Open mike 14/03/2014

Written By: - Date published: 6:44 am, March 14th, 2014 - 154 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

openmike Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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

Step up to the mike …

154 comments on “Open mike 14/03/2014 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Saarbo 1
    14 March 2014 at 6:50 am

    Its a bit of a Right rag but next weeks Economist has an interesting Cover Story.

    The New Age of Crony Capitalism:
    This week we introduce readers to our new crony capitalism index. “Rent-seeking” is how economists describe making money out of political connections. Some sectors of the economy, such as oil, gas, mining and banking, are more susceptible to it than others. Our index calculates the proportion of billionaire wealth made in those sectors, and indexes it across countries and over time, to indicate how crony capitalists are doing around the world

    John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief

    Wow, the timing is beautiful…there is going to be some twitchy National Party people when this comes out next week.

  2. mickysavage 2
    14 March 2014 at 6:57 am

    A random impertinent question first asked by Frank Macskasy, why did the Minister of Justice feel the need to visit China on an official visit?

    • ScottGN 2.1
      14 March 2014 at 7:15 am

      I guess the answer to that question could be found in the pages of the trip report the Minister submitted to the Cabinet? It was interesting to hear Winston Peters claim during QT the other day that his OIA’d copy of the report had pages redacted by Collins’ office. What was Collins doing on a taxpayer funded trip to China that her office doesn’t want us to know about?

    • Tracey 2.2
      14 March 2014 at 8:31 am

      She is getting ideas on how their “justice system” deals with government naysayers and spying on their people?

      Did she pay for the dinner personally or on her trough card? If personally when did she pay it? At the time? Last week? How do we find out, an OIA?

    • karol 2.3
      14 March 2014 at 8:50 am

      The answer are on her ministerial website.

      31 October 2013: Address to China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong (CELAP), China In it she says this in the middle of the speeech:

      Corruption

      Fighting corruption is not easy, it is a complex offence that is difficult to detect.

      Three tools are needed to fight corruption: Prevention, detection, and prosecution.

      The New Zealand model provides an excellent example of international best practice in using these tools.

      Prevention

      The first tool of prevention requires the development of a national all-of-government approach.

      New Zealand is currently developing an anti-corruption strategy that will assess our current systems, identify where the gaps and risks are, and create a plan for addressing those gaps and risks.

      The strategy will cover the prevention, detection, investigation and remedy of bribery and corruption across both private and public sectors.

      New Zealand also has a State Service Code of Conduct that applies to all public sector employees. This ensures public servants are aware of their obligations and boundaries.

      The Code is also available to the public, which increases the transparency and accountability of public servants and the public sector in general.

      Accountability is also increased through the use of public monitoring systems.
      We have two public sector surveys that monitor the integrity of the wider Government.

      18 OCTOBER, 2013 – Collins to visit China and Singapore

      The announement begins:

      Justice Minister Judith Collins leaves tomorrow for China and Singapore to meet with her ministerial counterparts, officials and practitioners in public and private law.

      Ms Collins will meet Chinese Minister of Justice Ms Wu Aiying in Beijing and discuss reforms to New Zealand’s court system and criminal procedure.

      The Ministers will discuss the established Asia Pacific Regional Office of the Hague Conference. Based in Hong Kong, the Office was established late last year to attract more countries in the area to become members of the Conference.

      Ms Collins will also visit Shanghai to address the China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong. One of the Academy’s aims is to help local and international leaders develop a global perspective.

      “New Zealand consistently ranks as one of the least corrupt countries in the world,” Ms Collins says.

      “I look forward to speaking to the Academy about our experience in building an accountable, transparent government and how these features benefit our governance system and economy.”

      • Tracey 2.3.1
        14 March 2014 at 9:42 am

        Of course she means to deal with corruption at levels well below her own. Cos when she and other pollies do it it’s “tourism” and “promoting NZ”.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.3.2
        14 March 2014 at 1:57 pm

        The New Zealand model provides an excellent example of international best practice in using these tools.

        As the National Party caucus is still in parliament rather than in jail I think I’ll take that with a large truckload of salt.

      • Penny Bright 2.3.3
        14 March 2014 at 5:50 pm

        What utter CRAP!

        NZ hasn’t yet ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption!

        We can’t because our domestic legislative framework is not yet in place.

        Sorry – but the Transparency International ‘Corruption Perception Index’ is not worth the paper upon which it is written …………

        Penny Bright

    • Hami Shearlie 2.4
      14 March 2014 at 10:00 am

      It’s a very good question – Now if only Judy would come clean about the reason she visited China of all places? – Still I’m enjoying the Punch a Judy Show, it was high time it happened!

  3. Ad 3
    14 March 2014 at 7:15 am

    Will we see the Prime Minister loading sandbags for Christchurch residents?

    • Tracey 3.1
      14 March 2014 at 8:32 am

      No. We may see him building a sandcastle with a selected child on high ground though.

    • floyd 3.2
      14 March 2014 at 9:37 am

      Maybe one sandbag.

      • Ad 3.2.1
        14 March 2014 at 12:05 pm

        You could probably fit Judith Collins in one, and Jerry Brownlee in another. They would hold a good volume of water back, and finally do some good for Christchurch. We would give them a straw for air, and roll them out after it dries again.

  4. Skinny 4
    14 March 2014 at 7:34 am

    Going Down 10 Billion > 7 > 5 > 3 Billion? Key-National’s great swindle of our Power Assets sales. 

    Remember the hype? We could gain 10 Billion if conditions are good. That was the snake oil, and the overall revenue gathered slid from there. You can bet the only consistency will be the huge cut Australian financial brokers took scamming the deal.

    Looking at the final power generator sale, you would be right in thinking it’s a fire sale, with lucrative bonuses attached to ensure the shares move. It will be the institution and wealthy investors who will snap up the shares, after small time loyal Kiwi investors wanting to keep the shares in Kiwi ownership, are all spent buying small pockets of the other shares.

    Meanwhile power prices soar as history repeats!

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11219192 

    • vto 4.1
      14 March 2014 at 7:44 am

      How can power prices soar?

      According the gospel we have a competitive power sector so free market supply and demand rules apply. Supply is static / increasing and demand dropping.

      So according to the gospel prices should be dropping.

      Maybe one of the disciples can explain how this is happening, you know, in a competitive sector, with decreasing demand. I mean, that’s how it works, right? After all, it is the gospel… this free market thing ….

      • Skinny 4.1.1
        14 March 2014 at 8:02 am

        “How can power prices soar”
        A Government announcing power assets are to be sold does the trick. Since June 2013 my power supply charges have increased by 18.98% and now the network line companies are getting in on the act you can probably add another 10%. ouch!

        I hear what your saying ‘the free market rules.’

        • aerobubble 4.1.1.1
          14 March 2014 at 11:36 am

          In a free market, whole suburban streets would unite and buy their common electricity from one supplier, play each supplier off against each other. But unfortunately this can’t happen since they don’t own the meters that they’ve paid for, if they did it would be easy to do. That’s why power companies can extort the smallest buyers.

          • aerobubble 4.1.1.1.1
            14 March 2014 at 11:37 am

            And its worse, now smart meters can drill down and find out what your up to, so not only are we buying into a system that extorts money from us but also pay to be spied on.

      • geoff 4.1.2
        14 March 2014 at 8:02 am

        I heard an interview on RNZ with the CEO of one of the power companies (mighty river power?).
        He admitted that the present ‘market’ system only works on the basis that prices will always increase. Sounds like a great reason to change the system to me.

        • Hami Shearlie 4.1.2.1
          14 March 2014 at 10:06 am

          That would be Doug Heffernan, wallowing in the trough since way back in the Waitemata Electric Power Board Days, on over a million a year salary I hear!

