Open mike 07/12/2020

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, December 7th, 2020 - 55 comments
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55 comments on “Open mike 07/12/2020 ”

  1. Sanctuary 1

    Could someone please explain to me why Labour is suddenly required (with just a week of sitting days in the house) to implement policies it promised it wouldn't, or it didn't campaign on or are nowhere to be found in it's manifesto?

    As far as I can tell, the demands are coming from Greens (total votes – 162,000) who DEMAND Labour (total votes 1,443,000) do it's bidding on tax and climate and from sundry flotsam and jetsam of the left who could barely manage to get their deposit back amongst them if they actually ran for office demanding Labour use it's absolute majority to act in an imperial way that, if the boot were on the other foot and there were 77 National, ACT and Maori party MPs, would have then predicting the imminent stamping of the jackboot of fascism on the throat of democracy?

    I just don't get it. Labour won an absolute majority because of Jacinda's brilliant handling of COVID. They didn't win because they promised radical tax reform or drastic climate change action, so why would anyone expect them to and have an utter snowflake meltdown when they don't?

    The oddest thing is that no one on the left has yet worked out Ardern’s leadership style. Jacinda likes to be dragged “reluctantly” to the consensus – no, we don’t need masks. Until the public screams for them, then she implements them, but only on PT which is enough for now. No, we don’t need to use the military on the border – until the public is screaming for it then, OK. Expect her to wait until the public is completely wanting a wealth tax or climate change action before she will “reluctantly” move to break a promise.

    • Stuart Munro 1.1

      They were elected to govern, in response to a term where they governed the Covid response.

      Sitting on their hands through a housing crisis and whining "It's market forces, what can I do?" is a failure that will lose them a healthy chunk of that unprecedented support.

    • gsays 1.2

      You answer your own question.

      Folk hollering for action on housing affordability and alleviating poverty (call it inequality or child poverty), are the ones you refer to with "Until the public screams for them…"

    • Phillip ure 1.3

      y'see sanctuary ..

      as a paid -up member of that 'flotsam and jetsam' you refer to..

      I would like to point that your claim that ardern/labour offered s.f.a…is correct ..

      and if you took the short-view..ok..

      now..I dunno about the rest of the 'flotsam and jetsam' ..but this f&j looks a bit further back…

      ..to 2016 ..where I believed the (seemingly) heartfelt pledges from j.ardern to 'transform' the lives of the poverty-stricken….(and do a bunch of other 'transformational' stuff…but we'll stick with the poverty one for simplicities sake)

      now..along with many others I believed j.ardern…back in 2016..

      and to now finding that in her 4th year of power…j.ardrn is pointing back to the paltry $25 increase from last year..as the example of her ‘transforming’..is dismaying..to say the least..

      and need I remind you that not one of the 42 recommendations of the welfare reform group..(set up by ardern)..has been fully implemented…a couple of examples of incrementalisation on part of a couple..

      so I hope this helps to explain why this f&j is somewhat pissed..

      I am looking back at a litany of broken promises from j.ardern..

      and meanwhile…in the 4th year of her turn at the helm..

      those suffering in 2016…still are .

      the country/system is fucked/broken on so many levels…and needing wholesale reform..

      and we are just getting more of the same…more neoliberal-incrementalism ..same as clark..same as key…

      with j.ardern just the latest of these 'leaders' to just not care enough…to do anything meaningful about what blights us..

      and your use of just that recent manifesto…as the whole basis of yr argument/refuting the plaints of the f&j's..and just ignoring all those previous 'heartfelt' pledges from j.ardern..

      really is sophistry/spin of the highest order…eh..?

      • Sanctuary 1.3.1

        Yes, but I guess I am applying the Fermi paradox to voting – if there is so much demand for action, where are all the voters?

        • Phillip ure 1.3.1.1

          perhaps..like me.. remembering those promises..

          and still waiting..

          and you point the finger at the people/voters..?

          I am talking about the words/promises of j.ardern…

          are you saying they are/were said just to get elected ..?

          and that those waiting need to take to the streets..?

        • Tiger Mountain 1.3.1.2

          Passivity and alienation reigns for much of the underclass and precarious/low wage employed; 35 plus years after the mass Rogernomics layoffs, and 30 years after the Ruthanasia MOAB–cuts to the working class never made up, let alone increased. Organised workers power, private sector in particular, gutted by Bill Birch and the 1991 ECA.

          Ignoring that sector drags the rest of the country down. 28 $bill for the Reserve Bank to do with what it will, massive COVID bailouts to profitable companies that did not even need the money!–and which in many cases never reached the workers who had their leave confiscated to boot.

