Open mike 06/02/2020

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, February 6th, 2020 - 126 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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

Step up to the mike …

126 comments on “Open mike 06/02/2020 ”

  1. Andre 1

    Iowa is still only around 71% of the precincts reporting. Buttigieg and Sanders still neck and neck with around 25% each.

    For Sanders, that's about half the vote share he got in 2016. Which tells us his remarkable numbers in 2016 weren't indicative of a strong movement or actual support for him. It simply showed the large numbers of "anyone but Hillary" that had no other plausible outlet to express that view.

    • Adrian Thornton 1.1

      The Good News…

      Noam Chomsky: 'The Neoliberal Order Is Visibly Collapsing'

      https://www.truthdig.com/articles/noam-chomsky-the-neoliberal-order-is-visibly-collapsing/

    • Adrian Thornton 1.2

      DNC Loses Public Trust in Primary Process on Very First Day

      It doesn’t actually matter anymore who really won Iowa at this point; the damage is already done, writes Caitlin Johnstone.

      https://consortiumnews.com/2020/02/05/dnc-loses-public-trust-in-primary-process-on-very-first-day/

      • Dennis Frank 1.2.1

        "Iowan Democratic Party chairs started telling media that the unspecified ‘issues’ we’d heard about earlier on in the evening, were to do with the app refusing to send proper numbers on down the chain to the Party HQ; and, when they’d resorted to the old-fashioned means and mechanisms of calling up HQ to manually report their results, they were being hung up on. Or facing spiraling delays. Or both." https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/02/06/chaos-in-the-caucuses-iowa-democrats-corn-app-a-real-bad-dud/

        "In a manner similar to how the gabion [a rock-filled wire-mesh cage placed on shorelines as a countermeasure to erosion] disrupts the force of the onrushing wave by dissipating it off up into the small stones, rather than letting it pound forth at the cliff face behind directly … so, too, will the sweeping spray of Sanders find itself diffused amidst all the swirling detritus that’s been distributed via this sudden storm."

        Yep, definitely the most elegant expression of the DNC mastermind thesis thus far! "Another way you could look at it, I suppose, would be observing the rapidly intensifying Bern, and then attempting to douse it with a smothering spurt of foam, drastically reducing its inflow of oxygen, even if only temporarily. Gives you time to rally other resources to do a more comprehensive job later on down the line, and tries to prevent it going into any further contests any bigger and Bern-ier than it already is. If nothing else, it gives you more time to work out how to spin the actual results coming out of Iowa, while everybody waits for the official count to be released". How many days we bin waiting already? I've lost count…

    • Dennis Frank 1.3

      "Terry Pratchett once sagely observed that in Politics, “transparency” has two meanings – like a window, as in you can see right through it … or like the air, as in you can’t see it at all). Instead, the whole thing’s kinda occluded. Almost as if there were some sort of “Shadow” looming large across our visionary skein." https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/02/06/chaos-in-the-caucuses-iowa-democrats-corn-app-a-real-bad-dud/

      "That “Shadow”, of course, isn’t just one sub-standard tech-outfit (no matter how earnest it’s been about providing “a permanent advantage for progressive campaigns and causes through technology.”); nor, for that matter, is it the absolute greaseberg of hairy ‘rough optics’ connections tying said app and its developers/owners back to Buttigieg, or even to Hillary Clinton herself; all laid out on company or personal websites and twitter profiles for any and all to see."

      "What it is, is a pervasive and sweeping sense of malaise. That “we’ve been down this road before”, as … entails a steady dwindling of hope at prospects for the future – a gradual drawing down of not just ‘activist’, but ‘mass’ enthusiasm for the concept that Change [possibly accompanied by Hope] is even possible."

      Establishment must defend itself against invading barbarians by whatever means are available. Fair or foul, doesn't matter.

      • Andre 1.3.1

        Wow, that's brought out a whole lot of conspiracy-mongering to divert from the original point: Sanders' support level this time around is about half what it was last time.

        What we're seeing now is probably a much better indication of the actual level of support for Sanders and his proposals, compared to last time around, where he was wildly inflated by dislike of the only alternative.

