Open mike 12/11/2014

Written By: - Date published: 6:49 am, November 12th, 2014 - 145 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

The Standard is not a conspiracy – just a welcome outlet for the expression of views. Leaders that command respect will not be undermined by this.

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

Step up to the mike …

145 comments on “Open mike 12/11/2014 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Paul 1
    12 November 2014 at 7:02 am

    Unlike the rwnjs like Chris 73 et al, Key does realise that some jokes are beyond the pale.

    “Obviously it was a very poorly placed attempt at humour. I regret that, and I unreservedly apologise.”

    His unreserved apology was tempered by an excuse however.

    He said he had “misinterpreted the question” when he made the joke.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11356994

    • Morrissey 1.1
      12 November 2014 at 7:16 am

      Imagine if a LABOUR prime minister had made such a joke.

      • chris73 1.1.1
        12 November 2014 at 7:26 am

        Its hard enough to imagine a LABOUR prime minister at the moment let alone one telling jokes

    • chris73 1.2
      12 November 2014 at 7:16 am

      Unlike the rwnjs like Chris 73 et al, Key does realise that some jokes are beyond the pale.

      – Got proof of what you say?

      • Morrissey 1.2.1
        12 November 2014 at 7:18 am

        Have you condemned Key for laughing about this? I’ve been looking for evidence that you have, but so far I haven’t found any.

        • chris73 1.2.1.1
          12 November 2014 at 7:21 am

          I don’t always have time to peruse the boards but I didn’t think it was appropriate at all however Paul (the reverse tr**l) suggested something so I asked him to back to it up

          • Murray Rawshark 1.2.1.1.1
            12 November 2014 at 6:59 pm

            I bet you’re one of those fools who whinge about reverse racism as well. That doesn’t exist either.

        • Paul 1.2.1.2
          12 November 2014 at 7:27 am

          Ignore him.
          He’s just a tr***

          • chris73 1.2.1.2.1
            12 November 2014 at 7:30 am

            and you’re a reverse tro**l

            When someone of little or no intelligence on the internet gets into a discussion, debate, or argument that they cannot keep up with because of their inability to think and process information outside of their closed little mind, and respond by calling the other person more intelligent than them (A TR**L)!

    • Murray Rawshark 1.3
      12 November 2014 at 6:56 pm

      What a crap apology. “Sorry for making a joke about the escaped pedophile murderer. I thought you were asking me about someone else.” As usual, he cannot help himself. He has to lie. FJK.

  2. Morrissey 2
    12 November 2014 at 7:09 am

    The Disgusting File
    No. 1: JOHN KEY

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    “Yeah I’ll just let her know that, y’know [snicker, grin] there’s someone could be out there, ha ha ha ha!, from New Zealand [snicker] she may not want to invite round for lunch!” [snicker, grin]

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    —New Zealand prime minister JOHN KEY, asked what he’d say to Chilean premier Michele Bachelet regarding murderer and paedophile Phillip John Smith, who absconded to Chile. Bachelet subsequently cancelled the planned meeting.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10730662/John-Keys-killer-paedophile-joke-falls-flat?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

    The Disgusting File is a series compiled to highlight the most outrageous, irresponsible, hypocritical, and callous utterances of public figures, both in New Zealand and overseas.

  3. Dont worry. Be happy 3
    12 November 2014 at 7:20 am

    Key’s killer joke backfires. How would you feel if you had voted for this creep?

    • BM 3.1
      12 November 2014 at 7:23 am

      I voted for Key and have no problem.

      Not one of his best lines that’s for sure, but at least he apologizes when he gets it wrong.

      • marty mars 3.1.1
        12 November 2014 at 7:44 am

        If he said sorry after every time he misrepresentalated the truth that’s all he’d be doing and you know it.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.2
        12 November 2014 at 7:59 am

        He set a good example by apologising for his behaviour as opposed to any imagined offence caused, then immediately blew it by tagging an attempt at an excuse onto the end.

        • BM 3.1.2.1
          12 November 2014 at 8:01 am

          Nothing wrong with having a disclaimer, nobody likes to make a mistake and look foolish.

          Personally I think a straight out apology makes you look like a bit of a thicky at least with the apology excuse combo it’s gives you a better chance to nullify any damage caused.

      • McFlock 3.1.3
        12 November 2014 at 12:44 pm

        Of course you have no problem with it.

        You’re as morally illiterate as Key is. Things like “empathy” and “integrity” are alien concepts beyond your comprehension.

    • chris73 3.2
      12 November 2014 at 7:24 am

      Well child poverty is the same level since 2008 even though we’ve gone through the GFC and two major earthquakes, more people in work, mortgage rates are low and business confidence is good

      So on the whole not too bad

  4. Paul 4
    12 November 2014 at 7:30 am

    Anyone else hear Espiner’s interview of Sam Lotu-Iiga.
    What a train wreck. Completely unable to get off the trained script.
    Isn’t he a Slater creature?
    He made some of Parata’s interviews look good.