          Not even a few hundred lousy bucks Xmas Bonus for beneficiaries. There will be reaction into next year–as signalled by the 70 NGOs pushing for benefit rises and the 42 Working Group recommendations to be implemented.

    • Ad 1.4

      Good description of her style.

      Ardern's Facebook and Twitter accounts are so huge she could probably crowdsource new policy anyway.

      It's also really easy to forget how bold Labour have been in other areas. No other New Zealand government has dropped over $30 billion in 6 months just to keep business and jobs sustained.

      Not making tax changes (other than to the top rate) is a signal that the government understands how brittle the entire society is let alone the economy. They much prefer printing money and throwing it out the window than tax changes to property. Keep protecting the propertied class and they will keep voting you back in. Roll on 2026.

      • greywarshark 1.4.1

        How about printing money and giving some out to people around Christmas and the holidays. Good for business and will bring some families together resulting in some connectedness and a little happiness. That would be a nice change in NZ for the strugglers. It would be appreciated and be more respectful to the poor than randomly firing notes at crowds who have to compete and fight for the folding stuff like children at a lolly scramble.

        • Ad 1.4.1.1

          But that's exactly how it would be reported. There's no political upside to helicopter cash like that – especially not after the Warehouse debacle.

          • greywarshark 1.4.1.1.1

            There is an upside from the poor receiving assistance at Christmas which can be linked to helping those suffering from Covid lockdowns and restrictions who haven't had help in other ways.

            You lack imagination Ad in your political judgments.

            • Ad 1.4.1.1.1.1

              They might surprise us, but there hasn't been much surprise so far. The big job subsidy scheme has ended. If the economy was tanking you might have seen another one of those packages like they announced in December 2017.

              It hasn't.

              They will leave their surprises for Budget 2021.

          • Phillip ure 1.4.1.1.2

            @ ad..

            but the corporate welfare is ok..?

            • Ad 1.4.1.1.2.1

              We're still only just over 5% headline unemployed.

              The corporate welfare is OK.

            • gsays 1.4.1.1.2.2

              Certainly landlord welfare is trucking along nicely in the form of Accomodation Supplement.

        • Gareth Wilson 1.4.1.2

          Say what you will about the Joker, at least he used real money.

    • NOEL 1.5

      Just before one of the lockdowns the only candidate who got his opportunity at our community get together was the Labour Coromandel candidate.

      At the time Free Range Stats had Labour to been able to govern alone.

      I asked would Labour bow to other parties if they could govern alone.

      He said he didn't know. I suggested he have a word with Jacinda that if I voted for him I would expect that they don't.

    • weka 1.6

      It's the Green Party's job to pull Labour leftward and greenward so I can't see reasonable criticism there. But I have also found it odd how many of the general public are talking about the mandate thing. Surely the mandate is to do what they said they would do (which isn't much)? Otoh, obviously some Labour voters at least assumed Labour would do more, I'd like to know why.

  2. Treetop 2

    For people who require counselling due to Whakaari a group of psychologists and counsellors in the Bay of Plenty are providing the sevice for free. ACC only funds counselling for a work related injury or injury relating to force.

    It is not good enough when an incident like Whakaari occurs and ACC are not providing counselling. This should not be left to the health system.

    Support people of those injured and emergency workers who attend incidents when counselling is required it needs to be funded.

    I expect that there are gaps in counselling for the terror attacks which occurred on March 15 2019.

    • Treetop 2.1

      ACC covers a work related mental injury and mental injury that was a result of a physical injury.

      • greywarshark 2.1.1

        Amazing how like a solvent compassion and real service are displayed in government agency circles. They just disappear into the air a bit like methylated spirits; in this Whakaari case, the spirits of tragedy remain.

        Further on Whakaari.
        https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/432278/future-of-whakaari-white-island-tourism-debated

        • Treetop 2.1.1.1

          It appears as though no one was aware of the danger of being on Whakaari or if they were they failed to speak out.

          It is about picking up the pieces when it comes to exceptional incidents when government agencies played a part in a traumatic incident. Woodhouse who had a lot to do with designing ACC did not forsee a Erebus, terrorist attack, Pike River, Cave Creek, Whakaari, Royal Commission into Abuse in Care.

          ACC legislation has not caught up with the psychology of today when it comes to the impact which an exceptional incident can have on people who are not currently covered.

          First responders are not covered for accumulated mental injury. It is my understanding that it needs to be a specific incident.

          ACC needs major change when it comes to mental injury caused by organisational failure. Someone needs to take responsibility when people have been irresponsible.

