Open mike 09/07/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 9th, 2016 - 86 comments
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86 comments on “Open mike 09/07/2016 ”

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  1. Agora 1
    9 July 2016 at 7:31 am

    John Key is the strongest argument I know for the reintroduction of the checks and balances of an upper house of traditional western democracy – removed not by popular vote but by national party members dubbed a ‘suicide squad’ in 1951.

    • save nz 1.1
      9 July 2016 at 8:56 am

      I’ll settle for Impeachment.

      Key, Collins and McCully for starters.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.2
      9 July 2016 at 11:39 am

      Why do people always think that an upper house works?

      There’s very clear evidence from around the world that an upper house is just as dysfunctional as the lower house and thus causes even more problems.

      It’s not an upper house that we need but more democracy with policies being set by the people and not by political parties. We need the people to be able to hold the politicians to account. John Key should have been in jail in 2007 for his lies and attempt at insider trading with his Transrail shares.

      • save nz 1.2.1
        9 July 2016 at 11:45 am

        +1 Draco – what sort of country are we, when you can have a ‘blind trust’ as a politician?

        We are still waiting for Key’s tax returns.

        And very suspicious that Key was so pro the NZ tax havens, has money in tax havens, his lawyer who is not a lawyer is a tax haven broker and IRD was not allowed to investigate tax havens. Then his white washed report, means he wants to wait a year or two before taking action on the NZ tax havens. Make them public immediately!

        Hmmm, Key never does anything for nothing, so we can pretty much guarantee what is in the NZ tax havens…

        It took 13 years to get some action on Blair so I guess Key will join his mates offshore once he’s fleeced the country to it’s brink.

        • Chuck 1.2.1.1
          9 July 2016 at 8:24 pm

          You are slipping save nz, you forgot to mention Key’s involvement in the human organ black market, the dungeon below his house where he keeps all his sex slaves!

          Don’t you also find it strange John Key is supporting Helen Clark in her UN bid? maybe they have some business dealings that will pay off once Clark is the UN bigwig? heck maybe I am onto something here…

          • Gosman 1.2.1.1.1
            10 July 2016 at 8:42 pm

            You jest but some people here will actually believe they are in cahoots.

            • Muttonbird 1.2.1.1.1.1
              10 July 2016 at 9:04 pm

              They are in cahoots. Clark endorsed Key’s presentation of the TPPA to the NZ public and Key endorsed Clark’s bid for UNSG.

              Not dodgy, just nauseating.

  2. Nck 2
    9 July 2016 at 9:32 am

    Grocer, English, Smith, Joyce, parata,…. So many

  3. Andre 3
    9 July 2016 at 9:46 am

    For anyone that’s not totally unhinged with rabid Hillary-hatred and is curious about what kind of classified information Clinton was being extremely careless with, this fills it out a bit.

    http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/war_stories/2016/07/hillary_s_email_scandal_was_overhyped.html

    • miravox 3.1
      9 July 2016 at 9:56 am

      Thanks Andre. Good to see something that spells the issues out so clearly.

  4. save nz 4
    9 July 2016 at 10:07 am

    Email to Clinton: U.S. pressured Iraq to increase oil production “to pay the greatest dividends”
    Iraqi oil production skyrocketed since illegal 2003 US invasion, in accordance with plans outlined by US officials

    http://www.salon.com/2016/07/08/leaked_email_to_clinton_u_s_pressured_iraq_to_increase_oil_production_to_pay_the_greatest_dividends/

    • Andre 4.1
      9 July 2016 at 10:16 am

      Yep, that’s the kind of shit that really should have made Hillary unpopular with Democrats, but doesn’t. That will largely be viewed by a lot of Americans as rightfully getting something back out of Iraq in return for what it has cost them.

  6. save nz 6
    9 July 2016 at 10:24 am

    Reckless neoliberals…

    Cameron really was the true heir to Blair: both were totally reckless
    Jonathan Freedland

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/08/david-cameron-true-heir-to-tony-blair-totally-reckless

  7. ianmac 7
    9 July 2016 at 10:42 am

    https://politicallycorrectednz.wordpress.com/which-raises-another-serious-question-john-key-did-you/ Printed September 2014.
    Has this been aired again? Is it kosher? I know that in 2008 Mike Williams went to Australia to find evidence of Key’s “misleading” the SFO but is this the same or a serious review.

  8. Rodel 8
    9 July 2016 at 11:18 am

    Watkins column in today’s Press compares what John Key has but Andrew Little hasn’t got. ..”charisma”
    How shallow can journalists get? ….’Charisma’ is a PR generated myth, a trait held by Mugabe, Lassie the dog and Lady Gaga (although I must admit the latter can actually sing).

