Open mike 09/05/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 9th, 2022 - 48 comments
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For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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Step up to the mike …

48 comments on “Open mike 09/05/2022 ”

  1. Temp ORary 1

    Nice to have some longitudinal (rather than cross-sectional) research for a change. Though certainly some caveats regarding (the decent, but could be bigger) sample population size of 317, and USAn population demographics generalizability. It will be interesting to see the next data tranche in another lustrum.

    Quotes are from the preprint pdf, which is linked to here (and includes a short summary). Stray numbers are from reference citations, but hopefully I got all of those deleted for readability:

    https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/doi/10.1542/peds.2021-056082/186992/Gender-Identity-5-Years-After-Social-Transition

    Increasing numbers of children are socially transitioning to live in line with their gender identity, rather than the gender assumed by their sex at birth—a process that typically involves changing a child’s pronouns, first name, hairstyle, and clothing. Some concerns about childhood social transitions have been raised, including that these children may not continue to identify as transgender, rather they might “retransition” (also called a “detransition” or “desistence”), which some suggest could be distressing for the youth. Research has suggested that ages 10-13 years may be particularly key times for retransition and that identity may be more stable after this period for youth who show early gender nonconformity.

    Other clinicians argue that early social transitions can be beneficial for some gender-diverse youth. Some clinicians and scholars who support early childhood social transitions encourage families to remain open to later retransitions, which are seen by some as part of a youth’s exploration of their gender.

    Unfortunately, very little data about retransitions exist in the scientific literature…

    Five years after an initial binary social transition, 7% of youth had retransitioned at least once. Most youth (94%) were living as binary transgender youth at the time of data analysis, including 1.3% who retransitoned initially to cisgender or nonbinary and then retransitioned back to binary trans identities. A small number of youth were living as cisgender youth (2.5%) or nonbinary youth (3.5%). We observed comparable rates when examining all participants who began the study (n=317), those who continue to be in regular contact with the research team (n=291), those who had gone at least 5 years since initial social transition (n=200), and those who started the study before beginning puberty blockers (n=280). We found no differences as a function of participant sex at birth. We observed slightly higher rates of retransition, and particularly later cisgender identity, amongst youth who initially socially transitioned before age 6. However, even in these youth, retransition rates were very low.

    TLDR: For those who socially transition before puberty, detransition to gender assigned at birth is rare – rarer than retransition to NonBinary. Even rarer for those who transition after puberty (vide references in pdf).

    • Molly 1.1

      This data confirms previous clinical data that social transitioning is not a neutral act.

      Children who are confirmed in their change of gender identity, given new name, clothes, accommodations at home and at school in regards to their gender identity – are obviously less likely to continue to explore their own feelings and change their minds. Especially after receiving accolades and accommodations by trusted adults.

      If this relates to a recently published article in the NY Times, this study followed children from the age of average 6.5yrs at beginning of social transition, and reviewed them at 11.5 yrs.

      At the end of the study, they are only just beginning puberty. They often are still unaware of sexual development, function and sensation and the impact of what transition means. This is a time when to continue along their trajectory they will not doubt look at blocking puberty and requesting medical assistance for that.

      Social transition at the beginning age around 6.5yrs is easy. Pre-pubertal children are similar in size and presentation (with or without hair/clothing stereotypes). Children who have been accommodated for five years with the trusted adults in their lives telling them they are the opposite sex, will no doubt be distressed by the advent of puberty as their body betrays that lie. They will then demand puberty blockers etc…

      That is why reviews of literature have concluded social transitioning in young children to be harmful. Because it concretises what might be a transient identity. It also suspends children in a lie, for a period of years, which is unable to be maintained when puberty hits, and their body starts to change.

      Other clinicial data has shown that 80-85% of gender dysphoric children desist with a watch and wait approach, combined with exploratory therapy that investigates all aspects of a child's life. Most who desist will in early adulthood recognise that their sexual-orientation is not heterosexual, and their discomfort with their bodies was – in part – related to that growing awareness.

      There's a review of the article here, with some further links.

      https://segm.org/early-social-gender-transition-persistence

      Given that several countries have reviewed the available clinical data, and found that affirmation only transition is harmful for minors (including social transition), why are we not asking for a review here in NZ.

      Iatrogenic harm is not a irregular occurrence. It often happens when medical data for protocols is not robust.

