Open mike 13/04/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 13th, 2023 - 49 comments
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49 comments on “Open mike 13/04/2023 ”

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  1. Sanctuary 1
    13 April 2023 at 8:17 am

    This savage beheading of a Ukrainian POW is all to typical for Russian forces, unfortunately. It is typical of the behaviour of brutalised armies (think Japanese in WW2, the entire Eastern front in that war) and of mercenary forces in general.

    From the piratical raids of the middle ages English Chevauchées (dignified by British historians as "campaigns") of a gangster mercenary force devastating the countryside and systematically slaughtering civilian populations to the Condottieri and the White Company and the Massacre at Cesena, to the absolute devastation inflicted on central Europe by the largely mercenary armies of the thirty years war mercenaries were and are a blight on civilisation – which is why mercenaries are bestowed none of the protections of the Geneva convention.

    On top of this innate aspect of mercenary forces well, history doesn't repeat but it does rhyme. Russia is a criminal state, run by crooks and murderers – just like Nazi Germany, the last time a major nation state fell into the hands of a homicidal lunatic and a gaggle of criminal chancers. The perverted morality of Hitler's Germany was butressed by a criminal organisation in the Waffen SS, which acted as the physical expression of the savage and racist nilhilism that lay at the heart of German fascism. Russia is also now victim to a murderous and messianic dictator and he too has use for a criminal organisation to act as the physical expression of his savage intent. So we have the Wagner Group, a force of literal psychopaths, rapists and murderers whose fury has been unleashed upon the Ukraine. Always remember the only thing between these barbarians and the civilians of the the Ukraine is the Ukrainian army.

    Finally, this sort of thing marks Wagner, and elements of the Russian army, as operating at the psychological level of Mexican drug cartels or ultra-violent Asian crime syndicates. By perpetrating an atrocity, recording it and distributing it you tie everyone to the gang in shared criminality. The video is telling Wagner soldiers they cannot expect to be taken prisoner and even if they were, they can only face war crime charges. Organisations like Wagner are, like the Waffen SS, violent death cults.

    Unfortunately, the only way to expunge organisations like Wagner is to wipe them out without mercy, and dismantle the state that created it.

    • SPC 1.1
      13 April 2023 at 10:42 am

      Tucker Carlson makes the case for abandoning Ukraine.

      He says it's not important and it's a threat to the well being of the (American empire) dollar.

      It's a call for the mammon, Christian white race nationalist and isolationist factions in the GOP to unite against support for Ukraine.

      https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-war-against-russia-last-war-afford-fight

      Of course this is the same person who said in court he did not believe the Trump lie about the election being stolen, despite pretending to on his TV show (they just presented the narrative that the GOP supporters wanted to hear).

    • Tony 1.3
      13 April 2023 at 12:13 pm

      Hey Sanctuary, why didn't you include the following statement "The Associated Press was not able to independently verify the authenticity of the video or the circumstances of where and when it was shot".

      • Sanctuary 1.3.1
        13 April 2023 at 12:47 pm

        I would suggest you don't watch it if unless you have to in a professional capacity. I certainly have not viewed it, and I never will. I would say any official MSM outlet is always going to add that disclaimer until they get some sort of geolocation or absolute proof.

        As it happens, I believe the video is genuine. This is for the reasons of the internal logic of the perpetrators I outlined in the OP, and because other videos of Ulkrainian soldier's heads impailed on pipes and other objects have been circulating for some time. This ghastly beheading business from the Russian forces has been around as a habit of theirs for a while.

    • Molly 1.4
      13 April 2023 at 5:11 pm

      I saw a video purportedly of someone boiling a Russian soldier's head about eighteen months ago.

      It looked very realistic but there was no way I could authenticate it, so I didn't post or link. Unfortunately in this war I think there will be examples of atrocities from both sides.

  2. Sanctuary 2
    13 April 2023 at 9:21 am

    Meanwhile, in America the Republicans in Missouri have decided to defund libraries.

    I kid you not.

    "…The stripping of funds for public libraries was done in retaliation over a lawsuit brought forward by the Missouri Library Association (MLA), which, along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is suing the state over a draconian law that bans hundreds of titles in public school district libraries, including books that discuss LGBTQ issues, racial justice and the history of the Holocaust…"

  3. mikesh 3
    13 April 2023 at 9:27 am

    and dismantle the state that created it.

    Yes, that's what this war is all about. Putin knows this and that's why he is fighting back, refusing to allow Russia to be broken up and picked off bit by bit by the evil empire. It's unfortunate for Ukraine, but it seems there were certain elements within that state that were always up for a fight with Russia (providing of course that they had the evil empire's supply of military equipment).

    • Sanctuary 3.1
      13 April 2023 at 9:37 am

      The evil empire thus far does not appear to have a predilection to sawing the heads of living POWs.

      I guess if you were around and really, really hated the British Empire the way you clearly do the west today you'd be here telling us how Herr Hitler was merely engaged in an existential struggle to unite the German people, and it was most unfortunate that the Poles has chosen to defend themselves as a front for British imperialism.

