So Labour down in the poll of polls, sad but unsurprising.
Strange that Labour NZ can’t or won’t see that it’s centrist free market ideological position has left it, like so many western Left parties. politically redundant.
No it seems this Labour party is about act out that old saying in front of our eyes again,
‘The definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect a different result’
It is about time Labour shed itself of that scourge of the modern Left, the free market, Neo-liberal ideology that has effectively destroyed Labour from within, and stop living in fear of the middle class vote.
It is time to stand on some real old schools socialist principles, at least then even if we do go down to National, we can do it with our heads held high, not cowering like beaten dogs to the media and some perceived voting block that may or may not even exist for Labour.
I think you are dead right Adrian, but it just ain’t going to happen with the caucus they’ve got. Unless they have a cunning plan to be centrist until in power and then creep to the left…. but no, not with that caucus.
So we really have no choice but to back the MOU and hope for a “kinder” government.
The Opportunity Party is starting policy release this week. Fingers crossed?
What I just can’t understand is why those centrist freemarket fuckers insist on staying and destroying Labour? the Labour brand has obviously has outlived it’s usefulness for them, and they are quite open about their lust for power, to quote Stuart Nash…
“Let’s be clear about one thing: politics is about winning. There is no such thing as a ‘glorious defeat’, leaders who lose are not, as some may believe, ‘martyrs to the cause’, and ‘coming second but maintaining our principles’ is a ludicrous proposition”
Just listen to that centrist shill Mike Williams on National radio Mondays mornings, it is enough to make you lose your breakfast, eaten up and spat out by Hooton every week, because he has essentially nothing to say, why, because at heart he is on the the same playing field ideologically as Hooton.
So the Labour brand is bad for them and it is certainly the death nail for a progressive socialist left, so why can’t we all just agree this hasn’t worked out, and go our separate ways?
“What I just can’t understand is why those centrist freemarket fuckers insist on staying and destroying Labour?”
The most logical reason is it’s a strategical move to ensure Labour are either destroyed, or if they ever gain power, are no longer a political threat to the neo-liberal way.
Now you should see why the depressing negative rubbish being spouted by Little Andrew goes down like a lead balloon. The public can see that he is just talking total rubbish and that he, and his party and fellow travellers like the Greens, are so totally divorced from reality.
The economy and the country are doing very well. People can see this and want it to continue. That is why the current Government is popular. As Bill Clinton said
“It’s the economy, stupid”
Ha that is really funny, are you actually really being serious, or are you just taking the piss?
Those so called economist on National radio every morning are generally the banks own economists, so yes the economy is working extremely well for them, with NZ house hold debt at the highest it has ever been recorded, who do you think that debt is owed to? http://www.tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/households-debt-to-income
And then the best part is to top it off you quote Bill Clinton, the guy who unhooked the US financial from regulatory oversight that lead directly to the 2008 crash,
“It’s the economy, stupid” yeh that is true, but not the debunked free market type, neo-liberial model which in case you haven’t noticed is imploding before our very eyes…maybe you need to take your hands off your ears and stop saying nah nah nah pal.
I didn’t actually say I agreed with the things Clinton did, or approved of him personally.
He did however win elections and he did it by concentrating on what actually mattered to people who vote. His own wife forgot it of course and basically Trump stole the idea and won.
However the general public in New Zealand are happy with what is happening, and rightly so. We have done much better than most of the countries in the OECD. If you can’t realise that you certainly can’t understand why the parties you support are sinking into their state of irrelevance.
I don’t actually have any problem with the last few years.
As a very simple summary.
I can quite happily accept Current Account Deficits, as a percentage of GDP, where the deficit is roughly equal to the growth in the GDP.
In that case the accumulated deficit remains at approximately the same percentage of our GDP from year to year and doesn’t keep on increasing.
This has been the case from 2013 to 2016.
2012 was a little bit excessive as we didn’t have a 4% growth in GDP that year.
The years from 2005 to 2008 were grossly excessive.
A single year doesn’t matter very much. In particular a short term period of high deficits caused by something like the Christchurch earthquake isn’t really a problem. There was nothing special about the 2005 – 2008 timespan however and the GDP was certainly not increasing by the 7%-8% figure that those deficits would require.
That is back to front.
When we have a current account deficit it means we get to import more than we export. We aren’t consuming less. We are able to consume more. Thus we are better off than we would be. It doesn’t mean that we are worse off.
