Open mike 05/08/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 5th, 2023 - 75 comments
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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 …

75 comments on “Open mike 05/08/2023 ”

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  1. bwaghorn 1
    5 August 2023 at 6:59 am

    "George1.3.2

    4 August 2023 at 6:08 pm

    Remember that Luxon is still polling lower than Judith Collins was …so no matter what the Nats are saying about coalitions it's a long long way from any of those 2 parties being a done deal yet.

    For those lefties who have retired early,George points the way.

    People don't like luxon, they will be unconsciously looking for a reason to not vote national, look at acts rise and possible votes going to minor parties.

    Just need labour to stand up, stop fucking up and give them a flag to follow.

  2. PsyclingLeft.Always 2
    5 August 2023 at 9:08 am

    A top Gisborne scientist has retained the support of the council he represents despite posting vitriol about the government.

    Well, what has he been saying? He's not a fan of "woke" ?

    Maybe a bit darker than that..

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/495189/gisborne-council-s-main-scientist-posts-anti-government-views-on-social-media

    An opinion is subjective…and everyones right. Dr Murry however seems quite engaged about his views. And also "had been" displaying his senior position. And the Gisborne Council seemingly supportive. Well..of Dr Murry anyway….

    • SPC 2.1
      5 August 2023 at 9:51 am

      One always wonders why people oppose the existence of a Tenancy Tribunal – presumably it's because they support those who own stuff having power over those who do not …

      The same as, why would someone oppose the continuance of the Human Rights Commission, or want to re-write the Treaty?

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 2.1.1
        5 August 2023 at 10:11 am

        Yep, it pretty much exposes their core mindset..if not ideology.

        Seemingly some are either arrogant enough, or literally dont care, to voice these views…through media. At times using their position of "authority" or similar, to give weight to their, at times, poisonous views. Having had interaction with different Councils…and Departments IMO, its well spread through NZ

        Climate Denial would be another, that I personally know to be given credence…

      • alwyn 2.1.2
        5 August 2023 at 12:35 pm

        " want to re-write the Treaty?"

        That seems fairly obvious. It is the main occupation of the members of the Maori caucus in the Labour Party and of the Maori Party in Parliament surely? It also keeps members of the Waitangi Tribunal employed indefinitely doesn't it?

        It certainly seems to be the main reason to me anyway.

        • SPC 2.1.2.1
          5 August 2023 at 12:42 pm

          Neither party proposes re-writing the Treaty, the party that does also proposes abolishing the Human Rights Council and the Waitangi Tribunal.

          It will be interesting to see how Luxon answers questions about, whether any of these things would occur if he was PM …

    • Matiri 2.2
      5 August 2023 at 10:08 am

      Murry Cave used to work as a consultant and provided expert advice for the likes of Talleys trying to push through Hydro schemes.

  3. pat 3
    5 August 2023 at 9:43 am

    "I am not arguing that we should have another Planning Council or Commission for the Future which Muldoon’s government established in the 1970s. Neither was particularly successful, in part because governments have a propensity to stack boards with the politically correct and politicians’ pets rather than the competent and thoughtful. Instead, we need a change in the nation’s culture to move away from thinking fast to thinking slow. I doubt you will see any such move in the run up to the election. It will be more like Friday night’s drinkies."

    https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/thinking-slow-or-thinking-fast

    Brian Easton musing sensibly again….we could do with a cabinet of his type.

    • Ad 3.1
      5 August 2023 at 9:53 am

      National is proposing a National Infrastructure Agency which will be looking at least 20 years into the future with its programmes.

      Presumably it will absorb the work of the Infrastructure Commission and the long term planning functions of NZTA and Transpower, and take the other long term planning functions out of MBIE.

      This is of course something Labour could have started in 2017.

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300899281/national-campaigns-for-new-infrastructure-agency-and-value-capture-taxes

      • AB 3.1.1
        5 August 2023 at 10:10 am

        On the surface it looks like a grandiose front – with the real purpose being to place future infrastructure in private hands or to siphon public money into private hands through development 'partnerships'. And it is likely to operate in a way that prioritises the wrong infrastructure, i.e. things that are not informed by realism about what's happening to the climate. Ultimately, structures are tools of the ideology that animates them.