    • tc 4.1
      12 November 2014 at 7:36 am

      Smiley sammy ticks an ethnic box and tends to stay out of lime light, another big law firm nat mp.

      Winning and holding mangakieke twice earns him a few bad script reads.

    • odysseus 4.2
      12 November 2014 at 7:47 am

      Yes heard it, cringeworthy, embarassing…

    • tracey 4.3
      12 November 2014 at 11:09 am

      and that’s with him being snatched yesterday so he couldnt speak before they had him trained. Weve all just witnessed what happens when a Nat MP speaks without a few hours preparation (John Key)

    • CnrJoe 4.4
      12 November 2014 at 7:16 pm

      That would be a Simon Lusk creature

  5. Manuka AOR 5
    12 November 2014 at 7:34 am

    Yesterday on the “Headline” discussion I made the comment that “There seem to be two extremes operating in the govt, with weaker parties dismissing people and adjusting policies according to the weather of the day, and those in power doing or saying whatever they please regardless of all consequences.”

    One Anonymous Bloke asked for citations re: “weaker parties … adjusting policies according to the weather of the day”

    A couple that come to mind from the Greens are
    a) After the ChCh Quake an emergency measures bill was introduced that gave absolute power to the govt over individuals and the law as it stood until then. The Greens noted the dangers of that bill and initially looked set to object to it. However in the face of peer pressure from the rest of parliament, they backed down and the bill passed unanimously. This meant that when voices from the Law Society and elsewhere tried to question it, there wasn’t a toehold to move. “It was passed unanimously.”
    b) Russell Norman considered the idea of NZ having some sort of an internal economy that would finance essential services with our own local currency, I think. But rather than put it out there in clearer detail, or for open consideration, he ‘disappeared it ‘ at first criticism from the Nats and the press. It would have been good to at least consider it in a public discussion.
    c) And then there is this recent use of the Thought Police. (Browning demotion.)
    d) There also seemed to be a bit of a swizzle around during the lead up to the election as to the extent they would or would not work in with the Nats.

    And from Labour
    a) The minimum tax threshold – It magically appears and disappears like leaves on a deciduous tree
    b) Similarly, removing GST on essential foods (appears then vanishes)
    c) Being unclear as to the extent they would work with the Greens, and weaving around that
    d) Deciding, or making a public statement that, they would not work with the Maori Party, shortly before the election date

    • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1
      12 November 2014 at 7:52 am

      Greens

      a. How do you know there wasn’t “peer pressure” from within the party? Was there a caucus vote on the issue?

      b. Conflates Russel and the party.

      c. Well deserved demotion does not equal the thought police.

      d. Media driven “swizzle”.

      Labour.

      a. Leaf fall is seasonal, so is hardly a good metaphor for the weather on the day. was it “magic”, or some internal policy process?

      b. Ditto.

      c. Yep, they screwed up, eh.

      d. Not sure that was a weather on the day thing – “last cab off the rank” ring any bells?

      On the wider issue: that National get a free ride by comparison, I agree.

      • Manuka AOR 5.1.1
        12 November 2014 at 8:23 am

        My main point is that both Labour and the Greens allow themselves to be influenced by JK and the Nats, via the media, rather than being true to themselves. This is a gross weakness.

        The sequence of events in all those cases is that
        a) the Left party expresses something that, they say, they think or believe in
        b) JK/ Nats respond loudly with some sneering, derisive or coldly put-down comment
        c) Media repeat dear leader’s judgement as if gospel
        d) the Left party retract, bend, crawl away — and look for all the world like weaklings and insubordinates. Pathetic!!!!

        • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1.1
          12 November 2014 at 8:48 am

          Hmm. Remember what Bill English said about dead rats: an example of the National Party being prepared to compromise on matters of dogma when there’s political advantage in doing so.

          It’s easier for National to do this because they never discuss policy anyway. You’d be daft to call it weakness though, considering the results.

          Willingness to compromise enables the search for win/win solutions. Rigidity is brittle.

          • Manuka AOR 5.1.1.1.1
            12 November 2014 at 8:56 am

            What examples can you give of Nat’s having compromised on policy due to adverse media reporting?

            • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1.1.1.1
              12 November 2014 at 9:05 am

              The dead rats, for example. Schedule four is another I guess.

              • Manuka AOR …
                12 November 2014 at 9:19 am

                Which particular ‘dead rat’? Before they got in, English & JK were telling their constituents they may have to “swallow a few”, but not sure if they ever actually did so?

                Schedule Four – Mining in conservation land — Activity by stealth – Who knows what permits for exploration have been given out or where, and why the clear felling on the West Coast anyway.

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  12 November 2014 at 10:16 am

                  Rats, plural. Not selling Kiwibank, keeping WFF.