If we are running a surplus on the current account it means we are consuming less than we produce. People could consume more, and have a higher standard of living if we were to reduce the surplus.
The problem with a deficit is that it relies on some kind foreigner financing it. If they decide not to do so and won’t loan us any more money or put money into financing our capital assets we may have to cut the deficit in a hurry. That hasn’t happened in New Zealand. We have been running a current account deficit, and thereby consuming more than we produce for more than 40 years.
If you are running a surplus it is up to you whether you start consuming more. Other countries opinions don’t count.
The current account balance is not only the sum of the balance of trade in goods and services, but also current transfers, and investment income.
It’s the big picture. But interestingly enough, it’s seldom discussed by the media.
The reason for the improvement in the current account deficit when Key became PM is largely down to higher commodity prices improving our balance of trade, hence little to do with the Government of the day.
A deficit means the country is spending more than it actually earns (locally and from offshore)
If we are running a surplus on the current account it means we are earning more than we spend, hence aren’t reliant on offshore debt and or investment. Nor are we so vulnerable to economic challenges. Which is where we really want to be.
A surplus also means we can afford to consume more.
A deficit puts the country in a highly volatile position. Putting us at higher risk, which can impact upon our credit rating, thus interest rates and ability to borrow.
And although we have been running a deficit for decades, it’s far from the ultimate economic position to be in.
Therefore, all this talk about NZ having good growth in comparison to other nations overlooks how we are achieving that growth (largely growing debt and offshore investment) while also overlooking who is largely benefiting from that growth – i.e. offshore investors.
Alwyn, diversify your outings when you are out and about, see what happens, listen, ask questions, go somewhere you would not usually visit, interact with people, because not everything is how you see it or even how I see it Alwyn.
It’s hard to hear in an echo chamber.
If any want to improve their lives and the lives of others, then we have to and we will change the government.
But Cinny I do listen to many views and I do meet a lot of people.
Do you? Or do you perhaps limit your interactions to the “right thinking” people who agree with you?
Do you read blogs, or papers, that disagree with you own ideas? Have you ever read Kiwiblog or, horror of horrors, something by Cameron Slater?
I am in favour of the idea that I should “improve my live and the lives of others”. However with the people in the Labour and Green parties in New Zealand that will certainly not happen if they came to power and implemented the ideas they propose.
Well thats a no brainer…Because Mana Party has some very strong ‘characters’ that would make them very marginal in the eyes of the majority of Left voters.
I suspect that if Mana changed colours and came forward with the exact same policies as Centrist Labour (or National!) they still wouldn’t get enough thumbs up in a poll to break the margin of error.
For those who don’t have online businesses that sell to US consumers, the regulations are extensive and failing to have something as basic as a privacy policy can net you a $25K USD fine.
Worse still if someone associated with the product you are marketing is found to have mislead consumers you are fined DUE TO ASSOCIATION alone (ie you are marketing the same product), even if you didn’t know the person/company involved. If you don’t pay you end up in a kanagroo court with an even worse penalty on it’s way. Because this is considered fraud you cannot discharge the fine in bankruptcy, nor can you hide behind a corporate veil. This happened a few years ago to well known marketer Frank Kern through what appears to be no fault of his own.
Now with the vote it looks like more of this type of action will extend to other areas of the Internet.
Don’t usually agree with Deborah Hill-Cone but this time she has nailed it. (Something good in the Herald for once?)
“Note to Minister of Social Development Anne Tolley: Try stopping being a politician for a minute, and just listen.”….
“…reasons why Ms Tolley needs to rethink her arrogant attitude to victims who have been abused in state care, and immediately order an independent inquiry into the extent of the abuse.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11760183
In my experience, Cabinet Papers, for all they sound rilly rilly official and based on evidence and all that, can be complete and utter bullshit…depending on the information, data and advice Cabinet receive from the Ministry or Department concerned.
(The Cabinet Papers for leading up to the PHDAct(2) were a prime example of this…official sounding fairytales…much of which can now be seriously questioned.)
When she mentioned the Cabinet Papers, I think she was reading between the lines and she will be right. Of course it is all about the money.
I agree with you. Cabinet Papers are often nothing but a load of tosh. They represent what the authors know the government wants to hear which may bear no resemblance to reality. It is especially the case with this incompetent and deceitful government.
Can they be full and illuminating? Can they be enlightening? Can they be detailed? Can they be informative? Can they be instructive? Can they be useful?
