him in an election.

        "Led by oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, the party controlled 44 out of 450 seats in Ukraine’s parliament, surpassed only by the ruling Servant of the People party of President Volodymyr Zelensky. Prior to Russia’s invasion in February, several opinion polls showed the Russia-aligned party leading hypothetical parliamentary elections or finishing second."

        ” [The] For Life party publicly denounced Russia’s invasion of the country and called for negotiations to quickly end the war.”

        https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/06/23/hxae-j23.html

        • Belladonna 3.1.2.1

          However, I believe the point was not what is happening in Ukraine (where democracy, I agree, is shaky at best); but, rather, what is happening in the UK.

          Do you agree that a Labour conference delegate should be suspended for disagreeing with full support for Ukraine?

          I don't agree with him. However, I firmly support his right to be heard. And, if his point of view is unpopular with the majority of delegates (as it probably is), then he will be voted down.

          That is democracy. Suspending someone because you disagree with them, is not.

          Mr Sanchez was suspended yesterday, the Morning Star understands – despite Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer claiming in his own conference speech to stand for tolerance of differing opinions within the party.

          [Quote from initial link]

          • AB 3.1.2.1.1

            Yes totally. Suspending the guy just shows how gun-shy Starmer's Labour is. They saw how the antisemitism smear was weaponised – indeed they encouraged it in order to remove the former leader. So they are well aware that a 'pro-Russia' smear could be up Rupert's sleeve too.

          • Bearded Git 3.1.2.1.2

            I agree with you totally on this BD. I also agree with AB's post above.

            I can't stand Starmer-his behaviour towards Corbyn-basically accepting that Corbyn is an anti Semite which is bollocks, and his acceptance of the Israeli definition of anti-semitism, which involves not criticising Israel, is reprehensible. (Well done Aljazeera-shame on The Guardian)

            As for singing the National Anthem at the Labour Party conference and going against the conference's support for PR (FFS)-he is a dinosaur.

            In fact he is the new Blair.

            • Binders full of Women 3.1.2.1.2.1

              Is 'being the new Blair' a bad thing? it's been 45 years since Britain elected a Labour PM not called Blair…

              • Bearded Git

                Blair supported the Iraq war despite millions in the streets protesting against it….he was in bed with Rupert Murdoch…he began the privatisation of the NHS…..the list is endless

        • Barfly 3.1.2.2

          ” [The] For Life party publicly denounced Russia’s invasion of the country and called for negotiations to quickly end the war.”

          Negotiate ? What are you thinking? Negotiating with Putin is lunacy it is simply how much of your country do you had over to a lunatic dictator that has invaded you.

  4. joe90 4

    Interviews with Russians fleeing to Kazakhstan.

    (settings/subtitles/autotranslate/english)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIt2_s3XA_0&feature=youtu.be

  5. Bill Drees 5

    Britain is Colonising Itself. I post this piece on Truss & the Tories in full as it is behind a paywall.

    Una Mullally: It has been clear for some time that Britain is colonising itself

    [deleted]

    • Adrian Thornton 5.1

      Thanks for that, though it is a shame that the author fails to point to the complete and conscious dismemberment (led by all UK media..non more so than 'Liberal press led by The Guardian) of any serious Left Wing opposition that could be a foil to the 'self-colonisation process'…it seems that the Liberal class would rather have any type of awful outcome…subject even their own children/granchildren to a future of total dispair, than see a real Left Wing Socialist project get a chance to see what it could do…and this is the same in the USA, Australia and NZ.

    • weka 5.2
      1. you can't copy and paste long pieces like that (it's too much scrolling for people that don't want to read it, think about people on phones). Use selected quotes (clearly marked as quotes) alongside your own views instead.

      2. you also can't post whole pieces, that's a copyright breach.

      3. doesn't matter if it's behind a paywall, you still have to link.

      I've deleted the long piece with no link. You are welcome to post again with the link and making it shorter. thanks.

  6. For those of us who have tried to support the Canary but have felt a little underwhelmed…https://www.thecanary.co/feature/2022/10/03/for-the-first-time-ever-the-canary-is-under-workers-control/?fbclid=IwAR1feQjSKfVwSpfDvQtZV6-jFuqhHXrmFGuf0vyiCAH-g6Cmwwv6GEbW6B

    So, we shall see how this pans out ..I wish them well.