      You should be careful, one is usually judged by the company one keeps.

      • weston 3.1.1
        13 April 2023 at 10:43 am

        " You should be careful ,one is usually judged by the company one keeps "

        Is that a threat sanctuary ?

        What are you gonna do ,get mikesh put on Ukraine's kill list ??

        As has been said many times on this topic this conflict is as much a war of propaganda as one of blood an guts and at a time when Ukraines beginning to look into the abyss another atrocity story magically appears how convenient !!

  4. Hunter Thompson II 4
    13 April 2023 at 9:55 am

    I wonder if Chippy has got himself a new comms team to better trumpet the benefits of Three Waters (or whatever it will now be called).

    Remember, the only reason he hasn't got 100% support for the proposals is because the public just don't understand them. The reforms themselves are solid gold.

  5. Anker 5
    13 April 2023 at 10:24 am

    https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2023/04/11/thomas-cranmer-from-academic-research-to-news-headlines-the-disinformation-projects-influence-on-nz-media/

    one of about three articles I have read in the last week challenging the Disinformation Project. It is suggested in one of these articles, that escalating the volume and the content of the “threat”, is a possible ploy to get more contracts for this organisation.

    To me the Disinformation Project lacks credibility. With the volume of “disinformation” they are noting, and yet not showing any examples of what they consider to be disinformation.

    Hattotuwa said there was an “extremely strong correlation” between online hate and the possibility of physical violence. Is there any evidence that supports this? Given what Hattotuwa is claiming about the levels of on line hate, his statement doesn’t add up

    The msn seem to pick up what The DP says without questioning it and publishes it. This is very bad for democracy

    • Sanctuary 5.1
      13 April 2023 at 10:47 am

      The far right doth protesteth to much. The main objective is to discredit the disinoformation project as a threat to their own right wing agenda.

      “…Bryce’s article claims that The Disinformation Project deals in hyperbole and presents no evidence. His evidence for them not doing evidence-based work is quotes from Sanjana in the news, rather than the actual methodology & quantitative findings in their papers, all online…”

      https://twitter.com/tzemingdynasty/status/1645961503030517763

      • weka 5.1.1
        13 April 2023 at 11:09 am

        Bryce is hardly far right. I can see problems with his post, but he also raises some obviously important points. The main one boils down to TDP's position that we should trust them because they say so, rather than them making compelling, evidence-based arguments.

        Let me know if you find any useful critiques of Bryce's post, too much of the left are just saying don't listen to him, he's a hack. But again, there's not really any meaningful, evidence-based argument or analysis.

        • Sanctuary 5.1.1.1
          13 April 2023 at 11:19 am

          Did you read the tweet conversation?

        • arkie 5.1.1.2
          13 April 2023 at 11:22 am

          TDP's position that we should trust them because they say so, rather than them making compelling, evidence-based arguments.

          They are an information science research group that produces quantitative evidence based reports that are transparent in their methodologies. Their arguments are explicitly evidence-based, and that is compelling if one is interested in evidence of claims.

          The Disinformation Project is an independent research group studying misinformation and disinformation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Since February 2020, we have used mixed methods approaches to analyse and review the seed and spread of information disorders – and their impact on the lives of New Zealanders.

          Our grounded research makes use of mixed methods, combining open-source and quantitative data from a range of social media platforms, cross-pollination patterns, super-spreader signatures, semantic study, and the qualitative analysis data, including discourse shifts over time. Our approach to information disorders provides unique perspectives into misinformation and disinformation’s establishment, entrenchment and expansion in Aotearoa New Zealand.

          We produce publicly available research, sensitive reporting, media commentary, and resourcing for civil society seeking to respond to information disorders, and growing offline consequences, in their communities.

          https://thedisinfoproject.org/about-us/

          Where is the evidence(!) that backs up Edwards claim that the Disinformation Project's research isn't evidence-based?

          • weka 5.1.1.2.1
            13 April 2023 at 11:44 am

            I know who TDP are.

            I'm not saying they aren't evidence-based. I'm saying that their PR is not evidence-based and comes across as 'trust us because..', which is a fail when making such serious claims. Maybe they are just naive in their media work. The main issue I see here is the loss of trust, and they should be addressing that by fronting up with good arguments and evidence.

            Have you seen the evidence for these claims?

            For instance, Hannah and Hattotuwa appeared recently in TVNZ’s Web of Chaos documentary in which they suggested that 350,000 New Zealanders have been captured by “alt-right” politics. Elsewhere Hattotuwa claimed that 1.8m New Zealanders subscribe to extremist beliefs.

            https://democracyproject.nz/2023/04/12/bryce-edwards-the-need-to-take-disinformation-seriously/

            Hattotuwa said a major change in the past fortnight has been the degree to which the "extraordinarily violent" content has been taken up and distributed by anti-vax and anti mandate groups.

            He said the extremity of the content was more characteristic of far right and neo-fascist and neo-Nazi groups, and the fact it was now being taken up by groups that flourished because of Covid measures was "really worrying".