        • Ad 3.1.1.1
          5 August 2023 at 11:40 am

          You are expecting something different if Labour did it?

          I can reveal what this utopia looks like:

      • SPC 3.1.2
        5 August 2023 at 10:11 am

        Centralising the management of the expansion of the opportunity for private sector profit delivering what the government will ultimately pay for.

        • Ad 3.1.2.1
          5 August 2023 at 11:49 am

          Sure, agree: realistically the state and its income base are no longer big enough to deliver what we need in infrastructure, so we are going to need private capital for it.

          • SPC 3.1.2.1.1
            5 August 2023 at 11:54 am

            The thing is, if the state income base cannot finance via debt the infrastructure investment, how is it going to pay corporations a return for their investment?

            • Ad 3.1.2.1.1.1
              5 August 2023 at 1:22 pm

              Depends on the model.

              For a PPP, it's a set rate of return for the length of the maintenance contract, sometimes supplemented by a cut of the toll if there is one.

              For an Alliance contract, all participants public or private distribute the gains or losses.

      • Patricia Bremner 3.1.3
        5 August 2023 at 11:22 am

        Ad, perhaps your views are not left anymore?

        When has "Think Big" been more than "Top End"?

        Why aren't you extolling the things that are being achieved right now? (Megan Woods' successes)

        Instead you are extolling Nact's "future" plans" which could end up like Bridges' Bridges.. non existent. Before any pie in the sky…

        a They have to win.
        b They have to form a coalition. (and work together to agree to that lol)

        They don't need promotion on this site, they have millions from their top end friends to do that.

        • SPC 3.1.3.1
          5 August 2023 at 11:44 am

          Centralisation

          1. Maximising the use of scarce resources – people

          2. Coherency – transport and plans for a resilient economy (roading , coastal shipping when roads are out etc).

          3. In whose interest – profit for corporate investors or funding for national infrastructure?

        • Ad 3.1.3.2
          5 August 2023 at 11:47 am

          This government has had ample time to sell its successes.

          It has also had ample time to convince us that it has a coherent direction to lead us in.

          Brian Easton might want to take stock of the numerous multi-Term projects that have been completed and will shortly complete:

          – Waikato expressway

          – Puhoi-Wellsford epressway

          – Transmission Gully

          – National Convention Centre

          – City Rail Link

          – Panmure-Botany Busway

          – The big Christchurch bypass motorway routes and bridge interchanges

          Debate their merits sure, but Labour+Greens started none of them.

          • SPC 3.1.3.2.1
            5 August 2023 at 12:03 pm

            Some such as City Rail Link are Auckland Transport plans in origin, before 2008.

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

            It’s the nature of multi-year planning and building projects for them to be completed by a later government. More so, when National wanted its building of more roads to get it re-elected in 2017.

            • Ad 3.1.3.2.1.1
              5 August 2023 at 1:19 pm

              Only National signed to fund them. CRL was October 2016 with Bridges and Len Brown.

        • Jilly Bee 3.1.3.3
          5 August 2023 at 12:03 pm

          Couldn't have said it clearer and better myself. Onya Patricia, I find Ad's wee rants absolutely tiresome and a general pain in the butt. Perhaps he should take up residence at The Daily Blog (which I gave up on a few years ago), or even Kiwiblog.

          • Patricia Bremner 3.1.3.3.1
            5 August 2023 at 12:49 pm

            yes Hi Jilly Bee, I left Daily Blog for the same reasons. Yes it is counter productive of Ad at this stage.sad

          • bwaghorn 3.1.3.3.2
            5 August 2023 at 5:20 pm

            Sometimes stirring the pot turns up a tasty morsel!!

            • Patricia Bremner 3.1.3.3.2.1
              5 August 2023 at 6:55 pm

              True, but the ingredients. Woodhouse Kruriger Brownlee and Uffy and all, plus Seymore and his policies, the stew is getting pretty bitter. wink

  4. Mac1 4
    5 August 2023 at 9:55 am

    Why is Luxon polling so low, personally? There is a photo in today's The Press that has Uffindell hovering in the background.