      I don't see anything to celebrate when we concretise children into a medical pathway that may medicalise them for life. Or requires everyone they have contact with to accommodate them. Especially when the treatment may impact on their ability to have full sexual function, sensation and fertility.

      "TLDR: For those who socially transition before puberty, detransition to gender assigned at birth is rare – rarer than retransition to NonBinary. Even rarer for those who transition after puberty (vide references in pdf)."

      This is not the evidence you interpret this as. This reinforces the long-held view that social transition for children is a harmful act in terms of long-term outcomes.

      NB. Non-binary is a nonsense.

      • Anker 1.1.1

        Thanks Molly, was just about to respond to this research.

        As usual you covered it perfectly.

        Confounding factors that stood out to me was these kids parents "approved" of their transition. Mean age of 8.1. Some had began transitiong at 6 years old. To me it appears that these kids were gender non conforming and their high income earning parents affirmed their gender identity, unlike in the 60s and 70s when gender non conforming kids were left to be tom boys, but everyone one knew they were female. it wasn't a problem.

        What was the process by which these kids transitioned? Did their parents tell them because they were gender non conforming they must be the opposite sex.

        Just as a related aside can anyone really take the term "sex assigned at birth" seriously? Sex can be determind in the womb pretty early on and that doesn't change.

      • Temp ORary 1.1.2

        This relates to the Olson et al (2022) preprint paper for the American Academy of Pediatrics official journal (rather directly, but that's scientists for you) called Pediatrics entitled: Gender Identity 5 Years After Social Transition. I have no idea if the NY Times republished it (I don't maintain an account there), but it seems unlikely given its length and journalistic style. The SEGM piece refers to this Pediatrics research article in any case, but seems to be mostly quibbling rather than presenting contrary evidence (as is the norm in scientific discourse).

        So I decided to see who this Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine actually were behind the facade. As you were apparently unaware that; Ani O'Brien was anything to do with SUFW, nor even that; the Q in LGBTQ+ stood for Queer, until recently, this may be news to you as well; Molly.

        It is not too surprising that the SEGM would be trying to discredit an AAP article as:

        their participation in the field of transgender related medicine is so contentious that in early August they were denied a spot at the annual conference for the American Academy of Pediatrics…

        SEGM's standards for what constitutes a legitimate evidence base, versus what constitutes invalidation of research findings depend on whether the evidence supports banning transition healthcare. On the one hand, Lisa Littman's widely discredited research is advanced as proof of a phenomenon happening (against the revised conclusions) whereas on the other hand, a single downgraded study elsewhere is used to make sweeping and generalised attacks discrediting trans surgical interventions as a whole. This is not an evidence based approach…

        SEGM appear to be among a growing bubble of fringe groups exploiting widespread ignorance about mainstream scientific consensus on gender medicine to push an agenda driven approach to understanding scientific evidence.

        https://transsafety.network/posts/segm-uncovered/

        But perhaps you can provide links to the Clinical Data from more reputable sources that supports your statement that: "Other clinicial {sic} data has shown that 80-85% of gender dysphoric children desist with a watch and wait approach, combined with exploratory therapy that investigates all aspects of a child's life"?

        N.B. Your inability to understand NonBinary gender identities says more about your ability to understand, than it does about the reality of said identities.

        • Molly 1.1.2.1

          Will write a post to address this, Temp Orary, if TS doesn't mind.

          (And put in links etc there). There's a lot of information for those looking into it to unpick. I'll try and get something done in the next few days.

          I will just mention that your comment (as so many comments on this topic) is two thirds trying to discredit the source – even while posting a non-neutral source of your own. Kudos on the sheer affrontery. I've already read the critique of SEGM from transsafety. I believe, it too, to be a nonsense.

          For the new to the game, SEGM contains many links to original sources, but some of the contributors don't meet the desired compliance requirements of gender ideology activists.

          Anyway, will get on with my day, and work on a post.

          • Molly 1.1.2.1.1

            NB in regards to:" As you were apparently unaware that; Ani O'Brien was anything to do with SUFW,"…

            That's a misrepresentation.

            What I said was:
            "You may wish to associate me with Judith Collins previous press secretary, whoever that is. "

            I do know who Ani O'Brien is. I do know she is associated with SUFW.

            I didn't know she was Judith Collins previous press secretary.

            I do believe that misrepresentation is a charitable interpretation of what you are doing here.

            For clarity, suggest next time you just use the name Ani O'Brien.

