Open mike 10/02/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 10th, 2023 - 164 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:


Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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

Step up to the mike …

164 comments on “Open mike 10/02/2023 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Adrian Thornton 1
    10 February 2023 at 8:49 am

    If you didn't know already, it turns out the US is a terrorist state with a terrorist leader Joseph Biden…..the most aggressive one in the world, these guys make ISIS look like kids in the playground….as exposed by one of America's and the Worlds most distinguished and celebrated journalists, Seymour Hersh

    How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline

    "Biden’s decision to sabotage the pipelines came after more than nine months of highly secret back and forth debate inside Washington’s national security community about how to best achieve that goal."

    "Last June, the Navy divers, operating under the cover of a widely publicized mid-summer NATO exercise known as BALTOPS 22, planted the remotely triggered explosives that, three months later, destroyed three of the four Nord Stream pipelines, according to a source with direct knowledge of the operational planning."

    Some of what we know so far…

    1. The Germans who where acting as a neutral party in peace negotiations leading up to this war, where in fact, by their own admission, only using their extremely privileged position to buy time for Ukraine to arm and train itself.

    2.NATO was arming and training the Ukrainian military prior to the invasion.

    3. The West (USA/UK) actively stopped peace negioiation between Russia/Ukraine early on in the conflict.

    4. The USA planned to destroy Nord Stream 2 before the Russian invasion.

    5. Military stocks boom..of course.

    1. US Energy/Gas stocks boom…of course.

    Interesting (some would say even suspicious) how it is always the same Western industries and interests that seem to benefit from every war/intervention their countries get involved in…..

    • lprent 1.1
      10 February 2023 at 9:34 am

      So the US invaded Ukraine?

      You really are a completely gullible idiot. This appears to be hearsay from a single unidentified source with absolutely no background of how they were able to know. Zero evidence presented. Just a whole pile of waffle based on "they could have done it".

      In fact the whole article seems to hinge on some statements from the US executive that Nord 2 would not go ahead if Russia invaded Ukraine – without any specificity of means – of which there were many apart from military options.

      In other words, I'd class this as pure unsubstantiated fiction regardless of the writer. Along with the rest of your statement also which don't have any more support than supposition and waffle.

      Whereas the Russian Federation invaded and annexed parts of a neighbouring country. Is directly responsible for the actions that caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, devastation of infrastructure, has a documented history of atrocities and war crimes against civilians.

      Yet somehow you appear to ignore those every time. I guess that you just don't hold the Russian Federation up to the same standards even when there is actual visible proof.

      I am get tired of this, especially as you never engage about actual proof of actual actions. If you don't want to comment there, then just carry on as you are. As a rampant and quite stupid hypocrite.

      • Adrian Thornton 1.1.1
        10 February 2023 at 10:16 am

        "You really are a completely gullible idiot"…I have seen where you source your news from, so that coming from you means fuck all.

        "I am get tired of this, especially as you never engage about actual proof of actual actions" …I have responded to your previous comments to me on this subject, point by point…people can go back and check on those thorough dismantling of your weak and flimsy narratives if they wish…however I am not going to waste my time debating someone as rude and as obnoxious as you going forward.

        You want to debate me here on TS, fine, anytime..but I am not going to let you talk to me in such a manner…..I will be in AKL some time this year, how about you DM your number I will contact you when I come through, and you can say that shit to my face and we can get this unpleasantness over and done with once and for all…but in the mean time don't comment to me here unless you can refrain from your usual vile outbursts.

        • Francesca 1.1.1.1
          10 February 2023 at 10:34 am

          I find when someone resorts to vile, intemperate, insulting language directed at the poster rather than the argument , under the pretext of robust debate, they either have no real argument , or are too irrationally engaged to present their argument credibly.

          Initially when I was the target of these attacks, I was aghast and astonished, but now I scroll right on past .I do read this person's posts when they are lucid and devoid of the contemptuous and arrogant rants.

          But , as an "owner" of the site, he is entitled apparently to a fair bit of dick swinging and weight throwing not available to the rest of us plebs without instant bannings

          • Incognito 1.1.1.1.1
            10 February 2023 at 11:46 am

            Feel free to address Lprent’s arguments and challenge to Adrian’s comment. Or remain in your self-made bubble of niceness telling youself only the stories you choose to believe in.

            • Brigid 1.1.1.1.1.1
              10 February 2023 at 1:31 pm

              Francesca choose to address Lprent's 'vile, intemperate, insulting language'. As a moderator yourself it's a shame you don't have the courage to do the same.

              • roblogic …
                10 February 2023 at 1:40 pm

                It's appropriate to be angry about Putin's egregious war and the RW disinfo merchants running Kremlin lines.

              • Incognito …
                10 February 2023 at 4:35 pm

                Francesca chose to ignore the actual arguments made by Lprent, as did Adrian and you.

                Calling Adrian a gullible idiot and a stupid hypocrite is not vile, IMO, and when accompanied by loads of decent arguments and counter-arguments it can be part of robust debate (but doesn't have to).

                Francesca, Adrian, and you all choose to focus on the red flag and the messenger instead of on the content of the message, which is what Lprent said to Adrian, but which all three of you wilfully ignored. How typical!

                So, please cry your crocodile tears somewhere else, e.g., a padded echo chamber where you’ll feel loved & understood by likeminded snowflakes. You can call it the Putin Lovers’ Nest, if you like.

                • Adrian Thornton …
                  10 February 2023 at 10:13 pm

                  "You can call it the Putin Lovers’ Nest, if you like"….so infantile..yet of course. also so unsurprising coming from Incognito.

            • Francesca 1.1.1.1.1.2
              10 February 2023 at 4:50 pm

              There were no arguments.There was only opinion.LPrent did not want to engage in debate.You don't treat another commenter with such disrespect and arrogance if you want an intelligent exchange.H/e says he wants proof.What proof does he offer apart from western oriented media.Are those western news sources impartial and beyond reproach?Have they never lied before?

              • Incognito …
                10 February 2023 at 5:11 pm

                Oh, FFS! Get over yourself and get a grip.

                It was not just another commenter; it was Adrian he replied to. Context is important!

                Unsubstantiated hearsay from a single unknown source is just noise and a nuisance to robust debate. The burden of proof is with the one who makes the claim(s). Yet, you seem to accept it as Gospel and flip your lid when somebody questions your belief, which is unquestionable for you but other people’s beliefs are not (and must be wrong, in your binary worldview). Your one-eyed view is on full display for all to see with both eyes open.

        • roblogic 1.1.1.2
          10 February 2023 at 12:39 pm

          I posted this same article yesterday with minimal comment because it is a good read on its own merit. We all know the USA is capable of this kind of thing.

          But there's no need to extrapolate that into a topsy turvy world where the USA instigated the whole Ukraine situation. That's on Putin

          • Incognito 1.1.1.2.1
            10 February 2023 at 1:26 pm

            Fortunately, your commenting style is different from Adrian’s and het gets all the attention he craves and deserves. I am pretty confident that you will live longer here.

        • Jimmy 1.1.1.3
          10 February 2023 at 1:00 pm

          Unfortunately a couple of the site moderators do not seem to be able to debate without the personal abuse when they disagree. Francesca above nails it. The threat of the ban. Around a month? ago I remember reading open mike, it made me laugh when a commentator who I had replied to in the past, up and left voluntarily before being banned as they were not "allowed" to disagree or have a different view point.

          [Looks like you might be twisting the truth to create a distorted reality of what the issue was. You make the claim, you back it up, and it had better be accurate and unambiguous (i.e. factually correct). You’re in Pre-Mod for now and please don’t ‘make me laugh’ – Incognito]

          • Incognito 1.1.1.3.1
            10 February 2023 at 1:17 pm

            Mod note

            • Jimmy 1.1.1.3.1.1
              10 February 2023 at 1:54 pm

              What part do you want me to back up? The abuse comment is simply above (comment 1.1). Or the fact some one left before being banned?

              • Incognito …
                10 February 2023 at 1:58 pm

                The ban threat and what it was for if indeed it was mentioned at all by a Mod

                • Jimmy …
                  10 February 2023 at 2:07 pm

                  Again comment 1.1 above implied ban.

                  "If you don't want to comment there, then just carry on as you are. As a rampant and quite stupid hypocrite."

                  • Incognito …
                    10 February 2023 at 2:20 pm

                    The one of about a month ago

                    • Jimmy …
                      10 February 2023 at 2:26 pm

                      Here's one of your to me in the "Much to do about nothing" article:

                      "If both answers are “yes” then you may have a point. If not then you’re simply trolling and one step closer to a well-earned long holiday."