    Luxon stated in defence of his bullying MP van de Molen, now before the Privileges committee, that he has never seen van de Molen angry or raising his voice.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/08/national-leader-christopher-luxon-says-he-s-never-seen-under-fire-mp-tim-van-de-molen-be-aggressive.html

    Who would be aggressive in Luxon's presence when Uffindell is standing in the background?

    Who bullies a bigger bully?

    Who trusts a leader who defends bullies, who is backed by bullies, and is one?

    https://www.facebook.com/FactCheckedNZ/photos/a.333540594935020/484666246489120/?paipv=0&eav=AfYlDDBkcd5iQk2IPPM3np8gfUh8uXT69jhW6cGcvXGrqLYgRcM5h_TgxxtOc3fTaTU&_rdr

    • AB 4.1
      5 August 2023 at 10:22 am

      "Why is Luxon polling so low, personally"

      We don't know and can only guess. Like all public opinion it will be vague, shifting incoherent, self-contradictory and mostly baffling to an observer, There are some obvious things that might explain it though I'm not convinced they do: he is not handsome or clever, he is verbally talentless and emotionally dead, he has no wit or charm, his spirit is not large or generous but confined to the narrow rails of corporate orthodoxy, he is not very human. But then, most (but not all) of these things were true of John Key, and he was somehow very popular. So go figure!

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 4.1.1
        5 August 2023 at 10:39 am

        sir Key…albeit being a Hollow man, was "mostly" pretty good at situationally "faking it" . His Merill Lynch days were a training ground

        Some co-workers called him "the smiling assassin" for maintaining his usual cheerfulness while sacking dozens (some say hundreds) of staff

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

        Of course sometimes he misjudged…even badly, Tranz rail shares, Rugby threeway handshake , , Waitress pony tail fondling etc;….

        And i absolutely agree : Go Figure !

        Luxon, while apparently a protege, and seemingly favoured by sir Key…doesnt have the Key faking skills . or the Teflon.

        Hope this is exposed more.

      • bwaghorn 4.1.2
        5 August 2023 at 5:23 pm

        His fakeness shines through, sweaty grasping we shite, only his 2ic willis is more fake,

    • ianmac 4.2
      5 August 2023 at 12:30 pm

      Luxon. Hard to know if it is simply bias but the "aura" that he gives off to me is lack of authenticity. Things he says are not beliefs but like Trump, he is just saying what his audience wants to hear (like Key too but without Key's ability to say that which can be interpreted either way.) In other words Key was a better Con man.

      • Shanreagh 4.2.1
        5 August 2023 at 1:15 pm

        Yes Ianmac about Luxon. I think you have hit the nail on the head. I have been watching him recently as I felt I needed to see what made him tick. He has a merry smile and, like Hipkins, this makes his face light up.

        But…….

        This lack of authenticity…I wonder if it is something to do with the type of church he belongs to, a faux front about being saved or will be ……?

        I talk to all the churchy people who come to the door and he is a bit like some of them.

        I sense that he either does not know how the other half lives, or is not interested.

        I find the dogma of the prosperity churches hard to fathom.

        What is the propserity Gospel

        "The Prosperity Gospel (PG) is a fast-growing theologically conservative movement frequently associated with Pentecostalism, evangelicalism, and charismatic Christianity that emphasizes believers' abilities to transcend poverty and/or illness through devotion and positive confession."

        What is the theology of prosperity?

        The prosperity gospel is the belief that God rewards those with right thinking with health, wealth, and whole-life abundance. It goes by many names, known alternatively as the faith, health and wealth, Word of Faith, or “Name It and Claim It” gospel.26/02/2018

        And much more from……

        https://www.britannica.com/topic/prosperity-gospel

        There is nothing about helping one's ‘brothers’ or even being aware of one's ‘brothers’. With the emphasis on the individual pulling oneself up believers may not be supportive of society as a whole having a responsibility through Govt, personal actions & beliefs. This fits neatly into the less Govt side of the Nats.