“Can they be full and illuminating? Can they be enlightening? Can they be detailed? Can they be informative? Can they be instructive? Can they be useful?”
All of the above, repateet, all of the above.
Points to minds that work in twisty, devious and nasty ways….almost sociopathic…
The authors of these Cabinet Papers sincerely believe (I believe) that they can write this rubbish and we will all accept it as gospel. We won’t.
And the trouble is, that there is a growing number of us that KNOW that these Cabinet Papers, these ‘show your working’ documents, are flawed and misrepresentative and this completely undermines any faith we may have had in honest, transparent government.
I’m not sure about this – candidates who are picked for being famous on TV haven’t worked out great (Tamati Coffey, Maggie Barry…) – we need people with expertise in policy areas and/or their local communities so the government can actually function.
She hasn’t a show of beating John Key. My point is: she’s not a JK acolyte – one of the few media or ex-media personalities who seem capable of rising above him.
More about how the web is distorting information flow and helping fake news. With some emphasis on how Google’s autocomplete is helping spread some nasty stuff.
They can shiver my timbers any day of the week, if they’re ok with that sort of thing and in a completely respectful and consensual manner of course, taking into account everyones personal preferences.
Knows the housing market is going to crash under the weight of increasing interest rates and couldn’t bear the thought if getting beaten next year as a consequence.
So since Sir John Key is going and Winston doesn’t like Key does this mean now that the main stumbling block between National and NZFirst going into power together has now been removed?
NZFirst always did seem like a more natural fit than NZFirst and Lab/Green…
“So since Sir John Key is going and Winston doesn’t like Key does this mean now that the main stumbling block between National and NZFirst going into power together has now been removed?”
Shame that Stuart Nash just came out recently and said he would stick with Labour, it turns out a job that would suit him down to the ground just became available this afternoon…talk about about bad timing.
.
Why are the Trolls so pessimistic?
.
They are wealthy. They are married to the prettiest girls in the land who play Tennis to fill in the week days. They have brilliant children. They have fantastic amounts of retirement money. They believe in themselves. More importantly they own numbers of houses from which they are getting fabulous Rents. They love hundreds of thousands of immigrants.
So why are they to a man – all hang dog and abusive?
Do you think they should go to the doctor and get a tonic? They are so Angry. Always Angry.
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
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In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
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New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
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Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
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For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
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This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
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Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
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Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
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Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
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:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track 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 publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
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 publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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So Labour down in the poll of polls, sad but unsurprising.
Strange that Labour NZ can’t or won’t see that it’s centrist free market ideological position has left it, like so many western Left parties. politically redundant.
No it seems this Labour party is about act out that old saying in front of our eyes again,
‘The definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect a different result’
It is about time Labour shed itself of that scourge of the modern Left, the free market, Neo-liberal ideology that has effectively destroyed Labour from within, and stop living in fear of the middle class vote.
It is time to stand on some real old schools socialist principles, at least then even if we do go down to National, we can do it with our heads held high, not cowering like beaten dogs to the media and some perceived voting block that may or may not even exist for Labour.
Turn labour left.
I think you are dead right Adrian, but it just ain’t going to happen with the caucus they’ve got. Unless they have a cunning plan to be centrist until in power and then creep to the left…. but no, not with that caucus.
So we really have no choice but to back the MOU and hope for a “kinder” government.
The Opportunity Party is starting policy release this week. Fingers crossed?
What I just can’t understand is why those centrist freemarket fuckers insist on staying and destroying Labour? the Labour brand has obviously has outlived it’s usefulness for them, and they are quite open about their lust for power, to quote Stuart Nash…
“Let’s be clear about one thing: politics is about winning. There is no such thing as a ‘glorious defeat’, leaders who lose are not, as some may believe, ‘martyrs to the cause’, and ‘coming second but maintaining our principles’ is a ludicrous proposition”
Just listen to that centrist shill Mike Williams on National radio Mondays mornings, it is enough to make you lose your breakfast, eaten up and spat out by Hooton every week, because he has essentially nothing to say, why, because at heart he is on the the same playing field ideologically as Hooton.
So the Labour brand is bad for them and it is certainly the death nail for a progressive socialist left, so why can’t we all just agree this hasn’t worked out, and go our separate ways?
Those shills are still in positions of power that they won’t be in after they transfer to National.
“What I just can’t understand is why those centrist freemarket fuckers insist on staying and destroying Labour?”