                      I'll look back in the weekend and see if I can find the commenter who left as I cant remember their name and I'm pretty sure they haven't commented since.

                    • Incognito []
                      10 February 2023 at 3:05 pm

                      That’s not a helpful reply at all and not what I asked for at all; so far, you’ve only managed to waste my time.

                      Don’t bother with any other comments until you’re out of Pre-Mod, assuming you don’t end up with a ban, because they’ll all go to Trash. I hope for you that you have a very good memory!

                      Have a good weekend.

                    • Jimmy …
                      10 February 2023 at 3:19 pm

                      So do I look up the one a month ago or not bother?

                    • Incognito []
                      10 February 2023 at 3:45 pm

                      Your choice or just take it on the chin now

                    • Jimmy …
                      13 February 2023 at 10:49 am

                      27/12/22 comments 5.xxxx

                      There were actually two people. Ed and Jester.

                      I haven't seen any further comments from them.

                      [Here’s what you need to do: explain what exactly Jester was moderated for and why (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27-12-2022/#comment-1928369). Also, explain the same for Ed’s moderation (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27-12-2022/#comment-1928465). BTW, Jester has indeed left, it seems, and Ed copped a ban, as you can see from the trail.

                      Then explain precisely what you have in common with those two examples and the reason why you’re currently in Pre-Mod.

                      Depending on your answers, you either receive a one-week ban for wasting Mod time or for one year for making up false misleading unsubstantiated claims. This is the final note on this – Incognito]

                    • Incognito []
                      13 February 2023 at 11:18 am

                      Mod note

              • Francesca …
                10 February 2023 at 4:54 pm

                I think you're referring to Red Logix, and I was sorry to see him go .He's a fair and intelligent commenter, and I appreciated his sincerity and decency, even though there were plenty of times I disagreed with him

                • Incognito …
                  10 February 2023 at 5:07 pm

                  If you can think then you can link, yes? Leave it to Jimmy to respond to the Mod note for him, thanks.

                  • Adrian Thornton …
                    11 February 2023 at 9:27 pm

                    "Ah, yes! Your infamous projection is on full display again"….ah yes our very own armchair Freud…unfortunately for us, not a very perceptive or insightful one…still good for the occasional laugh though….so not a complete loss.

                • roblogic …
                  10 February 2023 at 11:16 pm

                  RL made some great contributions, seems like a decent fellow, but his comments about vaccines, 3 waters, Māori culture were getting tedious

                  • Adrian Thornton …
                    10 February 2023 at 11:31 pm

                    RL has said some stuff that has made my jaw drop..it seemed to me that he really believed that everyone in the world wants to live like western white man….ie; like him.

                    • Incognito …
                      11 February 2023 at 4:03 pm

                      Ah, yes! Your infamous projection is on full display again here. You mischaracterise people and misrepresent their words just to suit your own narrow view and narrative.

        • Mike the Lefty 1.1.1.4
          10 February 2023 at 10:17 pm

          Seymour Hersh is a good example of how success can go to your head.

          True, he did good work in exposing the My Lai massacre cover-up but increasingly his work has been weak, fallible and discredited because of Hersh's lack of proof and reliance on "anonymous sources".

          He sounds more like a conspiracy theorist and less like a credible journalist every day and I don't place any faith in people like that to tell the truth.

      • Mr Nobody 1.1.2
        10 February 2023 at 12:12 pm

        Lprent, have you by chance read 'How the West Brought War to Ukraine: Understanding How U.S. and NATO Policies Led to Crisis, War, and the Risk of Nuclear Catastrophe' by Benjamin Abelow?

        It's a very short book (80 pages or so from memory) and available on Scribd (https://bityl.co/H5TN) and well worth the hour or so it takes to read and provides a very good view of the crisis from the Russian perspective and has received the below reviews/feedback.

        If you have the chance I would be very interested in your thoughts after reading it.

        "Very well-done…. Reviews material that should be much better known."
        — Noam Chomsky

        "A brilliant, remarkably concise explanation of the danger that U.S and NATO military involvement in Ukraine has created. Needs to be read and pondered by every citizen capable of thinking rationally and responsibly about American and European security."
        — Jack F. Matlock, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, 1987-1991

        "This is a splendid little book, taughtly written, logically organized, easy to read and persuasive but appropriately caveated. It is an invaluable primer on the trends and events that produced the escalating warfare in Ukraine. Without understanding the history documented in this book, there will be no de-escalation of the US-Russian confrontation on Europe's eastern borders."
        — Chas Freeman, previously Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs

        "For anyone interested in understanding the true causes of the disaster in Ukraine, How the West Brought War to Ukraine is required reading. Abelow makes a clear and compelling case that the United States and its NATO allies—not Vladimir Putin—are the principal culprits."
        — John J. Mearsheimer, The R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago

        "For those concerned about U.S. national security and the peace of Europe, this book is essential reading."
        — Colonel Douglas Macgregor (Retired), U.S. Army, served as Director of NATO's Joint Operations Center at SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters of Allied Powers in Europe)

        "A concise yet comprehensive and accessible overview. Invaluable for understanding how war once again came to Europe."
        — Richard Sakwa, Professor of Russian and European Politics, University of Kent

        "Ben Abelow takes us beyond the false narratives and into the truth of the Ukraine crisis."
        — Krishen Mehta, Senior Global Justice Fellow, Yale University, and Director, American Committee for US-Russia Accord

        "Any thinking reader who would better understand the myriad of influences on the Ukraine situation needs to read this book."
        — Midwest Book Reviews, Reviewed by ​D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer

        • UncookedSelachimorpha 1.1.2.2
          10 February 2023 at 6:40 pm

          Couldn't help but notice the many Ukrainians among those praising and commenting on that… material.

        • SPC 1.1.2.3
          10 February 2023 at 10:35 pm

          One could read what Patrick and quasimodo wrote in their reviews first …

          https://www.amazon.com/How-West-Brought-Ukraine-Understanding/dp/0991076702

          If you only read one book on the Russian invasion, please don't let it be this one. If you want to read it as another view after you've read others (which is what I did), that makes more sense. This is a frustrating book when you know what's going on there. Abelow quotes very few people, and does so over and over again. These people are scholars who share his view, like Richard Sawka, others who are either aligned with Russia Today (RT), or work in Russian universities, or he completely misquotes others (most notably Fiona Hill, an absolutely laughable and misguided attempt to discredit one of the most knowledgeable scholars on the region. Yes, she's very pro-Ukraine and anti-Putin; at least she had the good sense to appropriately source her books).

          This is one of those books where the author starts out with a grain of truth, and then completely fails to successful argue his point. Is war bad? Yes. Has the United States done some terrible things throughout the world? Yes again. But just because the US has done terrible things in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, etc., doesn't automatically mean that it is responsible for the war in Ukraine. Instead, the author uses the past as a pretext to argue his point about what is currently happening in Ukraine. And he does it unconvincingly.

          Most notably, Abelow conveniently omits many facts that are inconvenient to his argument. He fails to mention the Budapest Memorandum and the two Minsk agreements when trying to argue that Putin is simply trying to protect Russia. Putin has told us why he's invading Ukraine: Because they aren't a country and he wants to wipe it off the face of the map. Why the author can't see this is perhaps his greatest weakness. He also fails to even mention Russia's occupation of Moldova (see: Transnistria) and their horrifying wars in Chechnya (one launched by Putin under possibly pretextual circumstances: read about the Moscow apartment bombings and decide for yourself). Chechnya is a perfect blueprint for what Putin is doing today in Ukraine.

          Abelow seems terribly concerned about the US involvement in wars and conflicts around the world, yet brushes past (only once) Russia's war crimes, crimes that include the rape of women and children, the mass murder of innocent citizens, and the indiscriminate bombing of civilian locations, including homes, schools, and shopping centers.

          When Abelow can't site a source, he falls back on the tactic of turning the statement in the form of a question, or starts the sentence with "maybe." For example, on page 8 he states that the US "helped lay the groundwork, and MAY HAVE DIRECTLY INSTIGATED, an armed, far-right coup in Ukraine." This is unsourced. On page 16, he writes, "Russia correctly perceived that America was directly involved—certainly in laying foundation for the coup, and POSSIBLY IN FOMENTING THE VIOLENCE." Again this is unsourced. This occurs over and over again throughout the text.