        • Nic the NZer 1.3.1.1

          Andre, you like to style yourself as an intelligent guy and yet here you are claiming candidates should gather the same amount of votes in two different elections with different numbers of candidates participating and supporting different policy proposals.

    • McFlock 1.4

      In 2016 it was him split with HRC, no further candidates.

      In 2020 there are five candidates, and he got over a quarter of the vote and leads the pack.

  2. Dennis Frank 2

    Opportunities Party leader Geoff Simmons: "capitalism definitely needs an overhaul, but we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Here are ten reasons why."

    1. We don’t have a viable alternative

    5. We can make capitalism work better

    6. We need to offer a hopeful future

    7. We need innovation and new technologies

    10. Returning to the land is nonsense

    The others weren't interesting enough to cite. "I believe we should focus on pushing for cultural – some might call it spiritual – change. The changes needed to save our environment and enable a just transition are entirely possible with a few rational reforms to our existing system. The real challenge is to get society to truly embrace them." https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/06-02-2020/scrapping-capitalism-to-save-the-environment-heres-why-that-wont-work/

    • Robert Guyton 2.1

      "Opportunities Party leader Geoff Simmons: "capitalism definitely needs an overhaul, but let's not do it"

      fify

      • Dennis Frank 2.1.1

        Well, to be fair, he offers a pointer or two. "We need a new kind of capitalism that focuses our creative capacity on doing more with less." "One of the best ways to do that is through incentives."

        He's right that protesting has failed. I've often made that point here too. Sad to see the photo of the young marxist doing exactly what I saw when I was at uni. Progress in the half-century since = zero.

        However his reform agenda does come across as rather lame. There's no real difference between it and what the Greens have been promoting for an entire generation! In fact our prescription still goes further than his. His chosen role seems to be that of a sheepdog who directs sheep by barking gently at them.

      • RedLogix 2.1.2

        @Robert

        First up an apology for one of my comments to you last week. I made my case with unnecessary force and that was a mistake.

        I strongly believe that we will save nature by not using it. This is already an obvious pattern, those parts of the world that do remain as wilderness are the mountains, deserts and marginal lands that we have not been able to put to economic use.

        Yet at the same time we do highly value them for aesthetic and spiritual reasons. We protect the most spectacular of them as parks, and we're slowly getting better at protecting non-human species for their own sake. While deforestation remains a problem in some parts of the world, in others where agriculture has become more efficient, much land is now regenerating back to wilderness.

        Humans will never entirely sever their connection with nature, indeed the more we live in cities, the more our relationship with the wild world shifts from exploitation, to appreciation. (On a personal note, it always struck me that the keenest trampers I knew were mostly city people. Their daily immersion in the metropolis only intensified their desire to visit the hills.)

        I fully accept you are bringing a non-technological viewpoint to this discussion … it's my strong desire to find constructive interplay between what we are both saying. A yin-yang interdependence if you wish.

        • Robert Guyton 2.1.2.1

          Accepted, RedLogix, and I readily acknowledge the perils of commenting on blogs on issues that are nuanced. Recently, I've been reading and listening to Natasha Meyers, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at York University, director of the Plant Studies Collaboratory, convener of the Politics of Evidence Working Group, co-founder of Toronto’s Technoscience Salon, and the Write2Know Project. She's talking about issues that are consuming my attention at present and it might be that her ideas and research interest you also. You talk about photosynthesis a lot, as does she, only your views are "somewhat at odds" – I find myself cheering her on, though she seems not to need encouragement. I have in fact, begun corresponding with her, via email, about her findings and sharing my own"forest garden" based learnings also. At the core of my belief and behaviour is the idea that, to rephrase your, "we will save nature by not using it", she will save us if we listen to her smiley

    • Sanctuary 2.2

      "Opportunities Party" lol

    • bwaghorn 2.3

      He speaks a language I understand . And top doesn't come with that underlying antipathy towards rural nz that I feel from labour and the greens . (Not all lefties are anti but its there)

  3. Robert Guyton 3

    Route open from Invercargill to Dunedin

    Southland is no longer isolated with an access route between Invercargill and Dunedin open for light traffic.