The most logical reason is it’s a strategical move to ensure Labour are either destroyed, or if they ever gain power, are no longer a political threat to the neo-liberal way.
Hi Adrian
What are the real old school socialist principles you’d like Labour to stand upon and aren’t many of them already part of Green Party policy ?
Why on earth are you surprised that National is getting ever further in front?
Why don’t you listen to this bit of Morning Report. The people who do the business news tend to look more realistically at the economy instead of the hard left political rubbish spouted by like Hill.
Just listen to this without putting your hands over your ears and going “Nah, nah, nah, nah …”. It only takes a couple of minutes.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/businessnews/audio/201826409/govt-books-and-forecasts-to-take-a-rosy-glow-in-mid-year-update
Now you should see why the depressing negative rubbish being spouted by Little Andrew goes down like a lead balloon. The public can see that he is just talking total rubbish and that he, and his party and fellow travellers like the Greens, are so totally divorced from reality.
The economy and the country are doing very well. People can see this and want it to continue. That is why the current Government is popular. As Bill Clinton said
“It’s the economy, stupid”
Business isn’t the be all, end all of society. In fact, it tends to be the end of society as it destroys social ties.
I smell BS.
http://www.noted.co.nz/currently/social-issues/a-year-of-living-shamefully-new-zealands-dirty-secrets/#
Ha that is really funny, are you actually really being serious, or are you just taking the piss?
Those so called economist on National radio every morning are generally the banks own economists, so yes the economy is working extremely well for them, with NZ house hold debt at the highest it has ever been recorded, who do you think that debt is owed to?
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/households-debt-to-income
And then the best part is to top it off you quote Bill Clinton, the guy who unhooked the US financial from regulatory oversight that lead directly to the 2008 crash,
“It’s the economy, stupid” yeh that is true, but not the debunked free market type, neo-liberial model which in case you haven’t noticed is imploding before our very eyes…maybe you need to take your hands off your ears and stop saying nah nah nah pal.
I didn’t actually say I agreed with the things Clinton did, or approved of him personally.
He did however win elections and he did it by concentrating on what actually mattered to people who vote. His own wife forgot it of course and basically Trump stole the idea and won.
However the general public in New Zealand are happy with what is happening, and rightly so. We have done much better than most of the countries in the OECD. If you can’t realise that you certainly can’t understand why the parties you support are sinking into their state of irrelevance.
Another Gnat fail
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/319591/auckland-housing-accord-set-to-miss-target
$4.28 billion international education industry rife with fraud…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/education/news/article.cfm?c_id=35&objectid=11759352
Nice one FJK. I guess fraud is natural for an ex-Merrill Lynch money trader.
This has been common knowledge for at least 10 years. But when you’re talking about billions of dollars, morals take a back seat.
So if it was common knowledge when Labour were in power – would you consider it fraud for the leader of labour at the time?
Was Aunty Helen giving morals a back seat with this common knowledge?
@ alwyn
This (link below) is a good illustration of how our economy is genuinely performing.
http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/key-graphs/key-graph-current-account
I don’t actually have any problem with the last few years.
As a very simple summary.
I can quite happily accept Current Account Deficits, as a percentage of GDP, where the deficit is roughly equal to the growth in the GDP.
In that case the accumulated deficit remains at approximately the same percentage of our GDP from year to year and doesn’t keep on increasing.
This has been the case from 2013 to 2016.
2012 was a little bit excessive as we didn’t have a 4% growth in GDP that year.
The years from 2005 to 2008 were grossly excessive.
A single year doesn’t matter very much. In particular a short term period of high deficits caused by something like the Christchurch earthquake isn’t really a problem. There was nothing special about the 2005 – 2008 timespan however and the GDP was certainly not increasing by the 7%-8% figure that those deficits would require.
What do you think the current problem really is?
The problem is the country is doing all that hard for no net fiscal benefit.
The return from offshore investment is bleeding us dry.
“I can quite happily accept Current Account Deficits, as a percentage of GDP, where the deficit is roughly equal to the growth in the GDP. “
So you are happy with the country doing all this hard work for no net benefit?
“So you are happy with the country doing all this hard work for no net benefit?”.
That comment makes no sense at all.
No. It seems you merely failed to understand it.
If the deficit is equivalent to the growth in GDP it highlights that the fiscal benefit from the work done to produce that GDP is heading offshore.
And you’re happy with that?