            "the Q in LGBTQ+ stood for Queer, until recently, this may be news to you as well; Molly"

            No. I understood what the Q stood for as a word. I was asking for the definition of that word, as you saw it.

            My question was:

            "What does Queer mean that isn't covered by L, G and B?

            Why do you think a support movement for L, G and B would add to its acronym a term that has such negative connotations historically for them to represent a group that they are not part of?

            Still no definition of Queer BTW."

            I also had follow up questions re: your definitions of +, and intersex.

            So far, nothing forthcoming.

  2. Jester 2

    Another ram raid this time in Panmure so that's at least two over the weekend.

    Lets hope the extra money is used to make a difference and actually stop these.

    Another Auckland ram raid: Panmure store damaged in burglary overnight – NZ Herald

    • mac1 2.1

      Since these recent ram raids began, what actually has been the arrest rate for the perpetrators?

      I found this article from April 13!

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/300564968/more-than-80-people-arrested-for-ram-raids-since-february-1

      • Ed1 2.1.1

        Where has personal responsibility gone? From the media, we see videos of these raids, and often hear that they are youth who should not have been driving, but look at how exciting it appears to a young gamer . . . Who made the vehicles available, or did not secure the keys? Who was the idiot that displays expensive and readily saleable goods behind only a sheet of glass overnight? Why have we not heard stories of insurance premiums going up massively for the costs of the raids? I feel sorry for the small business owner with a shopfront next to the footpath , but can the front of the building not have a steel frame to a doorway that is too narrow for a vehicle, and steel reinforcing for the rest of the vulnerable external wall? It seems all National have are bashing the government and police – no solutions except tax cuts – how will that help?

        • Craig H 2.1.1.1

          I can't say I'm a big fan of blaming someone for being a victim of a crime as it can go down some highly unpleasant pathways. I'm sure insurance companies will find ways to push people in those directions if they haven't already, but it's a fine line between that and victim-blaming.

        • Belladonna 2.1.1.2

          Two of the ram raids in our local shopping centre, targeted a liquor store (for the obvious reason) and a dairy (cigarettes).

          In both cases, it's not really possible for the stock to be any more secured than it already is (it's already in locked cabinets – but people who are prepared to use a car as an entry weapon, aren't going to be deterred by locks)

          Shop owners would *love* to be able to put bollards on the footpath outside – but Council won't approve it (infringes on the footpath and impedes pedestrian access (apparently).

          In both cases – the actual damage done to the shops and the wanton destruction of stock (apart from what was actually stolen) was significantly greater than the value of the items stolen.

          Have to say, it sounds to me like adrenaline rush, rather than robbery, is the primary motive.

          And the cars are almost always stolen.

          There are apparently zero consequences for these under-age criminals-in-training. So, why wouldn't they?

          Personal responsibility? How about sheeting it home to the parents/caregivers rather than victim-blaming the small shopkeepers?

  3. Ad 3

    Chloe Swarbrick rolls out the kind of writing that Jacinda Ardern would have done in her first year as PM.

    Chlöe Swarbrick: Climate change has arrived while politicians argue the status quo – NZ Herald

  4. Janice 4

    I have always cringed when I have heard ministers of health and education speak of 'kids'. Kids are baby goats, show some respect for children. Now we have a Minister of Police who speaks of 'cops' instead of police officers and then talks about throwing people into clink. Now I have just heard Suzie Ferguson start an interview about the number of cops. It is contagious. Suzie should know better.

    • Ad 4.1

      Also we simply must teach our young men to properly tip hats to ladies, bring back Listen With Mother, and teach the help to properly cinch our corsets.

    • weston 4.2

      Well janice like it or not that kind of language is what pretty much all of us use every day with lots of obscenities thrown in as well ! I wouldnt worry about suzie ferguson's ditze vacuousness either since in the fare dished up for our digestion every morn by rnz's dolop of infotainment she's just par for the course !!

      I often think how nice it'd be to sack the lot of them .Let all the overpaid posers go get jobs at cnn or bbc which they love so much and give nz back a serious news service again sans all the hoopla fanfare musac drumbeats and general breathless bullshit !

      We can but dream alas

      • Adrian 4.2.1

        Couldn't agree more Weston but we must insist on Home Counties Accents as well as ties to be worn by wireless announcers. Standards man, standards!