    I didn’t read the rest of her column but I’ll bet Watkins didn’t talk about integrity, sincerity or honesty.Can’t let facts upset a good argument.

    • save nz 8.1
      9 July 2016 at 11:50 am

      Blair also had charisma – look where that has led the British people…

    • swordfish 8.2
      9 July 2016 at 12:01 pm

      “’Charisma’ is a PR generated myth, a trait held by Mugabe, Lassie the dog and Lady Gaga (although I must admit the latter can actually sing).”

      What makes you think Mugabe can’t sing ?

    • Reality 8.3
      9 July 2016 at 1:00 pm

      Tracy Watkins had the hatchet today out to write off Andrew Little, while saying everything about John Key is fine and dandy. Infuriating. What is charisma if there is no integrity and decency. Smiling and waving on the outside while being totally hollow and shallow on the inside – that is Key.

    • Jack Ramaka 8.4
      9 July 2016 at 1:26 pm

      How much did she actually get paid to write the article?

  9. Draco T Bastard 9
    9 July 2016 at 11:54 am

    Woodsounds and Waterscapes
    Native American Flute Music Video.

    https://youtu.be/OKMvx_ntsRM

  10. newsense 10
    9 July 2016 at 1:04 pm

    Is this decades’ Iraq war the TPPA? To the ‘sight’ mobiles

  11. Jack Ramaka 11
    9 July 2016 at 1:06 pm

    Key is purely carrying on Roger Douglas’s work on the Neoliberal Experiment, soon we will all be serfs to the 1% percenters they have asset stripped the Nation’s assets which have been built up over the past 175 years paid for by the NZ Taxpayers, and we are still $120 Billion in the Red. Go Figure?

  12. whispering kate 12
    9 July 2016 at 1:06 pm

    Beware of people with charisma, firstly they are in love with themselves and preoccupied with the self, possibly psychopathic as well. The world has had many charismatic people who have used that trait to better their agenda. One comes to mind – Adolf Hitler, now he may not have won a beauty contest but he brought in the crowds, rallied a country to his bidding and dated pretty blondes – look what his legacy is. Mugabe is another, ugly as sin but he has that x-factor which bodes no goodwill towards his people. Mr Clinton bless his heart was sex on a stick (or so the females thought of him) but his Foundation along with his missus is very suspect for the health of the US. Heaps of people end up in positions of responsibility all because they have that x-factor. We keep being conned into their winning ways and will forever be conned. Our PM, now he’s another one with the supposed charisma gene – me personally, I never got it at all, but he still has traction and oddly enough I think its mainly males who think he is the bees knees, I may be wrong but none of my female acquaintances think he has it going for him at all.

    • Draco T Bastard 12.1
      9 July 2016 at 1:21 pm

      Beware of people with charisma, firstly they are in love with themselves and preoccupied with the self, possibly psychopathic as well.
      QFT

  13. Greg 13
    9 July 2016 at 1:51 pm

    John Key cant distance himself the RB:

    JK did it differently, he held off selling great volumes of NZD/USD for a long time while it was going up, almost certainly because he had seen the mistake made by other central banks.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11344156

  14. Rodel 14
    9 July 2016 at 3:28 pm

    The Key (C-T) strategy is :
    When there is good news..be seen….When there is bad news, hide in the shadows and don’t be seen ,(or hide in the sun in Hawaii)

    Redcliffs saga.
    Yesterday was posted, “Redcliffs voters might well remember who fought to keep their school open – Their Labour MP, Ruth Dyson or the wannabee hiding quietly in the shadows?”

    Q-Guess where the wannabe’s big advertising camper-van is now?
    A- No longer hiding in the shadows but parked triumphantly right outside the gates of Redcliffs School.

    (Key ( C-T) principles in action. Sadly, It’ll probably work..

  15. ianmac 15
    9 July 2016 at 4:52 pm

    That’s a nice touch. On the Herald, Claire Trevett has written up the Labour plan. (sarc)Of course she does fish out an English rebuttal from the past.
    But no big headline on the Herald.

  16. Paul 16
    9 July 2016 at 5:36 pm

    Now the Chilcott report has found Blair guilt of lying to the British people over Iraq in 2003, isn’t it about time the left summoned up the courage to question the intial lie?
    9/11.

    If Bush and Cheney could lie about Iraq, why is it not considered possible the story we were told about 9/11 is also a lie?