          • greywarshark 2.1.1.1.1

            Certainly the ACC rules need to take in the mental stresses. We are all under constant mental stress these days, trying to work out a life pattern from what is offered, and come to terms with it never being what it is said to be. As Manuel would say Que'?

            My idea about it all. Any added trauma can break the synthesis of an individual set up between brain and mind, whereby the brain registers reality and the mind processes it for a memory of something understandable and acceptable.

            We have to be like the White Queen in Alice in Wonderland and here are some good quotes – I think only humour will see us through:

            #1 “Alice laughed. ‘There’s no use trying,’ she said: ‘one can’t believe impossible things.’

            ‘I daresay you haven’t had much practice,’ said the Queen. ‘When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.‘”

            2 ″‘You couldn’t have it if you did want it,’ the Queen said. ‘The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday – but never jam to-day.’

            ‘It must come sometimes to ‘jam to-day,″ Alice objected.

            ‘No, it can’t,’ said the Queen. ‘It’s jam every other day: to-day isn’t any other day, you know.‘”

            https://bookroo.com/quotes/the-white-queen (I have a feeling that this is an Oz site.)

            • Treetop 2.1.1.1.1.1

              Until real change occurs with broken down systems those caught up in the broken system are being harmed by it.

              We all have daily stress in our lives. The area I am interested in is stress which warrants an inquiry and emergency/first responders being impacted in their work and a schedule 3 claim under ACC. I want to see all in the above being covered for a mental injury with or without physical force.

              Another area which requires change is what is accepted and not accepted when a ACC whole person impairment is done.

              Since the inception of ACC I have seen the legislation for a mental injury be watered down. ACC is hard to navigate and a lawyer is required for an historic or a complex case.

  3. Anker 3

    https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/170018.pdf

    some excellent research on partner violence in NZ.

    I am concerned that an unhelpful ideological framework for understanding domestic violence may capture the decision makers and muddy the waters. I raise this having read an article by Dr Debbie Hager, newsroom this morning. I don’t disagree with all of it. Will try and post the article soon

    • gsays 3.1

      Thanks Anker for the link, interesting reading.

      Here is the link to Dr Hager's Newsroom article.

      https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ideasroom/the-hierarchies-in-nzs-domestic-violence-problem

    • gsays 3.2

      A lot of what Dr Hager reckons, is contradicted by the evidence in the Dunedin Study, eg. from the Newsroom article –

      " There are men who are harmed, and women who abuse, but primarily it is men’s violence against women and other men."

      contrasted with

      "About 27 percent of women and 34 percent of men among the Dunedin study members reported they had been physically abused by their partner. About 37 percent of women and 22 percent of men said they had perpetrated the violence." from the study.

      Dr Hager is of the understanding that it is male power at the root of this family harm. I suppose if you are inclined to "study hegemonic masculinity" you are bound to come to the conclusions she comes to. Again this is at odds with the Dunedin study. It cites mental ill-health as part of the problem –

      "Abused Dunedin women were three times more likely to suffer a mental illness than nonabused women. The male perpetrators were 13 times more likely to be mentally ill than nonperpetrators. The types of mental illnesses among perpetrators varied; they included anxiety disorders, depression, alcohol and drug dependence, antisocial personality disorder, and schizophrenia."

      Also – "The rate for female perpetrators was virtually identical to the rate for female victims, and the rate for male victims was nearly identical to the rate for male perpetrators."

  4. Bearded Git 4

    A CGT is really off the table now because (IMHO) most of the CG's have already been made and CGT will never be imposed retrospectively.

    It follows that a Wealth Tax or a Land Tax is what is needed….though a first good step would be a 10 year "bright line" test.

    • greywarshark 4.1

      What about death duty, stamp duty and such so we can regain some of the unearned income tax we didn't get before from a very profitable commercial transaction?

  5. Andre 5

    Uh-oh. It's 2020, so of course the undead can get covid too. Yes, Oozy Ghouliani has it. As if judges weren't sufficiently unimpressed just talking evidence-free shit in their courtrooms, now they'll be wondering if he's been superspreading in them as well.

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-tests-positive-for-covid-19_n_5fcd3c8ac5b619bc4c3402e3

  6. lprent 6

    I've been using firefox 83.0 on ubuntu 20.04 for the last few days. It is really pretty damn good by my usual criteria – as it doesn't get in my way when I'm working.

    It is way better than when I last tried for longer than just page testing – which would be a year or possibly two ago.