      • Hami Shearlie 4.1.3
        14 March 2014 at 10:05 am

        Exactly! You know that it’s really bad when even Hosking was asking how the market could be working when prices were going up, when he was on with Joyce and Annette King? Hosking of all people!

    • Tracey 4.2
      14 March 2014 at 8:32 am

      “We could gain 10 Billion if conditions are good”

      Isn’t a rockstar economy good?

      • alwyn 4.2.1
        14 March 2014 at 10:21 am

        Apart from Skinny’s statement above can you tell me where the figure of 10 billion was ever announced by the Government?
        I certainly don’t remember them claiming that but perhaps they did and you can provide a citation to such a claim.

        • Skinny 4.2.1.1
          14 March 2014 at 11:30 am

          Sometimes we choose to forget. Here is the link if you ‘thought
          I was pulling the figure out of my arse like Key’ did.
          http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4582922/John-Key-reveals-plan-for-asset-sales

          • alwyn 4.2.1.1.1
            14 March 2014 at 12:10 pm

            Thank you. Reading this bit however shows that Key was very careful to qualify his claim in such a way as to make it quite impossible to pin down what he is claiming to be the asset sales returns. What he is quoted as saying.

            “If we could do that with those five entities … if we can make some savings in terms of what were looking at in the budget and maybe a little on the upside you’re talking about somewhere in the order of $7 to $10 billion less borrowing that the Government could undertake.”

            This claim is a very broad figure isn’t it? $7 to $10. It also includes the intended sale of Solid Energy, which was then worth quite a lot. It also includes “some savings in the budget” together with “a little on the upside”.
            No you didn’t make the story up. On the other hand Key is showing he is a very, very clever politician. He can easily argue that any figure at all is in line with what he claimed because there is nowhere at all where he has put a figure on just what the sale of the power generation companies will return. Deceptive but very clever, isn’t it?

            • Draco T Bastard 4.2.1.1.1.1
              14 March 2014 at 2:06 pm

              On the other hand Key is showing he is a very, very clever politician.

              No he’s not – he proved that he is a lying schmuck.

            • Skinny 4.2.1.1.1.2
              14 March 2014 at 4:14 pm

              Deceptive and tricky comes to mind, however selling our assets is already proving not too clever. In the fullness of time (sept 20th will see how clever an idea this was) we will see the true impact.

    • Colt 45 4.3
      14 March 2014 at 9:54 am

      Blame the Greens – as they’re argueing for a market based system to beat global warming – and you need everything in that system to achieve that goal. And that includes generators and retailers. Households too.

      It was their idea not Nationals.

      I feel sorry for suburban mothers who have to bath their children while innercity aspirants and the like ignore those ‘working class matters’.

      Labour should have got rid of the Greens long ago.

      • MaxFletcher 4.3.1
        14 March 2014 at 10:35 am

        “Labour should have got rid of the Greens long ago.”

        Quite how do you propose that Labour should be “got rid of [sic]” a democratically elected party?

        • Colt 45 4.3.1.1
          14 March 2014 at 1:51 pm

          Next to no one from National ever left to vote for the Greens. It’s Labour that lost votes to them!

          It’s about saving seats. Do you really think Labour will win? Do you really think that Labour can’t educate Greens voters that the Greens has passed the point of madness? – the greens are part of an International Federation who espouse the view that partial birth abortion and infanticide are good!

          Live babykilling is good? – Labour is fucken mad to be associated with the Greens – as there is a rising tide of Conservatism within Western Nations – do you really think that Conservatism will go away by 2017? You’re kidding yourself if you do. Labour has to have the Greens votes by 2017 because Labour won’t get elected in 2017 with the Greens being in the picture. It’s that simple. Or do you know the ‘Truth’ that the Conservatives will raise in Parliment? That’s some gamble if you don’t know what they’ll be saying!

          Why on earth do you think you can’t get rid of the Greens[minimising them] – Jones is having a go – and I think that the Greens will get less votes the more that Labour attacks them. And those votes then go to Labour. Call them out for the sick minded tyrants they are!

          • weka 4.3.1.1.1
            14 March 2014 at 2:23 pm

            Christ on a bleeding cross, now we’re getting election strategy advice from a nonsensical anti-abortion RWNJ? We need a better class of nut job.

          • framu 4.3.1.1.2
            14 March 2014 at 2:30 pm

            “– the greens are part of an International Federation who espouse the view that partial birth abortion and infanticide are good!”

            piss off lunatic – and take your derranged bullshit with you

          • tricledrown 4.3.1.1.3
            14 March 2014 at 2:44 pm

            Colt 45 you are a dinosaour .
            That wants women barefoot and pregnant.
            So their are plenty of children in your church for you and your mysogynist mates to fiddle.

          • Daveosaurus 4.3.1.1.4
            14 March 2014 at 6:35 pm

            If you seriously think that Chemical Col is going to be able to rescue you from anything other than laughter deficiency syndrome, then you need the sort of professional help that the Internet is not able to provide.

        • tricledrown 4.3.1.2
          14 March 2014 at 3:03 pm

          Colt 45 you are a shining example of chritian fundementalism that Graham Capill extoled.

      • Wyndham 4.3.2
        14 March 2014 at 1:56 pm

        Hi Harriett. Go back to Kiwiblog Street.

      • Draco T Bastard 4.3.3
        14 March 2014 at 2:10 pm

        What a load of bollocks. The reason why we’re losing is because of National selling our assets against our wishes, i.e, stealing.

    • David H 4.4
      14 March 2014 at 11:03 am

      Sorry the link didn’t as you on a mobile?.

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11219192

      This one should do it.

  5. Tigger 5
    14 March 2014 at 7:45 am

    I said this yesterday but now we have confirmation that Judith Collins is crying at her plight.

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11219211

    Henceforth to me she will now be known as Gusher Collins.

    • phillip ure 5.1
      14 March 2014 at 7:51 am

      tvone breakast..

      ..collins strives to pretend humility..

      ..fails..

      (i’m waiting for her to advise us all it’s time to ‘move on’..)

      ..phillip ure..

    • Tracey 5.2
      14 March 2014 at 8:33 am

      Isn’t she being a sensitive wee sausage? Crying? Is this Crosby Texter’s idea of Cameron Slater’s?

      • Puckish Rogue 5.2.1
        14 March 2014 at 9:03 am

        Jones may well have opened a can of worms here but will it back fire on some of his collegues?

        • Tracey 5.2.1.1
          14 March 2014 at 9:06 am

          OR Collins opened and was forced to swallow a can of worms….

        • phillip ure 5.2.1.2
          14 March 2014 at 10:28 am

          jones has once again served the rightwing..

          ..at a time when the focus was on collins..and her conflicts-of-interest/hubris/arrogance..

          ..jones draggesd a strawman across the stage..

          ..and made it suddenly all about him..

          ..and thus shifted the focus from collins..

          ..don’t you worry there..!..shane..!

          ..they are polishing those ‘board’ chairs for you..as we speak..

          ..the right/vested-interests/environment-polluters..

          ..they all owe you big time..

          ..eh..?..

          (and gee..!..i wonder how much longer cunnliffe/mccarten/the labour party will put up with this circus-clown..?..eh..?..)

          phillip ure..

          • marty mars 5.2.1.2.1
            14 March 2014 at 8:26 pm

            +1 Yep jones serves those he adulates well – the right – meanwhile labour continue to offer safe harbour to him – ffs when will you learn labour – do the names douglas, prebble, and the rest of them not ring a bell – think it can’t happen again? duh – it already is.