    • Colonial Viper 16.1
      9 July 2016 at 5:46 pm

      Of course the official story we were told about 9/11 is a lie. Several 9/11 Commissioners also said that they were either lied to or their investigation blocked by US Government officials.

      But some people cannot stomach the fact that the authorities may have significantly misled them. Even knowing that is what authorities have done over and over again in history.

      Easier to believe that the only 3 steel framed skyscrapers to fail due to fire all did so on the same day, and all did so within a couple of hundred metres from each other, at near free fall speeds, virtually on to their own building foot prints.

      • Paul 16.1.1
        9 July 2016 at 5:59 pm

        Why are people prepared to accept Iraq was a lie, yet not question 9/11?
        Why are folk like trp so hostile on this issue?

        • te reo putake 16.1.1.1
          9 July 2016 at 6:07 pm

          Not hostile, just fixed on fact. Though why an evidence free conservative conspiracy theory should get any traction on a left wing site is also a bit of a puzzle. There’s usually a frothy debate from 9/11 denialists every six months or so here at the Standard, but the singular lack of evidence for any of their wacky ideas (holograms anyone?), tends to make the discussions a bit one sided.

        • gsays 16.1.1.2
          9 July 2016 at 6:55 pm

          hi paul, without wanting to poke sticks at anyone, i think there seems to be a fondness for the status quo, in folk who accept the government line re 9/11.

          • Andre 16.1.1.2.1
            9 July 2016 at 7:21 pm

            A big difference is that a lot of the 9/11 truther claims are about topics where anyone in the general public with the relevant technical expertise can evaluate whether there’s any merit to them. So when the likes of Paul or CV keep repeating truther claims that I personally have enough expertise to debunk, and those claims have been repeatedly debunked by experts elsewhere, the only conclusion I can come to is they are utter fuckwits clinging to their unreason.

            The only aspects about 9/11 that I still have questions about are how much the various agencies knew about the hijackers beforehand, and how much government involvement there was in spiriting politically sensitive possible associates out of the country immediately afterwards. But even then, the likelier explanation for the dodgier allegations seems cock-up rather than conspiracy.

            • Colonial Viper 16.1.1.2.1.1
              9 July 2016 at 7:28 pm

              And the couple of thousand architects and engineers who believe that a full new investigation into 9/11 needs to be undertaken?

              You’re smarter than all of them right?

              The 9/11 Commission members who said they were actively lied to and their investigations blocked by the US GOV – a Commission that had originally given only a couple of million dollars budget – imagine that! Barely enough money to buy one or two Abrams tanks with – their comments don’t mean anything to you.

              And the nanothermite residues spread all around downtown New York City – irrelevant, right?

              The huge lumps of molten steel which have been identified from the Twin Towers, as well as the massive underground heat which lasted for a couple of months after the towers came down – you explained that too right?

              And this highly experienced European buildings demolition contractor – your expertise outweighs his, right?

            • Colonial Viper 16.1.1.2.1.2
              9 July 2016 at 7:40 pm

              the only conclusion I can come to is they are utter fuckwits clinging to their unreason

              Pffft. Andre, you’re a smart professional. Obviously all the architects and engineers who disagree with your views on 9/11 aren’t “utter fuckwits.”

              All people are asking for is a thorough new investigation and review of what happened on 9/11. That’s not very much to ask when we know that the original NIST reports and the 9/11 Commission left many questions unasked.

              • Paul …
                9 July 2016 at 8:06 pm

                It would be good if Andre actually rebutted just one of your points, rather than name calling.
                Is the left scared to ask questions about 9/11?
                And if so, why ?

                • Colonial Viper …
                  9 July 2016 at 8:25 pm

                  Multiple successful cellphone calls were made by passengers from fast moving airliners which were well over 10,000 feet altitude. Some of these calls lasted for over a minute. This was beyond the technology used at the time. How were these calls made?

                  • Paul …
                    9 July 2016 at 8:31 pm

                    Air defences completely failed to intercept any of the 4 planes.
                    A beginner pilot flies an almost impossible flight path into the Pentagon
                    The BBC reports WTC 7 collapses before it happens.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      9 July 2016 at 8:38 pm

                      Supposed 9/11 hijackers who turned up alive and well in the weeks and months after the event.

                      The steel skyscrapers symmetrically brought down by totally asymmetric structural, kerosene or office furnishings fires is simply the crowning BS on top of it all.

                    • Paul …
                      9 July 2016 at 8:45 pm

                      We were lied to in 2001.
                      And because most people bought the lie, we were lied to about Iraq, Libya and the Ukraine.

