Open mike 11/10/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 11th, 2019 - 87 comments
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87 comments on “Open mike 11/10/2019 ”

  1. Andre 1

    For those with a technical/engineering bent, here's a good piece from Vox about the climate problem from industrial process heat.

    https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/10/10/20904213/climate-change-steel-cement-industrial-heat-hydrogen-ccs

    It could have been better, though. It didn't even mention what effects a price on carbon would have in its cost comparisons, nor did it even mention the possibilities of completely changing some industrial processes such as electrolytic steelmaking or electrochemical cement production.

    • Dukeofurl 1.1

      Electrolytic Steel ?

      "until the product is actually built and tested at commercial scale, it’s too early to say how well or affordably it will really work. "

      Electrochemical Cement ?
      "‘A modern cement plant typically produces 10,000 tonnes of cement per day – it is very difficult to imagine this scale of production by electrolysis.’

      There would be telephone books ( remember them) worth of research papers produced that dont go any further than saying , yes we can do it when we make 0.5kg in the lab

      • Andre 1.1.1

        Just about every part of modern society had its origins in small scale lab experiments. The stuff that got commercialised on a massive scale was where there was a big commercial incentive to do so.

        In the case of cement or steel, that commercial incentive will come from a carbon price or heavy-handed government restriction on burning fossil fuels. But right now, when fossil fuel burners get to dump their hazardous waste in the atmosphere for free and the rest of the world has to deal with the damage it causes, there's no commercial incentive to further develop alternatives.

  2. Blazer 2

    John Key's 'you'll just have to wait and see'..regarding who bought his Parnell hacienda,leaves me to believe( as no title transfer of sale has occurred )that maybe the buyer is a foreigner and not eligible under new laws.

    If that is the case ,I'm sure some creative solution will be found.

    • Sacha 2.1

      Wouldn't you say it could be another cosy related party like the buyer of his beach house? Who else owes him a favour for services rendered?

    • mac1 2.2

      And the buyer is…………. Christopher Luxon when he parachutes into the electorate after selection. The much photographed pool will provide quite a media splash.

    • Dukeofurl 2.3

      Thats because Keys house was originally in a Family Trusts name. he and his family are the beneficiaries.

      Whats happened is the Trust still exists but has new beneficiaries which arent listed on the title, just the Trustees

    • The Al1en 3.1

      Using a hard right republican tea bagger to justify the extermination of the Kurdish people. How very left wing of you.

      • phillip ure 3.1.1

        i was surprised to see paul cited here..but part of his and his fathers' politics is pulling american troops out of whatever…so despite his other r/w beliefs there is some consistancy there..

        the takeaway/surprise for me was the small number of troops involved (50-100..)

        so the significant aspect of this isn't so much the troop withdrawal itself..

        but the conversation trump had with erdogan..where we are told he basically handed over the isis-problem to erdogan..

        giving him the green light to do whatever..

        something else to consider is that turkey currently has three and a half million refugees from this conflict in their country..

        and turkey won’t want to ‘exterminate’ the kurds – historically the kurds have been a buffer-zone between turkey and the middle-east..

        and in different times/wars the kurds have fought alongside the turks..

        so i am guessing erdogan wants control back of that area – so he can send back the kurds he has not ‘exterminated’ – who are in turkey as refugees..

        these fings are often quite nuanced..

        (and i see allen delivered an ill-thought-out/simplistic-sneer – it must be a day ending in a 'y'..)

        • The Al1en 3.1.1.1

          There's never anything Ill thought out from me, Philip, though cant argue with simplistic – One has to play to the level of the audience after all just like last night, when you were shepherded into ducking a simple question.

          Still, it is odd how some left wingers choose to quote or cite rabid righties in order to attack others on the left. Thats a very confused position for sure.

          • phillip ure 3.1.1.1.1

            maybe some people are actually seeking illumination..

            preferring that over doctrinaire-posturing..?

          • Adrian Thornton 3.1.1.1.2

            @ Al1en " There's never anything Ill thought out from me, "..thanks for that I needed that little mid morning chuckle.

          • francesca 3.1.1.1.3

            I would have thought an anti-war stance is one of the few areas where libertarianism coaligns with true leftist position

            Disagreements aplenty in other areas

            Your kind of simplistic tribal thinking does no one any good

            • The Al1en 3.1.1.1.3.1

              Nothing in the posts I made above, about a presumed lefty attacking the falsely alleged "pro war left" by way off a right wing tea party has changed with your comment.