                  Just using them to illustrate that compromise isn’t necessarily weakness.

            • ankerawshark 5.1.1.1.1.2
              12 November 2014 at 9:14 am

              M AOR @ 5.1.1.1.1 Increasing class sizes. Remember Nats were going to do this, then public outcry. Policy dropped.

              Of course we would likely see more of this if the media critiqued National rather than just endorsing them.

              • Manuka AOR …
                12 November 2014 at 9:23 am

                They facilitated Charter Schools instead.
                Rather than clear/ clean change of policy, they just seem to weasel around it and try and hide what they’re doing (often successfully). imo

              • Murray Rawshark …
                12 November 2014 at 7:30 pm

                I bet class sizes will increase over the next three years anyway. They do a lot of stuff without announcing it. They can fund fewer places for trainee teachers, for example.

          • Manuka AOR 5.1.1.1.2
            12 November 2014 at 11:27 am

            “Willingness to compromise enables the search for win/win solutions. “

            The problem with the concept of ‘compromise’ is that we have entered a new era, where the political playing field is no longer comprised merely of individuals and parties.

            We are now in an era where Transnational and Global Corporations, as well as foreign governments, are enacting their own agendas across all borders. I think that this new corporate driven era requires different responses than simple readiness to compromise with those agendas.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1.1.2.1
              12 November 2014 at 11:40 am

              That’s not a new era that’s the way it’s always been – and it’s a mistake to assume that corporations speak with one voice – natural alliances can still be found.

          • Sabine 5.1.1.1.3
            12 November 2014 at 2:50 pm

            So if the Greens, the Labour Party and all the other opposition parties just go for bi-partisan dialogue and compromise why would anyone still vote fro them?

            If i have to choose between National Light aka. the Greens or Labour, or National Hardcore you know where the vote goes. I ma gonna stay home and do nuthing.

            And yes, the greens have compromised with National and they got the cycle way of national importance for it. Yei! As I was lectured by Marama Davidson in the lead up to the election, when the big brouhahah broke out about the Greens working with National.

            No really, I want my left party left, to the left of the spectrum, I want them proud, progressive, social minded and with a keen eye on the environment.

            When the greens and labour grow guts, balls and ovaries made from brass they will get my support. Until then? Nothing.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1.1.3.1
              12 November 2014 at 3:42 pm

              Assuming that compromise involves a “bipartisan”, or binary approach is a mistake: often solutions can be found that neither party were aware of prior to discussion – the essence of win/win or integrative negotiation.

              The way riparian planting reduces river damage while simultaneously increasing yield, for example.

              Read Nándor Tánczos’ valedictory speech sometime –

              I came to Parliament thinking that the members were all a bunch of bastards, and I was wrong. There are many good people here. The very notion that all politicians are dishonest is misconceived, because if we think that politicians are all venal, then we expect nothing from them but venality. We should raise our expectations.

              My emphasis.

              • Manuka AOR …
                12 November 2014 at 6:28 pm

                1A Bloke, Parliament was a rather nicer place, I believe, when Nandor was there. Hager’s book notes certain changes that have happened since then… In light of that, surely what is needed is someone to call out the abuses of power – someone to take a strong stand against them. In other words, a strong and true Opposition Party (which sometimes seems to be MIA).

            • Manuka AOR 5.1.1.1.3.2
              12 November 2014 at 5:06 pm

              “No really, I want my left party left, to the left of the spectrum, I want them proud, progressive, social minded and with a keen eye on the environment. “

              Exactly. And I think the Greens have it together in essence – “This is who we are. This is what we stand for.” They are clearly distinct from other parties. But they still appear to be bending like reeds in the media winds sometimes when I’d rather see them stand tall.

              Labour are less clearly defined. How do people vote for a party they cannot clearly distinguish from others?

              • Murray Rawshark …
                12 November 2014 at 7:46 pm

                I tend to agree with you. I think homeopathy is a load of garbage, but it was mentioned on a petition, along with effective approaches. The Greens overreacted.

        • Ad 5.1.1.2
          12 November 2014 at 10:11 am

          The public are a lot more used to Labour folding like origami since they are a party based on compromise (and they are polling about where they are in my view due to lack of bold and principled stances on most things).

          Greens however have based themselves on highly principled policy positions, and they will suffer greatly if they are seen to shift too much.

          Labour’s public branding is essentially “we will slightly improve things”

          Green’s public branding is essentially “we will help change the world”

      • Manuka AOR 5.1.2
        12 November 2014 at 8:37 am

        Regarding the Statement about not working with the Maori Party, and you saying it was not a “weather of the day” thing — The sequence was that shortly before election date it appeared that the Left would beat out the Nats by their combined numbers. JK/ Nats saw this and pre-empted it by talking loudly about some sort of many-headed monster thingy that “no one would want in govt”.