        • Patricia Bremner 4.2.1.1
          5 August 2023 at 8:25 pm

          yes Shanreagh. The "deserving poor" will get grudging charity, the rest a label… Bottom feeders.

          They are certain "God is on their side".

          He has a merry smile…. ??

          Personally I note the Luxon sneers. The merry smile has been plastered on after Mary Lambie joined his personal presentation team. It faded a bit having to talk about van de Molen. Chaos too close to home?

  5. Roy Cartland 5
    5 August 2023 at 10:18 am

    @weka can you teach me how to upload an image? I've found a perfect one of s certain politician that needs to be shared 🙂

    • weka 5.1
      5 August 2023 at 11:07 am

      Hi Roy. Can you please link to the image, because it depends a bit on where it is stored.

    • Phillip ure 6.1
      5 August 2023 at 5:54 pm

      More high quality policies from the greens…

      They really are knocking it out of the ballpark with their plans for a good future…

  7. SPC 7
    5 August 2023 at 2:22 pm

    David Seymour accused of dog whistling.

    "It's dog-whistling," she said.

    NBR senior journalist Dita de Boni agreed, pointing to the language Seymour is using.

    "These kinds of things that drip off the tongue… these are dog whistles to [these] kinds of people," de Boni said.

    "I don't think he, himself, is like that but he's using the phraseology that appeals to people like that and he's doing it deliberately."

    However, Bradford noted every politician and every party does the same to try and appeal to their constituency in a political campaign.

    Seymour, earlier on Newshub Nation, denied using race relations as political opportunism in his election campaign.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/08/political-commentators-accuse-act-s-david-seymour-of-dog-whistling-to-anti-co-governance-supporters.html

    It's designed to appeal to the racist bones in the body of voters.

    It's those who cater to class privilege, exploiting race for political /personal profit.

    Or like a woman walking down a street of Rome reserved for young men on e bikes and bald men on vespas.

  9. SPC 9
    5 August 2023 at 4:57 pm

    David Seymour claims high tax is driving New Zealanders to Oz.

    They have a CGT, we only have a bright-line version.

    They have no CGT on some food, we do.

    He is keeping GST on food.

    The Oz top rate is 45 cents ours is less at 39 cents.

    We have 10.5cents to $14,000, they have zero to $20,000

    So there is that.

    His plan 17.5 cents on the first $20,000.

    So what is his plan really about

    Its 28 cents to $70,000 and then 28 cents as the top rate (our company tax rate). Presumably this will be the trust rate as well.

    This will cost billions each year to make those on higher incomes much better off.

    He offers no estimate as to the lost revenue – as if transfer upward does not cause any ballooning of any revenue hole.

    Its as if his $30B revenue hole claim and lost tax revenue from tax cuts came out of two different holes on two different heads.

    Is he more Zaphod than Rimmer?

    If ACT's tax policy were implemented, wealthy New Zealanders would pay vastly less tax.

    In 2021, it was found the wealthiest 1 percent of New Zealanders has a net worth 68 times that of the average New Zealander.

    The wealthiest 10 percent of Kiwis own one-quarter of the country's assets, while the poorest 50 percent has just 2 percent.

    This year, a report carried out by the Government found the median effective tax rate of the very wealthiest New Zealanders is only 9.4 percent, compared with 20.2 percent for other middle wealth New Zealanders.

    Asked whether New Zealand's wealth gap is acceptable, Seymour responded, "Yeah it is.

    "You tell me what the gap should be," he added. "Do you want more wealthy people in New Zealand or less?"

    Seymour argued higher tax rates lead to wealthy Kiwis leaving the country and accused parties on the left of having policies that "chase the wealthy away".

    "We will all be poorer as a result," he said.

    "What we want to do is to make success part of New Zealand's culture," Seymour said.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows/2023/08/newshub-nation-act-party-leader-david-seymour-says-new-zealand-s-wealth-gap-is-acceptable.html

    It's time to appreciate this guy is our Trump a total fantasist.