              • no surprises there…

                allen puts the 'id' in '- – – -id'..

                • Incognito

                  Your ad homs are getting worse, Phil. Up your game, if you can..

                  • marty mars

                    I can't get an ad hom out of – – – – id – is it 3 or 4 letters before the id? I thought 3 and vap id would be a tidy double hitter laugh

                    • close..!..but no chocolate-fish..

                      i was working with four letters..

                    • Incognito []

                      When you two have finished patting each other on the back maybe you could drop the infantile attempts to wind up another commenter here? Yes? It is getting bloody tedious to have to listen to same old broken record time after time. If you cannot take a joke, maybe you take a hint? Yes?

                  • heh..!

                    how in earth is 'pitting the 'id' in '- – – – id'.. an ad hom..?

                    what am i saying there..?

                    i cd also note that since my return here – allen has been this malevolent shadow – responding to anything i said with 'ad homs'…

                    and/but nary a murmer from you on that..eh..?

                    to the extent i had to police him/her by telling him/her i wd not respond to ad homs..

                    and 'if you can'..eh..?

                    a bit of putting the old 'id' in '- – id -' there..eh..?

                    heh..!

                    • Incognito

                      Thanks for proving id..

                    • The Al1en

                      Not moderated, not told off, not warned nor banned.

                      Im guessing it's because I know how to play this better than you, Philip. I don't need to insult you to shred your arguments, and I don't have to worry about getting booted when I do so. It's the best of both worlds.

                    • @ incognito..

                      are you doing yr punning thing again..?

                      some people asked me to ask you to 'please just stop it'..

                      (they seemed quite distressed by the/yr practice..)

                    • Incognito []

                      Get your id under control and get over your issues with The Al1en.

                      If you can (asking for a friend)?

                      Happy to leave you to it .. then..!..

                • Andre

                  Who is this "allen" you're trying to insult?

                  • 'who'?..indeed…!

                    i have asked myself that question..

                  • The Al1en

                    Andre, Philip has this thing he copied from Marty years ago, where he can't bring himself to use my chosen login when addressing me, and he's done it for so long, if he ever changed it would be viewed as a sign of defeat. It's like a wee willy wave on permanent Viagra. Lol

                    Its only him and the greywarshark, the Nelson nibbler who do it today, and as much as every time I see it its like a +1 to my score before I've even started, it's all a bit silly seeing as my name is Dan laugh

            • Stuart Munro. 3.1.1.1.3.2

              Oddly enough, the Kurds are not experiencing the Turkish invasion as an antiwar moment.

              • agreed..and great to see such concern..

                but it pays not to forget that since obama america has been droning/bombing/shelling/killing this whole region..

                in their latest proxy war..

                why do you think those 3.5 million refugees are in turkey..?

                for the weather..?

                so i do find yr concerns to be somewhat selective..

                • Stuart Munro.

                  That would be because you haven't done your homework on Putin. No-one on the Left who wants to talk about peace can do so while blindly following the totalitarian responsible for the Chechen genocide. Exchanging US hegemony for kleptocrat hegemony is not a victory, though it may take the Putin hero worshippers thirty years to work that out.

                  • who are these 'putin-worshippers' of whom you speak..?

                  • Adrian Thornton

                    Yeah exactly Mr Munro, "who are these 'putin-worshippers' of whom you speak..?", how about you point them out for us?

                  • Adrian Thornton

                    @ Stuart Munro.

                    And when exactly have I said or done anything like that, that would give you that idea?

                    Actually, why don't you go and find one comment on the Standard or anywhere on the net for that matter, (I use my real name) where I have shown myself to be a " Putin hero worshipper"….I can tell you right now you won't, so that leaves me with only one thing to say the the likes of you……flick you,melonfarmer.

                    • Stuart Munro.

                      "Let Lynn know what?, that his site is full of aggressive Russiagate conspiratory theorists I hope…"

                      Yesterday.

                      There is ample evidence on the record of the Russia/Trump connection, but you won't entertain it for some reason.

                    • Adrian Thornton

                      Look you fool, just becuase someone dosn't buy into the ridiculous Russiagate conspiracy/smokescreen, does not mean they have any love for Putin…your problem is that you and many like you seem to instantly assume that any enemy of Trump is all of a sudden a friend of your's ..wrong..very very wrong.

                      Holy shit you people are so gullible you even believe that the FBI and CIA are suddenly on your side now…FFS I have even seen your Trump/Russia hating loonies in the Liberal press now giving Bolton a free pass as long as he is attacking Trump…Bolton, yes I said Bolton..that's how far down the rabbit hole you guys (and girls) have gone…yet you lot won't or can't even seem to see that?