            He said the vitriol directed at the trans community could be described as "genocidal".

            "Something that we've never seen before is the import of content from Australian neo-Nazi, neo-fascist, anti-Semitic networks and individuals and their personal networks, into Aotearoa New Zealand."

            https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/487306/spike-in-online-hate-toward-trans-community-after-posie-parker-visit-researchers

            I think it's very likely that what TDP is saying is true, but I'm less convinced by the quantifying (numbers or adjectives). The whole 'we can't talk about it because it's too shocking' stuff is appalling. They don't have to give examples, they can describe what they are seeing though.

            At this point I'm utterly sick of the left and the right. The right are running round making good points, but also obviously putting a lot of RW, free speech opinion in, and the left are running round saying the right are bigots and hacks and we should trust academics because they're academics.

            I'm tempted to cross-post Edward's post simply to see if Standardistas can pull out the evidence based arguments (either side).

            • arkie 5.1.1.2.1.1
              13 April 2023 at 12:04 pm

              fronting up with … arguments and evidence.

              That is precisely what they are doing, that you don't find it 'compelling' or 'good' isn't evidence that they are wrong in their assessment. If you have read their reports you will have seen their evidence and descriptions.

              we should trust academics because they're academics

              This isn't the argument, the argument is that data scientists and experts are better placed to make their evidence-backed claims around the data they have collected than a political commentator is to dispute their findings sans evidence.

              • weka …
                13 April 2023 at 12:10 pm

                have you read their reports and seen their evidence and descriptions?

                can you please link to them, because their website seems to only have articles from 2022.

                https://thedisinfoproject.org/

              • weka …
                13 April 2023 at 12:15 pm

                This isn't the argument, the argument is that data scientists and experts are better placed to make their evidence-backed claims around the data they have collected than a political commentator is to dispute their findings sans evidence.

                then they (commentators and/or TDP) should be putting the evidence and arguments into the media that most people are seeing, in a form that most people can understand. Precisely because trust is so low.

                • arkie …
                  13 April 2023 at 12:37 pm

                  One of the Disinformation Project's key findings is that on social media dis- and misinformation spreads quicker and further than traditional media. One of the purposes of mis- and disinformation is to erode trust:

                  Dis- and misinformation are often shared because of a strong emotional or affective response to that false information, which is fuelled by existing beliefs and biases. In short, content that ‘feels true’ and evokes a strong response is perceived as more believable. Because it resonates more strongly with already-held opinions and tends toward the shocking or sensational, disinformation often spreads faster than factual news stories. The result is that people are more likely to base their opinions, decisions, and actions on factually incorrect stories that are crafted to incite strong emotional or affective reactions.

                  https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/our-expert-advice/speakers-science-forum/speakers-science-forum-2022/speakers-science-forum-misinformation/

                  There will no doubt be a report produced in the future that provides the evidence that they use to back up their recent claims. Producing scientific research, analysis and reporting doesn't happen overnight.

                  • weka …
                    13 April 2023 at 1:50 pm

                    One of the purposes of mis- and disinformation is to erode trust

                    I know. Which is why I'm fucked off at TDP's poor media work on this. I'm not saying they're wrong, I'm saying they're reading the room badly in how they are presenting their ideas. There is good reason to be asking them to be more clear.

                    I will just note that you haven't provided a link to in support of "If you have read their reports you will have seen their evidence and descriptions"

                    • arkie …
                      13 April 2023 at 1:56 pm

                      What do you think is 'poor media work'? In what way do you think they are 'reading the room badly'? What do you think is unclear?

                      The reports they have published are on their website under publicly available research linked in my comment 5.1.1.2 at 11.22 am.

                    • weka []
                      13 April 2023 at 2:11 pm

                      TDP has been reported in the media in recent days, talking about rises in hate posting since KJK’s visit.

                      I gave an example here https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13-04-2023/#comment-1945423

                      If they’re going to use the word genocidal, they need to explain what they mean by that. They’ve said they can’t talk about the recent rise in hate because it would break the broadcasting standards, but they could actually talk about it without quoting it.

                      If they want to retain trust, they need to be responding proactively to the public wanting to know what they are talking about, the kinds of numbers, etc. Otherwise it literally is ‘trust us, we’re academics’. You might trust them, many others don’t. I’m in between, but the longer they take a side in the culture wars instead of fronting up to reasonable requests for explanations, the more dubious I am that they aren’t partisan and/or exaggerating.

                      One of the reasons is that the word genocide is misused by TRAs when talking about trans people. The ‘trans genocide’. There is no trans genocide. So the term in this context is already associated with gross and damaging hyperbole (damaging because telling young people especially that society hates them and that they will want to kill themselves if they can’t transition is feeding suicide). And there are no mass killings of trans people in countries like NZ.

                      If TDP doesn’t know that context, that makes them less trustworthy. If they do know but believe that there is in fact a trans genocide, then their trustworthiness drops even lower.