    While several roads around Mataura remain closed, an available route can be accessed from SH1 north of Edendale for light vehicles only. Follow Pioneer Highway to Brydone-Glencoe Road and then Te Tipua School Road to Te Tipua before turning left onto Waimumu Road and taking it through to Gore. Travelers can then connect with SH1 from Gore to Dunedin.

    This detour is not available for heavy traffic, in particular HPMV.

    News of the route opening will be met with relief after flooding throughout the region left many stranded, including motorcyclists venturing south for the annual Burt Munro Challenge and southerners attending the Elton John concert in Dunedin last night.

    Police advise motorists to proceed with caution and not travel unless it is necessary. Roads will be monitored and could potentially close again if the conditions change.

    Creative thinking lessens impact on Wyndham

    Some creative thinking by engineers in the early 1980s may have helped lessen the impact on Wyndham and other rural settlements along the flooded Mataura River today.

    Peaks downstream from Mataura had been predicted to peak at 2740 cumecs at Wyndham at 3.20pm today, equating to roughly 4.2 metres above the river’s normal level, and 1.8 metres above the level of the 2.4-metre floodbanks.

    However, in reality the peak flow never rose higher than the floodbanks, rising to 2370 cumecs and 3.9m above normal at 2.50pm.

    Cumecs recorded at other sites on the Mataura River were 2500 at Gore at 12.50pm and 2774 at Mataura at 1.20pm.

    We believe the peaks have gone past but a full assessment of the river and surrounding areas needs to be completed in the morning. Residents need to stay safe where they are until alerted by Emergency Mangement Southland tomorrow that the cordon has been lifted.

    Local marae to assist those stranded

    Local marae have opened their doors to people misplaced by the Southland floodwaters.

    Murihiku Marae and Nga Hauewha Marae are providing emergency shelter and food for anyone who needs a place to stay.

    Numerous roads throughout the Southland region remain closed.

    Motorists heading south to Invercargill from Queenstown are advised to remain in Winton as SH6 at Makarewa Junction is closed due to flooding. The Presbyterian Church is open for shelter, information and tea/coffee.

    ENDS

    This release has been issued by Louise Pagan, Duty Public Information Manager on the authority of the Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Controller Mark Crowe.

    Contact Louise Pagan, Duty Public Information Manager, ph 03 2115442

    Website: http://www.cdsouthland.nz

  4. Sanctuary 4

    Jacinda Arderns government has given a political master in the past few weeks. At Waitangi she has utterly wiped the floor with angry Soymon from accounts. Any hope National had of the Maori party becoming a force in the next election have been destroyed. Bridge’s sole political strategy appears to be to use a deluge of Topsham Geurin style fake news and dirty politics to somehow engineer an election outcome where National can govern alone on 45% of the vote.

    It is almost as if his enemies inside the National caucus are sitting back and letting him commit political suicide.

    • Incognito 4.1

      It is almost as if his enemies inside the National caucus are sitting back and letting him commit political suicide.

      What unites them is their desperate desire to win back power. I reckon Bridges will be toast if they don’t get to form/lead the next Government.

      • McFlock 4.1.1

        I reckon at least a couple of them reckon they can be the 11th-hour leadership change that miracles national to victory, like Ardern did replacing Little. But none of them represent the change in energy thast Ardern had from Little and English (not even the gender thing – they were both steady-talking, considered, careful campaigners with little energy, Ardern mixed it up a notch).

  5. Dennis Frank 5

    Trump gives power to the people! Indirectly: "The Trump administration is relocating large parts of the federal government away from Washington DC, and they’re not going elsewhere in the bicoastal bubble of privilege—they’re moving to flyover country."

    "Two of the main bureaus of the Department of Agriculture, for example, will soon be moving to the Kansas City area, while the Bureau of Land Management is heading for Grand Junction, Colorado. That’s fiscally prudent—office space costs a lot less in Kansas City and Grand Junction than it does in Washington DC—and it also makes much more sense to put the Department of Agriculture in the middle of farm country and the Bureau of Land Management out west, where most federal lands are located."