            • Paul 16.1.1.2.1.3
              9 July 2016 at 8:04 pm

              WTC7.

            • Paul 16.1.1.2.1.4
              9 July 2016 at 8:35 pm

              Charles Kennedy and George Galloway were insulted as mad and bad when they questioned the official story about Iraq in 2003.
              Now they are vindicated.
              History will show that 9/11 was a similar fabrication

        • Psycho Milt 16.1.1.3
          9 July 2016 at 6:59 pm

          If Bush and Cheney could lie about Iraq, why is it not considered possible the story we were told about 9/11 is also a lie?

          Well, firstly because the false basis for the casus belli against Iraq was swiftly uncovered, which makes it unlikely a much more complicated and wide-ranging conspiracy involving the 9/11 attacks would have held up for long, and secondly, because, you know, science, evidence, plausibility, regular shit like that. But you already know this, because it has to be repeated on threads at this site on a regular basis.

    • te reo putake 16.2
      9 July 2016 at 5:47 pm

      The Chilcott report didn’t say he lied so your premise falls at the first hurdle. And the second hurdle, too.

      • Colonial Viper 16.2.1
        9 July 2016 at 5:51 pm

        Blair knowingly and deliberately sold the public a false story about Saddam. That’s lying.

        • te reo putake 16.2.1.1
          9 July 2016 at 5:54 pm

          The Chilcott report didn’t say that he lied.

          • Colonial Viper 16.2.1.1.1
            9 July 2016 at 6:26 pm

            The Chilcot report didn’t use that L word, but it did say that Blair knowingly and deliberately sold the public a false story about Saddam. That’s lying.

            • te reo putake 16.2.1.1.1.1
              9 July 2016 at 6:39 pm

              The Chilcott report didn’t say Blair lied, so did Paul in his original comment knowingly and deliberately sell the TS public a false story about Blair? I don’t know, but I think we should be told 😉

              • Colonial Viper …
                9 July 2016 at 6:55 pm

                The Chilcot report said that Blair knowingly and deliberately sold the public a false story about the danger that Saddam posed. That’s lying. Not sure why you have a problem with that.

              • Paul …
                9 July 2016 at 7:26 pm

                Governments use more diplomatic language than lie.
                But it’s clear that is the meaning of the report.

  17. Paul 17
    9 July 2016 at 6:01 pm

    You do accept that people were misinformed about Iraq, don’t you?

  18. Ad 18
    9 July 2016 at 6:09 pm

    Not sure what craziness would occur if it actually happened, but this is the US Green Party leader inviting Bernie Sanders to take over and lead their campaign:

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/08/jill-stein-bernie-sanders-green-party

    Could certainly do with a balance to the hard-monetarist candidate Johnson who keeps polling 6% or thereabouts.

    • Andre 18.1
      9 July 2016 at 6:26 pm

      The craziness that would occur is that it might take enough votes from Hillary that the technicolor golem ends up winning the presidency. You’d think 8 years of Bush the lesser instead of Gore would have been enough to hammer that lesson into the Greens, but evidently not.

      Just to be clear, if there was any possibility that a vote for the Green candidate (Stein or Sanders) in November would deliver any actual influence to a Green representative, I would absolutely vote for them. But it won’t. It can’t. The only possibilities in November are Clinton wins (which I don’t like the idea of, but I’ll vote for since it’s the best on offer), Trump wins (lord help us all if that utter disaster happens), or neither gets an Electoral College majority and the choice goes to the House of representatives (holy fuck!!!).

      • Colonial Viper 18.1.1
        9 July 2016 at 6:27 pm

        Let it happen then. Trump is better than Killary.

        • Peter Swift 18.1.1.1
          9 July 2016 at 6:50 pm

          So a racist, misogynist, billionaire one percenter is better.
          That explains a lot about where you’re currently at.

          You don’t sound like a friend to progressive left wing politics.
          Have you tried Kiwiblog or yournz? They seem more up your alley.

          • Colonial Viper 18.1.1.1.1
            9 July 2016 at 6:58 pm

            Hi Peter Swift. There is no greater friend to the 0.01% than Killary. She backs the banksters, and she backs the corporate TPPA.

            The big $$$ donations to her campaign and to her foundation show why very clearly.

            In comparison, Trump has barely received 1/30th the money that she has.