    One of the major difficulties Trillian experienced in her relationship with Zaphod was learning to distinguish between him pretending to be stupid just to get people off their guard, pretending to be stupid because he couldn't be bothered to think and wanted someone else to do it for him, pretending to be outrageously stupid to hide the fact that he actually didn’t understand what was going on, and really being genuinely stupid. He was renowned for being amazingly clever and quite clearly was so—but not all the time, which obviously worried him, hence, the act. He preferred people to be puzzled rather than contemptuous.”

    ― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

    https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/62659-one-of-the-major-difficulties-trillian-experienced-in-her-relationship

  10. Muttonbird 10
    5 August 2023 at 9:05 pm

    In Auckland today anti-trans activists hired a plane carrying a banner reading, "what is a woman.nz".

    I saw it from my house.

    • Visubversa 10.1
      5 August 2023 at 10:36 pm

      How come nobody asks "what is a man"?

      • Roy Cartland 10.1.1
        6 August 2023 at 5:16 am

        Because that is an utterly inane question, which everyone already knows the answer to (despite "man" having many more meanings than "woman").

        "Woman" is, or used to be /should be, very specific.

        • Visubversa 10.1.1.1
          6 August 2023 at 10:07 am

          Thank you, you have answered my question very evocatively. The answer is that men would not stand for it – they know what a man is and most of them know what a woman is also.

          The ones that pretend to not know do so out of expediency, cowardice, or ideological capture.

          And when even the question is described as "anti trans" you can see the results of that capture writ large.

      • bwaghorn 10.1.2
        6 August 2023 at 7:31 am

        Because a woman identifying as a man is highly unlikely to be a threat to a man in the toilets,the gym,prison or the sports feild.

    • Molly 10.2
      6 August 2023 at 10:56 am

      "…anti-trans activists " ?

      I'm guessing for you the only requirement for this designation, is to ask a question that exposes the incoherence, regressive stereotypes and misogyny when answered by gender ideologues.

      For example, let's look at one of 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner, Andrea Long Chu's definitions:

      "At the center of sissy porn lies the asshold, a kind of universal vagina through which femaleness can always be accessed….

      Distilling the femaleness to its barest essentials – an open mouth, an expectant asshole, blank, blank eyes…" – Females, Andrea Long Chu 2020 book.

      Unable to link to book for quote, but there are reviews that paraphrase or mention this passage; https://thecritic.co.uk/issues/january-2020/sissy-porn-and-trans-dirty-laundry/

      Link to image with quote:

      • Muttonbird 10.2.1
        6 August 2023 at 7:46 pm

        That escalated quickly.

        • Anne 10.2.1.1
          6 August 2023 at 9:24 pm

          Alison Mau, Sunday Star Times 6th Aug. 2023

          “Spare a thought for trans Kiwis as the Posie Parker show returns.”

          In my view, Alison Mau is one of the best women journalists in the country. Super intelligent, forthright, honest and always cogent, she has written a brilliant exposé of Posie Parker.

          Ms Parker plans to return to NZ in September and hold a public meeting outside the District Court on the day a protester’s case is to be heard.

          Excerpt:

          Her choice of public spaces is deliberate. She knows crowds will gather in protest, potentially in greater numbers, and they will drown her out. This allows her to present herself as a victim, driving greater engagement, and gives the impression that women’s voices are being silenced.

          She is lying. Once upon a time women’s voices were not heard but those days have long gone. I can attest to that from personal experience.

          I cannot link to the article because it is for subscribers only. I choose to purchase the SST for my Sunday reading. If someone is a subscriber, could they please supply a link? Thank you in advance.

          • Molly 10.2.1.1.1
            7 August 2023 at 1:18 pm

            Anne,

            Does Alison Mau's article mention the fact that Kellie Jay Keen is returning to Auckland to attend the assault case in court?

            "Her choice of public spaces is deliberate."

            Yes. The UK has a right of public speaking. As we have seen in NZ, attempts to book venues – both public and private – have resulted in cancellations, that required legal action to redress; https://www.franksogilvie.co.nz/news/case-brief-whitmore-v-palmerston-north-city-council. So events are held in public spaces in the UK, and all regulations and permit requirements are met.