  7. Grrr.
    So, trying to do my best for the environment – but being frustrated….

    I have a trip to make from Auckland to Hamilton (family reasons) this Saturday.

    Rather than take my car – I'd thought to use the new Te Huia train link.

    Only to be foiled. There is no morning service Ak to Ham on Saturdays – only an evening one; and no Sunday service at all (so I couldn't even stay overnight and come back the next day)

    https://www.tehuiatrain.co.nz/timetables/#ss

    This is in addition to the inconvenience of being stranded at Frankton (with apparently no bus services)

    https://www.tehuiatrain.co.nz/stations/frankton/

    Given that the usage figures show greater numbers on Saturdays (rather than weekdays) – indicating that the market is not commuters, but rather day trippers – the failure to provide full weekend services seems…. counterintuitive.

    The report found commuter (during the week) trips averaged 30 passengers per journey for a 20 per cent load factor. Weekend trips averaged 146 passengers per journey for a 74 per cent load factor.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/report-on-100m-new-te-huia-rail-passenger-service-casts-doubts-on-viability/UNE42SE5Q4E5462TYSV5FKREZY/

    Guess I'll be driving…..

    • Alan 8.1

      That great idea is an abject failure, it is costing tax payers millions, it should be shut down today.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 8.2

      "lest our readers think that all we ever do is complain about what’s wrong."

      If you'd tried to book earlier you might have scored a seat on the Northern Explorer for your Saturday trip to Hamilton, and travelled back to Auckland on the Sunday service.

      Travel by rail is the way of the future, but it's not for everyone. If you're interested in using more environmentally-friendly public transport for your trip, then consider the Intercity bus service – it's currently faster and cheaper, and (most importantly) there are still seats available!

      Here, have some hardcore fantasising [14 Sept 2022]

      Submissions are open until 6 October 2022 (hmm, seems to have been extended to 21 October?), for the Parliamentary Inquiry into the future of inter-regional passenger rail in New Zealand.

      Here’s the official page for making submissions.

      Here’s the submission guide by Save Our Trains.

      Hope the Te Huia service makes a go of it during the remaining 3.5 years of its trial.

      • Belladonna 8.2.1

        Chances of me travelling on an intercity bus – cheek-by-jowl with a whole lot of potential Covid spreaders are pretty close to zero.

        That's not a comment on the class of bus patrons, but rather the super-spreader environment.

        Aucklanders are pretty reluctant to take even local bus journeys – bus patronage (despite the half-price fares) is still way down on pre-Covid.

        Trains (or at least the images of the Te Huia carriages) have more passenger space.

        I did see the train fantasising link, when I was looking at Te Huia services – and have used overnight trains in Europe and America (love the sleepers). I'd even consider a sleeper service to Wellington (though probably not for business – it just takes too long). I hope that I wouldn't need one to Hamilton!

        If the Waikato Council want to 'make a go of it' then they should consider re-jigging the timetable – to provide daily services in each direction on the weekend (morning and evening). That (according to the survey) seems to be where the demand is.

        • Drowsy M. Kram 8.2.1.1

          Chances of me travelling on an intercity bus – cheek-by-jowl with a whole lot of potential Covid spreaders are pretty close to zero.

          I don't travel much by bus either (no need – pity the many with no choice). On those rare occasions, I'm typically "cheek-by-jowl" with one other passenger at most. Perceptions of public transport do vary, I'll grant you that.

          Aucklanders are pretty reluctant to take even local bus journeys – bus patronage (despite the half-price fares) is still way down on pre-Covid.

          Pretty unsurprising, although buses patronage is increasing again (also not surprising), with a little over 4.5 million passengers in Auckland in August 2022, an encouraging increase on 2021 (~3 million) and 2020 (~2.5 million). For comparison, from 2009 – 2016 Auckland bus passenger numbers in the month of August increased from 4.4 to 5.8 million, and in 2017 – 2019 from 6.3 to 7 million.

          https://at.govt.nz/about-us/reports-publications/at-metro-patronage-report/

          Modeling the Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Public Transport [February 2022]
          It is shown that the risk is reduced most efficiently if loud speaking is avoided and a FFP2 (N95) mask is worn correctly. Only these two measures create a reduction of the virus load of over 99% for both those in the close range of the infected person and those farther away.

          Only a simulation – have no idea of the extent to which the “super-spreader environment” of buses might still be contributing to the transmission of COVID-19 in NZ, but wearing a mask will help.