                      The way I took what they said was that there are lots of neonazis talking trans genocide in recent weeks, something I would believe. But that’s not how others are taking it. They really need to clear this up, and give more explanation and back up.

                    • weka []
                      13 April 2023 at 2:13 pm

                      The reports they have published are on their website under publicly available research linked in my comment 5.1.1.2 at 11.22 am.

                      Yes, I know. That’s from last year. It’s not about what they are talking about this week.

                    • arkie …
                      13 April 2023 at 2:36 pm

                      The link and quote you provided IS them talking about it without quoting it.

                      And as I said: There will no doubt be a report produced in the future that provides the evidence that they use to back up their recent claims. Producing scientific research, analysis and reporting doesn’t happen overnight.

                      That you are dubious, think the Disinformation Project are partisan and/or exaggerating, that you don't believe that 'vitriol directed at the trans community could be described as "genocidal"', that you require mass killings to reach that threshold, that the statement 'the extremity of the content was more characteristic of far right and neo-fascist and neo-Nazi groups' is about the neo-nazis rather than a description of the rhetoric found within the anti-mandate/covid denier groups they monitor, that you have taken a side, named the opposition, and describe it as a culture 'war', is not at all surprising. It shows an active disinterest in evidenced-backed claims and a preference for what 'feels right'. You're welcome to feel this way but it is not inline with a kaupapa of rigorous and robust evidence-based debate.

                      [You cannot lie about author’s beliefs. I don’t believe those things and no way am I going to buy into this kind of slur politics in lieu of conversation and debate. It’s looked all morning like you haven’t understood my points, and now I can see that is probably true.

                      Take the day off because I don’t have the bandwidth for this degree of bullshit. When you come back, know that you can argue the politics you are, but you cannot make shit up about my or any other author’s beliefs. Next time all you have to do is ask (and I don’t mean disingneuously put a question mark at the end of an assertion). Feel free to ask for clarification if you don’t know what I mean – weka]

                    • weka []
                      13 April 2023 at 3:10 pm

                      mod note.

              • Anker …
                13 April 2023 at 3:15 pm

                As an old University Professor of mine use to say "Extraordinary claims call for extraordinary evidence".

                They give us no examples of what is extremist material nor do they give us examples of what constitutes "genocidal". And then they say they can't do this because it is so extreme.

                All they present is numbers and expect us to trust what they say.

                What is their brief? Is it a particular area they are looking for disinformation in? The only issues they seem to comment on is disinformation that is not in support of Government policy I am on line a lot across a number of media and other platforms. I don't see much evidence of extreme speech that the The D P claim.

      • Psycho Milt 5.1.2
        13 April 2023 at 7:35 pm

        I read that thread and followed the link Tze Ming provided to one of the TDP articles to show how strong their data and methodology actually is. And it turned out that neither the methodology were explained. As weka's said elsewhere in this thread, the approach seems to be "Trust us because we say so." Edwards is correct that their publications are evidence-free.

    • Liberty Belle 5.2
      13 April 2023 at 12:28 pm

      Where to start. Perhaps with TDP's own words:

      "Disinformation Project researcher Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa said the outpouring of hate towards the trans community triggered by Posie Parker's visit is beyond anything he has seen."

      Seriously? Where have you been, Sanjana?

      "He said the vitriol directed at the trans community could be described as "genocidal"."

      By whom? Certainly not by anyone with a clue of what that word actually means.

      These people are F'wits.

  6. Peter 6
    13 April 2023 at 10:39 am

    I didn't know anything about Kentucky so when reports about the shootings in Louisville came through early in the week I checked the city out.

    The population seems to be about 630,000. Apparently there were 160 murders in the city in 2022.

    In New Zealand with the population of 5,100,000 there were about 70-80 murders in 2022. That put a different perspective on crime here for me. Checking the homicide rates for other US cities was sobering too.

    • Sanctuary 7.1
      13 April 2023 at 10:57 am

      Chris Trotter has drifted into a cognitive style obsessed with a sense of Pakeha victimisation, and along with Bradbury he nurses a considerable chip on his shoulder at his (self-inflicted) irrelevance to the establishment and MSM.

      His writing these days is infused with phenomenological features common to people who have succumbed to conspiratorial thinking, including heightened tendency to attribute negative outcomes to malevolent agents and idiosyncratic pattern detection.

      In other words, the old duffer has started waving his fist at clouds.

  8. Incognito 8
    13 April 2023 at 12:48 pm

    When key players, including the friendly face & voice of Auckland Mayoralty, Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, are ducking for cover unavailable for comment you know the PR spin-doctors are working overtime crafting their response strategy.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/487849/auckland-council-emergency-management-chair-found-out-about-flooding-from-her-daughter

    The buck stops at the man who exclaimed that it was not his job to rush out with buckets, but he’s been passing the buck ever since and not fronting media. A leader who refuses to accept his responsibilities or who doesn’t know what it takes to lead and be a leader.