                      But I can guarantee you one thing for sure, that the people who will be looking back on this whole sad episode in the future in embarrassment and shame at the so called 'friends' they touted, qouted and defended won't be me or Bill or morrissey or Shiobhan, phillip ure, francesca etc, no it will be you and your super gullible friends..but now that I think about it you probably won't be embarrassed or ashamed at the damage you are doing to the Left, or yourself for that matter..and it's a shame.(but I really do hope that one day at least some of you will wake up and come back to the light)..good night.

                    • Stuart Munro.

                      You ignore the plain evidence in front of you for specious reasons.

                      It's fools like you that render the west vulnerable in this new cold war.

                      And then you have the incredible arrogance to pretend to be Left. The 'old reds' who naively supported Stalin were both more sincere and more realistic than you.

                      Putin is Right, authoritarian, corrupt, invades, and slaughters journalists. You cannot square that with pretentions to Left or progressive values.

                      I am ashamed of you, and when you grow up, you will be ashamed of yourself.

                    • Adrian Thornton

                      Man you are really one paranoid individual, they really got you good pal…like some sort of crazy old demented cold war warrior..well your old sexually perverted boss Hoover would be proud of you…

                      https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/11/19/article-2063491-0EDBBFF300000578-188_306x423.jpg

            • SPC 3.1.1.1.3.3

              There is nothing anti-war about enabling an attack by Turkey on the SDF (who only resisted IS a secret Turkish ally) and displacing Kurds from their homes in northern Syria.

        • SPC 3.1.1.2

          There are no Kurds in Turkey as refugees.

          But there will be in Syria when Turkey occupies northen Syria and displaces the Kurds living there.

        • The Al1en 3.1.2.1

          Probably not near as much you are having the arche duke of neoliberalism to make your attack on lefties for you.

          • phillip ure 3.1.2.1.1

            slight ideological-labelling correction here –

            like his father before him – paul is a libertariam..not a neoliberal..

            • The Al1en 3.1.2.1.1.1

              So Clark is definitely a neo lib but you're wanting to get picky over what to label a full on conservative tea bagger? Lol

              • what exactly don't you get about 'libertarian'..?

                and yes..clark is/was a neoliberal-incrementalist..

                she came from a tory family – and despite having the labour party as her vehicle to power..didn’t stray far from those roots..

                her record in office underlines/confirms that..

                what don't you get about that..?

                and clark is in part the cause of any reticence i have about warren..in that she also comes from a ‘tory’ background – the republican party..

                prob-ly just unfounded paranoia on my part..but still a niggle..

                • The Al1en

                  Paul is a conservative republican, wants low taxes, reductions in spending, anti abortion, doesn't support lgbti rights and detests socialism, social democracy and the left.

                  If you want to champion him and his opinions, go right ahead.

                  I have read of RP described as Neo lib, but besides you predictably nit picking over a label, isn't anyone to the right of Sanders supposed to be a neo lib anyway?

                  As for your concerns about Warren- Are these new?

                  • paul self-describes as a libertarian-consevative..

                    which is very different from neoliberal – that wd be like equating paul with h. clark..silly..!

                    scandanavian countries are democratic-socialist – higher taxes – strong social support..

                    clark/nz – aust – britain (where the poorest are left to rot..) are neoliberal..

                    we here in nz need to move from neoliberal into democratic-socialist..

                    (hope that helps clarify that for you..)

      • mikesh 3.1.3

        The US is not "exterminating the Kurdish people". If one must put blame somewhere, then blame Turkey.

    • Andre 3.2

      Gee, the presence of American military personnel in the area was the one thing actually preventing war in that specific area. As evidenced by how quickly war started up after it was made clear they wouldn't actually do anything to protect a vulnerable minority people if they were attacked. How could the self-styled "anti-war" delusionals have missed that little nuance?

      As for Rand Paul, he's not anti-war. His bag is that the rich and powerful get to do what they want, and they richer and more powerful someone is, the more they get to do whatever the fuck pleases them. So if an authoritarian dictator, the epitome of unrestrained wealth and power, gets a hankering for a bit of genocide, all good as far as Rand Paul is concerned. The idea that the US should feel any need to act on any kind of moral consideration such as the UN “responsibility to protect” doctrine, is abhorrent to him, but the idea that there might be some actual cost to him in the way of taxes to pay for that protection of a vulnerable people is absolute anathema.