  7. bad12 7
    14 March 2014 at 8:19 am

    Judith Collins brought close to tears???, sounds a little like the Crocodile with a whiff of smoke in the eye passing a little fluid,

    For the compulsive Liar tears are the last bastion of retreat, denial, anger, more denial and finally Emotion are all tools those who lie compulsively deploy in an effort to garner some modicum of sympathy from their inquisitors,

    Cleared of a conflict of interest by the Cabinet Office???, plausible, but, considering just who said that in defence of Collins i have strong doubts that such advice existed on the day that He made the claim,

    The fact that He, He being Slippery the Prime Minister, made the claim that the Cabinet Office had gained a translation of the relevant literature surrounding this conflict of interest which within hours was proven to be Absolute Bullshit, no translation was sought by the Cabinet Office, shows that far from being a lone purveyor of Lies, Collins appears to be in competition with the PM to see just who can slip the biggest ones past the press and the Public, Lies that is,

    So having Bullshitted everyone, attempting along the way to treat the press as mere Village Idiots, simply existing to blindly repeat His every word, about this supposed translation can any one of us now believe that the supposed advice to the PM from the Cabinet Office, (a) actually exists at all other than as a figment of the PM’s over active imagination, or (b), should such advice actually have existed on the date the PM says it did, how can such advice have the slightest shred of credibility attached to it when the conflict of interest was contained in writing, in one of the languages of China which no-one in the Cabinet Office has the slightest knowledge of,

    The levels these two, Collins and Slippery the Prime Minister, will stoop too, the gutters they will wallow in, seem to have no boundaries, and all this for a paltry 55 grand donation to the Party????…

    • Tracey 7.1
      14 March 2014 at 8:36 am

      She is probably crying cos she was caught out and thereby humiliated. Not a tear shed for the actual conflict of interest as such. She would do it again, and has probably done it in the past.

      How dare Shane Jones suggest she stays overnight in the former Hotchin Mansion without proof… Although Key claimed a few things about Cunliffe last week that weren’t true, perhaps Collins could release an audio of her challenging the PM n private for misleading people with ugly personal lies?

      For me, no proof no claim, but the hypocrisy of this is beyond overwhelming.

      • Puckish Rogue 7.1.1
        14 March 2014 at 9:06 am

        Has John Key made mention of potential cheating against anyone?

        • Tracey 7.1.1.1
          14 March 2014 at 9:16 am

          What????

          • framu 7.1.1.1.1
            14 March 2014 at 9:33 am

            yes – im confused by that one as well

            • Tracey 7.1.1.1.1.1
              14 March 2014 at 9:37 am

              I just read on another thread that apparently Collins took Jones comment as being she is cheating on her husband. I didn’t take it that way. I took it to mean she was enjoying the palatial hospitality of someone whose company’s product she just endorsed. I genuinely never thought it was a suggestion of infidelity.

              Interesting how the minds of the right work though… turn yourself into a victim of that bully Jones…

              Transference much.

              • Puckish Rogue …
                14 March 2014 at 9:52 am

                Its Shane making the comment so the chances of it being sexual in nature is pretty high but I’m wondering if he had a major brain fart because listening to them on radio they seemed to get on quite well

                • Tracey …
                  14 March 2014 at 10:01 am

                  Well, am just saying that’s not how I took it, especially when he said she and her husband lived there while their home was being renovated. Funny, I took that to mean she and he were in the house together at the time.

                  Interesting how Collins pretended to take it, for someone recently proclaiming herself as naive. Shows her good lawyering, pounced on a chance to turn something around. Jones, of course, left that option open to her and could have just stuck with his comment that as Crusher Collins and Justice Minister, of course she knows what a conflict of interest is.

                • phillip ure …
                  14 March 2014 at 10:32 am

                  of course they are ‘on the same side’..that collins and that jones..

                  ..you can barely slide an ideological cigarette paper between a rightwing labourite..

                  ..and a natty…

                  ..phillip ure..

              • Disraeli Gladstone …
                14 March 2014 at 10:03 am

                While I’m sure that’s how Jones meant it, I’m not surprised it’s been misinterpreted. It’s not much of a leap that “saying around the house of a friend overnight” is being taken by some as “OMG OMG OMG AFFAIR AFFAIR!”

                As much as it pains me to say it, I can see why Collins would be a bit upset.

                … though I think we can still keep calling her a “sensitive wee sausage” about it. I have no idea what made her type those words back when she was mocking Turei. That was always going to come back and get her.

                • Tracey …
                  14 March 2014 at 10:12 am

                  So saying that she and her husband stayed there…. a 3 some maybe but cheating.

                  Its still jones gifting the nats a chance to play victim.

                  Meanwhile mr liu is on domestic violence charges. I am sure williamson and banks and guy will be, hopefully, smidge chagrinned

          • Puckish Rogue 7.1.1.1.2
            14 March 2014 at 9:43 am

            Shane was clearly insinuating some sort of relationship and since its a bit of rumour mongering its probably sexual in nature (the insinuation) so I’m wondering if John Key has made any sort of similar claim because if he hasn’t then this might be followed by a retaliation

            I don’t recall many politicians making mention of Lens extra-marital shenanigans even though Len is closely aligned to the left and I think its because they knew if they did then it would become fair game for any other extra-marital affairs to be shown the light of day (mutually assured destruction)

            So if John Key (Nationals best assett) had mentioned something about an opposition MP doing the dirty then it would be fair enough for Shane to go on the attack but if he didn’t…well some MPs might be getting nervous

            • fender 7.1.1.1.2.1
              14 March 2014 at 9:56 am

              I’ve missed these insinuations you mention. Could you link or supply text with quotes illustrating what Jones is insinuating?

              • Puckish Rogue …
                14 March 2014 at 10:00 am

                No I can’t and I can’t because its an insinuation so it would be very easy for him to proclaim innocence but he wants people to think…something

            • Pascal's bookie 7.1.1.1.2.2
              14 March 2014 at 10:10 am

              Turn it up.

              Collins can dish it out, (remember when she was in opposition, flinging barbs at Labour ministers based on whatever the latest Wishart fanstasy was), but now she’s a wee delicate flower who hates rumours? Nope nope nope.

            • Tracey 7.1.1.1.2.3
              14 March 2014 at 10:14 am

              Would you like a panadol for your headache?

        • fender 7.1.1.2
          14 March 2014 at 9:47 am

          “Has John Key made mention of potential cheating against anyone?”

          Not yet, but as he gets more and more desperate to save his corrupt machine from breakdown he’s bound to give it a go.

          If it’s a trick question, no he won’t admit to cheating NZers out of owning their future.

          • Puckish Rogue 7.1.1.2.1
            14 March 2014 at 9:57 am

            I don’t think he’ll get that desperate because if he does then his and everyone elses piccadilos will be shown the light of day (I work on the assumption that every MP has/is cheating on their significant other) plus his personal rating is (roughly) 5 times greater then Cunliffes and Nationals running in the low 40s so he doesn’t need to do anything like that

            • fender 7.1.1.2.1.1
              14 March 2014 at 10:05 am

              “I work on the assumption that every MP has/is cheating on their significant other”

              Surprised you can stomach casting a vote.

              • Puckish Rogue …
                14 March 2014 at 10:14 am

                The reality is they have quite a bit of power (within their own circles), a few perks, some spending money and they spend a lot of time away from home…

                It helps when you accept everyone does it

                • fender …
                  14 March 2014 at 10:21 am

                  Perhaps you could put your worried mind to rest by accepting it only when it’s been confirmed.

                  Do you also think they all drink-drive, use drugs, commit murder etc. etc….