That is back to front.
When we have a current account deficit it means we get to import more than we export. We aren’t consuming less. We are able to consume more. Thus we are better off than we would be. It doesn’t mean that we are worse off.
If we are running a surplus on the current account it means we are consuming less than we produce. People could consume more, and have a higher standard of living if we were to reduce the surplus.
The problem with a deficit is that it relies on some kind foreigner financing it. If they decide not to do so and won’t loan us any more money or put money into financing our capital assets we may have to cut the deficit in a hurry. That hasn’t happened in New Zealand. We have been running a current account deficit, and thereby consuming more than we produce for more than 40 years.
If you are running a surplus it is up to you whether you start consuming more. Other countries opinions don’t count.
The current account balance is not only the sum of the balance of trade in goods and services, but also current transfers, and investment income.
It’s the big picture. But interestingly enough, it’s seldom discussed by the media.
The reason for the improvement in the current account deficit when Key became PM is largely down to higher commodity prices improving our balance of trade, hence little to do with the Government of the day.
A deficit means the country is spending more than it actually earns (locally and from offshore)
If we are running a surplus on the current account it means we are earning more than we spend, hence aren’t reliant on offshore debt and or investment. Nor are we so vulnerable to economic challenges. Which is where we really want to be.
A surplus also means we can afford to consume more.
A deficit puts the country in a highly volatile position. Putting us at higher risk, which can impact upon our credit rating, thus interest rates and ability to borrow.
And although we have been running a deficit for decades, it’s far from the ultimate economic position to be in.
Therefore, all this talk about NZ having good growth in comparison to other nations overlooks how we are achieving that growth (largely growing debt and offshore investment) while also overlooking who is largely benefiting from that growth – i.e. offshore investors.
Alwyn, diversify your outings when you are out and about, see what happens, listen, ask questions, go somewhere you would not usually visit, interact with people, because not everything is how you see it or even how I see it Alwyn.
It’s hard to hear in an echo chamber.
If any want to improve their lives and the lives of others, then we have to and we will change the government.
But Cinny I do listen to many views and I do meet a lot of people.
Do you? Or do you perhaps limit your interactions to the “right thinking” people who agree with you?
Do you read blogs, or papers, that disagree with you own ideas? Have you ever read Kiwiblog or, horror of horrors, something by Cameron Slater?
I am in favour of the idea that I should “improve my live and the lives of others”. However with the people in the Labour and Green parties in New Zealand that will certainly not happen if they came to power and implemented the ideas they propose.
Why hasn’t that work for the Mana party and why would those reasons not apply equally to Labour if they attempted the same thing as Mana?
Well thats a no brainer…Because Mana Party has some very strong ‘characters’ that would make them very marginal in the eyes of the majority of Left voters.
I suspect that if Mana changed colours and came forward with the exact same policies as Centrist Labour (or National!) they still wouldn’t get enough thumbs up in a poll to break the margin of error.
So the issue is presentation not policy then?
I have to say I agree with what you say, NZ does not need two so called centrist parties.
On December 20th the FCC will vote on regulation of the Internet. I think it is certain to pass to the detriment of us all.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/20/fcc-vote-internet-regulation-plan-despite-economic-warnings.html
For those who don’t have online businesses that sell to US consumers, the regulations are extensive and failing to have something as basic as a privacy policy can net you a $25K USD fine.
Worse still if someone associated with the product you are marketing is found to have mislead consumers you are fined DUE TO ASSOCIATION alone (ie you are marketing the same product), even if you didn’t know the person/company involved. If you don’t pay you end up in a kanagroo court with an even worse penalty on it’s way. Because this is considered fraud you cannot discharge the fine in bankruptcy, nor can you hide behind a corporate veil. This happened a few years ago to well known marketer Frank Kern through what appears to be no fault of his own.
Now with the vote it looks like more of this type of action will extend to other areas of the Internet.
Don’t usually agree with Deborah Hill-Cone but this time she has nailed it. (Something good in the Herald for once?)
“Note to Minister of Social Development Anne Tolley: Try stopping being a politician for a minute, and just listen.”….
“…reasons why Ms Tolley needs to rethink her arrogant attitude to victims who have been abused in state care, and immediately order an independent inquiry into the extent of the abuse.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11760183
Here’s the reason why they won’t call an independent inquiry. MONEY. They don’t want to pay out the money.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201826425/john-key-responds-to-calls-for-inquiry-into-historical-abuse
Kim Hill has seen the cabinet papers. She is brilliant. Key is no match for her!