      • left for dead 4.2.2

        Here here,give that man a hand clap.yes

    • theotherpat 4.3

      thank you for confirming just how fecked up we are….no wonder its all such a mess.

  5. Hunter Thompson II 5

    NZ Herald, 7 May 2022, p C1: "It's raining money for water consultants" (report states that the government has spent $21 million on consultants and contractors to sell the idea of the Three Waters reforms to the public).

    Surely officials and the relevant minister should be capable of explaining the proposals without blowing vast sums of taxpayer dollars on expensive promotions?

    The merit (or otherwise) of the programme should also be clear.

    Years ago National PM Keith Holyoake (according to Rob Muldoon) said that any minister who could not score off a question in the House was not up to the job. It seems that these days no minister can function without the support of an army of PR spin doctors.

    Nice work if you can get it.

  6. Cricklewood 6

    The falling school attendance is likely going to be a social disaster down the track if we cant turn it around and fast… could well see a big decline in literacy and numeracy etc.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/school-principals-concerned-for-thousands-of-absent-children/HIWYXXVBVESOCNOWESWYU5BTIM/

    • DB Brown 6.1

      The declines will run far deeper than literacy etc. It will impact all of our systems negatively. Education, health, justice, social services…

      I've met several illiterate men in jail. It's a massive handicap. And the justice dept was not educating (rehabilitating) them, though some were still young and reasonably intelligent.

      We'll find plenty of these currently truant kids in jails, rehabs and outside parliament flinging shit in the not so distant future. And they'd be right to fling shit if there's not someone at least giving a damn and trying to herd them back into a classroom.

    • Belladonna 6.2

      One of the comments I heard from the incomparable Celia Lashlie at an event about raising boys – was that one of the most important actions to keep them on the rails was to keep them in school. It was great if they were learning there. But even if they weren't actually being physically present in school was a protection in itself.
      Kids wagging are kids on the streets and at high risk of getting into worse company.

  7. Ad 7

    If our unemployment is so low, trading conditions so good, productivity and wages increasing, and billions more coming for all manner of projects, what would it take to persuade the business community that Labour are actually doing a good job?

    • Blazer 7.1

      Scomo is basically trying that narrative in the Aussie …election.

    • Stuart Munro 7.2

      Seems to require something akin to a stroke.

      Falling down/seeing a bright light/ hearing the voice of God.

      Euripides apparently described it so well that it was adopted at the highest level.

    • AB 7.3

      …what would it take to persuade the business community that Labour are actually doing a good job?

      Nothing will ever persuade them. They will never forgive that our excellent pandemic response was a result of telling the business community to be quiet and do as they were told for a brief period. They fear that sort of contagion spreading – and history is being rewritten as we speak by their media arm (NZME, NZ Herald) to create the impression that the pandemic response was rubbish.

      • Ad 7.3.1

        In some respects the same could be said of the rest generally dissatisfied with Labour:

        “The more things improve, the louder become the exclamations about their badness.”

    • Craig H 7.4

      Nothing, the Clark government had the same problem despite surpluses, high growth and low unemployment during their term. Business confidence in the futures of their own businesses is high, but confidence in the overall economic direction is low, leaving survey outcomes that are inconsistent (or even contradictory) with each other.

    • roblogic 7.5

      The Herald and other second rate media outlets have declared war on this government. The world class pandemic response was not good enough for them. The new industry bargaining “fair pay agreements” bill is making them shit themselves. The prospect of collapsing demand for million dollar mortgages & lack of a ready supply of cashed up migrants makes them cry into their Weetbix. The recent revelations about slavery and disgusting exploitation of “essential workers” rife throughout the economy, and the supposed “labour shortages” are making them piss and moan.

      National and their mates hate workers, want them to have low wages and pay all the tax, while the fat cats avoid their responsibilities and get richer.

  8. Blazer 8

    How can you give birth to 2 children ,live in a State house in NZ and be an overstayer for so long without being…detected?

    Woman who has overstayed in NZ for 16 years granted residence due to family ties | Stuff.co.nz

    • Jenny how to get there 8.1

      Several million White migrants have managed it for 180 years in plain sight.

    • Craig H 8.2

      All of those were covered as the wife/parent of NZ citizens (healthcare during a pregnancy is covered for unborn babies who will be NZ citizens by birth when they are born regardless of parental immigration status; wouldn't come up for the state house, benefits or working for families if the husband/father was the applicant), so I doubt anyone thought to check, or even if they did, wouldn't have anything to report because eligibility could be established in other ways if specifically asked.