          Other times he is clearly trying to mislead. On p. 21 he quotes someone who stated that "Operation Sea Breeze almost provoked Russia to fire at a British naval destroyer that deliberately entered what Russia considers its territorial waters." What the author doesn't tell you is that those "territorial" waters are outside of Crimea, a region he basically stole from Ukraine in 2014.

          The author's analysis of the 2014 protests in Ukraine are, at best, delusional, and also is misleading. His most important omission has to do with how he describes then-president Yanukovych. On multiple occasions, he refers to the pro-Russian president as "democratically elected." While true, he fails to mention all of the unilateral changes he made while in office, changes that were intended to keep him in power and put Ukraine on a path toward authoritarianism. The author knows this — it's common knowledge. He omitted it because it doesn't help his argument. He then mentions, again without sourcing, that the US helped install a pro-Western president without democratic election. While Oleksandr Turchynov was temporarily installed, a new election was held only four months later, where Petro Poroshenko won what is considered a fair election. And Zelenskyy won five years later in another fair election.

          I could go on — I marked up the book on almost every page. I'm hoping to show that this isn't the best book for a primer of what is going on in Ukraine. There are better books on the subject that are far more accurate, books I'm sure Abelow wouldn't endorse. I've read about 15 books on the conflict, and after 4 or 5 you start to see patterns emerge where you get a good idea of what's true and what's not. Here are some better reads for those interested:

          For info on the 2014 protests: "Ukraine Diaries" by Andrey Kurkov, Christopher Smith's excellent "Ukraine's Revolt, Russia's Revenge" (Smith worked for the US Dept of State at the time, so Abelow would hate this account), and "The Ukrainian Night" by Marci Shore. Also watch Netflix's "Winter on Fire."

          For info on the Ukraine-Russia conflict: "Ukraine and Russia" by Paul D'Anieri is stellar, as is "Ukraine: What Everyone Needs to Know" by Serhy Yekelchyk. Also "Putin's War Against Ukraine" by Taras Kuzio.

          And for an insider's account, Iuliia Mendel has written an excellent account of the rise of Zelenskyy in "The Fight of Our Lives." She worked in the president's administration.

          quaisimodo is more brief.

      • Brigitte 1.1.3
        10 February 2023 at 7:46 pm

        "So the US invaded Ukraine?"

        So where did Adrian say that? You've made it up and then launched into a stream of abuse. I'm disgusted by this and some of the responses below whereby you and some other commenters (and moderators) decided what is "right" and those not agreeing are fair game for abuse. With no push back (let alone bans).

        I don't agree with most of Adrian's points (and only partly with the other points) but they are backed up with links. If you can't reply without abuse then you shouldn't bother.

        • Incognito 1.1.3.1
          10 February 2023 at 8:57 pm

          crying

          Adrian didn’t say that, obviously. It was a (rhetorical) question that followed logically from Adrian’s comment(s) but Adrian never really has the balls to go all the way and say what he really thinks and means.

          Again, I did not see “a stream of abuse” and you are exaggerating the two moderate and brief insults.

          And again, you do not address the core argument presented by Lprent – you can join the echo chamber club too, as you have earned your spot. Congratulations!

        • Jenny are we there yet 1.1.3.2
          14 February 2023 at 5:14 pm

          "So the US invaded Ukraine?"

          It is a rhetorical question, a rhetorical rephrasing if you will, of the very obvious fact that it is the Russian Federation has invaded Ukraine.

          The US did not attack Ukraine, Russia did.

          After facing stiff resistance from the armed forces of Ukraine the Russian Federation have attacked the Ukrainian people directly with gratuitous targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

          Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure serve zero military purpose, and act only to harden Ukrainians support for their country's defenders.

    • Sanctuary 1.2
      10 February 2023 at 1:28 pm

      What if I told Alderaan blew itself up?

    • Beverly 1.3
      10 February 2023 at 3:58 pm

      Adrian You're not alone in regarding Seymour Hersh as a valid commentator. Caitlyn Johnstone agrees and I find her views valuable,

      https://caitlinjohnstone.substack.com/p/my-sources-corroborate-sy-hershs?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=82124&post_id=101973939&isFreemail=true&utm_medium=email

      • tWiggle 1.3.1
        10 February 2023 at 7:11 pm

        There was a bit of to-ing and fro-ing about the journalistic solidness of Hersh in yesterday's posts, if you want to revisit it.

        A few things that make me pause…

        I feel Russia would have kicked up an enormous fuss at the time if they had a firm belief this was a US-organised mission.

        Tass is very supportive of Hersh's article, based on circumstantial evidence plus deep-throat insider info, which appeared on his blog.

        Russia attacked Kyiv, an unannounced attack on a sovereign nation's capital designed to overthrow the elected government. They carried this out without extensive diplomatic signals of unhappiness with Ukraine that clearly promised military escalation to a full war. The Russian military build-up was mostly considered posturing by Ukraine, the US and Europe until the invasion happened.

        Russia therefore ruled out the chance of a non-military diplomatic compromise between it and Ukraine. Russia could also have staged a limited campaign in the Donbas region, in which case, in my view, we would most likely not be having this debate now.

        By ignoring or openly abusing diplomatic channels, Russia in effect took on NATO and Europe in this invasion, showing it to be unpredictable and unwilling to act in good faith within Europe. All this does not discount Ukraine ultranationalism and corruption, and US and NATO manoevering in the region. The critical step is Russia's nation-busting decision.

      • joe90 1.3.2
        10 February 2023 at 7:41 pm

        and I find her views valuable,

        The views of someone who advocates collaborating with a racist misogynist are valuable?

        /

        • roblogic 1.3.2.1
          10 February 2023 at 7:58 pm

          Caitlin Johnstone does a good job of collecting a lot of facts, but unfortunately in service to a misleading narrative.

          https://twitter.com/GeorgeMonbiot/status/1623593264740814848?s=20

          • Incognito 1.3.2.1.1
            10 February 2023 at 9:11 pm

            Useful idiots

            • Adrian Thornton 1.3.2.1.1.1
              10 February 2023 at 10:45 pm

              Useful idiots…the only two words you have said all day that I agree with Incognito….yes it is a sad but true fact that the Liberal left has without question, become the Useful idiots and willing servants of maintaining Western Hegemony…and at any cost it would seem.

              This is extremist, imperialist ideology is expressed routinely by many commenters on this site, every single day…quite a bit of that rhetoric has been expressed on this very thread infact.

              Useful idiots…yep, enough said.

              • SPC …
                10 February 2023 at 10:47 pm

                You have no idea how much some of the people on this site have annoyed the western hegemony.

                • Adrian Thornton …
                  10 February 2023 at 11:03 pm

                  They might well have in the past (probably in pre Trump era, which seemed to have broken a lot of good peoples heads) …but not lately, and when I say lately I mean for as long as I have read TS, which is a few years.

              • tWiggle …
                10 February 2023 at 11:06 pm

                Adrian Thornton. If you think the Russian Federation is still a workers' paradise, and not an autocratic oligarch state, run by a liar who supports bad actor disruption via social media of perfectly happy countries, including NZ, then you are as deluded as anyone supporting the Western hegemony.

                Scrub that perfectly happy, may be a bit optimistic.

                • Adrian Thornton …
                  10 February 2023 at 11:16 pm

                  "the Russian Federation is still a workers' paradise"…I have never thought, let alone said nor typed such a thing…try again.

                  • tWiggle …
                    10 February 2023 at 11:58 pm

                    Well, you don't even-handedly rail against both corrupt camps, so I guess you do uncritically support a post-Soviet, autocratic, capitalist and expansionist Russia over Western Hegemony. I would have more respect for you, frankly, if your position was a pro-communist remnant. I cannot see what your motivation is otherwise, unless it's pro-Russian nationalism.

                    • tWiggle …
                      11 February 2023 at 12:19 am

                      PS using the language of the old Soviet regime…Western hegemony…imperialist, etc, does wave some 'Red Flags', so to speak.

                    • Adrian Thornton …
                      11 February 2023 at 9:34 pm

                      "Well, you don't even-handedly rail against both corrupt camps"…that would be because I live in the camp where there nothing but endless wall to wall pro war propaganda spewed out from all media, so the first issue at hand in my view is to add in some small way some much needed context and balance on my side of the 'camp'…I would have thought that was the sane and right thing to do?

                    • Adrian Thornton …
                      11 February 2023 at 9:42 pm

                      "using the language of the old Soviet regime…Western hegemony…imperialist, etc, does wave some 'Red Flags', so to speak"…I don't see a problem with that language…if the shoe fits etc.