    "Yet the political implications are lost on no one inside the Beltway. When the eager young people who show up for their first day of work at the Department of Agriculture come from farm-belt schools rather than the Ivy League, a tectonic shift in the landscape of American power will have been accomplished." https://www.ecosophia.net/the-end-of-the-dream/

    • Sanctuary 5.1

      John Greer is just another crackpot (he styles himself an occult druid of some sort) that comes from what seems to be an endless production line in the USA, generated by the American style of paranoia. A right winger with a vague chip on his shoulder and who thinks their is some sort of elite conspiracy going on to rob ordinary Joes of their due. Any opinion he offers has to be taken with an enormous pinch of salt.

      • RedLogix 5.1.1

        Again unwilling to address the comment you attack the messenger. This and a florid turn of rant seem to be most of what you have these days.

  6. Dennis Frank 6

    Liberals are the masters of the bullshit economy – the Clintons merely function as cheerleaders. https://prospect.org/politics/bullshit-economy-iowa-caucus-disaster/

    "Shadow is a subsidiary of ACRONYM, a non-profit with lots of connections to the Democratic consultancy, including veterans of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and David Plouffe, the Obama campaign manager who sits on the ACRONYM board. MSNBC’s Chris Hayes asked Plouffe on a late-night panel about his participation, and as he swiveled in his chair uncomfortably he disclaimed any knowledge of Shadow or the app."

    "Similarly, ACRONYM issued a statement positioning themselves as a mere investor in Shadow, without knowledge of their inner workings. But last year, ACRONYM announced they were “launching” Shadow, as part of an effort to help Democrats “win” the Internet and run better campaigns. The head of ACRONYM, Tara McGowan, is married to a Pete Buttigieg strategist."

    "All this doublespeak is a hallmark of the bullshit economy. Your mind doesn’t have to travel to the nether regions of conspiracy, but you can hardly blame people for doing so. This is reflective of the rolling incompetence covered by confidence within the modern economy, especially when you sprinkle on the labor-saving promise of techtopia. When the bullshit economy fails, it robs people's belief in the basic bargain of commerce, the idea that you get what you pay for, that companies operate in good faith to provide quality service. But when placed in contact with politics, it just demolishes faith in the system. The bullshit economy spurs distrust."

  7. millsy 7

    Let's hope Jacinda's day at Waitangi isn't her last as PM.

  8. Cinny 8

    Crickey, mitt romney intends to cross the floor, here's hoping more follow.

    Democrats praise Romney

    Moments after Republican Senator Mitt Romney made the surprise announcement that he would break from party ranks and vote to convict the president on the abuse of power article of impeachment, Democrats took to Twitter in praise of the move.

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/trump-impeachment-trial-day-13-latest-updates-200204183046952.html

    Al Jazeera is currently streaming the impeachment
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WisZM9CMlTo

    • Andre 8.1

      That vote makes Romney the first senator ever to vote for convicting a president from their own party.

      In Clinton's trial, 10 Repugs voted not guilty for perjury, and 5 voted not guilty for obstruction.

      It's also a little bit surprising no Dems cracked and voted not guilty, the likes of Jones and Manchin would have had really difficult calculations determining which way was best for their electoral prospects.

      And when it comes to profiles in hypocrisy, there's 28 sitting senators that were in Congress for Clinton's impeachment. Here's a brief then-and-now for them all:

      https://www.businessinsider.com.au/current-senators-who-were-at-clinton-impeachment-2020-1?r=US&IR=T

  9. mosa 9

    The Iowa caucus vote was rigged The Hill.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDO2kHGEoY0

    Bernie ahead in New Hampshire.

    What dirty tricks will be used in the next primary vote ?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-WK7t-fGEY

    • Wayne 9.1

      All the upcoming primaries are by ballot not caucuses. So it is about who has the best campaign and most appealing message.

      Can Biden recover? Probably not.
      The momentum is all with Buttigieg. Can he beat Trump. Probably. I think the US is tired of the bitter partisanship. Buttigieg, unlike Sanders, offers a more appealing message for voters, just like Obama did.

      I reckon it will come down to either Buttigieg or Warren.