“Kim Hill has seen the cabinet papers.”
In my experience, Cabinet Papers, for all they sound rilly rilly official and based on evidence and all that, can be complete and utter bullshit…depending on the information, data and advice Cabinet receive from the Ministry or Department concerned.
(The Cabinet Papers for leading up to the PHDAct(2) were a prime example of this…official sounding fairytales…much of which can now be seriously questioned.)
When she mentioned the Cabinet Papers, I think she was reading between the lines and she will be right. Of course it is all about the money.
I agree with you. Cabinet Papers are often nothing but a load of tosh. They represent what the authors know the government wants to hear which may bear no resemblance to reality. It is especially the case with this incompetent and deceitful government.
“…can be complete and utter bullshit.”
Can be.
Can they be full and illuminating? Can they be enlightening? Can they be detailed? Can they be informative? Can they be instructive? Can they be useful?
“Can they be full and illuminating? Can they be enlightening? Can they be detailed? Can they be informative? Can they be instructive? Can they be useful?”
All of the above, repateet, all of the above.
Points to minds that work in twisty, devious and nasty ways….almost sociopathic…
The authors of these Cabinet Papers sincerely believe (I believe) that they can write this rubbish and we will all accept it as gospel. We won’t.
And the trouble is, that there is a growing number of us that KNOW that these Cabinet Papers, these ‘show your working’ documents, are flawed and misrepresentative and this completely undermines any faith we may have had in honest, transparent government.
Corrupt? Incompetent?
Or a bit of both.
Good on you Hayley Holt. It shows not all media presenters/reporters are gullible John Key acolytes. Although I fear most of them are…
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/hayley-holt-stand-green-party-could-run-against-john-key-in-helensville
🙂
I’m not sure about this – candidates who are picked for being famous on TV haven’t worked out great (Tamati Coffey, Maggie Barry…) – we need people with expertise in policy areas and/or their local communities so the government can actually function.
She hasn’t a show of beating John Key. My point is: she’s not a JK acolyte – one of the few media or ex-media personalities who seem capable of rising above him.
I’d love to see key pull her hair, she’d put the shit bag on the floor i reckon.
Looks like maybe she’s a bit more politically scary than you thought!
She already has, he couldn’t face losing votes to a girl. Apologies Hayley,though I bet that’s what’s she is secretly saying.
More about how the web is distorting information flow and helping fake news. With some emphasis on how Google’s autocomplete is helping spread some nasty stuff.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/04/google-democracy-truth-internet-search-facebook
A new anthem and platitudes from AG Lynch.
https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/native-artists-have-united-to-make-a-song-for-standing-rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjVEMjKbCng&feature=youtu.be
https://www.facebook.com/DOJ/videos/10154703128089030/
I think this requires a Caption contest 🙂
They can shiver my timbers any day of the week, if they’re ok with that sort of thing and in a completely respectful and consensual manner of course, taking into account everyones personal preferences.
About the only time that pair of plundering cut throats have shown their true colours.
I find your tastes … odd, but who am I to judge 😛
Trotter has written a great piece that’s doing the rounds on Twitter
(also on TDB)
Yeah I know what you mean, a .50 cals a bit of over kill, I’d have used a 7.62 round instead 🙂
Media brings in its shock troops after heavy defeat and embarrassment.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/87188948/what-a-byelection-win-really-means
Phil Quin.
“By election victories can be curses in disguise, causing party strategists to double-down on a failing strategy.”
After listening to Labour go on about their Mt Roskill win, this is a real concern.
I’m afraid I have to concur with Quin.
“These signs of complacency ought to worry anyone who wants to see the back of John Key next year.”
This should make some on here pretty happy:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11760632
protesters WIN their bid to stop pipeline being built through Standing Rock
I’m sure it will but why does it make you so unhappy?
Fantastic !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK7yz-_0_pU
John Key to step down next Monday.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11760656
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87202756/new-zealand-government-makes-major-announcement
can i suggest people don’t cheer to loudly just yet, incase there is a sad reason for it.
Holy moley!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11760656
Fuck yes, Key is gone!!!
This is not good news for Labour -there are many suitable people within National to take over -keep dreaming lefties
Lol. That is some remarkable spin.
Key is stepping down.
Good grief. Hope it’s not a health reason.