              • Incognito …
                11 February 2023 at 3:42 pm

                Look down …

    • SPC 1.4
      10 February 2023 at 8:46 pm

      Some of what we know so far…

      1. The Germans who were acting as a neutral party in peace negotiations leading up to this war, where in fact, by their own admission, only using their extremely privileged position to buy time for Ukraine to arm and train itself

      Yes this is what they told their NATO partners – they had also agreed to increase defence spending to 2% by 2024 in 2014 (and yet, had made no increase before the invasion of Ukraine).

      They wanted a strong Ukraine to deter a Russian attack and allow for an economic relationship with Russia to continue and develop further – they were in a position to withdraw from NATO iF Russia chose peaceful co-existence. But Putin blinked, frightened by the shadow of death, because of his ill health.

      2. NATO was arming and training the Ukrainian military prior to the invasion

      True and Russians were engaged in exercises in preparation for the invasion of Ukraine. They knew it would either take a strong Ukraine or diplomatic concessions to deter a Russian attack. They were not the diplomats.

      3. The West (USA/UK) actively stopped peace negotiation between Russia and Ukraine early in the conflict.

      All it took was expressions of support for Ukraine, if they fought on.

      4. The USA planned to destroy Nord Stream 2 before the Russian invasion.

      Probably. They did want the option of destroying it, if Ukraine was attacked. Russia would use the offer of gas supply to undermine western/German will otherwise.

      Once Ukraine was invaded, German policy changed to full commitment to the continuance of NATO and the end to the economic relationship with Russia.

      5. Military stocks boom of course

      Yeah sure Gazprom now wants its own mercenary force as a new sideline business (their pension fund already has banking and media interests). And the Germans are about to double their spending on defence.

      • tWiggle 1.4.1
        10 February 2023 at 10:29 pm

        Point 3, to add that, I got the sense that, in early war de-escalation talks Ukraine genuinely went into talks hoping to contain the conflict, but Russia also stalled the talks to gain tactical advantage. Ukraine would have been fatally stupid if they were not also frantically drumming up military support as an option.

        Point 4, Germany tore up the GazProm contract a week or two before the pipeline was destroyed.

  2. pat 2
    10 February 2023 at 9:35 am

    "3 Waters is smoke and mirrors"…an honest and informed discussion around infrastructure needs with Raf Manji on RNZ this morning (link posted when available).

    TOP (political party) is increasingly looking like a potential electoral threshold breaker at the approaching election…future polls will be interesting.

    • lprent 2.2
      10 February 2023 at 9:49 am

      TOP (political party) is increasingly looking like a potential electoral threshold breaker…

      It doesn't seem likely. Based on polling over the past year, NZF has a far better chance based on past performances of election results exceeding polling.

      The TPM definitely does because of the electoral seat and small but significant percentages. They are routinely out-polling TOP and actually look like they will retain their electoral seat lifeline.

      TOP really isn't registering as a viable alternative, has a history of getting lower in elections than polling, and I really can't see any reason in their policies why they would do any better this time than previously.

    • tWiggle 2.3
      10 February 2023 at 10:24 am

      Perhaps a bit more of a backgrounder on Raf Manji's priorities for TOP:

      https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/manji_podcast

      UBI is central to TOP's platform, is the tie-breaker for Manji's involvement in a coalition. To me, there's a waft of UKism about his structural reform suggestions.

      Manji calls TOP the party of solutions, with elements from all political directions. That's appealing. He criticises, probably fairly, the pastiche approach to legislative fixes by the government.

      • weka 2.3.1
        10 February 2023 at 11:12 am

        They do some good policy/ideas promotion, but their UBI policy is still fraught with problems. If they enabled Nact into government the danger is we would end up with a terrible system and welfare being hacked apart.

        • roblogic 2.3.1.1
          10 February 2023 at 12:49 pm

          I'm a fan of Raf Manji.

          His tax policies are still some of the best around. Wealth taxes, closing loopholes, land tax,, lower income tax, better welfare. Quite progressive stuff that deserves more airtime, Labour are boring incrementalists

          • weka 2.3.1.1.1
            10 February 2023 at 1:45 pm

            it's not better welfare, it's worse welfare. I've written multiple posts on how their policies would make vulnerable people worse off. https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-09-02-2023/#comment-1934420

            Like I said, they have some good ideas and policies but this is a major flaw in their world view and proposal for implementation. They've had this pointed out to them many times (I started when Morgan was still in charge).

            You can follow that link to my twitter conversation with them.

          • weka 2.3.1.1.2
            10 February 2023 at 3:20 pm

            removing top ups for anyone on the dole currently. This is poverty generating.

            https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1623868344624635904

            • roblogic 2.3.1.1.2.1
              10 February 2023 at 4:15 pm

              I don’t share your skepticism. Meanwhile Labour has discarded most of the recommendations of the WEAG and promoted Sepuloni who was the main ignorer

              • weka …
                10 February 2023 at 4:19 pm

                snort, there's not argument from me about the problems with Labour. But the useful comparison is between TOP and the Greens.

            • James Thrace 2.3.1.1.2.2
              10 February 2023 at 4:28 pm

              That is not what TOP said at all.

              If your various top ups mean you get more than what the UBI is, you keep it + UBI.

              If your various top ups etc are less than UBI, then UBI replaces it (i.e. you receive more with a UBI).

              So there is no disadvantage to existing beneficiaries.

              • weka …
                10 February 2023 at 4:36 pm

                I'm really experienced with welfare issues, and they're really bad at explaining policy currently.

                Also, I'm not talking about existing beneficiaries, I'm talking about anyone needing income support post-introduction of a UBI.

                • roblogic …
                  10 February 2023 at 4:42 pm

                  Maybe I’m an idiot on the “technocratic fringe” (thanks Sanc!) but I like the idea of TOP being a spanner in the works and disrupting the status quo that only serves the wealthiest and leaves everyone else behind

                  • weka …
                    10 February 2023 at 5:11 pm

                    Sure, and I'd be much more supportive of them and see them as an addition to the GP, TPM, MMP landscape if they'd sort their shit out around welfare. The dominant narrative on the left is to replace WINZ with a UBI. People really haven't thought this through and it's dangerous.

                    I still prefer GP policies, but I suspect the main difference is cultural and presentation. GP are one niche, TOP are a different one.

              • weka …
                10 February 2023 at 4:44 pm

                If your various top ups etc are less than UBI, then UBI replaces it (i.e. you receive more with a UBI).

                Someone can't get JS because it's been replaced with a UBI, their top ups are $150/wk, which is less than the UBI, so they get the UBI rate. That's less than the dole + topup (assuming the UBI is around the JS rate).

                This shouldn't be hard for TOP to explain.

          • weka 2.3.1.1.3
            10 February 2023 at 4:34 pm

            I'm still trying to get clarity. Now they're saying that supplementaries will stay.

            https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1623885270511910913

            • Nic the NZer 2.3.1.1.3.1
              10 February 2023 at 6:29 pm

              I think what Jessica Hammond is explaining (rather badly) is that UBI is the absolute minimum anyone gets and isn't any longer a policy about reforming WINZ.

              But given the amounts proposed Universal Basic Allowance might be a better name for it, because it will be less than sufficient to live on.

              As for the actual minimum income levels WINZ determines for various benefit categories this policy does nothing about those.

              • weka …
                10 February 2023 at 10:45 pm

                rather badly being the operative words. Someone else finally said it plainly: TOP policy used to be to get rid of supplementary benefits, now their policy is to retain them.

                They've said on their website that they intend to increase benefit rates.

                These are actually quite big shifts in their policy, so good on them for taking those things on board and making changes.

              • Belladonna …
                11 February 2023 at 2:59 pm

                $$$ adding up comment was in relation to the money coming in (tax) to afford the money going out (UBI).

                In the models I've seen, the aim is to show how the UBI is affordable, at this very basic level.

                Which is fine, until you factor in the additional WINZ payments (which will absolutely be needed – as Weka points out).

                At that point, the required tax take will almost certainly increase substantially.

                And, you will still need WINZ (or some other equivalent) to determine and/or administer the top up needs-based payments.

            • Nic the NZer 2.3.1.1.3.2
              10 February 2023 at 6:46 pm

              You probably want to be asking this in comparison with somebody who gets UBI + full/part-time wage. Because if everybody gets an "allowance" but this comes out of welfare payments, then welfare recipients are still left relatively worse off. Expectation would be that eventually cost of living adjusts to income levels and some welfare recipients are pushed towards the poverty line.

              Alternatively a fair proposal would be, everybody gets UBI + existing. Where existing includes everything WINZ pays out today.