        Rather than calling b/s, Labour said in effect, “Dear Leader’s right. No one wants a ‘multi combo monster. So it’s just us all alone. And maybe with the Greens but we’ll see how the wind’s blowing.. (What do you reckon dear leader?)”

        (ok so I threw the last phrase in to highlight the prob, but essentially that is how it went.)

  6. Dont worry. Be happy 6
    12 November 2014 at 8:07 am

    The fact that Key would laugh long and hard at his joke about a man who molested a child for years and then murdered the child’s father is a telling slip of the very expensive mask, years in the making, millions of dollars spent building.

    Makes his “she’s the same f……bitch that screams at me when I go down to Greymouth” to Slater even more likely.

    A con man can only get away with the con if everyone believes his carefully constructed charming “good bloke” image.

    This con man, the 1%’s Prime Minister, must be getting furious feedback from his donors and puppet-masters…there are after all, state houses to flog off to the booze industry for half price (again!) a secret deal with US corporations to stitch up and who knows what other heists they have planned…all at risk….because NZ just saw a glimpse of the real Key…and it was stomach turning.

    • felix 6.1
      12 November 2014 at 8:21 am

      “Makes his “she’s the same f……bitch that screams at me when I go down to Greymouth” to Slater even more likely.”

      Yep. I had thought that was probably Cameron’s paraphrasing, but after this latest moment of truth it’s easy to hear those words in Key’s own voice.

      • vto 6.1.1
        12 November 2014 at 9:09 am

        Yep and even if Key didn’t use the f and the b words you can most certainly hear the same sneering nasty tones and thoughts ………

        didn’t he also do a throat-slit gesture about a member of the public in Parliament once?

    • Murray Rawshark 6.2
      12 November 2014 at 7:51 pm

      I find it quite believable that Key would have spoken to Slater in that way. They talk like that to reassure each other of their manliness. As for the latest idiocy – at the age of about 4 I realised that only fools laugh at their own jokes.

  7. Red Blooded 7
    12 November 2014 at 8:31 am

    Did I really see Simon Bridges say that those of us losing our “air service” to Kaitaia in April 2015 should be pleased the “Holiday Highway road” will be built by 2017? Like another centimeter of road on a map is going to make all the difference to our region and does he know how far Wellsford is from Kaitaia?

    • Ad 7.1
      12 November 2014 at 10:23 am

      and the travel time savings from this massive highway upgrade construction are … about 11 minutes, in theory. I, sure that will help the 5 hour drive from Auckland.

      Genter can give you chapter and verse, but it’s on the NZTA website as well.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.2
      12 November 2014 at 11:49 am

      And according to Key it’s “generally good news”.

      War is peace
      Slavery is freedom

  8. weka 8
    12 November 2014 at 8:40 am

    Automation going well I see.

    Imagine this scenario: You’re on an important trip miles from home and stopped in traffic, but before you can continue on your way, your car shuts down. You’ve got enough gas in the tank and no mechanical problems. But you’re stranded far from home because you’re a few days late on your car payment and the lender won’t let you drive until the debt is paid.

    If this sounds like part of a dystopian future in which repo men are now cyborgs, it’s not. It’s happening today and becoming a big part of the new automotive landscape. Car dealers and automotive lenders are targeting those with poor credit by installing GPS-based kill switches, or starter-interrupt devices, on the cars that they sell.

    The New York Times recently reported that about 2 million cars are now outfitted with such kill switches in the U.S., which is about one-quarter of subprime car loans, and creditors are not shy when it comes to remotely disabling cars whose owners are behind on their payments:

    “Some borrowers say their cars were disabled when they were only a few days behind on their payments, leaving them stranded in dangerous neighborhoods. Others said their cars were shut down while idling at stoplights. Some described how they could not take their children to school or to doctor’s appointments. One woman in Nevada said her car was shut down while she was driving on the freeway.

    “Beyond the ability to disable a vehicle, the devices have tracking capabilities that allow lenders and others to know the movements of borrowers, a major concern for privacy advocates. And the warnings the devices emit — beeps that become more persistent as the due date for the loan payment approaches — are seen by some borrowers as more degrading than helpful.”

    http://www.salon.com/2014/11/08/subprime_lenders_can_now_disable_your_car_while_youre_driving_on_the_freeway_partner/

    • BM 8.1
      12 November 2014 at 8:46 am

      The lesson in all that is.
      Pay your bills on time.

      Having said that though, bit silly to deactivate the car away from the persons home.

      Normally you’d ring fence a area such as the persons home address and when the person enters that area and the car has been switch off, then you deactivate it.

      • weka 8.1.1
        12 November 2014 at 8:49 am

        Ah, I see the empathy-deficit brigade are out in full force today. Can’t think of a legitimate reason for not paying a bill on time even according to your own judgemental as fuck code of ethics?