    Yesterday and today it is usually snappier than Chrome reloads on this sites pages and a couple of others that I commonly use – like recently Stack Overflow, wikipedia, ars technicia, and businessdesk.

    I found it sluggish and annoying a few years ago. Have they done some serious work on it since then?

    I don't use many plugins or anything else on browsers. So these will be current distro versions. The machine that I'm on is a 2017 Ryzen 1700 with 48Gb RAM and NVMe drive. So nothing too fancy.

    • lprent 6.1

      Looked the the upgrade list for 83

      Firefox keeps getting faster as a result of significant updates to SpiderMonkey, our JavaScript engine, you will now experience improved page load performance by up to 15%, page responsiveness by up to 12%, and reduced memory usage by up to 8%. We have replaced part of the JavaScript engine that helps to compile and display websites for you, improving security and maintainability of the engine at the same time.

      Had a look at the memory – much much leaner than chrome now.

      Ummm 82

      Firefox is faster than ever with improved performance on both page loads and start up time:

      • Websites that use flexbox-based layouts load 20% faster than before;
      • Restoring a session is 17% quicker, meaning you can more quickly pick up where you left off;
      • For Windows users, opening new windows got quicker by 10%.

      Interesting.

  7. greywarshark 7

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/432268/new-zealand-farmers-prepare-to-export-best-cannabis-in-the-world

    I heard some of this earlier. They are being advised by a US 'expert' have Australian input etc. Can we get some NZ Investment Trust? or some viable government business share in this new area of business. So that we have real control and benefit from medicinal cannabis, not just be an outpost for some financiers gaining dominance over everything good and needed in the world, cf houses, water? Can we be really smart and protect our interests, instead of giving them away for nearly free for others to profit from? That's so old colonial-style. Have we advanced mentally to a state of sharp mental acuity?

  8. greywarshark 8

    Perhaps there was no need-o for this company's products as we have plenty of other companies soaking up every available dollar here like it's blotting paper. It just took Covid to show this in quick and unmistakeable reality. We are a country with population less than a city in more populous countries – just 5 million. Not the whole of the UK or some European country. Let's fucking get real and get down to running the country ourselves benefitting ourselves, instead of letting these elevating wealth gods spend their tainted credit here and siphon everything away. As someone said here, they want to pay workers here in NZ third world money in a first world economy and enjoy that first world lifestyle for themselves.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/432146/covid-blamed-for-mega-retailer-nido-s-slide-into-receivership

    The shop operated from a 27,000 square metre development, dubbed the country's biggest single retail store, and has about 100 staff.

    Five months since huge amounts of capital were poured into starting this, based on consumerism in a country that teeters on the edge of austerity, always managing to stay upright like a toddler just keeping going on its own momentum. How come capitalists say they have the answers to everything? How wasteful, destructive and short-term thinking they show themselves to be.

    Can everyone, many, a few, see this? Are we blind and stupid, dazzled by the propaganda and false images and air of success and respectability created by the public relations of the upper class? Getting us wanting, wanting, addicted to machinery, novelty and systems of sham opulence, but eventually empty and inhuman.

  9. greywarshark 9

    edit
    Back in 1984 if Nostrodamus or a modern believed version had foreseen that Auckland the go-ahead city would have local boards mulling over how to keep public facilities going, the pollies just might have paused for thought.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/432300/auckland-local-boards-to-decide-fate-of-assets-these-are-tough-times

    Auckland local boards hope to avoid closures to public facilities like toilets and playgrounds, as they help Auckland Council to slash its expenses.

    The council is forecasting a $1 billion deficit by 2024 due to Covid-19, and has recently released a draft 10-year budget that includes a range of cost-curbing measures.

    How convenient, it is all Covid-19s fault. Not the fact that they are constantly and excessively overstretched for all facilities and services through their profligate encouragement of the freemarket and neolib disdain of government and taxes and instead to have business define the pattern of life. Well the pattern is faded, and the fashionable buy jeans that have professionally cut holes in them. That is how demented these people putting themselves forward as role models are.

    An interesting quote. Coud this happen to us under the clever and crazed who have much education and little knowledge?

    Glasgow went through a tough time in the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher’s government and unemployment rose to about 26 percent in the city, he said…

    Then Thatcher came along and the jobs went which had knock-on effects, one of which was lowering life expectancy by 14 years, Stuart said.
    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018775834/booker-prize-winner-douglas-stuart-i-grew-up-poor-and-queer

  10. Cricklewood 10

    All I can say is wow… I never realized how much went towards film subsidies. Yet be have a massive housing and homelessness problem child poverty etc… 5% of all new spending in the last budget… more than the benifit increase combined… its just insane.