      • francesca 3.2.1

        Goodness me those yankee soldiers really are titans eh?

        50 of them kept the slavering masses at bay

        And as for "the reponsibility to protect goes"I have yet to see a situation that was improved by sending in the troops

        The Gadaffi exercise was later found to be a total fraud by the UK parliamentary committee that provided a report on the Libya intervention

        Depleted uranium was used in the bombing of Serbia that went on for 78 days non stop

        The incidence of cancer is the highest in Europe. Real humanitarian stuff there.

        • Andre 3.2.1.1

          Yeah, I s'pose you could see it that way. If you're an enthusiast of authoritarian dictators fucking over the ordinary people that have the misfortune to be within that dictator's area of influence, that is.

          • francesca 3.2.1.1.1

            Here we go Andre , see what your heroes did in Iraq…for the very best of reasons of course protecting Kuwait and ridding the world of a dictator in 2003

            The Iraqis have thrived under US good intentions?

            https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/03/2013315171951838638.html

            fancy birth defects more than cancer

            https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestoryamericas/2012/08/2012815458859755.html

            R2P is nothing but a crock, a fig leaf for death and destruction and regime change.

            You good old boys sure love the military

            • Andre 3.2.1.1.1.1

              Your claim was about Serbia. How about backing up your actual claim, instead of diverting.

              None of the lies used to try to justify the Iraq war even tried to invoke responsibility to protect. They couldn't have, both Iraq wars predate the adoption of the responsibility to protect doctrine. In any case, the motivation for military action in Iraq (both times) was punitive and/or control of oil, unlike the Balkans which was about protecting civilian populations.

              When it comes to depleted uranium munitions, the only number I've seen comes from RT which says 10 to 15 tons of depleted uranium munitions were used in total. There's probably more uranium than that spread around very finely every year in fertiliser.

              Whereas in the two Iraq wars, thousands of tons of DU munitions were used, including in civilian areas. So while there are indeed recognised harmful effects attributed to DU munitions among US military and Iraqis from both Iraq wars, they also experienced massively higher exposure.

              Nice diversions, though.

              • Brigid

                " unlike the Balkans which was about protecting civilian populations."

                Like hell it was.

                Read this ffs Andre

                https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2016/08/17/destruction-yugoslavia-template-for-america-future-policy/

                Incidentally Francesca is not offering a diversion but information which you may well take advantage of since you are only able to offer your 'reckons' on the subject which of course hold no weight.

                • Andre

                  Wayne Madsen, huh? Yet another one of the Alex Jones freak show cast?

                  All sorts of ..ahem … interesting stuff pops up when you google those two together.

                  edit: and that site he’s publishing on?
                  https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/strategic-culture-foundation/

                  • Brigid

                    Is this what you'd describe as 'protecting civilian populations'?

                    "Three days after NATO began its war, workers and management issued an open letter which was sent to trade unions abroad and U.S. President Clinton, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and other Western leaders. "We, the employees of Zastava and freedom-loving Kragujevac, made a live shield," the statement proclaimed. "Even at the shift end, even at the alarm sound, the Zastava workers did not leave their workshops, but remained to protect with their bodies what provides for their families' living, that in which they have built in years-long honest work in order to provide for their better future."

                    Shortly after 1:00 AM on April 9, NATO responded to the workers' letter by sending a volley of cruise missile flying into Kragujevac."

                    https://www.sott.net/article/295315-Shameless-How-NATO-stole-Yugoslavias-prosperity-targeting-state-owned-and-worker-cooperative-factories

                    • Andre

                      Y'know, the internet is full of sites and people making all kinds of weird and wonderful claims. I really can't be arsed checking out everything put up by someone who in all seriousness linked that Wayne Madsen piece above. Particularly since a brief search on Gregory Elich and SOTT gives me no confidence that either is in any way reliable or factual.

        • McFlock 3.2.1.2

          1: Turkey would be reluctant to kill US soldiers, even by accident, so yes their presence was indeed a political barrier to Turkey's operation;

          2: 50 soldiers can talk to aircraft that are carrying a shitload of explosives overhead, so can be a very practical obstacle to turkey's operation. Refer to afghanistan, 2001, for further information.

          3: what Andre said

        • Andre 3.2.1.3

          Also; francesca, are you suggesting Serbia has an elevated cancer rate as a result of the military activities there? Or are you just throwing out a couple of unrelated dots and hoping readers make the connection?

          If it's the first, linky-link please? Coz I googled "depleted uranium serbia cancer" and got screeds of the usual nonsense from the usual kook and crank sites.