      • vto 8.1.2
        12 November 2014 at 8:57 am

        Yep because the most important people in the entire world, the people who need the complete and total protection of their rights, no matter all other peoples rights, are money-lenders……

        there you have it folks, money-lenders are the utmost important people in the entire world

        …

        people should refuse to borrow I think
        just don’t do it
        not for a house
        not for a car
        not for a phone
        not for anything
        if you aint got the cash money then you don’t buy it

        call it a general debt strike, right across the nation, everyone refuse anymore loans,…

        • Sabine 8.1.2.1
          12 November 2014 at 3:10 pm

          funny, my bank is quite concerned with me and my banking habits.
          I have cancelled my over draft 5 years ago.
          i have paid of my small loan in full
          have no visa card anymore
          have only an eftpos account left

          they send me so many letters telling me that they would be happy to provide me with a loan to buy stuff i don’t need.
          But I say no no no

          Next I will close the aussie bank account and join the local credit union.

      • greywarshark 8.1.3
        12 November 2014 at 9:51 am

        BM
        Great. That’s the quality of response we expect from you. We can rely on you for the stupid knee jerk reaction of the automated didactic moralistic pedant.

      • Draco T Bastard 8.1.4
        12 November 2014 at 11:52 am

        No, the lesson in this is how much the capitalists like to control your life.

      • Murray Rawshark 8.1.5
        12 November 2014 at 7:56 pm

        Normally is not a word you should use, Bowel Motion. What you should say is “A more expert brand of parasitic scum would deactivate the car at the person’s home.”

        I’m surprised they’re doing this in the US and A. Even though it won’t be happening to rich people’s cars, they could be involved in accidents involving cars killed off on the freeway. And they have lawyers that they’re not scared to use.

    • Ad 8.2
      12 November 2014 at 10:17 am

      I recall when User Pays was first introduced as a concept into New Zealand. It was and is a corrosion of the ideal of public services paid by the whole of the public, for the public good.

      Now, people don’t seem to mind if motorways are tolled. After all, public transport isn’t free.

      But public transport within a city should be as free as private transport on roads. We need to go back to the policy principle that all transport modes are cost neutral to the user/citizen. If public transport costs, so should using the roads. And the reverse if either mode is free.

  9. weka 9
    12 November 2014 at 8:46 am

    More driving news, the NZTA TInnyvision ad on not toking and driving. I thought it was well done and funny, but good luck with convincing the subset of dope smokers who think their driving can’t be impaired, or that it even improves under the influence.

    I think NZTA are going to have to follow up with actual research (would be interested to see it myself), and then figure out how to address the numbers of people who are going to be in denial (and whether the denial is cultural or a side effect of the drug or both).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69gVHyL-rPo

  10. greywarshark 10
    12 November 2014 at 9:37 am

    Just musing
    Governments tend to get inefficient and may be careless of people’s needs, sometimes ruthless, but are expected to create living conditions that are bearable for the local inhabitants.

    Private interests and business tend to aim for efficiency, and also tend to be careless of people’s needs, often ruthless, but are expected to create profit as high as possible for their shareholders, and investors whoever and wherever they be, but not to serve or advance the inhabitants where they are sited.

    I think this sums up the situation and shows why people are better off overall to stick with government, but watch it to ensure it stays reasonably efficient and serves its local and overseas inhabitants, also necessary entities involved with government wherever they may be.

    • Ad 10.1
      12 November 2014 at 10:26 am

      Just observe how much of the public choice to get any of that public option has been cut from us.

      We now have one of the smaller set of public services and public choices in the OECD.

    • Draco T Bastard 10.2
      12 November 2014 at 12:16 pm

      Governments tend to get inefficient

      Private interests and business tend to aim for efficiency

      Those two points are arse backwards. Governments are highly efficient and tend to get more efficient while the private sector claims efficiency while being highly inefficient. It is this latter part that keeps pushing costs up. If we went back to a government centred economy we’d see costs dropping along with the private sector profits.

      • greywarshark 10.2.1
        12 November 2014 at 2:23 pm

        DTB
        Sounds good. Theory is good. Keep doing good.
        Only if government had been so good in doing its business in UK Leslie Chapman would never have written his book and exposed the rort that had become embedded in Brit public service.
        http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10299926/Leslie-Chapman.html

        Which gave fuel to Maggie Thatcher.
        ‘Maggie, I wish I’d never seen your face
        I’ll get on back home, one of these days’

      • TheContrarian 10.2.2
        12 November 2014 at 2:29 pm

        Having worked in government departments, many different departments, I can tell you the inefficiency is enough to drive you fucking crazy

        • Draco T Bastard 10.2.2.1
          12 November 2014 at 2:35 pm

          Having worked in the private sector from small owner operators through to major corporations as well as government departments I can assure you the inefficiencies are far worse in the private sector.