          Of course Kiwis who can afford them love their cars.

          • Belladonna 8.2.1.1.1

            Yeah. Amazing how public transport users (including some Standardistas) aren't convinced….

            Perception is Reality.

            NB: I’m not choosing to fly either – for the same perceived risk reasons.

            I’ve had a quick look at your model link – and I can’t find whether the mask-wearing and/or loud speaking are for the infected person, or the rest of the passengers, or both. It seems logical that the greatest protective effect would be for the infected person to both wear a high-quality mask, and not talk.

            While I can control my own behaviour – observationally, the numbers of other people wearing masks in any public environment have dropped drastically, and continue to trend downwards.

            • Drowsy M. Kram 8.2.1.1.1.1

              I'll continue to wear a KN95 mask in public indoor spaces (when I remember!) until the number of new COVID-19 cases in NZ drops below 5000 per week – my arbitrary cut-off. And if the numbers go up, then the mask's going back on.

              Perception is Reality” is an odd belief. We know that’s nonsense – it’s not like there are 8 billion realities all jockeying for position.

              Perception Is Not Reality
              Just because you think something is reality doesn’t make it reality.
              https://www.psychologytoday.com/nz/blog/the-power-prime/201908/perception-is-not-reality

              • As an avid SF reader, I'm perfectly willing to believe that there are 8 billion realities jockeying for position. The multiverse rules (or as, the late, great Terry Pratchett put it, the Trousers of Time)

                https://wiki.lspace.org/Trousers_of_Time

                The point is that popular perception influences perceived reality. Indeed, it's the reason PR exists – to shape popular perception and thus guide it to the reality of their choice.

                Does perception change actual physical reality? No, of course not: if you think that there's a bridge, when there isn't one, you will still fall off the cliff. Gravity is not deceived.

                Does perception change behaviour? You bet. If people think that politician A is corrupt, it doesn't matter very much whether they are, or aren't – the end result is the same – people's voting choices are informed by that perception.

                And, perception is a very tricky thing to shift. Facts rarely do it (a mistake make by earnest policy wonks throughout history). The narrative has to change.

                • Drowsy M. Kram

                  I'm perfectly willing to believe that there are 8 billion realities jockeying for position.

                  I'm willing to believe that there are (a minimum of) 8 billion human perceptions of reality jockeying for position, some with good reason.

                  The chair of the board of DuPont was quoted as saying that ozone depletion theory is "a science fiction tale…a load of rubbish…utter nonsense".
                  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Protocol#History

                  The insulating comforts of modernity might lead a few to become so enamoured of their perceptions that they lose touch with reality more often than is good for anyone – a manifestation of exceptionalism.

                  Imagination is wonderful, and reality always brings us down to Earth, which is wonderful also, in its reliability and in other ways.

                  The point is that popular perception influences perceived reality.

                  A truism; perception (popular and otherwise) does indeed influence what is perceived. When I block my ears, (nah nah) I can't hear you. When I close my eyes, I perceive that it gets dark, but that doesn't change day into night. A lovely example of the unequal 'struggle' between human (mis)perception and reality is the idea that ‘daylight saving’ exacerbates curtain fade.

                  Fighting fading curtains in the Sunshine State [2017]
                  The late premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen insisted the “extra” hour’s daylight faded curtains while in an appeal to dairy farmers claimed their cows needed to be milked an hour earlier for the milk to be collected on time.

                  Perception is Reality. [@4:43 pm]

                  Does perception change actual physical reality? No, of course not.
                  [@5:51 pm]

                  One of these statements is not like the other wink
                  If your contention is that perceived reality ("Perception is Reality") has its limitations, one being that it is not always in harmony with"actual physical reality", then I heartily agree. There are many aspects of reality that are puzzling, and many more still that humanity is utterly unaware of (the unknown unknowns) – still, we continue to discover, while we can.

                  Re SF, I'm a fan too – imagine the computing power required to maintain 8 billion perceptions of reality, 24/7 – imagine

                  • Re SF, I'm a fan too – imagine the computing power required to maintain 8 billion perceptions of reality, 24/7 – imagine

                    That's what all the dark matter is for

                    https://home.cern/science/physics/dark-matter

                    [Tongue in cheek – of course]

                    Do you also want to discuss the point I was making over perception is reality ?