              • weka …
                10 February 2023 at 10:47 pm

                Yep, I want to see the policy detail and it's odd given their past policy had the detail and now it doesn't.

                The good thing is the abatement on earnings will be done from the UBI portion. But will it affect those on non-JS benefits?

                And people on wages get the UBI on top of their wages, but beneficiaries do or don't?

                Too many questions.

                • Belladonna …
                  10 February 2023 at 10:57 pm

                  My understanding was that a lot of the cost mitigation of UBI was predicated on effectively getting rid of WINZ.

                  However, if beneficiaries still need to 'qualify' for additional support (and based on the UBI figures provided, virtually all would need to do so) – then WINZ will still need to be in existence to evaluate the need and authorize the additional support.

                  So, no cost savings. And retaining a monolithic (and currently deeply antagonistic) bureaucracy.

                  All, in order to give a UBI to people who don't need it.

                  I'm really struggling to see any wins, here.

                  • weka …
                    10 February 2023 at 11:06 pm

                    Morgan's original UBI model had this good thing about it, which was that the UBI was paid to everyone but the more income you had the more tax you paid at the top bracket. In effect wealthy people didn't get the UBI because it was clawed back via tax.

                    I can't tell if this is part of TOP's current policy (haven't looked at the cost side).

                    There are a lot of benefits to a UBI. It's tax free income, it doesn't cause benefits to abate, it's paid automatically so no need to have contact with WINZ if one is also working, it gets paid to both people in a couple, if you lose your job you still have a basic income while you sort things out and so on.

                    The problem with a UBI isn't that it has no benefits, it's that no-one has figured out a good way to bolt welfare on. Yet.

                  • weka …
                    10 February 2023 at 11:10 pm

                    RedLogix' UBI post that explains the costings in the Morgan model.

                    He's wrong about the welfare side of it though (both RL and Morgan).

                    Look at the first comment, lol. 2011.

                    • Belladonna …
                      11 February 2023 at 11:30 am

                      Thanks Weka.

                      It seems as though, the $$$ only add up if you eliminate additional welfare payments – which, as you've noted, isn't viable.

                      In order to continue to pay for these, the tax rates would need to be ratcheted up quite a bit. Which makes it a much harder 'sell' on the tax side.

                      And, continuing benefits would require the continuation of WINZ – so not achieving RL's "Eliminates the soul-crushing complexity and costs associated with administering social welfare."

                    • Nic the NZer …
                      11 February 2023 at 12:16 pm

                      Belladonna "the $$$ only add up if you eliminate additional welfare payments"

                      lol. Its worth understanding the $$$ always add up. All that is needed for the govt to pay this allowance is the RBNZ to be instructed to make the allowance payments inside the inter-bank accounts settlement system which it operates. Obviously its never unable to make payments here. Its also never unwilling to tell the govt it won't complete payments. The RBNZ has some 'independence' but not that much. Parliament would sack the staff involved if they refused to implement the govt budget. This also applies to every other NZ$ denominated payment in the budget, debt repayments. This makes it a question of the economic impacts of the policy, which are what is considered by the budget process.

                      The budget process involves uncertainty (a lot of it) so a safe approach is usually taken to policy, which is not to alter the govt deficit position. Unless there is an economic crisis, requiring (actually automatically forcing) a deficit on the govt then the typical budget policy approach will be to balance additional spending with additional tax. The expectation is that this doesn't really shift the existing unemployment rate from its budget level.

                    • Nic the NZer …
                      11 February 2023 at 12:49 pm

                      So why is UBI a policy then?

                      Well for one thing I think TOP wants to be the party to introduce an allowance for the vast majority of people. A UBI if it can be marketed as fair, could be a way to be the party to get that policy through and presumably get the credit. That's a political calculation.

                      A UBI is also quite related to tax policy, for the reasons I gave in my previous comment. I would assume that's why Gareth Morgan paired up a UBI with his Big Kahuna tax reforms.

                      There is also a belief that unemployment is ultimately a voluntary choice of the unemployed. This belief is (in way more abstract terms) the basis for the typical budgeting decision process used by the country. This idea motivates the idea of cutting welfare payments as a way to push recipients into work. Now due to the visibility and unpopularity of exactly this policy during the 1990s, most people who believe this wouldn't go out and advocate for this as a reform.

                      A UBI which is universal, apart from for people whos main income is welfare based, is still creating an income gap between (UBI + wage) and welfare at least as big as UBI. This is TOPs present position and they would probably like it not to be discussed that they are still proposing relative poverty for welfare recipients. So the UBI is just a way to talk about this without getting some of the fallout of the 1990s reform failures.

                      Now its certainly possible that when Jessica Hammond is discussing these positions on twitter she has no doubt that after the UBI is introduced WINZ will adjust their basic income calculations and effectively all these will be raised by the UBI everyone is getting (so she see's no problem here). Its a difference between the Green parties similar policies that they have to tell their supporters how their proposals deal with these things in advance and for TOP their supporters seem happy that these details are worked out later, and often mostly with those affected. I've voted Green more often than other parties so my belief is that if a UBI was introduced then the relative welfare income gap would immediately be bedded in by WINZ. This WINZ calculation usually needs to be explicitly updated by the legislation. You see this in practice each time there is a $20 benefit increase, that these extra payments its clawed back out of largely unreported.

          • tWiggle 2.3.1.1.4
            10 February 2023 at 7:35 pm

            Regarding the wealth tax proposal on TOP’s tax policy.

            The fairly ordinary section in a provincial town I live on would attract an additional $4700 pa, or $91 pw, annual wealth tax, on top of the $4,900 in rates I already pay. Would there be a beneficiary rebate on this tax? Does rental property count as commercial property, or would the cost be carried over into rents? Changed tax bands may not offset the wealth tax at all for some.

            And it's not not fair to call it a wealth tax, it's a property tax. If it were applied to other assets and to savings, then it could truly be called a wealth tax.

            • roblogic 2.3.1.1.4.1
              10 February 2023 at 7:46 pm

              Land taxes are the fairest sort of tax – but the wealthy will never agree. They prefer to tax (already low-paid) workers and charge them rent.

              NZ has crappy labour productivity but high cost of living, because we reward capitalists and punish workers.

              Tax land, not man

              • tWiggle …
                10 February 2023 at 9:01 pm

                What's your argument for land tax being the fairest form of taxation? The issue in NZ is the huge sunk cost in over-inflated land value for recent generations. They have borrowed money made by banks from thin air, paying back the principal and interest in real money made by working for themselves or others.

                Capital gains tax I can understand, but taxing me purely for the privilege of living in my own home is a step too far for me. And if the bank still holds your mortgage, it is the de facto owner. Why not tax the bank instead?

                • roblogic …
                  10 February 2023 at 9:10 pm

                  Land owners enjoy free imputed rents. You shouldn't be losing out as the tax burden would be shifted around to target all kinds of assets not just land. And income tax would be greatly reduced (no tax on the first $15k for example)

                  But any MMP government isn’t going to do this radical stuff in a hurry (much as I would like it)

                  • tWiggle …
                    10 February 2023 at 9:46 pm

                    Had a look at the tax rebate, and the max income tax reduction for anyone earning under $60K is $2K. If you're a single person, or a widow /widower on a pension, then the property tax is a nett increase in tax against a non-productive asset.

                    A more relevant question, perhaps, is the reversal since the 70s of government tax earnings from a 70-30 split between business and personal tax, to the opposite, more or less.

                    There are still OECD nations that consider businesses, rather than individuals, should bear more of the cost of running the country’s infrastructure, and training and housing the workforce.

                • roblogic …
                  10 February 2023 at 9:36 pm

                  Also, most of New Zealand's 'property' wealth is based on stolen land. Land is a taonga and a communal resource, not to be enclosed for private profit.

                  As I said above, it is fair because it takes the burden off workers and makes the most wealthy citizens pay their fair share. It also encourages productive use of the land. Building activity increases. And it controls land price inflation, a huge waste and theft of wealth by the bankers.

                  • tWiggle …
                    10 February 2023 at 10:05 pm

                    Most NZ land value has been spun out of the arses of banks, who create money to pay for land exchange. I'd be happy for land nationalisation and life-time leases. Or such prohibitive land-based estate taxes that you cannot pass wealth to your children via property. Much less real money would be sucked up by banks from the NZ economy due to non-productive land speculation.

                    However, there needs to be some transition from our existing system. A switch to any land-based tax generating system would need to be grandparented. Otherwise it's a money grab from people's retirement funds, as sunk into their homes.