Had a fourth term to play for, now it’s handbags at 5 paces for love and old.
Of all the vast stores of unused political capital that a good leader should use, he used none of it.
I’d put his political epitaph down as competent but unmemorable.
Outgoing PM…. FUCK YES
Words are like spells that’s why they call it spelling.
Now to concentrate on the outgoing national government
I’m spinning just wows, there will be parties in the streets all across the land.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87202756/new-zealand-government-makes-major-announcement
🙂
Jeez youse guys are quick.
Key spouts more drivel…talks about ‘honesty’, nose grows….
Reason for quitting….we will never know the truth.
However, he was a devil we knew….
Knows the housing market is going to crash under the weight of increasing interest rates and couldn’t bear the thought if getting beaten next year as a consequence.
That is my guess.
It would seem that trump is doubling down on the far right hate message. He has appointed Steve Bannon as white house strategist. Fun times.
Anti establishment referendum rejects Renzi.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38204189
Breaking news key to resign
John Key resigns, what a great start to the week, I feel some how cleaner…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87202756/New-Zealand-Government-makes-major-announcement
I guess it will be left to English ( and he is a real believer) to carry on driving this neo-liberal train wreck toward the inevitable cliff, .
John bails before the looming economic disaster, so as always will come out of the shit smelling like roses.
Three election wins and remains not out, also the only way the left were ever going to beat John Key, sorry Sir John Key
Shame he didn’t want to win a fourth but he obviously puts his family before personal glory:
“This is the hardest decision I’ve ever made and I don’t know what I’ll do next.”
Key cited family reasons for leaving, saying the job had required great sacrifices “from those who are dearest to me”.
His wife Bronagh had endured “many lonely nights” and his children Stephie and Max had been put under “extraordinary levels of intrusion”.
He also said it was the right time to leave, as National were polling at nearly 50 per cent and the economy was growing.
Nothing like leaving the party in good strength 🙂
So his main reason is because of intrusion into his family’s life. Ironic since it was he who used his family as a major plank in his own marketing.
Its also quite good that a politician has left while on top rather then being voted out
Breaking news… People don’t read above before posting breaking news.
Oh and John Key’s resigned. lol
Breaking news… People don’t read above before posting breaking news.
Oh and John Key’s resigned. lol
ALERT ALERT! According to this JOHN KEY is Stepping down as PM! What? Is it a trick?!!!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87202756/new-zealand-government-makes-major-announcement
It is True!!!! Key Resigns!
\http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11760656
They will elect a new Leader next Monday. Who will it be?
Joyce?
Collins?
Bennett?
shouldn’t there be a snap election? public voted for Key to lead, not for someone else. Least that’s how I see it.
So since Sir John Key is going and Winston doesn’t like Key does this mean now that the main stumbling block between National and NZFirst going into power together has now been removed?
NZFirst always did seem like a more natural fit than NZFirst and Lab/Green…
Win the battle but lose the war springs to mind 🙂
It’s a very dark day for you, Pucky – I feel your pain and wish I’d taken you up on your bet 🙂
Ok so do you think this decision opens the door for National to welcome back the prodigal son?
The John Key-led Government will not win in 2017
(Something I’ve long believed)
🙂 🙂 🙂
I think this decision has strengthened the possibility of National being in charge after 2017 (just not with John Key)
Keen for a bet?
“So since Sir John Key is going and Winston doesn’t like Key does this mean now that the main stumbling block between National and NZFirst going into power together has now been removed?”
It potentially increases the possibility.
I think we can all agree that politics got just that little more interesting now
Indeed.
Ernie Merrick resigns!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/87199504/reports-suggest-ernie-merrick-has-resigned-as-wellington-phoenix
Shame that Stuart Nash just came out recently and said he would stick with Labour, it turns out a job that would suit him down to the ground just became available this afternoon…talk about about bad timing.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has also announced his resignation
today
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/exit-polls-italians-reject-renzi-charter-reform-plan-161204221134449.html
.
Why are the Trolls so pessimistic?
.
They are wealthy. They are married to the prettiest girls in the land who play Tennis to fill in the week days. They have brilliant children. They have fantastic amounts of retirement money. They believe in themselves. More importantly they own numbers of houses from which they are getting fabulous Rents. They love hundreds of thousands of immigrants.
So why are they to a man – all hang dog and abusive?
Do you think they should go to the doctor and get a tonic? They are so Angry. Always Angry.
🙂