                  • Puckish Rogue …
                    14 March 2014 at 10:36 am

                    I’m not that bothered by it, as long as it doesn’t break any laws and they don’t promote “family values” I’m ok with it…the cheating that is

                    • McFlock …
                      14 March 2014 at 1:46 pm

                      So you believe there were insinuations about something you’re not particularly concerned about… perhaps we can talk about the apparently blatantly corrupt minister then?

      • PapaMike 7.1.2
        14 March 2014 at 1:49 pm

        Be careful with Collins she can be a bearcat – she has been hurt temporarily
        – She will bite back one of these days, and has been known to have done her homework first.
        She stuffed up – let’s get on without the personal denigration.
        Let’s have POLICY to win the election.
        Play the real game and not the man (woman).

    • RedBaronCV 7.2
      14 March 2014 at 7:46 pm

      So she’s sorry her friends and relations have been involved – fair enough- that’s why you don’t do things like this but how about the rest of us? It’s our money she’s spending and our country that is being brought into disrepute while businesses that she is involved are using us to pay the bills. Where is our apology or don’t we count?

  8. phillip ure 8
    14 March 2014 at 8:44 am

    “..The Unbelievable Shift Towards Rational Drug Policy..

    …2014 could be an unprecedented turning point..”

    http://www.alternet.org/drugs/unbelievable-shift-towards-rational-drug-policy

    phillip ure..

  9. Colt 45 9
    14 March 2014 at 8:54 am

    Micky Savage@

    Last week you mocked me about a spelling mistake Micky:

    LOL……….Have a look at this:

    http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2014/03/how_hard_is_it_to_proof_read_12_words_or_so.html/comment-page-1#comment-1290231

    Have a noice day Micky!

    • framu 9.1
      14 March 2014 at 9:01 am

      umm – your link goes to your own comment, where your reffering to your absolute nonsensical drivel from a few days back

      whats your point? – because at the moment your coming across as either drunk, developmentally challenged or just plain thick

      LOL? – very much so, but its at you

        • framu 9.1.1.1
          14 March 2014 at 9:38 am

          1) how the fuck can i tell what derranged bullshit you want someone to scroll to?
          2) if you link to something, then that is what people will assume is your point
          3) your new link still doesnt actually say anything other than proving your an idiot – because its just you saying yet more insane bullshit

          what the fuck are you actually trying to say?
          are you trying to point out your own spelling mistakes?
          What exactly?

          do keep going – this is fun – fish, barrel, gun

          • Puckish Rogue 9.1.1.1.1
            14 March 2014 at 9:46 am

            Mythbusters showed shooting fish in a barrel isn’t as easy as it sounds 🙂

            • framu 9.1.1.1.1.1
              14 March 2014 at 9:48 am

              heh heh – they also proved the brown note doesnt exist.

              • Puckish Rogue …
                14 March 2014 at 10:09 am

                and being this is a political website it seems appropriate they also showed you can polish a turd

              • bad12 …
                14 March 2014 at 10:12 am

                Dolt45 is an even bigger idiot than the average ‘wing-nut’ we see here at the Standard, their appearance now seems to be on the basis of a sliding scale of intellectual ability,

                Given the increased velocity apparent in the trend i would suggest that in mere months we might expect to be greeted by simple ”Derrs’ as the comment from further newbies freshly escaped/sent from the sewer…

      • David H 9.1.2
        14 March 2014 at 4:19 pm

        what he’s driveling on about is the pic at the top.

      • Murray Olsen 9.1.3
        14 March 2014 at 7:48 pm

        Colt 45 is the sort of person I was happy to have forgotten about until I started reading blogs and got Facebook. Thicker than pigshit, twice as smelly, and totally deluded, but being reinforced in their behaviour on a daily basis by the troglodytes of KiwiBog. By the way, it really annoys me that Farrar, the person most lacking in Kiwiness that I could think of, should be using one of our national icons for his hate blog.

  10. bad12 10
    14 March 2014 at 9:03 am

    Economic overkill, inflation at 1.6%, GDP growth an average 3.2%, the Government accounts writ solidly in Red ink, interest rates to rise by at least 2% in 18 months,

    Structural economic vandalism, looks like it to me, just from the point of view of the Governments books, 80 billion dollars of gross Government debt, a structural shortfall in revenue of a billion dollars annually since the 2009 tax switch, 800 million dollars of due taxes annually unable to be collected, we have to be running an economy at the top end of the inflation band,

    Its as simple as that, someone has to pay for that 80 billion dollars, the structural shortfall in revenue from the 2009 tax switch has to be closed befor any of that 80 billion dollars of debt can be paid down and in the face of their being NO plan from this National Government on how to recoup the annual 800 million dollars shortfall in taxes paid,(aka tax evasion/avoidance), addressing such debt becomes a further impossibility,

    SO, without ‘other’ action to change the Red ink to that of the color Black, inflation would have to be allowed to run at 3-4% annually which equates in GDP terms to an economy with an annual growth rate of 6–6.5%, the only means, without changes to the monetary/taxation system, where this Government can even hope to have a sustainable surplus within it’s books,

    Favoring an IMF solution to solving such problems of Red ink that do exist structurally in the Governments accounts the Reserve Bank Governor seems to be all in favor of us becoming the Greece of the South Pacific…

    • Bearded Git 10.1
      14 March 2014 at 9:42 am

      I think the left has a weak argument when banging on about future interest rate rises. Inflation is largely under control and the NZ$ is very high, probably much too high, which means IMHO that despite the MSM hype there isn’t really a need to raise interest rates above their current level for the forseeable future.

      I doubt the the supposed 2% further rises will eventuate. Labour should concentrate on the present and the fact that National has borrowed $27m a day since elected.

      • Tracey 10.1.1
        14 March 2014 at 9:44 am

        hasn’t the rate just gone up because of, amongst other things, a fear of rising inflation?

        Power rises hit EVERY household in NZ, not many things do that
        Mortgage rates hit every mortgaged and most rented home sin NZ

        What do you base your belief that it won’t rise 2% over the next 18 months?

        • Bearded Git 10.1.1.1
          14 March 2014 at 10:06 am

          I have reasonable financial qualifications and experience.

          It would be economic suicide to keep raising interest rates, thus further raising the value of the NZ dollar which will choke off exports and increase import penetration, leading to inevitable further job losses in our export industries while the threat of inflation is minimal (just 1.6%) and the housing market already appears to be cooling a little.

          One of the economic pundits on TV3 last night (I can’t spell this but I think it was Shamovil Yaquob) cast doubt on the reasons for the 0.25 increase and on future increases.

      • bad12 10.1.2
        14 March 2014 at 10:05 am

        Bearded Git, an own goal!!! pushing up interest rates pushes up the value of the Kiwi$$$, or did that little fact escape you,

        The Reserve Bank Governor has said that interest rates will continue to rise, the deputy-governor said as late as this morning ”the current cycle of interest rate rises blah blah blah” in the plural so who exactly are you trying to fool while only making a fool of yourself…

  11. Tracey 11
    14 March 2014 at 9:52 am

    “ Collins had earlier said she and her husband had not stayed at the former Hotchin mansion, which is in Auckland’s upmarket Paritai Drive. Suggestions they had stayed there while their own house was being renovated were wrong. (how is that a suggestion of cheating on her husband, when Jones suggested they both stayed there?)

    An emotional Collins said Jones’ comments were “hurtful” but she would not elaborate on what the comments might have meant.

    This morning, Jones apologised on the Breakfast TV show for the comments but stopped short of saying whether he thought they were true or not.

    “Political banter on RadioLive has been grossly misconstrued, but I want to say something, to your viewers and to Judith in front of her,” he said.