                    "Does perception change behaviour? You bet. If people think that politician A is corrupt, it doesn't matter very much whether they are, or aren't – the end result is the same – people's voting choices are informed by that perception.

                    And, perception is a very tricky thing to shift. Facts rarely do it (a mistake make by earnest policy wonks throughout history). The narrative has to change."

                    Or shall we call it a night – neither of us having convinced the other.

                    • Drowsy M. Kram

                      Or shall we call it a night – neither of us having convinced the other.

                      We're probably writing at cross purposes – I mistakenly took your statement @8.2.1.1.1 ("Perception is Reality") at (unadorned) face value, and it seemed contrary to my understanding that 'Reality' is composed of that which is 'real', and exists largely if not wholly independent of perception (yes, there are wheels within wheels, but the bedrock is Reality). Whereas (human) 'Perception' (and/or misperception) is largely if not wholly dependent on reality for input. What is real and what is perceived may be more or less the same, of course, but then again they may not (be.)

                      For example, we could agree that your perception matches the reality that there is no Auckland-to-Hamilton Te Huia train service on Saturday mornings (your original "Grrr" @8). And hopefully we could also agree that it is possible (provided you book early enough) to travel from Auckland to Hamilton by train on Saturday mornings, and to do the return trip on Sunday ("so I couldn't even stay overnight and come back the next day" @8). But who expects they might need to plan travel arrangements more than a few days ahead of time now.

                      It's not that I disagree with your answer to your own question ("Does perception change behaviour?"), it's just that I failed to perceive that question in your "Perception is Reality." statement.

                      We only perceive a small fraction of reality, and much of that indirectly, so we owe it to ourselves to interpret what we peceive as objectively as possible – not that I could often be accused of that.
                      smiley

    • AB 8.3

      That's the pain, expense and mess of retrofitting something that should have been designed-in 70 years ago after WW2. It sucks – and because it sucks, the sort of jerks who would have opposed it as a socialist/collectivist plot if they'd been alive 70 years ago, take it as confirmation that it was always a bad idea and we shouldn't be retrofitting now because it's a socialist/collectivist plot. (God help us).

  8. weston 9

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0H7PIJcEP0

    I watched the PM being ridiculed on the Jimmy Dore show recently she was giving a speech somewhere promoting her vision of internet censorship as a means to countering misinformation .

    Is there a liking of the idea of a ' ministry of truth ' anywhere ?

    If Ardern mentioned misinformation in MSM from time to time or even once ! she might have some credibility but otherwise just comes across as woefully ignorant especially on the Ukraine conflict along with her foreign affairs minister who seems as aware of all the nuances as your average plank of wood .

    In a world where boomeranging sanctions are crippling economies and bringing down governments all our own leaders can come up with is more of them !!

    Where once JA was widely perceived as a savior she is increasing being seen as a tyrant imo .

    • AB 9.1

      Where once JA was widely perceived as a savior she is increasing being seen as a tyrant imo .

      Interesting how that last sentence in your post sort of confirms what's in the first sentence – the one that mentions misinformation. A perfect, if unintended, circle.

  9. Bill Drees 10

    It has been clear for some time that Britain is colonising itself

    Last week’s market freakout was merely what happens when a Tory government’s chaosonomics meets reality.

    Una Mullally, Irish Times, gives an additional context to the stunts of the latest version of English Tory.

    Just because dragging a country into the gutter may not be a goal of this radical Tory era in Britain, doesn’t mean it won’t be an outcome.

    Apathy pre-emptively dismantles the tools of resistance. If this trajectory continues, social unrest in Britain is inevitable.

    https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2022/10/31/una-mullally-it-has-been-clear-for-some-time-that-britain-is-colonising-itself/

  10. Chris 11

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/130067875/homosexual-acts-are-illegal-in-solomon-islands-new-zealand-hosted-the-countrys-foreign-minister-in-parliaments-rainbow-room

    Right-wing media merchant Manch decides this is worth writing about. Solomon Island politicians didn't seem to think so. Manch is such an idiot.

  11. Gosman 12

    https://twitter.com/harrypeterson_/status/1577121779096555522

    Looks like we have the first poll for a while where there is more than daylight between the two major political blocs.

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    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    7 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    9 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    21 hours ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Funding hole for tax cuts growing by the day
    The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s brave climate change promise
    The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles  and that ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
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    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
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    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
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    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
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    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
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    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
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    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
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    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
    This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti.  Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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