                  • weka …
                    10 February 2023 at 10:56 pm

                    As I said above, it is fair because it takes the burden off workers and makes the most wealthy citizens pay their fair share

                    Kind of. Wealthy people with land won't care about the tax, those with land and not much income will be hit much harder. The problem here is people consider land an asset rather than a home and somewhere we belong. Taxing land will make that worse and take us further from community land management.

                    I think we want steps in the right direction until climate/eco crises force us back into community mode. I'm not sure a land tax instead of a wealth tax is the way to go. The GP wealth tax, taxes assets over x amount, not from dollar 1.

                • SPC …
                  10 February 2023 at 9:57 pm

                  A land tax in addition to rates would in effect be an estate tax.

                  Those who could not afford to pay it (already on super or on a disability benefit and would get nothing from UI) could defer payment, as they do rates, until death.

                  Those who could afford to pay it (the UI would provide the money) would just pay the estate tax (in advance) as they go year by year.

                  Of course the more land owned (yes Luxon and such) the less that would be covered by the UI.

                  Those renting and working get UI extra to help them save to own property.

                  The baby boomers would veto an estate tax, but this, the Greens wealth tax and CGT are the alternatives. Another option is a FTT.

      • pat 2.3.2
        10 February 2023 at 12:14 pm

        Not as prepared as I expected him to be , however as he noted timing is one of his drivers and I see parallels with the New Zealand Party of Bob Jones in the early eighties which received 12% of the vote and was instrumental in the election of the 4th Labour Gov…..at a similiar inflection point in political economy.

        • Jimmy 2.3.2.1
          10 February 2023 at 1:12 pm

          I read the other day that when Bob Jones punched the TV reporter Rod Vaughan in the face (after Vaughan pursued him via helicopter as Jones was fishing), the judge fined Bob Jones $1,000.

          What I didn't know was that Jones said to the judge, "If I pay $2,000, can I do it again!"

        • tWiggle 2.3.2.2
          10 February 2023 at 11:00 pm

          pat, TOP as likely to pinch votes from the left as from the right, me-thinks, so NOT like Bob Jones.

          • pat 2.3.2.2.1
            12 February 2023 at 8:21 am

            Jones had a lot of support from working class people if I recall correctly, often as a result of his 'anti politics politician" stance….a protest vote that said a pox on all their houses….something he welcomed and something that I hear expressed often in the current circumstances….and its worth remembering that ‘support’ occurred in a FPP environment where there was little real expectation of representation (although that may be considered what made it a ‘safe’ protest)

      • Sanctuary 2.3.3
        10 February 2023 at 12:29 pm

        "…UBI is central to TOP's platform, is the tie-breaker for Manji's involvement in a coalition…"

        One should be surprised that someone polling in the margin of error should be so proscriptive as to his coalition bottom lines, but then these sort of latte liberal technocrats are nothing if not wildly over-confident.

        "…Manji calls TOP the party of solutions, with elements from all political directions. That's appealing. He criticises, probably fairly, the pastiche approach to legislative fixes by the government…"

        Ah, the siren call of sensible centrism, the go-to politics of a certain kind of middle class neoliberal winner. The thing about these people is they invariably end up very hostile to democracy, preferring elite (sorry, "common sense solutions") consensus and technocratic government to democratic process (sorry, "the pastiche approach to legislative fixes").

        Seriously, TOP are technocratic fringe merchants from the great era of anti-politics of 10-20 years ago who fail at politics 101 – namely, not understanding that claiming to have no politics is a political postion just like any other. Politics is important. Without politics you end up with idiots like Wayne Brown (to be fair, he isn't to blame for the failure of local government democracy and nor is he to blame for spotting the failure and exploiting it – but he is the result of not enough politics landing you with a seductive "Mr Fixit" who can't get on an email DL).

        • tWiggle 2.3.3.1
          10 February 2023 at 11:43 pm

          Sanctuary, you start an interesting line of thought critiquing 'common-sense' anti-politics camps against real-politik, if that's that the right label to describe the workings of legislative democracy.

          What's your world experience that's led you to that conclusion? Is it that difficult to cut through bullshit? It must have happened in our past, e.g. with the dramatic assembly of the Welfate State in NZ. So radically reshaping our society through legislation of commonsense principles is possible. And quantum leaps can occur in smaller areas, like the establishment of the Treaty settlement process.

          What's the distinction between commonsense simplistic solutions and robust legislative change for you?

    • Drowsy M. Kram 2.4
      10 February 2023 at 10:51 am

      Toplitical topential is in the eye of the beholder. Polls are interesting. Admire your toptimism – hung in there.

      National ahead of Labour in latest poll, but Labour could form government [9 February 2023]
      NZ First was still below the 5 per cent threshold on 3.4 per cent, Te Pāti Māori was next on 3 per cent and TOP was on 2.3 per cent.

      [In] The December poll… Te Pāti Māori polled 3.5 per cent, NZ First polled 4.3 per cent and TOP 2.4 per cent.

      So, in Talbot Mills’ January poll, the number of people who would party vote TOP decreased (by one) – an ominous trend?

      1 NEWS Kantar Public Poll 25 – 29 January 2022
      The Opportunities Party: 1.6% – 1.3% – 1.7% – 1.9% – 1.3% – 1.7% – 1.1%

      New Zealand: Labour support increased in January even before Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation [6 February 2023]
      A further 3% of electors support other minor parties outside Parliament, down 1% point from a month ago including 1.5% (down 1% point) who support The Opportunities Party and 0.5% (down 0.5% point) who support the New Conservative Party.

      Newshub-Reid Research Poll: Chris Hipkins is Labour's saviour but hung Parliament on cards for election 2023 [30 January 2023]
      New Zealand First is at the top of this pack but has dropped back 1.1 points to 2.2 percent. Te Pāti Māori is holding reasonably steady at 1.8 percent, down 0.1. The Opportunities Party is up 0.3 to 1.5 percent.

    • Corey 2.5
      10 February 2023 at 1:54 pm

      I wish Top the best of luck, not because I wanna vote for them but because if they get an electorate they could bring in 1-3 list mps and in a tight election be king maker and go with Labour/Green or Nat/Act.

      A Nat/Act govt frightens me, a Nat govt supported by Top or indeed NZF would make ACTs influence far less powerful and would just infuriate me rather than terrify me and hopefully Act would get the coalition curse and go back to being irrelevancy.

      Labour and Top and the Greens could get on pretty well, I don't see top as a handbrake (I never saw NZF as one either) as Labour/Greens in govt have been bog standard third way centerists economically who are their own handbrakes so a lab/top/green coalition wouldn't be any more centrist than the last 5 years

  3. Incognito 3
    10 February 2023 at 9:48 am

    So, 24,634 voted for Desley Simpson as the Councillor of the Ōrākei Ward and 181,810 voted for Desley Simpson as the de facto Mayor of Auckland.

    https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/elections/elections-2022-results/Pages/default.aspx

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/new-auckland/desley-the-deputy-steps-into-the-breach

    Good to know.

    Wasn’t Viv Beck the anointed C&R nominee who pulled out when it was already too late?

    • lprent 3.1
      10 February 2023 at 9:52 am

      Wasn’t Viv Beck the anointed C&R nominee who pulled out when it was already too late?

      Yes. Also didn't she leave debts trailing behind her campaign.

      What is she doing now?

      • Incognito 3.1.1
        10 February 2023 at 10:01 am

        Heart of the City chief executive.

        • adam 3.1.1.1
          10 February 2023 at 11:58 pm

          Does Heart of the City receive any rate payer money? I know it's a business association, but where is the funding coming from, apart from the businesses involved? Any central govt funding?

          So basically I'm asking, are you, or is anyone you know, any good a forensic accounting?

          • Incognito 3.1.1.1.1
            11 February 2023 at 1:00 pm

            I don’t know, but I’m confident that you will find the answer you’re looking for here:

            https://www.hotcity.co.nz/annual-reports

            I doubt that they receive Taxpayers’ money but then again, even the Onion did not turn it down when it was shoved down their throats offered to them at the beginning of the pandemic.

            • adam 3.1.1.1.1.1
              11 February 2023 at 11:39 pm

              Thanks for that.

              It would seem the majority of money comes from council (around $5 million give or take) and a small part from central government. $50,000 from MSD starting in 2021.

              As far as funding goes, it looks like a council entity. Has it obtained a new political purposes under C&R?