  10. Andre 10

    Here's a fairly concise backgrounder on Ukraine corruption and how Manafort, Burisma, Hunter Biden and others moved amongst the thoroughly rotten Ukrainians at the top.

    https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/02/ukraine-impeachment-trump-journalism-yanukovych/

  11. Dennis Frank 11

    Trump acquittal: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/05/politics/senate-impeachment-trial-vote-acquittal/index.html

    "Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, found the President guilty of abuse of power, becoming the first senator in US history to vote to remove from office a president from the same party."

    “Romney was the sole Republican to vote to convict the President on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, joining with all Senate Democrats in a 52-48 not guilty vote. Romney voted with Republicans against the obstruction of Congress charge, which fell along straight party lines, 53-47 for acquittal. The acquittal verdict was the final act of a four-month impeachment”

  12. Muttonbird 12

    One thing I'm really enjoying about Waitangi Day of late is the increased goodwill among the many, and the decreased voice of the disruptors, both from lone activists and from the lone National Party.

    The Prime Minister is doing what a leader should do in bringing people together and I detect a significant drowning out and ridicule of the usual anti-Maori right wing of New Zealand.

    However, as the crucible of gammon rage grows ever smaller it grows ever hotter. Witness the red-faced impotent shrieks from the nut jobs that the PM would include her family in what should be a family occasion.

    Good times ahead.

  13. Andre 13

    UK moves forward the extinction date for sales of new fossil fuel powered cars to 2035. Pure electric only after then (unless somehow the green hydrogen unicorn becomes a reality).

    https://cleantechnica.com/2020/02/04/uk-will-move-internal-combustion-ban-ahead-5-years-to-2035/

    Hopefully this will induce our government to choke down a cup of cement, harden up, and implement the same policy that it considered and wimped out on.

    • RedLogix 13.1

      I'm predicting ICE's will be functionally extinct well before then. The 2035 date is a pretty safe bet from the UK govt's perspective.

      • Andre 13.1.1

        Probably. It's still a worthwhile marker to put down, and that line in the sand may just be an extra little nudge that makes it happen.

      • James 13.1.2

        I doubt that will happen – ICE cars will be going for a long time past 2035.

        • pat 13.1.2.1

          Indeed…esp given the average age of the NZ fleet is 14.3 years and 2035 is less than 15 years away.

          • Andre 13.1.2.1.1

            Did you miss the "… sales of new …" bit?

            • pat 13.1.2.1.1.1

              not at all…did you miss the functionally extinct bit?

              • Andre

                How does the average age of a vehicle fleet affect whether sales of new vehicles will be all pure electric by 2035? Regardless of whether that is by regulation or simple technological superiority and lower cost.

            • James 13.1.2.1.1.2

              Ok. Sales will go well past 2035 ?

              • Andre

                Used ones will do a zombie shuffle for quite a while afterwards, yes.

                • McFlock

                  I reckon there will be a quick drop-off, though, as petrol stations start becoming misnomers. They might continue as fast-charging stations or convenience stores, but tanks will start being pulled if demand halves

              • pat

                assume you mean new sales of ICE?….I would imagine so, though not necessarily for cars/light commercial, I would expect those to have ceased in the main.

        • RedLogix 13.1.2.2

          Once a new technology becomes significantly better and/or cheaper then it replaces the existing one much faster than most people appreciate.

          Over one hundred years ago, the first generation of ICE cars substantially replaced horse drawn vehicles in many major western cities in the relatively short decade from 1900 – 1910. By late 1920's horses were pretty much confined to rural areas.

          Fairly quickly we will reach the point where the infrastructure needed to support ICE vehicles, both in terms of fuel and service, will suffer declining volumes and rapidly increasing marginal costs. Exactly what that will happen is impossible to tie down to an exact date … but I'd bet on it being sooner than anyone expects.

        • Sacha 13.1.2.3

          Ordinary people will be unable to afford the fuel for individual vehicles.

      • Muttonbird 13.1.3

        If that's the case, why the panic over our own government stopping drilling permits after 2050?

    • Sabine 13.2

      yeah, cause lithium mining is so much greener.

      Oh boy, the delusion runs deep.