    • arkie 8.2
      13 April 2023 at 1:35 pm

      The Deputy Mayor has now commented on the report:

      "I think there's a huge number of failures in that report from Auckland Council's perspective and I think everyone needs to take responsibility. But the key thing is to fix it, and fix it very quickly."

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/487873/auckland-deputy-mayor-desley-simpson-fronts-after-damning-report-into-flood-response

      What are the chances that 'everyone' will take responsibility for the failures?

      • Incognito 8.2.1
        13 April 2023 at 1:45 pm

        Ta

        Clever PR, focus on the f-word and associate this with Mr F-it who cannot be f-ed himself.

        What are the chances? So far, the general rhetoric has been that of accepting as little as possible and casting aspersions elsewhere.

      • Sanctuary 8.2.2
        13 April 2023 at 2:32 pm

        Let's not dwell on the past, let's all be part of the solution! I find playing the blame game unproductive, and all it does is make people very cross. So, are you onboard as part of the solution or are you going to stay part of the problem?

    • Sanctuary 8.3
      13 April 2023 at 2:10 pm

      Honestly, the anniversary storm event was the lining up of the hole in the last piece cheese in the Swiss cheese model of failure that was the Auckland Emergency management response. Issues had been identified years ago, but nothing was done. A combination of inertia, a festishisation for keeping rates down, complacency, laissez-faire indifference to regulatory enforcement and a relaxed attitude to governance that has bordered on the inept and slovenly came together to cause a disaster.

      Watching everyone from Jim Stabback – another member of the teflon establishment who get paid gazillions to make the tough calls but bail out the minute the going gets tough – to the mayor and the ministers dive for cover reminds us that failure is truly an orphan while listening to Sharon Stewart on RNZ frantically throwing everyone and anyone else but her and the rest of right wing councillors under the steamroller to try and stop it before it might affect her cosy little "auto-elected on the back of a tiny turnout" 120K PA job made me feel quite ill. It is funny how these right wing types are always the biggest blowhards for personal responsibility until the buck stops with them, and then it is always someone elses fault.

      The bottom line is Auckland's bumbling bunch of right wing nincompoops who sit on the council from the mayor down are an indictment of failure of local democracy, and these fools first reaction has been to cover their arses rather than accept responsibility for their part in the systemic failure of the emergency management response.

      Not voting has consequences.

      • Liberty Belle 8.3.1
        13 April 2023 at 2:56 pm

        "Issues had been identified years ago, but nothing was done. "

        Yep. The buck stops with the people who let Auckland's responsiveness get so run down, and that would start with the High Commissioner to the UK.

        "The bottom line is Auckland's bumbling bunch of right wing nincompoops who sit on the council from the mayor down are an indictment of failure of local democracy,"

        Nope. The last two mayors of Auckland have been Labour Party hacks, and the immediate past council centre left.

        But I find comfort in your sentiment. The current council is rightly conducting something of a purge of the obese bureaucracy that inhabits AC, so the city can not only pay its way, but actually function effectively.

        And well done to the mayor for initiating this thorough and timely review.

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    You can be all negative about these charter schools if you want, but I’m here to accentuate the positive. You can get all worked up, if you want to, by the contradiction of Luxon saying We’re going to make sure that every school in the country is teaching exactly the same ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    23 hours ago

  • This Unreasonable Government.
    Losing The Room: One can only speculate about what has persuaded the Coalition Government that it will pay no electoral price for unreasonably pushing ahead with policies that are so clearly against the national interest. They seem quite oblivious to the risk that by doing so they will convince an increasing ...
    Bowalley Road
    23 hours ago

  • Supreme Court weighs in on name suppression
    Name suppression decisions can be tough sometimes. No matter your views on free speech, you have to be hard-hearted not to be torn by the tug of the competing arguments. I think you can feel the Supreme Court wrestling with that in M v The King. The case for ...
    Media Law JournalBy Steven
    23 hours ago

  • Is This A “Merchants” Government?
    The Merchants of Menace: The Coalition Government has convinced itself that the “Brahmins’” emollient functions have become much too irksome and expensive. Those who see themselves as the best hope of rebuilding New Zealand’s ailing capitalist system, appear to have convinced themselves that a little bit of blunt trauma is what their mollycoddled ...
    Bowalley Road
    24 hours ago

  • This is what corruption looks like
    When National first proposed its Muldoonist "fast-track" law, they were warned that it would inevitably lead to corruption. And that is exactly what has happened, with Resources Minister Shane Jones taking secret meetings with potential applicants: On Tuesday, in a Newsroom story, questions were raised about a dinner Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    24 hours ago

  • Take that, Vladimir – and be warned: we have plenty more sanctions (at least, we hope so) in our ...
    Buzz from the Beehive One day – hopefully – we will push that Russian rascal, Vladimir Putin, beyond breaking point.  Perhaps it will happen today, when he learns that Foreign Minister Winston Peters is again tightening the thumbscrews. Peters announced further sanctions, this time on 28 individuals and 14 entities ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    24 hours ago