            • miravox 18.1.1.1.1.1
              9 July 2016 at 7:34 pm

              “In comparison, Trump has barely received 1/30th the money that she has”

              Not that he isn’t trying a bit harder these days

              http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/06/trump-raises-51-million-in-june-as-donation-efforts-ramp-up.html

              • Colonial Viper …
                9 July 2016 at 7:56 pm

                Sure, I get that. His campaign is very short on funds and he needs money.

                What I am saying is that the big banks and big corporates (Lockheed Martin etc) will typically donate serious money to both sides just in case, even if they have a favourite candidate.

                Up to this point however, they can’t even be bothered to throw Trump a bone. They are 100% backing Hillary.

                • miravox …
                  9 July 2016 at 8:09 pm

                  Picking winners…

                  It’s not like these corps don’t back the Republican party ahead of the Democrats
                  https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/index.php?party=R&cycle=2016

                  No telling why they’re not backing Trump. I’d like to think it’s because they know his policies are either vacant, or that he has not plans to make them work, or idiotic.

                  (mind you, as well as preferring the republicans has someone other than Trump, I’d also prefer the Democrats had someone other than Clinton so don’t tag me as a Clinton fan).

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    9 July 2016 at 8:27 pm

                    Well, I think we (and the ordinary people of the USA) are pretty screwed either way.

            • Peter Swift 18.1.1.1.1.2
              9 July 2016 at 7:48 pm

              “She backs the banksters, and she backs the corporate TPPA.”

              And trump’s a racist, misogynist billionaire. And you support him.

              If it’s a battle of evils, Trump is always going to be the worst of the worst.
              Defend him, if you must, but it’s not a good look for your credibility.

              • Colonial Viper …
                9 July 2016 at 7:53 pm

                Trump will be a far better US President than Killary, and certainly far better for NZ and for the Asia Pacific.

                As for your personal ratings of credibility, who gives a fuck.

                • locus …
                  9 July 2016 at 8:36 pm

                  Well at least Peter Swift can comment truthfully on Trump, and I guess his rating of who is a credible candidate for US president is as valid as yours CV

    • Andre 18.2
      9 July 2016 at 7:38 pm

      I reckon the Greens game here is to keep pressure on the Democrats to adopt more of Sanders’ agenda.

      • Ad 18.2.1
        9 July 2016 at 7:44 pm

        I like that.
        I like it a lot more than Sanders ungracefully holding out inside the Democrats.
        Sanders should accept Stein’s offer, perpetuate his little democratic earthquake.

        • Andre 18.2.1.1
          9 July 2016 at 7:48 pm

          Well, the threat can stay live until August, well after the Democrat convention. But actually accepting the offer might be a bit too much explosives in the offal pit.

  19. Jenny 19
    9 July 2016 at 9:55 pm

    Will the killers of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile serve time?

    Will they ever appear in court?

    Will they even be charged?

    This is the test.

    If the unwarranted killings of black men by US police officers carries no consequences then they will keep happening.

    http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-deaths-sterling-castile-america-boiling-point-article-1.2702969

  20. ianmac 20
    9 July 2016 at 10:47 pm

    The Metro has an interesting column. Hope it is true.
    “Is the age of denial over?By Graham Adams.
    “The latest uproar over homelessness, Auckland house prices and immigration marks the end of an era when voters looked the other way at the government’s behest.

    … But in 21st century New Zealand so much is denied by the National-led government and so many problems swept under the carpet it has been almost impossible for many people to know what to believe, what is true or even what matters any more.

    According to our current government and its Denier-in-Chief John Key, there is no housing bubble or crisis in Auckland; record immigration is not a problem; the steel in our roading projects is fine; plummeting milk prices are not a huge worry because dairy constitutes only six per cent of the economy even if it is 20 per cent of exports and so on and so on.

    The list of denials is long. The only pressing problem that the government has enthusiastically and straightforwardly acknowledged in the mainstream media this year seems to have been the possibility of sexist slogans on the sides of Wicked Campers vans corrupting the minds of the young…..”
    http://www.metromag.co.nz/current-affairs/is-the-age-of-denial-over/

  21. Lloyd 21
    10 July 2016 at 12:00 am

    Something to look out for in the next election. If the Liberals use this dirty trick in Australia, you can be sure the gnats will try it in NZ.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jul/09/how-a-chinese-language-social-media-campaign-hurt-labors-election-chances

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  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    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
    20 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
    22 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
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  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

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  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

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  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

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  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

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  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

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  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

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  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

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  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

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  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

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  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

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  • 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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  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

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  • 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 ...
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    7 days ago
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  • Update on global IT outage

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  • 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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  • 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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  • '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 ...
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    1 week ago

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