      • Andre 13.2.1

        Well, yes, even with the genuine problems from lithium mining, it's still way better than fossil fuels. Cobalt is probably a bigger concern, but even adding up all the negatives from the worst batteries in EVs, they are still way better than using dino-juice.

        But there's also ongoing work on alternative chemistries. Potassium and sodium are very similar chemically to lithium, and much more abundant and easier to extract.

        • Sabine 13.2.1.1

          no it is not better.

          let me put it this way, i can starve you by feeding you a little bit every day or i can starve you by feeding you not at all. Which way is better?

          And keep in mind that at the end you still end up dead.

          But then i guess for those that can't conceive of giving up private transport polluting the world by mining this other fossil fuel lithium for batteries and by mining everything else one way or another to generate the electricity you need to drive your SUV (or what ever toy your lifestyle depends on) its 'better'.

          Yeah, right Tui.

      • weka 13.2.2

        Killing us softly instead of hard.

    • pat 13.3

      "…She went on to say that Johnson admitted to her in conversation that he did not understand climate change."

      I suspect thats true of many of our own politicians so wouldnt hold out too much hope

  14. SPC 14

    The German AFD select the Premier of Thuringa (majority with CD and FD).

    The first state majority involving AFD. This ends the period in which major parties refused to accept the votes of AFD.

    The centrist FD leader is the Premier (his party won 5% of the vote).

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51384615

    This blocked the (Communist) Left (over 30) were the largest party AFD and CD second and third (over 20) – the last time the extreme right was involved in keeping the left out of power was well …

    • SPC 14.1

      It's probably just a reflection of the populist rise against the leftist elite – the one that Karl du Fresne writes about ad nauseam in his Stuff/MSM columns – presumably until we are brainwashed into this new paridigm.

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/119262432/elites-cant-dictate-what-people-think-or-how-they-vote

      Of course when he was younger they just called its Robs mob, those easily triggered to hate anyone/anything progressive.

      • millsy 14.1.1

        KDF still wants an elite to control the people. He just wants his kind of elite.

        i.e those who belive in free markets, social conservatism and patriarchy.

      • Incognito 14.1.2

        That is a well-written populist propaganda piece. Right at the start, it carefully constructs the binary framework by defining the good or positive and the bad or negative ones. The bad ones are:

        The elites – often referred to as the metropolitan or inner-city elites – are Leftist idealists who prefer to describe themselves as "progressive".

        The good ones are “ordinary people” with the sub-text ‘people like you and me’.

        Even the corporate sector cops it from the elites.

        It takes a swipe at MMP, of course, as “a dodgy electoral system” and compares it with the US, Australia, and the UK. A more apt comparison would be Germany particularly given the AfD making it into State Government.

        It redefines populism:

        But a populist politician, by definition, is one who seeks the support of, or holds the same views as, ordinary people. Isn't that what democracy is supposed to be about?

        There is a difference between popular and populist but that doesn’t suit the narrative.

        For example, tax cuts are popular; anti-immigrant, anti-farmer or bene-bashing are populist.

        It contains other little propaganda gemstones too.

        The ending is anti-climactic and I don’t want to spoil it by giving it away; you’ll have to read the whole piece from the beginning to end (don’t cheat!).

        • Dennis Frank 14.1.2.1

          No place for centrists in a binary frame. Since the tertiary tribe have produced most election outcomes in western countries throughout our lives, only someone whose political frame comes from a bygone era would discount them. Mental disabilities are terrible afflictions!

          So the author struggles with the conceptual reframe of populist Winston into centrist Winston. Learning from history is immensely difficult for some: Winston struggled to win via populism, but centrism proved continually reliable. Obviously! Not to an ideological zealot though – they only see what they believe.

          If you look carefully at that photo of Hilary that the Stuff editor included with his headline, you can tell she'd had one toke too many. I hope it eases her path into obscurity.

        • Poission 14.1.2.2

          It was the populist vote that got Donald Trump elected in the US in 2016 and Scott Morrison in Australia last year. Both results came as a profound shock to the elite media commentariats, isolated in their self-absorbed metropolitan bubbles and unable to see past their noses.

          Taleb in a Post script to intellectual yet idiot notes.