    • woodart 3.2
      10 February 2023 at 11:50 am

      seems very suspicious. nats appointed candidate suddenly flags the election. hmmm, wonder if there was a cup of tea involved?wonder if the nacts are now regreting becks sudden withdrawal.

  4. Sanctuary 4
    10 February 2023 at 10:51 am

    This is just the most gruesome read. Elon Musk seems to run Twitter by coke fuelled diktat.

  5. Molly 5
    10 February 2023 at 11:54 am

    Speaking to an Auckland school librarian on the weekend. She mentioned how one of her daughter's classmates had returned to school this year after receiving puberty blockers over the holidays.

    "Completely reversible" enthused his mother, obviously unaware that the Ministry of Health was no longer making that claim.

    In fact, three days ago any reference to puberty blockers was removed completely from the Ministry's site.

    https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/providing-health-services-transgender-people#general

    Instead they refer to third party recipients of government funding to mislead health professionals and the public:

    Given the lack of clinical evidence for this off-label use for minors, you would think our centralised state health system would be ideally positioned to track and monitor diagnosis , treatment and outcomes.

    Well, perhaps it would – if anyone cared – apparently no-one does:

    6. Why does Pharmac fund GnRH analogues (goserelin implants, or leuprorelin injections for children and adolescents who are unable to tolerate administration of goserelin) for this indication, despite it not being approved by Medsafe?

    On 12 August 2021, this part of your request was transferred to Pharmac as the information requested was more closely aligned with the functions of that organisation. You will have received a response from Pharmac directly regarding this part of your request.

    7. Is the Ministry of Health planning to review the use of puberty blocking hormones?

    No. As noted above, the use of any medication or treatment is a matter for discussion between a treating clinician and their patient, ensuring that patients are fully informed of their options (including any benefits, risks and alternatives) to make an informed choice and give informed consent. It is the responsibility of the treating clinician to consider the appropriateness of a particular treatment for a particular patient, and to ensure that the patient is informed of the risks and benefits associated with that treatment. Informed consent should be obtained by the clinician from the patient before the choice is made to prescribe the medicine

    OIA Response: https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/information-release/h202117825_response.pdf

    A quick revisit to a doctor from a leading gender clinic in Christchurch – Dame Sue Bagshaw:

    "If you're going to say 'let's not use them' [puberty blockers], we're going to have redouble our efforts to ensure the mental health of transgender diverse young people is looked after," Bagshaw said.

    "And at the moment, it's not."

    Offering psycho-social support as first-line treatment for gender dysphoria in young people was challenging, she said.

    "It's actually quite difficult to help them to understand that they're being listened to without doing something, and that's the nature of brain development and it's also the nature of short appointment times."

    Psychological interventions were also expensive, she said.

    Dame Sue was not surprised or concerned that New Zealand's prescribing rates were higher than other countries.

    "We're a small country, word travels faster by word of mouth.

    "Obviously in the last 10 years it's gone up because we've now got societal permission to do that."

    Note: Societal permission NOT clinical evidence.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/475757/puberty-blocker-use-jumps-as-expert-backs-results

    If you are asking yourself whether any of these medical professionals regain sanity and care for the long-term outcomes for children, the answer is – sporadically. One such US practitioner is Jamie Reed.

    I Thought I Was Saving Trans Kids. Now I’m Blowing the Whistle

    "…There was a team of about eight of us, and only one other person brought up the kinds of questions I had. Anyone who raised doubts ran the risk of being called a transphobe.

    The girls who came to us had many comorbidities: depression, anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, obesity. Many were diagnosed with autism, or had autism-like symptoms. A report last year on a British pediatric transgender center found that about one-third of the patients referred there were on the autism spectrum.

    Frequently, our patients declared they had disorders that no one believed they had. We had patients who said they had Tourette syndrome (but they didn’t); that they had tic disorders (but they didn’t); that they had multiple personalities (but they didn’t).

    The doctors privately recognized these false self-diagnoses as a manifestation of social contagion. They even acknowledged that suicide has an element of social contagion. But when I said the clusters of girls streaming into our service looked as if their gender issues might be a manifestation of social contagion, the doctors said gender identity reflected something innate…"

    Despite the large number of well-funded organisations providing the guidelines of care while allowing the MoH to avoid direct culpability, I hope the day will soon arrive when we have local medical staff regaining their sanity and openly demanding robust evidence for this "affirming" treatment given to minors.

    • Incognito 5.1
      10 February 2023 at 12:31 pm

      In fact, three days ago any reference to puberty blockers was removed completely from the Ministry's site.

      It seems to be on their website!?

      https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/keeping-well/transgender-new-zealanders [Last updated: 29 January 2023]

      How’s the classmate doing, if you don’t mind me asking?

      • Molly 5.1.1
        10 February 2023 at 2:04 pm

        The Ministry of Health link I provided did have reference to puberty blockers on the site I linked to which has now been removed. (See site update 7 Feb 2023).

        As you show, on the http://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz site it remains. Perhaps they haven't got the memo yet. But still appalling.

        "How’s the classmate doing, if you don’t mind me asking?"

        Why? The most relevant time to ask will be when the long-term effects have been experienced don't you think?

        How do you ask a child about their adult sexual function, when they haven't reached sexual maturity?

        How do you ask a child about the impact on neurological development when they are an adult when they have taken medication to interrupt a significant development period during puberty?

        How do you ask a child about the impact on their adult fertility when they are a child themselves?

        Incognito, the total disregard for child protection and safeguarding to look after a child's present day feels is one I will remember for years to come.

        (Luckily for you there are plenty of studies regarding the impact of these medications on-label for adults. One being breast cancer patients. Look up a few and see how many breast cancer patients stop taking this medication due the side-effects – even knowing the benefit it has in reducing the likelihood of cancer growth.

        I would also direct you to look at recent data releases and studies on minors (not looking good BTW), but I doubt you can actually be bothered getting informed given past exchanges.)

        • Incognito 5.1.1.2
          10 February 2023 at 5:23 pm

          Sorry I asked. It seemed the most relevant and pertinent question and the here & now is where we are; anything else is speculative. I’m not interested in the mother’s alleged ‘enthusing’ nor in your criticism of the available studies and data nor in the alleged disregard for children (which is ironic, given I queried about this child) nor in your narrative.

          BTW, I couldn’t find any good stats on how many breast cancer patients are treated with puberty blockers and how many stop treatment because of side effects of those blockers and what those side effects were.

          Never mind, I won’t ask you again because you have closed your mind to engaging with pre-selected others in good faith. However, you always make a point of long-ish replies reiterating your own narrative and adding a few other side lines in it, but not actually addressing the point made by another, which reminds me of another commenter who used to do the same thing over and over again.

          Anyway, have a nice day.

          • Molly 5.1.1.2.1
            11 February 2023 at 9:07 am

            Pertinent question? Not really.

            It's a familiar redirection away from the issue. And it was answered, you just didn't like the answer because you don't really want to think about this at all, just affirm.

            The rhetoric has been successful with you.

            Your failure to research is not my problem. I'm guessing you looked up puberty blockers and not the various drug names.

            Anyway, as mentioned there are a number of studies being released on minors coming out. See if you can do better. I posted one earlier because I had a suspicion that people might need help with having to address their appalling complacency.

            You are not making any points. You are attempting redirection to irrelevancies.

            Don't know who the reference is to, but once again – an irrelevancy.

            "…have a nice day".

            Did you never consider to refrain from saying things you don't mean? Every occurrence makes the rest of your contributions questionable.

            For the non performative nonchalant, a link to affadavit from original comment:

            https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0717/7420/8276/files/Jamie_Reed_s_Letter_to_the_AG.pdf?v=1675961919

    • roblogic 5.2
      10 February 2023 at 1:18 pm

      That Jamie Reed article [your link was bad btw] demonstrates yet again, what critics of the Gender movement have been saying for ages.

      There is a certain glamour and fascination with transgenderism that people buy into enthusiastically. Much of it promoted by the MSM as something edgy and cool and different.

      This enthusiasm, alongside a surfeit of empathy (which has a dark side) bypasses their critical faculties and they end up with bad law, forgetting about safeguarding, and ignoring parents and medical professionals who are trying to blow the whistle.

    • weka 5.3
      10 February 2023 at 2:41 pm

      In fact, three days ago any reference to puberty blockers was removed completely from the Ministry's site.

      Need a copy of the original (and date). I looked in the Wayback Machine, and the earliest version of your link is June 2022 and it also doesn't contain the word blockers.

      https://web.archive.org/web/20220609010444/https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/providing-health-services-transgender-people

      • Molly 5.3.1
        10 February 2023 at 3:49 pm

        Had a cursory look, and can't find any screenshots, so I was relying on my admittedly fallible memory. So FWIW can only confirm that a recent update has occurred, as can be seen by the date on the webpages.