    “Any suggestion I was imputing something of a highly personal nature to do with her and her family, or her and her husband was wrong in fact.

    “What political banter I was engaged in, I lost my customary felicity with language, but the reality remains Judith is known as Crusher Collins. Judith is the justice minister and if anyone knows what a conflict of interest is, it’s the justice minister.” Spin john and Judith spin

    Collins said she accepted Jones’ apology, but “gossip mongering” was the problem.

    “If you get down to the stage where you’re dealing with rumours, and publicising them then that is just awful,” she said. (I wonder does she include John Key saying one of Cunliffe’s donor’s was Kim DotCom? John Key saying the other donor was UNITE)? Or is that different type of rumour and gosspi Ms Collins?

    “But I accept Shane’s apology and we all make mistakes as I’ve shown and Shane has shown in the past.” ”

    For some reason I suspect Collinsis saying you can mislead, gossip, rumour monger and make unsubstantiated or incorrect comments as long as you are only deceiving the nation, not to talk about any Pollie personally?

    So Turei’s clothes? Her home?

    • Murray Olsen 11.1
      14 March 2014 at 8:01 pm

      The only thing that made me think there may be something more to this story was Gusher’s response. Being hurt for staying a night at someone else’s place just doesn’t make sense. If SeaLord Jones knows of some further conflict of interest, doesn’t he have a duty to bring it to light? Or is there some new stop for the gravy train, at Chez Jones, and that’s enough to shut him up. Something stinks here, and it’s nothing to do with Gusher’s sex life.

  12. bad12 12
    14 March 2014 at 9:59 am

    A sad day on the calendar to be remembered, today is the day that un-Housing Minister Nick Smith has gleefully awaited for quite some time, to-day Nick can legally start removing the States tenants from their homes,

    Citing ‘changes in circumstances’ Smith has reassured us all that ‘only’ 800 of the tenants are the targets for the initial removal, and Smith claims, such removals are all for the benefit of other more deserving tenants,just don’t stack up under scrutiny especially when you consider the earlier words of Smith and HousingNZ CEO Sowry are taken as the ‘real’ intent of Smith’s ‘plan’,

    ”In the future i plan for the State to have 20% less houses”, Smith,”If a HousingNZ property has a value of 700,000 dollars and is empty it will be sold”,Sowry, is the real ‘intent’ of un-Housing Minister Smith as He attempts to accomplish with the least amount of ‘noise’ an asset sale, 12,000 of the States housing stock, that will match if not dwarf any of the electricity generator sales,

    ”Those initially targeted will be those paying ‘market rents’ to HousingNZ”, says the un-Housing Minister, really???

    The above almost sounds rational doesn’t it, putting aside the not inconsequential fact that Smith plans to rip these people out of communities they may have lived in for decades, it does doesn’t it, almost sound reasonable,

    After all, if such tenants are now paying ‘market rent’ to the State then surely it is no great financial burden for such tenants to move to paying ‘market rent’ in the private market,

    It only sounds ‘reasonable’ if you believe any of Smith’s LIES on a face value basis, the LIE is contained in the ‘fact’ that HousingNZ has for many years put a ‘market value’ on all it’s properties and this supposed ‘market value’ as far as rent goes has never had any basis in reality when compared with ‘actual’ private rental accommodation,

    For instance, the very home i type this from has a ‘market rent’ adjudged by HousingNZ at 180 dollars per week, my writer friend, 4 houses down, renting privately exactly the same dwelling as what i occupy, one sold into the private sector during the first National Government ransacking of the HousingNZ stock,pays a whopping 380 per week,

    So, using Bullshit as the imperative Smith will toss out 800 tenants who will then be forced to pay double their current rent to a private landlord on the pretext of helping others that are more needy,the pretext i suggest would hide the fact that the 800 homes that Smith will empty will simply be sold…

  13. Not a PS Staffer 13
    14 March 2014 at 10:07 am

    I spotted a piece on Kiwiblog yesterday that seems to have legs:

    Judith Collins states in her Beehive and other biographies that he is a member of the Fulbright New Zealand Alumni Association.
    http://beehive.govt.nz/minister/biography/judith-collins

    However a search of the list of “Alumni and Grantees” on the Fullbright website does not return a Judith Collins nor a Judith Wong Tung. http://www.fulbright.org.nz/grantees-alumni/

    Her bio lists her time at the University of Auckland. Last year she took time away from office to attend Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. That sojourn is described with most unusual language: “Ms Collins was selected to attend and completed the Leadership Decision Making (LDM) executive program….”

    Can anyone shine some light on this?

      • Not a PS Staffer 13.1.1
        14 March 2014 at 10:33 am

        It leads to a “Judith someone” and to a “someone Collins”.
        I’ve scanned through all the pages. No Judith Collins!

      • karol 13.1.2
        14 March 2014 at 10:37 am

        That hit includes several Judiths on the list, and one Collins, but not a “Judith Collins”

        I think this is what Judith Collins is part of: Fulbright NZ Alumin Association Membership.

        Full membership is open to any person who:

        1.is or was the recipient of a New Zealand-United States educational or cultural exchange award administered by Fulbright New Zealand ie. Fulbright or Fulbright-Hays Awards and Ian Axford, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Harkness Fellowships; or

        2.is or was a participant, grantee or beneficiary of similar or related programmes operated under the auspices of the United States Government including the International Visitor Leadership Programme and the Voluntary Visitor Programme.

        Collins probably can belong to that because she did that Harvard Course – probably a similar one to the one John Key has on his CV – basically a short course without any assessment – acceptance on the course and attendence is all that is required to get it on the CV.

        This is CV embellishment – Collins gets Fulbirght & Harvard on her CV via one activity & paying the Fulbright Alumni fee.

        • Not a PS Staffer 13.1.2.1
          14 March 2014 at 11:04 am

          Thank you Karol.

          • karol 13.1.2.1.1
            14 March 2014 at 11:45 am

            The Fulbright Associations are not to be confused with the Filbright Scholarship Programme – although it looks like some am to benefit from the fact that we all were confused about it.

            The Fulbright Association is an organization independent of the Fulbright Program and not associated with the U.S. Department of State. The Fulbright Association was established on Feb. 27, 1977, as a private nonprofit, membership organization with over 9,000 members. The late Arthur Power Dudden was its founding president. He wanted alumni to educate members of the U.S. Congress and the public about the benefits of advancing increased mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those of other countries. In addition to the Fulbright Association in the U.S., independent Fulbright Alumni associations exist in over 75 countries around the world.

    • alwyn 13.2
      14 March 2014 at 11:02 am

      You don’t have to have got a grant directly from the Fulbright Foundation to be a member. The names given here are merely those who got some types of award they organise. It isn’t restricted to these people though.
      In the simplest case she is probably entitled to be a full member if she attended that course. It sounds like something that would be covered by the reference to “International Visitor Leadership”.
      There are other grants mentioned that entitle you to full membership that would certainly be more prestigious than a Fulbright grant. The Harkness Foundation awards would certainly be better.

      If you have a look at who can join you get this

      “Full membership
      2.is or was a participant, grantee or beneficiary of similar or related programmes operated under the auspices of the United States Government including the International Visitor Leadership Programme and the Voluntary Visitor Programme”

      Alternatively if you look at the second type of membership it would appear that literally anyone would qualify. Just apply and pay up. All you have to do is say you approve of their aims. That sounds about as easy as joining a political party to me.

      “Associate membership
      Associate membership is open to any person who supports Senator Fulbright’s vision for international educational exchange and the mission of Fulbright New Zealand.”

      Snap. I see Karol got in ahead of me.