          The election of Trump was so absurd to them and didn’t fit their worldview by such a large margin that they failed to find instructions in their textbook on how to react. It was exactly as on Candid Camera, imagine the characteristic look on someone’s face after they pull a trick on him, and the person is at a loss about how to react.

          https://medium.com/incerto/the-intellectual-yet-idiot-13211e2d0577

          • Incognito 14.1.2.2.1

            I stand corrected; Karl du Fresne is a brilliant satirist.

            Taleb’s piece, OTOH, is not satire but a anti-intellectual’s and anti-snob’s parody of clichés and stereotypes à la (oops, that’s too much French) Monty Python. I have to confess that I’ve found myself nodding in agreement in places, which probably (oops, bad use of probability theory) proves (!) that I’m an IYI without realising it. We need more of this stuff; it is opium for the brain.

  15. James 15

    https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-impeachment-trial-02-05-20/index.html

    trump acquitted- so the appropriate court of the land has found him innocent.

    Trump 2020 is looking good for re-election

    • Andre 15.1

      A group of partisan hacks chose to close their eyes and ears to evidence and their constitutional obligations to shield their cult leader from accountability for his high crimes and misdemeanours. Thereby contributing to the likely functional death of actual democracy of the US.

      https://www.vox.com/2020/2/5/21115539/trump-impeachment-acquittal-vote-democracy

    • Dennis Frank 15.2

      Well, I did report that here before 11am (#11). Just like I reported the Gallup Poll yesterday which showed that impeachment had boosted his polling to the highest point of his presidency so far. And I did predict his re-election last year.

      I agreed with Andre that evidence of his witholding US aid to Ukraine illegally deserved impeachment. But opinions about laws usually do vary, so no surprise if he thought that law was an ass and ought to be ignored. If the Dems can't produce an impressive candidate then they don't deserve to win anyway…

    • Fireblade 15.3

      Trump 2024!

    • Andre 15.4

      Just outta curiosity, James, have you read Romney's explanation of his vote to convict? Y'know, the guy who was the 2012 Republican candidate for president?

      This verdict is ours to render. The people will judge us for how well and faithfully we fulfilled our duty. The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the President committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a “high crime and misdemeanor.”

      Yes, he did.

      The President asked a foreign government to investigate his political rival.

      The President withheld vital military funds from that government to press it to do so.

      The President delayed funds for an American ally at war with Russian invaders.

      The President’s purpose was personal and political.

      Accordingly, the President is guilty of an appalling abuse of the public trust.

      https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mitt-romney-convict-trump-speech-transcript_n_5e3b1945c5b6b5fb438bb818

      • James 15.4.1

        That’s one guys view – but he was acquitted despite Romney.

        that’s like asking the single juror who has a different view then the other 11 and holding them up as the right answer because that’s what you want it to be.

        trump was acquitted and that’s the legal outcome.

        • McFlock 15.4.1.1

          Did the dems with senate aspirations no end of good.

          The stench of corruption around repug incumbents won’t wash off.

        • Muttonbird 15.4.1.2

          Not a trial by impartial jury though, is it?

          So your analogy is completely ridiculous.

          • James 15.4.1.2.1

            They are the legal officials and the discharged their duties as required by law.

            He won – they lost.

            So funny – and his approvals are up !

            Trump 2020

        • joe90 15.4.1.3

          The only impeached President ever to have a member of his own party vote to convict and remove.

          https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/us/politics/trump-acquitted-impeachment.html

            • McFlock 15.4.1.3.1.1

              All 45 Democrats in the Senate voted "not guilty" on both charges,

              So no members of his own party voted to "convict and remove", although some voted to begin proceedings.

              • RedLogix

                True enough. But I was probably over cryptic … my point is, hyperpartisan impeachment proceedings are not exactly new thing are they?

                • McFlock

                  I think by refusing to see evidence and hear witnesses, this time has been an extra level of bullshit.

                  And that's if one regards the accusations as being of equal merit in the first place. Clinton lied about getting a blowjob. This one used congressionally-mandated funds to try to blackmail a foreign nation to produce dirt against one of his political opponents.