          • Kiwiri - Raided of the Last Shark 10.2.2.1.1
            12 November 2014 at 3:03 pm

            Agree.

            Regarding major corporations:

            if we reckon question time in the House of Representatives is really weak at holding ministers to account, well then the question time for accountability in the board room is a tragic joke.

          • TheContrarian 10.2.2.1.2
            12 November 2014 at 3:23 pm

            Having worked in both govt and private I’m going to have to disagree with you there, Darco. Some of the fuck around’s I have seen in government lead to me to never want to work in govt again

            • Draco T Bastard 10.2.2.1.2.1
              12 November 2014 at 4:25 pm

              Some of the fuck around’s I have seen in government lead to me to never want to work in govt again

              And I could say exactly the same about the private sector and I’ve even seen such in the public sector but less of it and all times it came down to rules. I’m all for accountability but rules seem to be a bad way to go about getting it. Transparency is, IMO, a much better option but you’d never get transparency in the private sector so they’re stuck with inefficient rules whereas the public sector really needs transparency and thus could go for a more general and more efficient set of rules.

              • TheContrarian …
                12 November 2014 at 7:58 pm

                Well, we are at an “he said, she said” argument where we both are trying to use a personal anecdote to prove a point. Which proves nothing.

                I had one role once, years back, in the payroll/HR arm of a large Govt. department. This was during the Clark years. It was the most frustrating, inefficient role I have ever had the displeasure of working in. After 2 years of working and trying to make their process work better all I meet was a brick-wall of “rules” and micro-management. Totally fucking hopeless. Something I have met time and time again in public service.

                If you think the public service is more efficient you haven’t spent much time working in it. I have 8 years of public service under my belt, and in three different departments. You?

        • lprent 10.2.2.2
          12 November 2014 at 6:29 pm

          Corporates aren’t that much better based on my few experiences with government departments. It is why I usually avoid them.

          SME’s and particularly startups are much more interesting.

  11. logie97 11
    12 November 2014 at 9:42 am

    Rugby, referrees, and television replays.
    Hansen (the All Black coach) carping – “… not in the spirit of the game.”
    Seems to me that the replays are exposing foul play and cheating, as well as
    mistakes in rulings. More power to the television producers in my opinion.
    Surely Hansen wants his boys to win fairly and squarely.

    • Murray Rawshark 11.1
      12 November 2014 at 10:00 pm

      Don’t be silly. Hansen wants them to be winners. Like FJK. If you don’t get caught, you’re not cheating.

  12. Penny Bright 12
    12 November 2014 at 10:05 am

    Hi folks!

    IF YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR RIGHTS – YOU DON’T HAVE ANY.

    Here’s a fascinating little exercise that I’ve been through – so I thought I’d share the experience with others:

    Here are the statutory requirements for the information which MUST be on your rates assessment notice.

    Take a ruler and pencil, and line-by-line go through YOUR rates assessment notice and check how many of the mandatory requirements under the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 s.45 are been complied with?

    I’m sure that The Standard has readers / commentators from all over New Zealand – so it will be interesting to hear how you get on 🙂

    I’ve already been through this exercise with the previous Auckland City Council rates assessment notices from 2009, and all the Auckland Council rates assessment notices.

    This research has provided some alarming results, particularly regarding the reduction in transparency with this Auckland ‘Supercity for the 1%’.

    Not only have rates gone up, debt gone up, but services and TRANSPARENCY have gone down.

    Don’t take my word for it – check for yourselves ….

    Local Government (Rating) Act 2002

    http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2002/0006/latest/DLM132294.html

    45 Contents of rates assessment

    (1) A rates assessment must clearly identify all of the following:

    (a) the name and address of the local authority:

    (b) the name and address of the ratepayer:

    (c) the number on the district valuation roll of the rating unit:

    (d) the legal description and location of the rating unit:

    (e) the rateable value of the rating unit:

    (f) the amount and a description of each rate:

    (g) the activities or groups of activities of the local authority that will be funded
    from each rate:

    (h) the relevant matters in Schedule 2 that are required to determine—

    (i) the category (if any) to which the rating unit belongs for the purposes of
    setting general rates differentially under section 13(2)(b):

    (ii) the category (if any) to which the unit belongs for the purposes of setting
    a targeted rate under section 16(3)(b) or (4)(b)(i)information on the factors
    used to calculate the amount of the liability of a rating unit in respect of
    each targeted rate:

    (j) the financial year for which the rates are payable:

    (k) the total amount of rates payable on the rating unit for the financial year:

    (l) whether or not the local authority has a remission policy, a postponement
    policy, or a rates relief policy for Māori freehold land and, if so, a brief
    description of the criteria for rates relief under each policy:

    (m) the methods by which rates may be paid and the date or, if the rates are
    payable by instalments, the dates by which specified amounts must be
    paid:

    (n) if applicable,—

    (i) the penalty regime of the local authority; and

    (ii) a warning that, if rates are not paid on time, a penalty may be added
    under that regime:

    (o) if an early payment of rates has been made in accordance with a policy
    adopted under section 56(1),—

    (i) the rates paid and any balance remaining to be paid; and

    (ii) the amount of any discount allowed for the early payment of the rates;
    and

    (iii) any credit balance remaining after payment of all rates due, adjusted for
    any discount allowed:

    (p) the right of ratepayers to—

    (i) inspect the rating information database and rates records; and

    (ii) object to any of the information included in the rating information
    database and rates records.