  14. Hami Shearlie 14
    14 March 2014 at 10:14 am

    It’s amusing how Mike Hosking is defending Judith Collins, saying she didn’t endorse any product – the same man who had a secret deal with Sky City while he was on TV1 at 7 p.m. every week doing stories on the said Sky City!! No wonder HE thinks what she did was TOTALLY OK!!

    • geoff 14.1
      14 March 2014 at 10:43 am

      One of the hypocritical privileged elite defending another privileged elite’s right to double standards.

      Fuck they’re incestual.

  15. karol 15
    14 March 2014 at 12:12 pm

    David Cunliffe’s speech to the NZ Initiative (child of Business Roundtable): “NZ’s economic upgrade”

    It looks like capitalism as usual, but structured to provide more opportunities and resources for the less well off.

    Summary at the end of the speech:

    Today I have outlined the framework for New Zealand’s economic journey to a higher value, higher knowledge, higher income and renewable future.

    We want better jobs and higher wages for all New Zealanders.

    We all know that in order to sustainably lift incomes we need to sustainably lift productivity.

    We all know that just being a producer of raw materials, stuck on the treadmill of commodity price cycles, is not the way to that better future.

    Especially when our warped tax system and our inadequate savings system incentivise over-investment in real estate, and under-investment in innovation.

    New Zealand must be more than a farm to be harvested by offshore banks. We must grow our manufacturing and high-end services sectors. We must provide opportunities to inspire our best and brightest young innovators to build job creating businesses here in New Zealand.

    Today I have set out for you the crucial elements of an economic upgrade that will put us on the road to shared prosperity: Investment, Innovation and Industry.

    These require serious policy changes, not tinkering. That’s why we will have:

    *Capital gains tax to move from speculation to innovation,
    *Universal KiwiSaver to grow our onshore investment capital,
    *Monetary policy reform to back our exporters,
    *R&D tax credits to encourage innovation,
    *A series of industry and regional strategies that grow New Zealand’s wealth.

    And all of this will leverage off a sound fiscal policy based on fairness, responsibility and sustainability.

  16. captain hook 16
    14 March 2014 at 12:14 pm

    Great read on the op-ed page of the Dompost this morning. It stops short of calling shifty key a liteweight pinhead but the writer is just displaying manners and good taste in opposite proportions to the noo noo headed ring in carpetbagger who was selected for the tory party bozo.

  17. Tracey 17
    14 March 2014 at 1:49 pm

    interesting to compare popularity past with present:

    ” A new UMR Research poll of 750 people shows the prime minister’s favourability rating dipped by 9 per cent between October and December of last year to its lowest level since January 2010.

    The proportion of Kiwis who had a favourable opinion of Key has twice peaked at 81 per cent but the figure is now 63 per cent. The previous record was Helen Clark’s 78 per cent in April 2002.”

  18. joe90 18
    14 March 2014 at 1:52 pm

    Bloodshed in Eastern Ukraine.

    http://novosti.dn.ua/

    #Donetsk

    https://twitter.com/novostidnua/media

    edit: the faerie is busy interfering with the threading

  19. freedom 19
    14 March 2014 at 2:06 pm

    This is the blog where the WINZ story you might be hearing about originated. There is understandably a flurry of activity now whizzing around the woman and no doubt assistance is flowing freely, but it highlights a sad situation hundreds of thousands of kiwis are facing every day, and every day the situation is worsening.

    • weka 19.1
      14 March 2014 at 2:39 pm

      Interesting to see the increasing number of comments. A few thoughts…

      What she writes about is not particularly new. One of things I notice in this story and others in the past few years is the number of people standing up and saying “me too” and saying taht they are new to WINZ. I think there is a whole new sector of NZ finally getting to understand what has been going on for a very long time. I hope those people are telling their family and friends and spreading the word. I wish they would also tell their MP and local newspaper.

      This advice given in the comments is very sound – get ALL documents photocopied, while you wait, and then get both the WINZ copy and your own date stamped. This should be beneficiary strategy 101. Also, whenever possible, take someone with you. Those two things alone will make staff sort their shit out to a considerable extent. There is nothing like evidence or a witness to make people do their job properly.

      WINZ are in the process of shifting everything onto electronic file. This means every piece of documentation they receive, every form etc has to be scanned into the person’s electronic file. I’m guessing that accounts for some of the lost documents (I bet there is a backlog of scanning or its being handed over to someone else who isn’t doing it).

      That shift to all eletronic files has privacy issues that are still not that clear. As far as I can tell, the electronic file is accessible by any WINZ staff anywhere in NZ as long as they have access to a computer. Not clear yet what the call centre has access to. I’ve not seen any debate about this publicly yet.

      The comments section also has a subthread with a variation on the painter on the roof story. Good to see people addressing that.

      • freedom 19.1.1
        14 March 2014 at 3:11 pm

        Had to produce a five year plan a few weeks ago. They gave us a blank flow chart and an example chart, which held nothing of value but slogans in boxes with no real world examples of what information people should put into the boxes. An example “talk to friends about their careers” There was also a two page Q+A of ten handy points which repeated itself three times (four-depending on interpretation) that they wanted us to fill in.

        I did the chart (making a new one up one with boxes large enough to write in ( I needed more than three words per box to say what my 5 year plan was) and even wrote up the Q+A into a clearly phrased cover letter and printed both pages off. I put these into a folder, as you would expect they wanted to receive it in a tidy manner, went to the seminar and I handed it in.

        Why did I even bother?

        I looked over the contributions from the other seminar attendees. There were people handing over rolled up and twisted scraps. The few bits of text I could see looked like they had been written in the car on the way to the seminar. There were pages folded three times just dropped in front of the case worker, who seemed genuinely shocked that I had done something as simple as presenting legible pages and putting them into a folder. The case worker absently ripped the pages from the folder, which was given back to me, and proceeded to put the pages amongst the others gathering upon the table. I say amongst because one page went under another person’s ‘work’ and I had to bring it to her attention. I got the frowny face.

        I asked when do we discuss the 5 year plan we had just been asked to complete for our Focus to Work Seminar. I was told we don’t. It gets put on file. I took this to mean it gets scanned and forgotten. I asked because a crux point in my 5 year plan is getting off the benefit and back into self employment as the job drought is becoming very real. As far as WINZ is concerned, the road to self employment has been bypassed as a Road of National Significance.

        All in all I challenge anyone to say this exercise was anything but mindless busywork.

        • weka 19.1.1.1
          14 March 2014 at 3:37 pm

          That’s really bad freedom, kia kaha mate. Reading that gives me brain rage. It’s worse than mindless busywork, it’s soul destroying and its poking people with velvet cattle prods and mindfucks that this is the way to salvation*, but all the while Rome burns. If you want to see the worst excesses of neoliberal fucked in the head theory, look at WINZ. This isn’t by-products of policies, this is intentional dumb shit beyond belief.

          On my worst days I think this is a deliberate set up so that NACT can start privatising welfare (see, WINZ doesn’t work, we have to let the private sector sort it out). On other days (probably worse still), I see WINZ as the outward expression of NZ’s post-neoliberal revolution psyche. This is where all the shit we haven’t wanted to look at in the past 3 decades is now coming out.

          More and more my response to that shit is to play the game to the extent that I get what I need, and then take myself outside the system to where the real people live and work and play.

          *am rewatching The Wire currently, in series 4 based in the High School. Paralells with the bureaucractic nightmare where you try and force people to do things to improve their situation, when the situation is being determined structurally by the system well outside of the control of most of the individuals.

    • Aww 19.2
      14 March 2014 at 3:09 pm

      Sadly this is what Work and Income have become – worse than they ever were before.