                  • RedLogix

                    Clinton lied about getting a blowjob.
                    Imagine if any politician attempted the same defense these days …surprise

                    This one used congressionally-mandated funds to try to blackmail a foreign nation to produce dirt against one of his political opponents.

                    And hopefully this will be the last time the left holds up an instance of the USA blatantly meddling in the affairs of other nations, as a good thing.

                    Imagine for instance if Russia was to start funding armament sales to say Cuban revolutionaries …. oh wait.

                    • McFlock

                      So now we're debating the ethics of international military aid? Who said it was a good thing? Who says it's a bad thing? How is it even relevant to impeachment – is a thief who steals from a drug dealer any less of a thief?

  16. mary_a 16

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12306439

    From self promoting unordained Apostle Bishop Brian Tamaki sermon at Waitangi today …

    "… But by 1975, Maori had lost 97 per cent of our land. God had prepared the land so everyone could live well, healthy and long. But when we see the deprivation and poverty now, people not living in that land, not living with dignity…"

    Give me strength. I have heard some hypocritical statements in my time. But this one from an extremely wealthy man, who has made his money out of preaching hell and damnation, condemning lifestyles of others, through his self established church to a vulnerable tithing congregation, while promoting himself, would have to be up there with the best of them! I find it gobsmacking to say the least.

    Perhaps the Apostle Bishop and his wife should put their money where their mouths are and consider distributing some of their wealth to help NZs impoverished and deprived!

  17. Andre 18

    Fivethirtyeight have just revised their Dem primary odds. Their odds for reaching the convention with a majority of pledged delegates are:

    Sanders 37%

    Nobody 27%

    Biden 21%

    Warren 10%

    Buttigieg 6%

    Compared to before Iowa, that's a small jump up for Sanders, a smaller tick up for Warren and Buttigieg, a big jump up for Nobody, and a BASE jump for Biden.

    https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-primary-forecast/?ex_cid=rrpromo

  18. Sanctuary 19

    A piece of satire so brilliant it gives you hope.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvm3xeO1lA0

  19. Sabine 20

    disclaimer, i liked Sherrod Brown as Presnit of the USofA.

    I agree wholeheartedly with his opinion about 'the fear' of the republican party – and i would add that that fear is spreading.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/opinion/trump-senate-acquittal-impeachment.html

  20. joe90 21

    Obviously fell on his own knife, repeatedly.

    /

    (CNN)French police are investigating the murder of a Chechen blogger, who was a vocal critic of President Ramzan Kadyrov, in a hotel room in Lille.

    The victim, identified to CNN as Imran Aliev, ran a YouTube channel criticizing the Chechen regime backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    French officials said Aliev, 44, "suffered a violent death."

    Investigators believe he knew his killer, a source close to the investigation told CNN Tuesday.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/05/europe/chechen-blogger-imran-aliev-murdered-lille-france-intl/index.html

  21. Muttonbird 24

    This is an interesting one.

    No Waitangi Day off if 'not from NZ' Transmission Gully roading manager tells staff

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12306548

    In my own workplace which is comprised of an international workforce the offshore managers asked about us working Waitangi Day and the local manager told them it would cost triple time.

    Everyone had the day off, Kiwi citizen or not. wink

  22. joe90 25

    Lobbying outfits run by former tRump transition staffers raked in record revenues using their connections with former colleagues in the Administration Those lobbying outfits then donated millions to tRump's re-election committees.

    https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/02/republican-party-raking-in-millions-from-trump-tied-foreign-agents/

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • At a glance – Does CO2 always correlate with temperature?
    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 ...
    45 mins ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 hours ago
  • Relentlessly negative
    Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 hours ago
  • Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    Bryce Edwards writes –  It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 hours ago
  • Promiscuous Empathy: Chris Trotter Replies To His Critics.
    Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played. “Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
    4 hours ago
  • Don’t run your business like a criminal enterprise
    The Detail this morning highlights the police's asset forfeiture case against convicted business criminal Ron Salter, who stands to have his business confiscated for systemic violations of health and safety law. Business are crying foul - but not for the reason you'd think. Instead of opposing the post-conviction punishment and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 hours ago
  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    5 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    9 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    10 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    10 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    10 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    11 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    12 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    14 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T07:07:33+00:00