    (1A ) If the ratepayer has elected to make a lump sum contribution to a local authority’s capital project, the rates assessment must also identify the targeted rates for the financial year for which, as a result of the election, no liability attaches to the rating unit.

    (2) A rates assessment may include any other information that the local authority thinks fit.

    (3) A rates assessment may be in 2 or more parts to identify the different treatment, for rating purposes, of different parts of a rating unit.

    (4)If subsection (3) applies,—

    (a)the information required under subsection (1) must be given for each part of
    the assessment as if each part were a separate assessment; and

    (b)each part must state that it is part of the rates assessment for the rating unit
    and identify the number of other parts that are included in the assessment.

    Compare: 1988 No 97 s 122(1)Section 45(1)(g): substituted, on 1 July 2003, by section 262 of the Local Government Act 2002 (2002 No 84).

    Section 45(1A): inserted, on 28 June 2006, by section 9 of the Local Government (Rating) Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 28).

    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    Penny Bright

    Anti-corruption whistle-blower

  13. Draco T Bastard 13
    12 November 2014 at 11:02 am

    This Lawyer’s New Job Is Defending Climate Scientists From Political Attacks

    On Monday, Kurtz became the first-ever Executive Director of the CSLDF, a group that works to stem and prevent harassment of climate scientists. In her new position there, Kurtz says she hopes to expand the group’s network of attorneys who will volunteer to represent embattled climate scientists in court free of charge. The end goal, she said, is to help climate scientists do their jobs without fear of politically motivated retaliation.
    “One of our main goals is educating scientists on their legal rights and what they’re up against,” Kurtz said. “If and when things arise, we want to move as quickly as possible.”

    Scientists shouldn’t need this type of defense but the political attacks by the slater and CSC types show that it’s become necessary.

    • Chooky 13.1
      12 November 2014 at 4:55 pm

      …good …we need a list of NZ right wing PR spinners who attack climate change political parties and polices and scientists …and their quotes itemised ….so we can all see who they are

  14. adam 14
    12 November 2014 at 12:20 pm

    No wonder All blacks tweeted for national, they look at the gravy train Michael Jones is on with Cigna. Speaking of Cigna and all those other health insurers who suddenly appeared on our market – guess what they just won? Yes, mid terms – Bless them and their anti-democratic ways.

    Read here for more.

    http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/11/10/16245/health-insurers-win-midterm-election?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=watchdog&utm_medium=publici-email&goal=0_ffd1d0160d-dac0c521c9-100020097&mc_cid=dac0c521c9&mc_eid=c346e018f7

  15. Karen 15
    12 November 2014 at 12:56 pm

    Key seems to have lost it. Now he is saying Air NZ cutting flights to some areas in NZ is a good idea.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11356916

    • b waghorn 15.1
      12 November 2014 at 1:25 pm

      Not many votes in small town nz so why would a government care about there services being cut.

      • Kiwiri - Raided of the Last Shark 15.1.1
        12 November 2014 at 1:35 pm

        Yeah, the government puts AirNZ shareholders ahead of NZ regional communities.

        • b waghorn 15.1.1.1
          12 November 2014 at 2:45 pm

          Had a quick Google and found that even the American’s put into law after they deregulated the airlines protections two ensure flights to at least 160 rural communities

          • Kiwiri - Raided of the Last Shark 15.1.1.1.1
            12 November 2014 at 2:58 pm

            NZ is determined to demonstrate world-leading governance for the type of corporate model that emphasises the primacy of shareholders above, beyond, and disconnected from citizens. Running way ahead of the USA.

            Thanks for the Google search result which is news to me.

  16. Not a PS Shark Sashimi 16
    12 November 2014 at 12:58 pm

    “Michael Collins dealt with critical press coverage by the Irish Independent by holding the editor at gunpoint and dismantling the printing presses.”

    One approach that hopefully is not needed.

    http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/1111/658563-adams-letter/

  17. travellerev 17
    12 November 2014 at 2:07 pm

    While Tim Groser and John Key during a nice cuppa with Obama agreed to just about everything the US wants from us in exchange for our admission to the TPP the news came in that a 176 Million people just joined the fight against the TPPA when the biggest union in the US came out with a statement squarely against the TPPA!