    • Patricia Bremner 8.3

      How can you …

      Perhaps because you also break no other laws?, live a blameless family life?

  9. Jimmy 9

    Who the hell are these people?

    Surely letting down people's tyres will increase carbon if vehicles then need to be towed etc. And seems like they don't even like electric vehicles!

    'These people are just insane': AM hosts lash out at climate change group deflating tyres (msn.com)

    • Robert Guyton 9.1

      They are 3 "AM hosts" so far as I can tell from the link and you're right, they seem to be disconnected from reality.

      • Jimmy 9.1.1

        But it would piss you off if they deflated the tyres on your new EV.

        • Craig H 9.1.1.1

          Bit of an own goal really.

        • Robert Guyton 9.1.1.2

          Though I don't own one, I'm sure you are correct. But isn't the idea to piss-off the owners of SUVs, especially those who are "playing" by owning them?

          That the group disapprove of EVs doesn't concern me. I also have reservations about them.

          I do though, think the group is making a mistake by leaving an explanatory note.

          That makes their protest seem very "preachy" and easier to dismiss.

  10. joe90 10

    German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's address to the nation commemorating the end of WW2 in Europe.

    Ukraine will prevail. Freedom and security will win, just as freedom and security triumphed over servitude, violence and dictatorship 77 years ago

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwos2xzaoYg

  11. Temp ORary 11

    The bus subsidy is nice in principle, but the way that the ORC is implementing it is, well; orcish! Look at this nonsense (once you press the: Bus Alerts, button; it didn’t come over with the link) – the simple method (for bus passengers) would be to have the timetables updated to account for cancelations. But no, instead you have to juggle back and forth through multiple tabs (good luck on a mobile) to decipher possible times for routes.

    https://www.orc.govt.nz/public-transport/dunedin-buses

    Fair enough that drivers who have COVID can't drive – though you'd think that management might have been able to predict that in a Pandemic and hire more drivers in preparation (but with the work pay and conditions, there's not much interest). As for planning for increased usage with the public transport subsidy:

    ORC transport manager Doug Rodgers said the council was pleased to be able to offer the half-price fares "and expect more people will want to jump on, especially at peak times".

    "However, services are already disrupted, so if more people catch the bus than usual, we may hit full capacity on individual routes well before they get to their destination.

    “Due to drivers isolating or being ill due to Covid, a national driver shortage and the recent increase in capacity provided for school services, we will be unable to provide extra services," Mr Rodgers said.

    https://www.odt.co.nz/the-star/those-who-can-urged-travel-outside-peak

    Yet with all its incompetence and public frustration, the ORC still clings onto the the Dunedin bus service despite the DCC having expressed interest in running it themselves. The standard large vehicles that can be shuffled around Otago providers, are simply too big for many Dunedin streets:

    Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins said the case for sticking with regional council control had not been made convincingly, "and until it is it’s hard to have a real conversation about future arrangements".

    The only other thing worth discussing at such a meeting would be how the regional council saw the city having meaningful decision-making influence over the bus service, he said…

    Regional council chairman Andrew Noone said continuing dialogue would be useful.

    Deputy chairman Michael Laws said it was anachronistic for regional councils to have responsibility for public transport.

    Regional councillor Hilary Calvert said the councils should be clear about where the responsibilities of each lay…

    City councillor {& 2nd place for mayor in 2019} Lee Vandervis said the regional council had been clear it did not want the Dunedin City Council trying to run the bus service or take over public transport.

    https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/bus-service-shared-issue-councillors

    • Jenny how to get there 12.1

      Unfortunately public health workers are seen as a cost not a profit making enterprise, industrial action unsupported by sympathy strikes in the profit making sector of the economy is doomed to failure.

      To win their strike action the health workers need the support of the private sector unions to really press their case..

      Zimbabwe had the best public health system in Africa.
      Under Mugabe dictatorship the public health sector was underfunded, when the Nurses and Drs struck for more funding. Mugabe just privatised the whole sector. When Mugabe himself became ill, like other member of the Zimbabwe wealthy elite, Mugabe sought medical treatment overseas.

      Mugabe died while receiving treatment in a private hospital in Singapore

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

  • 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
    4 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
    6 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
    6 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
    20 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
    24 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    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
    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
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  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
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