  • More Harm Than Good.
    How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought New Zealand to the brink of economic and cultural chaos.TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition Government’s failure to retain, and build upon, the public ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • The Ombudsman fails again
    In 2020, the Operation Burnham inquiry reported back, finding that NZDF had lied to Ministers and the New Zealand public about its actions in Afghanistan. The inquiry saw a large number of documents declassified and released, which raised another problem: whether they had also lied to the Ombudsman in his ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • No Time To Think: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    “Members of Parliament don’t work for us, they represent us, an entirely different thing. As with so much that has turned out badly, the re-organising of MPs’ responsibilities began with the Fourth Labour Government. That’s when they began to be treated like employees – public servants – whose diaries had ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Lobbying for Waikato’s Medical School causing problems for the Govt
    It’s becoming a classic case study for why lobbying deals with politicians need greater scrutiny. Former National Minister Steven Joyce runs a lobbying company with a major client – the University of Waikato. The University desperately wants $300m+ of taxpayer funding to establish a third medical school in New Zealand, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago

  • Picking Sides.
    Time To Choose: Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into AUKUS’s  “Pillar 2” – or they are going to China.HAD ZHENG HE’S FLEET sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • Universities offer course in self-serving cowardice
    Henry Ergas writes –  When in Randall Jarrell’s Pictures from an Institution, a college president is accused of being a hypocrite, the novel’s narrator retorts that the description is grossly unfair. After all, the man is still far from the stage of moral development at which the charge ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • The teacher trainee challenge
    David Farrar writes –  Radio NZ reports: The Education Review Office says too many new teachers feel poorly prepared for their jobs. In a report published on Monday, the review office said 60 percent of the principals it interviewed said their new teachers were not ready. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Words and (in)actions
    New Zealand’s economic performance and the PM’s vision   Michael Reddell writes –  When I wrote yesterday morning’s post, highlighting how poorly both New Zealand and its Anglo peer countries have been doing in respect of productivity in recent times (ie, in the case of New ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What do you hope for/fear from the budget?
    Hi all,Firstly - thank you! You guys are awesome. The response I’ve received to last night’s mail has been quite overwhelming. It’s a ghastly day outside, but there are no clouds in here.In case you didn’t read my email and are wondering what on earth I’m talking about you can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on ACT’s charter schools experiment
    If there was still any doubt as to who is actually running this government – and it isn’t the buffoon from Botany – then this week’s announcement of a huge spend up on charter schools has settled the matter. While jobs and public services continue to be cut in the ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Drought fuels wildfire concerns as Canada braces for another intense summer
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gaye Taylor As widespread drought raises expectations for a repeat of last year’s ferocious wildfire season, response teams across Canada are grappling with the rapidly changing face of fire in a warming climate. No longer quenched by winter, nor quelled by the ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and pick ‘n’ mix for Thursday, May 16
    Half of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd’s directors and its chair resigned en masse last night in protest at Christchurch City Council’s demand to front-load dividends File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The chair of Christchurch City Council’s investment company and four of its independent directors resigned in protest last ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Controversial proposal could threaten coalition
    The University of Waikato has reworded an advertisement that begins the tender process for its new $300 million-plus medical school even though the Government still needs to approve it. However, even the reworded ad contains an architect’s visualisations of what the school might look like. ACT leader David Seymour told ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago

  • Of Rings of Power Annatar, Dramatic Irony, and Disguises
    As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • The future of Nick's Kōrero.
    This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • The PM promises tax relief in the Budget – but will it be enough to satisfy the Taxpayers’ Union...
    Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when  the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Fucking useless
    Yesterday de facto Prime Minister David Seymour announced that his glove puppet government would be re-introducing charter schools, throwing $150 million at his pet quacks, donors and cronies and introducing an entire new government agency to oversee them (the existing Education Review Office, which actually knows how to review schools, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Setting things straight.
    Seeing that, in order to discredit the figures and achieve moral superiority while attempting to deflect attention away from the military assault on Rafa, Israel supporters in NZ have seized on reports that casualty numbers in Gaza may be inflated … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago

  • Far too light a sentence
    David Farrar writes – Newstalk ZB report: The man responsible for a horror hit and run in central Wellington last year was on a suspended licence and was so drunk he later asked police, “Did I kill someone?” Jason Tuitama injured two women when he ran a red ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Unwinding Labour’s Agenda
    Muriel Newman writes –  Former US President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.” The fight for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Sequel to “Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour”
    Why Courts should have said Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Karen Chhour Gary Judd writes – In the High Court, Justice Isacs declined to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal to compel Minister for Children, Karen Chhour, to appear before it to be ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • The Govt’s Fast-Track is being demolished by submissions to Parliament
    Bryce Edwards writes –  The number of voices raising concerns about the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill is rapidly growing. This is especially apparent now that Parliament’s select committee is listening to submissions from the public to evaluate the proposed legislation. Twenty-seven thousand submissions have been made to Parliament ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A generation is leaving at a rate of one A320-load per day
    An average of 166 New Zealand citizens left the country every day during the March quarter, up 54% from a year ago.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy and housing market is sinking into a longer recession through the winter after a slump in business and consumer confidence in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • NZUP RORS back to life
    The government has made it abundantly clear they’re addicted to the smell of new asphalt. On Tuesday they introduced a new term to the country’s roading lexicon, the Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS), a little brother for the Roads of National (Party) Significance (RoNS). Driving ahead with Roads of Regional ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    2 days ago