      God help the sick and infirm when National get a third term and fully intergrate coporations in the provision of welfare/work ability testing.

  20. phillip ure 20
    14 March 2014 at 2:16 pm

    do you own a samsung galaxy..?

    ..and are you a bit paranoid to boot.?

    ..read on..!

    “..Samsung Galaxy back-door allows for over-the-air filesystem access..”

    http://boingboing.net/2014/03/13/samsung-galaxy-back-door-allow.html

  21. tricledrown 21
    14 March 2014 at 2:31 pm

    Colt 45
    Make my day and suck on dumb and dumber bullet.
    Divide and conquer.
    Back to propaganda school for you.

  22. phillip ure 22
    14 March 2014 at 2:40 pm

    geoff..do you think you are intelligent..?

  23. Tracey 23
    14 March 2014 at 2:41 pm

    john drinnans take on the taxpayers “union” in the herald today

    ” Astro-turfing

    I hear the NZ Taxpayers’ Union’s comments on deaf MP Mojo Mathers have damaged the lobby group’s credibility with members of the parliamentary press gallery. Comments by the lobby group’s spokesman, Jordan Williams, about the Green MP travelling from Christchurch to Masterton for an interview were pilloried as petty – though part of the problem appears to be that he was responding to journalists’ queries, rather than directly attacking Mathers.

    The comments raised the question of whether the Taxpayers’ Union was largely a promotional vehicle for the political right rather than a consumer body to report on issues like wasteful government spending, and whether it should be reported as such, thus diminishing its importance. Or perhaps, as Auckland University senior lecturer in media Dr Luke Goode says, “it’s up to the public to make its own assessment”.

    Formed by people associated with National, the union is funded by anonymous donations. It insists it’s not party political, and that it has criticised National and Act.

    The organisation was founded by David Farrar, who set up the right wing Kiwiblog website, and whose firm Curia carries out research for National. Its board also includes media trainer and PR man John Bishop – a regular on Radio New Zealand’s programme The Panel.

    His son, by the way, is Chris Bishop, a former PR man for tobacco company Phillip Morris who now works as the political adviser in the office of National election strategist Steven Joyce. Another board member is Gabrielle O’Brien, a sales executive with links to National.

    Williams, the union’s executive director, was involved in an anti-MMP campaign. Farrar insists the union is non-partisan and is aimed at identifying waste but the line-up of board members – and their wish to have National elected – means it would be under intense pressure not to attack National, especially for a media person like Farrar.”

  24. thechangeling 24
    14 March 2014 at 2:47 pm

    I thought this great and needed to be put up on here somewhere with prominence:

    from: http://writehanded.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/fuck-winz-yes-i-said-it/

    Terror and humiliation – just another day with WINZ

    Posted by writehandedgirl ⋅ March 13, 2014 ⋅ 112 Comments

    I have tried to be fair. I have tried to be understanding of the good work WINZ does, and their well-intentioned policies, and to work within those structures. I have tried to be grateful for the support I do get.

    But I have had ENOUGH of the sheer and complete incompetence that ensures that I have suffered, that I continue to suffer. That I suffer like I have suffered today.

    Maybe I should start at the beginning, because you may have not been following this story. It’s a doozie so you may as well get a drink now.

    I am on a ‘Jobseeker Support’ benefit, which in itself is a misnomer. I have a job – I’m too ill to do it. I have multiple medical certificates to prove it. Recently, my benefit, and the Disability Allowance, which is the separate small payment I receive toward my medical costs, came up for “reassessment.” This meant a whole new round of forms and evidence to prove I’m entitled to the support.

    Here’s the key points from the post I wrote when this started – February 14.

    I’ve returned the multiple forms, along with every receipt I’ve kept of doctor’s visits, food bills, and medical costs like prescriptions, plus the form signed by my GP which includes details from him about how often I visit and what for.
    My case manager rang today to say they “need more proof” which I knew would happen because they always do.
    Eftpos receipts are now not considered proof of costs. I need to return to all my medical providers and get a signed printout of my annual costs. This obviously takes a lot of time and effort for a sick person. It’s not an easy ask. It causes me a huge amount of anxiety, and physically doing it causes me exhaustion and pain.
    A grocery receipt is not enough to prove my dietary requirements, I need several week’s worth to show the pattern of food I buy. They said they will then calculate the difference between the “usual” cost and “my” cost, and grant me this.
    Until I get all these things, I will live in anxiety that they are going to remove my support. Anxiety and stress make me sick. That’s written on the fucking form I gave them.

    Following this post, I got together all the additional evidence they wanted, which took considerable effort. I dropped it in to the office, somewhat gingerly, because they have a proven history of losing things.

    I wrote this post a week ago:

    My case manager informed me on 14 February (the day before I was going to Wellington for a week) that I had until 14 March to supply new information, or my support would be removed. Getting this new information wasn’t going to be an easy task for me, and it’s fair to say I felt terrified and distressed during that phone call.

    My case manager also said she would send a Special Food Grant application form to me, which I needed to provide to them along with at least a month’s worth of receipts to show my grocery expenses.

    While I was away, I made phone calls and sent emails in order to get the requested information from my medical providers. As soon as I got back, I labelled them all and took them in to WINZ. That was on 25 February.

    Since then, I have sent several emails and left several voice messages, none of which have been returned. My online account shows “no applications pending.” I haven’t received any letters or application forms in the mail. Meanwhile, it’s now less than a week until my support will be removed, and I have no idea if I have provided the necessary information to stop that from happening.

    I find it increasingly ironic that WINZ want me well enough to go back to work, yet they consistently subject me to behaviour and systems which stress the fuck out of me, and make me more ill.

    Did I say ironic? I meant frustrating, depressing, anxiety-inducing, dehumanising and debilitating.

    Yes, WINZ, I agree with you. The sooner I can go back to work, the better.

    This week, I realised I still hadn’t heard anything, so I tried again to make an appointment with my case manager. I got no response, so I just made one through the online service.

    I was incredibly nervous about the appointment. It’s pretty difficult to walk into this place when you have no idea how you’re going to be treated, and when their role is not to help you, as it would appear, but actually do all they possibly can to get you back into work – even if that’s to your detriment.

    Did you know, WINZ has an actual policy to publicly celebrate when people get work? I witnessed this today. A bell was rung, and all the workers stood up and clapped – meanwhile, the poor man who supposedly the happy recipient of this “positive reinforcement” sat still and looked utterly and completely mortified. Apparently WINZ says clients enjoy this.

    It was fucking horrifying.

    All this, while I myself was sitting meters away with tears of frustration streaming down my face. While I cried, the WINZ worker I was talking to stopped what he was doing, and clapped.

    Oops, I’ve skipped a bit. Let’s go back, shall we?

    So, I turned up for my appointment. As usual, I was seen about half an hour late. Standard WINZ procedure. Because my case manager had been unreachable (I saw her at her desk across the room), I was randomly assigned.

    The person I was assigned to, it’s fair to say, was the single most unhelpful “customer service” representative I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with.

    Here’s the key points:

    He didn’t know what was happening with my Disability Allowance – only, yes, “the system tells me it’ll stop tomorrow.”
    He suggested I talk to my case manager. When I said I’d been unable to contact her, he said I needed to “make an appointment.” Um, that’s what I thought I was doing right now?
    They have no record of the information I provided on February 25th. It’s simply not there. He suggested I go back to my doctors (more appointments I will have to pay for), and get the information again. He was totally unmoved when I burst into tears because of the stress this will cause me.
    He gave me the Special Food application that was promised and never sent. I have to get my doctor to sign it, even though he wrote to them about the food I need in the Disability Allowance Reapplication Form I gave them last month. (Another $37 appointment). Lucky I’ve been keeping all my grocery receipts.
    The interview ended with him saying blankly “I can’t help you. Ring the call centre and make an appointment” and me walking out in tears.