            "She knows crowds will gather in protest, potentially in greater numbers, and they will drown her out. "

            This is an interesting take.

            How many transgender supportive rallies or gatherings can make this claim about the women that attend #LetWomenSpeak events? How many such events have been derailed by masked middle-aged women with megaphones and speakers, carrying threatening messages?

            Is Kellie-Jay Keen so adept at manipulation that people who don't support her feel compelled to act in accordance with this supposed Machievellian intent?

            "This allows her to present herself as a victim, driving greater engagement, and gives the impression that women’s voices are being silenced."

            This is a bold statement to make, given that NZ women WERE silenced on 25 March in Albert Park. Not just by protestors, or by threats of violence but by violent acts. This disconnect of reality by those who are increasing untethered from what they know and see, is fascinating to watch.

            " I can attest to that from personal experience."

            Your attestation rings hollow. I had family at the event, and thankfully videographer Simon Anderson had the presence of mind to take his recording equipment with him on the day.

            Interpret the evidence provided as you will, but it remains clear to those who view without bias:

            https://www.youtube.com/@SimonRAnderson/videos

            • Anne 10.2.1.1.1.1
              7 August 2023 at 5:45 pm

              Posie Parker (the name she chooses to use on public sites) is a complete fake. She spreads disinformation and is using 'women' for her own ends. She consorts with extremists and doesn't really care a damn about anyone but herself.

              Alison Mau's columns in the SST are always insightful and she also always does her homework. Pity others do not follow her example.

              I sincerely hope she is not allowed into the country or failing that, she is prevented from holding meetings in public places she knows full well will end up causing anger and unrest. That is precisely what she is aiming to do because it brings her the attention she seeks for her personal gratification.

              • Molly …
                7 August 2023 at 6:41 pm

                Anne.

                Nothing you have said here is anything other than (non-evidenced) opinion.

                Nothing wrong with that. Especially, if it is acknowledged as such.

        • Molly 10.2.1.2
          7 August 2023 at 1:01 pm

          "That escalated quickly."

          2023 Pulitzer Prize winner quote provided by an author who has published a book called "Females" with more of the same, and you consider this one quote escalation, while not owning your own rhetoric:

          Muttonbird: "…anti-trans activists "

          The accurate definition of woman is not anti-trans – it just doesn't include men.

    • Shanreagh 10.3
      6 August 2023 at 12:04 pm

      MB Did you ever think of framing your post

      In Auckland today pro-women activists hired a plane carrying a banner reading, "what is a woman.nz".

      No of course you didn't.

      For some reason women (51%) seem only to figure in your view in relation to the miniscule trans community. Why is this?

      Is this your view of the importance of sex ie man/woman biological reality as opposed to who you identify with/as?

      So if I want to identify as a cat, it is more important in the scheme of things than my sex as a woman?

      • gsays 10.3.1
        7 August 2023 at 6:37 am

        "MB Did you ever think of framing your post

        In Auckland today pro-women activists hired a plane carrying a banner reading, "what is a woman.nz".

        No of course you didn't."

        That's how you frame it when you want to add more heat than light.

  11. newsense 11
    6 August 2023 at 12:54 am

    F the Herald- war-mongering liars since George Grey was the Guv’nor.

    Some people in New Zealand aren’t moving to Australia and didn’t buy a house there years ago!

    Some douche bag claims he’s victimised because he’s rich in NZ….but Australia taxes rich people much more heavily than we do and has a strong to virulent union culture which has a system of industry wide award wages. Chris- Joycey- Hipkins categorically ruled out subjecting the rich of NZ to such umbridge as a 45% top tax rate.
    Imagine political campaigning passing as journalism in NZ…F the Herald and the lazy born to rule pricks and (their faded red cowardly friends come to that) who rely on this kind of crap pile on rather than actually having morally defensible positions.

    https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/02-08-2023/all-my-stuff-is-here-why-one-business-owner-is-bravely-not-moving-to-australia

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    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    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
    18 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
    20 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
    21 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
    23 hours 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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
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    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
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    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
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    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
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    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
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    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
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    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
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    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
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    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
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    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
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    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
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    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
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    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
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    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
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    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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