    • TheContrarian 17.1
      12 November 2014 at 2:26 pm

      It’s gotta get past the house and senate first which looks unlikely at this stage

    • Chooky 17.2
      12 November 2014 at 5:03 pm

      great article!…TPP amounts to sanctioning white collar crime really..imo….and great that there is so much opposition to it!

  18. Bea Brown 18
    12 November 2014 at 3:06 pm

    John Key sob John Key gnash teeth John Key sob
    John Key John Key John Key John Key John Key John Key John Key John Key John Key…

    Get over yourselves!

    He won! He’s the Prime Minister! We love him! The world loves him!

    Try to find a Labour leader who has any chance at all of beating him!

    Bet you can’t.

    • Sabine 18.1
      12 November 2014 at 3:14 pm

      Really we need better Trolls. The current crop is pathetic.

      [lprent: “Bea” was particularly inept. ]

      • Chooky 18.1.1
        12 November 2014 at 4:50 pm

        +100…all they can do is repeat themselves…brains are on automation

        • McFlock 18.1.1.1
          12 November 2014 at 4:54 pm

          lol

          I suppose trololololling is one of the few occupations that can’t be effectively automated at this stage 🙂

          • Chooky 18.1.1.1.1
            12 November 2014 at 4:59 pm

            they seem like people…but when you examine what they say…you have to wonder whether there are some cogs missing in the thinking department

      • JanM 18.1.2
        12 November 2014 at 5:53 pm

        The better ones have got a life 🙂

  19. minarch 19
    12 November 2014 at 3:12 pm

    DarkHotel: A Sophisticated New Hacking Attack Targets High-Profile Hotel Guests

    wonder if our PM is getting hax0red at his hotel in Beijing ?

    http://www.wired.com/2014/11/darkhotel-malware/

  21. Chooky 21
    12 November 2014 at 3:31 pm

    Instead of going bankrupt NZ dairy farmers and other agricultural producers should be having a concerted campaign to push targeting the Russian market and forging new trade links

    There is a European milk product glut due to Russian bans on trade…which will affect NZ returns from traditional European markets

    …However New Zealand is exempt from the Russian bans !

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11309054

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/dairy/10570033/Dairy-drop-kick-in-the-guts

  22. weka 22
    12 November 2014 at 6:24 pm

    “BREAKING: The US and China Just Announced a Huge Deal on Climate”

    http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/11/obama-just-announced-historic-climate-deal-china

    Colour me cynical, but is there anything in this list that is an actual committment? (as opposed to ‘aiming’ to do something).

    The plan does not entail using the US Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases, as the bulk of Obama’s existing climate strategy does. Instead, it involves a series of initiatives to be undertaken in partnership between the two countries, including:

    Expanding funding for clean energy technology research at the US-China Clean Energy Research Center, a think tank Obama created in 2009 with Xi’s predecessor Hu Jintao.

    Launching a large-scale pilot project in China to study carbon capture and sequestration.

    A push to further limit the use of hydroflourocarbons, a potent greenhouse gas found in refrigerants.

    A federal framework for cities in both countries to share experiences and best practices for low-carbon economic growth and adaptation to the impacts of climate change at the municipal level.

    A call to boost trade in “green” goods, including energy efficiency technology and resilient infrastructure, kicked off by a tour of China next spring by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.

  24. Chooky 24
    12 November 2014 at 8:13 pm

    Robert Fisk on the Middle East wars

    (Robert Fisk is a multiple award-winning journalist on the Middle East, based in Beirut.)

    ‘Why is there such an explosion of violence across the Middle East? Here’s an alternative view’…Forget Isis… it’s down to West’s desire to weaken Arab armies, Syrian adviser tells Robert Fisk

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/so-why-is-there-such-an-explosion-of-violence-across-the-middle-east-9831970.html

  25. Ovid 25
    12 November 2014 at 10:28 pm

    There’s a Russian naval task force bearing down on Australia. I guess to remind Abbott that talking big about “shirtfronting” is not the most diplomatic posture to take.

  26. Murray Rawshark 26
    13 November 2014 at 5:11 am

    This is disgusting stuff and says that Obama’s hand picked Attorney General protected some of the worst criminals in history. No wonder Key the conman bankster gets along so well with O’Bomber. They can laugh about the billions stolen from American workers and about how well Key is doing it to us. Then Key can tell his joke about murdering pedophile lunch guests. That’ll slay them all at the G20.

    http://www.rollingstone.com/…/the-9-billion-witness-20141106

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    44 mins ago

  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 hours ago

  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 hours ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 hours ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 hours ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 hours ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 hours ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    7 hours ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    8 hours ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    10 hours ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    18 hours ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    19 hours ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    20 hours ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    20 hours ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    20 hours ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    20 hours ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    20 hours ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    21 hours ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 day ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    48 mins ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-19T00:58:14+00:00