          Googling "serbia cancer rates" brought up sites like this one with actual data. Serbia's cancer rate was steadily increasing from 1991 to about 2009, when it levelled off and has started to slightly decrease. There was no apparent change in the trend in 1999 or the few years thereafter. Any assertion the 1999 war has increased cancer in Serbia appears unsupported by actual data.

          Also notable is that Serbia is #25 on wikipedia's list of countries by cancer frequency with 269.7 new cases of cancer per year per 100,000 population. That's well below other nations such as NZ (295), US (318), Denmark (338) etc.

  3. Interesting to hear on radio so many foreign voices talking about what is good for NZ and our democracy. It may just be that we should welcome them, which I hadn't done wholeheartedly before. At least they have a wish to preserve some things that they like about NZ and try and save them, which is not the uniform attitude of all actual NZ-born citizens.

    This morning on RadioNZ there was a discussion about slow voting in Auckland, hard to motivate the citizens apparently. I wonder if they find that they are so anonymous in the Supershitty and so brassed off with its workings, that they don't feel part of anything that is involved and concerned with them in the great Auckland city. Perhaps they should start a petition to correct the spelling to Orcland or Awkland .

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018717214/councils-stress-still-time-to-vote
    politics Councils stress still time to vote
    From Morning Report, 8:16 am today Listen duration 3′ :00″

    If you haven't voted in your local elections yet – you had better be quick. Voting closes at midday on Saturday, but councils are urging people to act now. Marguerite Delbet, the General Manager Democracy Services at Auckland Council, spoke with Gyles Beckford.

    • Peter 4.1

      It could be true that the anonymous citizens don't feel part of anything that is involved and concerned with them in the great Auckland city.

      It's pretty certain though that when something doesn't suit them 100% they'll be 100% interested. And moan and grizzle that others who they think should 100% feel part of everything that is involved and concerned with the great Auckland city set things up for them or sort out their grievance. 100%.

  4. belladonna 5

    To reinforce my so-called rant of yesterday, this poor man didnt give up and has my admiration, this article from RNZ this morning confirms this

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018717226/hdc-complainant-accuses-watchdog-of-bias-incompetence2

  5. marty mars 6

    Looks awesome this one – hope lots of youth go to hear from other, older, activists who created change and fought injustice. Just met a teacher of mine from High School, at a funeral of a classmate – she still remembers my anti tour graffiti around our small town. Proud moment for me to be part of that fight.

    Victoria University of Wellington is bringing together leading figures from the Halt All Racist Tours (HART) movement to mark the 50th anniversary of its formation and the pivotal place in New Zealand history of its two-decade campaign against sporting ties with apartheid-era South Africa.

    HART at 50: The Power of Protest
    Auditorium
    National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga.
    70 Molesworth Street
    Wellington
    9.30am–1.30pm Saturday 12 October
    Admission: $10 in cash at the door
    Register at: https://bit.ly/2ZkynoN

    https://www.victoria.ac.nz/news/2019/09/anti-springbok-tour-veterans-mark-anniversary-and-the-power-of-protest

    Hattip – Sue on fbook

    • i hope they are inviting extinction rebellion to be honoured guests..?

    • weka 6.2

      😎

      Have been thinking about this, because of the challenges laid down by Māori to Extinction Rebellion and trying to remember how Pākehā responded to Māori leadership with the anti-Tour organising and mahi.

      I was there too (didn't think to graffiti though, damn) but a teen so don't have a good direct sense of what worked and what didn't. It was a watershed time for NZ in terms of confronting our own racism, hugely influential on my politics. I wish I could remember the details better.

  6. marty mars 7

    Our friends, the enemy

    The Guardian today reveals the 20 fossil fuel companies whose relentless exploitation of the world’s oil, gas and coal reserves can be directly linked to more than one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the modern era.

    New data from world-renowned researchers reveals how this cohort of state-owned and multinational firms are driving the climate emergency that threatens the future of humanity, and details how they have continued to expand their operations despite being aware of the industry’s devastating impact on the planet.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/09/revealed-20-firms-third-carbon-emissions

  7. Janet 8

    The new head of AirNZ head of Walmart? The gun sale Walmart? The mass shooting Walmart? Oddly enough the puff pieces haven’t mentioned that.. did I read Key bigged him up?

    • Johnr 8.1

      Yep, the very same Wal-Mart, who even by US standards is regarded as an arsehole employer.

      Air NZ employees be very afraid

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

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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