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300176880/taxpayer-grants-to-lord-of-the-rings-represent-significant-fiscal-risk-to-government-finances

    • greywarshark 10.1

      Uncapped. Some contraceptives needed here to stop this growth in our dependent subsidised films from overseas. It was okay as a starter but should be set to get lower quickly and then held there for a while.

      • Nic the NZer 10.1.1

        Unfortunately, rather than explaining to the government that uncapped subsidies may cause an uncapped budget blowout (which is of little concern) though it may lead to a lot of films being produced in NZ. Treasury appears to be arguing there should be consequences, with suggestions about other cuts that the govt could implement in an attempt to maintain the existing deficit.

        • greywarshark 10.1.1.1

          I'm just a pawn on the War Table to be pushed around by a long stick or the tech equivalent. NZ Treasury isn't really interested in people it's the pure economic model that is so inviting. This is an example of a contract lecturer demonstrating with a pigeon how people can be incentivised to behave to ensure the model operates to maximum.

          • Nic the NZer 10.1.1.1.1

            Hopefully treasury are not using operative conditioning on the government. The behaviorist model of phychology has been shown to be pretty simplistic, unable to account for learning by observation and therefore unlikely to work on more complex organisms than a finance minister.

  11. observer 11

    TV1 Colmar Brunton poll out at 6 pm, for no obvious reason. Will Jacinda resign if she doesn't have the numbers? (spoiler: No).

    It would be funny if National and/or Collins go up in this pointless poll … "The people have spoken, I'm staying on!".

    Also, if the Greens are at 4.9% will the networks just decide to "give" them Auckland Central, as they have done for ACT in Epsom over many years? They should.

  12. weka 12

    I'm curious how lefties rationalise this one.

    https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1335793603768057857

    • observer 12.1

      Straightforward, really. It is not the responsibility of the NZ government to save the USA and UK from the consequences of their leaders' decisions. Even Brazil elected its leader.

      That's if we're talking about "the hardest hit". Not synonymous with "poorest".

      • weka 12.1.1

        I was thinking more of India and other countries where the health systems will struggle. But I'm still not sure why a country that has eliminated covid should be pushing for vaccines when other countries are still inundated with deaths. Don't even need to parse the political cluster fuck that is the US and the UK, although we might want to consider the large numbers of people that normally travel back and forth and how that will impact us if we end up with an imperfect vaccine.

        Getting frontline staff in NZ vaccinated makes sense. I don't know what the government plan is beyond that.

    • Ad 12.2

      It's reward for a centralized public health system including Pharmac and ACC and MoH, putting orders in early, rewarding a strong government with a compliant population … all brought to you by Labour.

  13. Ad 13

    Ardern demands that The Warehouse make a public apology for chucking 'free money' last weekend, but won't apologize for throwing an untagged $40 billion of our money at employers and then wondering why house prices went through the roof.

    • observer 13.1

      Fish. Basketball. Tornado.

      (is that the game, throwing unrelated things together randomly as if it means something?).

    • Nic the NZer 13.2

      I thought the problem was that they didn't chuck free money. Maybe Ardern should have given out vouchers to employers instead?

  14. UncookedSelachimorpha 14

    Yet another article with employers complaining about the lack of low-paid RSE workers and saying they can't get NZ workers.

    At no point is the pay on offer mentioned or discussed, including under the subheading "What More Can Be Done?"

    One advert I found for orchard work in Hawkes Bay (the subject of the article) indicates wages at or only slightly above minimum wage, and no guaranteed hours of work. You also need to bring your own "reliable transport" – and no accommodation is on offer, so pay for that too (all on zero-hours minimum wage!).

    These industries need to PAY MORE.

    • Maurice 14.1

      "These industries need to PAY MORE"

      Perhaps we just need to go to the Supermarket/Fruit shop/Alternative vegan Stores and voluntarily pay TWICE as much to encourage the primary providers to pay more wages?

      • UncookedSelachimorpha 14.1.1

        Paying more for goods is one of the things we need to do to pay people properly. The prices won't need to be double in many cases (for example going to $35/h from $20 is a 75% increase, and labour is only a proportion of the total production cost)

        Of course a lot of the potential customers will have more money in their pockets from higher wages.

    • Graeme 14.2

      Seems there's plenty of willing workers, so remuneration may not be the issue, it's finding 'suitable' workers that seems to be the problem.

      And 'suitable' may have more to do with the worker's ability to earn a profit for the labour hire company than their ability to pick fruit. Hence the preference for RSE workers, they fit the labour hire business model better.

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  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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