        If I do find any screenshots to validate my faulty memory, I'll post. Otherwise, ignore that sentence (which is not a pertinent point) and critique the rest.

        • weka 5.3.1.1
          10 February 2023 at 3:53 pm

          I'm wondering if they replaced the page (and URL) entirely last year. There will be pre-2022 URLs on TS somewhere, from the previous round where their position was being looked at. I'll see if I can find it.

          It's also possible that the TWO website is the one being update to be the formal version and the MoH one is grandparented. They really should sort that out.

        • Molly 5.3.1.2
          10 February 2023 at 4:00 pm

          Can only find reference to the initial change from "fully reversible" by doing an image search and coming up with this Family First article which shows what I remember as the initial change on the Ministry of Health main website. The replacement was on the same site.

          By clicking on the link I have on previous comments on the same, AND a FOI reference to the same webpage, it seems that the URL has been redirected to the tewhatuora section of the MoH webpages. So it could just be it was removed from the main pages because the tewhatuora pages were finalised.

          So that might account for the inability to pick up the old versions or not. Someone with more internet nous might be able to determine if that is the case.

  6. woodart 6
    10 February 2023 at 11:54 am

    I dont waste money on granny herald, but I see there is a paywalled article by hooten re luxon. are the wheels falling off? willis doesnt seem intelligent enough to take the reins. oh dear!!

    • roblogic 6.1
      10 February 2023 at 1:04 pm

      A good read. Matthew Hooton: We need to talk about Christopher Luxon – NZ Herald

      Hoots reckons that National is too complacent and underestimates Labour. I wonder if he has a personal vendetta against Luxon?

      Some tasty morsels:

      Luxon’s unpopularity and poor communications skills mean it wouldn’t take much for Labour to convince crucial median voters that the National leader plans to slash taxes for the rich, pay for it by ending entitlement programmes and outlaw abortion.

      Especially in its conservative and sometimes smug environment, the National hierarchy would have dismissed as delusional any party strategist who suggested before Christmas that it ought to plan for Ardern throwing in the towel, Hipkins rather than Robertson replacing her, followed by the public burning of Ardern’s hate-speech legislation, her “nuclear-free moment” biofuels mandate, Robertson’s beloved income insurance scheme and Willie Jackson’s media merger.

      Even if a hollow 2008 or 2017-style campaign could work in 2023, Luxon is no Key or Ardern.

      Those two cloud-hoppers could promise a “brighter future” or even just “this” and voters would believe them. For a Luxon, like an early Clark or Bolger, substance is going to matter. He has said or done nothing so far to give voters confidence he has any.

      Hooton also dropped this word: "quinquevirate", that's a new one.

      • observer 6.1.1
        10 February 2023 at 2:38 pm

        The Nat caucus are like generals fighting the last war.

        They know that leadership changes hurt them badly in 2020. Therefore they do not want to make the same mistake in 2023.

        So they are making a worse one.

        • woodart 6.1.1.1
          10 February 2023 at 3:53 pm

          does hooten have a problem with luxon? well ,luxon replaced the person who took over from the guy who stood in, after hoots boy went on gardening leave, so probably…. how to get the bottom feeders to trust luxon?? maybe a carefully unstaged rescue of a kitten up a tree? a bleeding luxon, with actual dirt on his real workmans boots,and tastefully ripped brandname jeans, falling out of a tree, carefully protecting a bedraggled kitten. crikey,cant get more trustworthy than that. AND he used to run an airline!shit, he's one of us(disclaimer,no,he's not).

    • Incognito 6.2
      10 February 2023 at 4:50 pm

      I think Hooton is intimidated by Willis, with good reason.

    • Nic the NZer 6.3
      10 February 2023 at 4:53 pm

      Auckland might want a word with Hooton about Wayne Brown first. What is the going rate for Matthew Hooton to have a positive opinion about a politician anyway?

      • roblogic 6.3.1
        10 February 2023 at 5:30 pm

        Whatever it is, Luxon isn’t buying. That’s one positive to him. Avoiding the dirty politics crew trying to corrupt our system. And he’s not really engaging with the VFF-Counterspin fringe either, they are all political kryptonite

        • Nic the NZer 6.3.1.1
          10 February 2023 at 6:17 pm

          You've read a slightly different narrative to me on VFF. I only heard his impromptu meeting with VFF he wasn't able to get the audience onboard, and probably didn't have the talking points to do so. But he did seem to be trying to apply National's talking points to the antivax questions. So, audience: how about ending vaccine mandates for medical staff? Luxon: Well National would like to roll back centralised health reforms, does that answer the question?

  7. ianmac 7
    10 February 2023 at 12:54 pm

    Luxon's consistent approach is to not produce or explain any policy.

    But wait. When we the voters wait with bated breath for the coming announcements, those policies when they are announced will get huge notice taken. Headlines! They are not stupid are they?

    • Incognito 7.1
      10 February 2023 at 5:05 pm

      Luxon’s dilemma is that Hipkins and Labour are (re)moving targets from Luxon’s view, which makes him look even more shambolic when his MO is repeal, repeal, repeal. He will look even more like Don Quichotte tilting at windmills.

      Luxon doesn’t have to worry about policies other than producing and remembering 5 bullet points and an automated referral to the ACT Policies webpage.

      • Robert Guyton 7.1.1
        10 February 2023 at 6:15 pm

        Don (Quixote) was a Good Guy! Don't use his name in vain 🙂

        • Stuart Munro 7.1.1.1
          10 February 2023 at 8:25 pm

          He wouldn't have got far without Rocinante – and the Gnats don't have one.

          • tWiggle 7.1.1.1.1
            11 February 2023 at 12:55 am

            Wikipedia describes Rocinante as 'like Quixote, awkward, past his prime, and engaged in a task beyond his capabilities'. Perhaps the Gnats do have one.

            • Stuart Munro 7.1.1.1.1.1
              11 February 2023 at 5:27 am

              Rocinante was a work horse.

              • Incognito …
                11 February 2023 at 4:13 pm

                Luxon & National are a Trojan horse pretending to be in charge and on the horse. The tail is wagging the dog and we think it is funny but we won’t be laughing after 14 Oct if NACT form the next Government and the many (of us) will get smacked around till hit hurts & bleeds.

                • Stuart Munro …
                  12 February 2023 at 3:23 pm

                  If ACT achieve significant policy input then Decembrists like the Occupy crowd will grow by an order of magnitude. We'll have an even more unequal society, and it will be armed. Too Cormac McCarthy for my liking – I want The Postman.

      • tWiggle 7.1.2
        10 February 2023 at 8:14 pm

        It's taken Luxon a month or two, but he's finally got a more-or-less joined up message about Te Tiriti. Each time in front of the cameras, there's evidence that his minders have force-fed a bit more history down his gob. The gob part references a fledgling metaphor, by the way, rather than broad kiwiana abuse.

  8. newsense 8
    11 February 2023 at 4:57 am

    Geez- I agree with Josie Pagani 100%. One of us must be a stopped clock!

    But it’s no secret our country has run on a lot of people being paid less than minimum wage. If your wage is crap and just covering rent, you can/could get a good cheap meal at xyz restaurant or cheap veges at that small supermarket. And like bus drivers forced into crap wages by the mechanism of the contracting system, here often exploitation of immigrants or international students who were in employment situations not covered by NZ law was the case. This is a low wage economy.

    It means a reset on the value of some luxury meals and the places you went to to stretch your grocery bill, but asked no questions need questions asked. If everyone is getting a living wage, then it has to be everyone. And that means accepting some re-evaluation of the cost of some things.

    This mindset goes back to the 90s and will be hard to change, but adjusting to new realities is going to be a popular thing for people to do in the near future, and this surely won’t be the worst of them.

    But yeh simply what Pagani is saying is that class war has been raised so successfully on the lower classes that it’s science that the weakest must accept a decreasing share to combat inflation and economic growth not making them better off. That’s the result of the economic orthodoxy of both main parties which has changed little in 30 years. If Labour can sell the majority of people being better off through a slight reverse of the huge wealth transfer of the property market and elsewhere, good on them. I did think core values were a property owning democracy, but perhaps that rabbit is further off.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 27

    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    46 mins ago
  • Ticket To Anywhere

    You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 hour ago
  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    19 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • 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
    18 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
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T01:13:04+00:00