  • School Is Out.
    School is outAnd I walk the empty hallwaysI walk aloneAlone as alwaysThere's so many lucky penniesLying on the floorBut where the hell are all the lucky peopleI can't see them any moreYesterday morning, I’d just sent out my newsletter on Tama Potaka, and I was struggling to make the coffee. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • How Are You Doing?
    Hi,I wanted to check in and ask how you’re doing.This is perhaps a selfish act, of attempting to find others feeling a similar way to me — that is to say, a little hopeless at the moment.Misery loves company, that sort of deal.Some context.I wish I could say I got ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • The Rings of Power: Season Two Teaser Trailer
    I have hitherto been fairly quiet on the new season of Rings of Power, on the basis that the underwhelming first season did not exactly build excitement – and the rumours were fairly daft. The only real thing of substance to come out has been that they have re-cast Adar ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – What ended the Little ice Age?
    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

  • Talking Reo with the PM
    “The thing is,” Chris Luxon says, leaning forward to make his point, “this has always been my thing.”“This goes all the way back to the first multinational I worked for. I was saying exactly the same thing back then. The name of our business needs to be more clear; people ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Waitangi Tribunal’s authority in Chhour case is upheld – but bill’s introduction to Parliament...
    Buzz from the Beehive It’s been a momentous few days for Children’s Minister Karen Chhour.  The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision which blocked a summons order from the Waitangi Tribunal for her. And today she has announced the Government is putting children first by introducing to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Australia jails another whistleblower
    In 2014 former Australian army lawyer David McBride leaked classified military documents about Australian war crimes to the ABC. Dubbed "The Afghan Files", the documents led to an explosive report on Australian war crimes, the disbanding of an entire SAS unit, and multiple ongoing prosecutions. The journalist who wrote the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Some “scrutiny”!
    Back in February I blogged about another secret OIA "consultation" by the Ministry of Justice. This one was on Aotearoa's commitment in its Open Government Partnership Action Plan to "strengthen scrutiny of Official Information Act exemption clauses in legislation" (AKA secrecy clauses). Their consultation paper on the issue focused on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • TVNZ is loss-making, serves no public service due to bias, and should be liquidated
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  According to the respected Pew Research Centre, “In seven of eight [European] countries surveyed, the most trusted news outlet asked about is the public news organization in each country”. For example, “in Sweden, an overwhelming majority (90%) say they trust the public broadcaster SVT”. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • The conflicted Covid Chair
    David Farrar writes –  Kata MacNamara reports:    Details of Tony Blakely’s involvement in the New Zealand Government’s response to the pandemic raise serious questions about the work of the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry over which he presides. It has long been clear that Blakely, a ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Attacking the smartest and most resilient people in the room is never a good idea
    Chris Trotter writes – Are you a Brahmin or a Merchant? Or, are you merely one of those whose lives are profoundly influenced by the decisions of Brahmins and Merchants? Those are the questions that are currently shaping the politics of New Zealand and the entire West. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • A fortune-telling failure, surely, if the tarot cards can’t see a bulldozer coming
    RNZ reports –  It’s supposed to be a haven of healing and spiritual awakening but residents of the Kawai Purapura community say they’ve been hurt and deceived. It’s the successor to the former Centrepoint commune, and has been on the bush block opposite Albany shopping centre since 2008. It ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • The climate battleground heats up
    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. Usually we have a video chat to go with this wrap, but were unable to do one this week. We’ll be back next week.Several reports ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Tuesday, May 14
    The Transport Minister has set a hard 'fiscal envelope' of $6.54 billion for transport capital spending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy is settling into a state of suspended animation as the Government’s funding freezes and job cuts chill confidence and combine with stubbornly high interest rates to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on why anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitic
    To be precise, the term “anti- Zionism” refers to (a) criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and to (b)the subjugation of Palestinians by the Israeli state. By contrast, the term “anti-Semitism” means bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Climate change is making hurricanes more destructive
    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging. With the official start to the hurricane ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Wayne Brown’s PT Plan
    Yesterday the Mayor released what he calls his “plan to save public transport” which is part of his final proposal for the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP). This comes following consultation on the draft version that occurred in March which showed, once again, that people want more done on transport, especially ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Potaka's Private Universe.
    And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Our slow regional councils
    The Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law after all
    Back in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • NZTA takes the wheel after govt gives it the road map for regional roads (and puts a speed governor ...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Tolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Change in Catalonia?
    or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Having an enrolment date is not depriving anyone of a vote
    David Farrar writes –  Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Perhaps house prices don’t always go up
    Don Brash writes –  There was a rather revealing headline in the Herald on Sunday today (12 May). It read “One in 8 Auckland homes on market were bought during boom, may now sell for loss”. The first line of text noted that “New data shows one in ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Can’t read, can’t write, can’t comprehend – and won’t think…?
    Mike Grimshaw writes –  At a time when universities are understandably nervous regarding the establishment of the University Advisory Group (UAG) and the Science System Advisory Group (SSAG) it may seem strange – or even fool-hardy – to state that there are long-standing issues in the tertiary sector ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Time for some perspective
    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  A lack of perspective can make something quite large or important seem small or irrelevant. Against a backdrop of high-profile, negative statistics it is easy to overlook the positive. For instance, the fact that 64 percent of Maori are employed is rarely reported. For ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Will NZ Herald’s ‘poor journalism’ cost lives?
    Earlier this year, the Herald ran a series of articles amounting to a sustained campaign against raised pedestrian crossings, by reporter Bernard Orsman. A key part of that campaign concerned the raised crossings being installed as part of the Pt Chevalier to Westmere project, with at least 10 articles over ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to May 19 and beyond
    TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 19 include:PM Christopher Luxon is expected to hold his weekly post-cabinet news conference at 4:00pm on Monday.Parliament is not sitting this week. It resumes next week for a two-week sitting session up to and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Webworm Popup Photos!
    Hi,Thanks to all the beautiful Worms who came to the LA Webworm popup on Saturday.It was a way to celebrate the online store we launched last week — and it was super special.As I talk about a lot, I really value our community here — and it was a BLAST ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, May 5, 2024 thru Sat, May 11, 2024. (Unfortunate) Story of the week "Grief that stops at despair is an ending that I and many others, most notably ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • The Gods Must Be Woke.
    Last night the largest solar storm in decades resulted in Aurorae being seen across Aotearoa, causing many to ask why?Why was the sky pink? What was all this stuff about the power grid? Have we, as so many have wondered since the election, reached the end of days?I had a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • More road
    We have been on the road in England, squeezing down narrow lanes, flying up the M6, loving hedgerows and villages and cathedrals, liking the 21st century less.There have been moments when it’s felt like a movie trope. The pub in Exford, lovely seventeenth century bar, almost more dogs than people, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • District Court Judges appointed
    Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago

  • Unions should put learning ahead of ideology
    Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools.     “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago

  • Craig Stobo appointed as chair of FMA
    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago

  • Budget 2024 invests in lifeguards and coastguard
    Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • New Zealand and Tuvalu reaffirm close relationship
    New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says.  “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019.  “It is my pleasure ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • New Zealand calls for calm, constructive dialogue in New Caledonia
    New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.  “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.  “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago

  • New Zealand welcomes Samoa Head of State
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Island Direct eligible for SuperGold Card funding
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Further sanctions against Russia
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • One year on from Loafers Lodge
    A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Pre-Budget speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Zealand and Vanuatu to deepen collaboration
    New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says.    “This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Penk travels to Peru for trade meetings
    Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Minister attends global education conferences
    Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Education Minister thanks outgoing NZQA Chair
    Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Joint statement of Christopher Luxon and Emmanuel Macron: Launch of the Christchurch Call Foundation
    New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.   This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Panel announced for review into disability services
    Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Minister welcomes Police gang unit
    Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand expresses regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners.  “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
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    3 days ago

  • New Chief of Defence Force appointed
    Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
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    3 days ago

  • Government puts children first by repealing 7AA
    Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
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    3 days ago

  • Defence Minister to meet counterparts in UK, Italy
    Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Charter schools to lift educational outcomes
    The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • COVID-19 Inquiry terms of reference consultation results received
    “The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • The Pacific family of nations – the changing security outlook
    Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests  Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues  Ladies and Gentlemen,  Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru    It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
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    4 days ago

  • NZ and Papua New Guinea to work more closely together
    Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
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    4 days ago

  • Driving ahead with Roads of Regional Significance
    The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
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    4 days ago

  • New Zealand congratulates new Solomon Islands government
    A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office.    “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
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    5 days ago

  • New Zealand supports UN Palestine resolution
    New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium
    Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • $571 million for Defence pay and projects
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
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    1 week ago

  • Climate change – mitigating the risks and costs
    New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
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    1 week ago

  • Getting new job seekers on the pathway to work
    Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
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    1 week ago

  • Accelerating Social Investment
    A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says.  “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
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    1 week ago

  • Getting Back on Track
    Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with  your Board and team, for hosting me.   I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
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    1 week ago

  • NZ – European Union ties more critical than ever
    Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith,   Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States,   Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us.   Ladies and gentlemen -    In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations.   ...
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    1 week ago

  • Therapeutic Products Act to be repealed
    The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
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    1 week ago

  • Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District Plan
    The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
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    1 week ago

  • Rape Awareness Week: Government committed to action on sexual violence
    Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston.  “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
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    1 week ago

  • Smarter lunch programme feeds more, costs less
    Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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