    So: the bus trip, the pain, the fatigue, the stress and anxiety of an appointment – all for nothing. I still don’t have any information about my Allowance. Well, I do. I know it stops tomorrow – even though I have done everything right, and provided everything as asked for, when asked for.

    I’m tired. I’m so tired of this. I almost want to force myself to go back to work because trying to stay on a benefit is more stressful than working fulltime with a debilitating chronic illness.

    Let’s just say – I won’t be going to those offices alone again.

    Update:

    I guess my presence in the office must have influenced something, because my case manager finally emailed me tonight.

    Verdict: My Disability Allowance is being reduced by $40 per week because, on paper, my medical costs have reduced. At least they dated that decision to today, which means I’m not in debt. They could have dated it from the date of reapplication, in which case I would have owed them. They took great care to point out that this was done for me.

    Don’t ever let anyone say I’m not grateful.

    • weka 24.1
      14 March 2014 at 3:24 pm

      That’s at least the third time it’s been linked on ts in the past day. Maybe she could be asked if it could go up as a guest post here?

      • thechangeling 24.1.1
        14 March 2014 at 3:28 pm

        Sorry if i posted it again. I honestly thought it was that damned good to have been a guest post.

        • weka 24.1.1.1
          14 March 2014 at 3:38 pm

          no worries, I think it’s fine to post it again. It’s an important issue. I was thinking it needed even more attention 🙂

    • bad12 24.2
      14 March 2014 at 4:55 pm

      (1), the most basic of advice, and also given further up in today’s ‘Open Mike’, photo-copy everything right down to the individual supermarket receipts, make WINZ date stamp every one of your copies,(right down to the individual supermarket receipts), Never hand over your copies of such receipts unless you have been given a further set of copies,(which you have checked),

      (2), If you feel you are still entitled to the previous levels of Disability allowance DO make another appointment at your local WINZ office and demand the appeal papers so as to enable you to appeal the decision, DO NOT allow them to fob you off unless you have been given in writing their agreement to resume payments of your full disability allowance,

      At the point where WINZ realize that you are seriously going to take their absurd decisions to the appeal authority they usually capitulate and reinstate the entitlement, sometimes you have to engage in this behavior for two or three years in a row…

  25. wyndham 25
    14 March 2014 at 3:43 pm

    Wyndham 4.3.2
    14 March 2014 at 1:56 pm
    Hi Harriett. Go back to Kiwiblog Street.

    Hi lprent. The above appeared under my name (wyndham) but with a capital W. There can be confusion here surely ? I’m not happy especially as the message doesn’t seem to be relevant to the thread.

    • freedom 26.1
      14 March 2014 at 5:01 pm

      an article, six years old no less,

      Now the PM opening a NZ business in NZ, even if that business is owned by the wife of a Minister,
      is not really the same thing as a Minister having a private dinner with the owner of a company her husband is a director of, in the presence of a senior Chinese Government official who has influence over the importation of products supplied by the Minister’s husband’s employer.

      Not the same thing at all.

      The fact that Helen Clark’s visit was published openly in a legal magazine shows it was a public event and is more than likely clearly on record, as it was an opening of a commercial premises.

      Compare this to Collins who despite having vast experience with Cabinet realities, not only decided against all procedural briefs, to consider the dinner not worthy of being recorded in her diaries, the Minister was not forthcoming until pressured by the PM to do so and is now openly stating that she is only allowed to say the words she has been told to say otherwise there may be an issue with China.

      oh yeah Puck, I can see how you think they are comparable 🙄 🙄 🙄

    • felix 26.2
      15 March 2014 at 12:10 am

      That’s awesome.

      The Slater child has had what, a week(?) to come up with a defense for his no.1 favourite client and that’s the best he can do.

      Awesome.

  27. Penny Bright 27
    14 March 2014 at 6:01 pm

    Is NZ Prime Minister taking advice on Minister for Justice Judith Collins’ CORRUPT (in my considered opinion) ‘conflicts of interest’ from his ‘party political Chief of Staff – Wayne Eagleson, instead of (Acting) Secretary of the Cabinet Michael Webster?

    FYI – just posted this:

    New Zealand Prime Minister
    John Key

    ‘Open Letter’ /OIA request to NZ Prime Minister John Key:

    ‘Nothing to hide – nothing to fear’?

    Dear Prime Minister,

    BACKGROUND:

    It has been publicly reported that Justice Minister Judith Collins had dinner with the following persons, whilst in Beijing in October 2013:

    The founder of Oravida, Deyi “Stone” Shi,
    The Managing Director of Oravida, Julia Xu
    A senior Chinese border control official (unnamed)

    (Minister Judith Collins ‘senior advisor’ Margaret Malcolm, was also reported as being present at this dinner.)

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11219241

    On Wednesday, Prime Minister John Key publicly expressed his ire that she had been economical with the truth about meetings with Mr Shi while visiting China last October.

    She revealed that apart from a previously disclosed visit to milk exporter Oravida’s Shanghai offices, she dined with Mr Shi, the company’s managing director Julia Xu, and a senior Chinese border control official while in Beijing.

    Mr Key has accepted Ms Collins’ assurances that Oravida’s business was not discussed at the dinner, but yesterday, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters challenged that in Parliament.

    “Following the botulism scare of last year, is it not a fact that her visit to Oravida was predominantly access and Customs clearance for Oravida products in the Chinese market, and that is the real reason why a People’s Republic of China border official was present at that dinner?”

    Ms Collins once again denied that, and when asked if she would resign if it emerged that she discussed Oravida’s imports to China with the border official, said: “Yes, of course, but I didn’t.”

    Ms Collins said her senior adviser Margaret Malcolm, who was also present at the dinner, would confirm that Oravida’s business was not discussed, which is exactly what Ms Malcolm did when contacted by the Herald.

    Asked whether Ms Xu had ever raised concerns with her about problems getting product into China, Ms Collins said no.

    “They were not affected by the whey powder. They’re the first exporters of fresh milk from New Zealand to China and this was not affected by Fonterra.”

    However, that is at odds with a television interview Ms Xu gave a month before the Beijing dinner.

    Ms Xu said that in the wake of the Fonterra botulism scare her company, which exports milk and other products to China, was facing additional stringent testing requirements from the Chinese border control agency CIQ (China Inspection & Quarantine Services). That added costs and caused delays.

    During the interview on TVNZ’s Q+A Ms Xu also said: “I think the Government, perhaps, could do a little more to engage in more bilateral talks to remove some of the tests or measures the Chinese Government have put on because of this false mistake.”

    Ms Collins refused to identify the Chinese border control official who was at the dinner or say which agency they worked for, and indicated she was being kept on a short leash by the Prime Minister.

    “I think you should talk to the Prime Minister’s office because I am giving you the words that I have been told that I should say, otherwise there could be an issue with China.”

    OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST:

    1) Please provide the name of the above-mentioned ‘senior Chinese border control official’, and the agency for whom he worked.

    2) Please provide the information which confirms that advice on this on-going ‘conflict of interest’ between Justice Minister Judith Collins and the company Oravida, of which her husband David Wong Tung is a Director,

    http://www.business.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/2356805

    is being dealt with, as outlined in the Cabinet Manual, by the Acting Secretary of the Cabinet, Michael Webster, not your Chief of Staff, Wayne Eagleson, from the Office of the Prime Minister:

    __________________________________________________________

    http://cabinetmanual.cabinetoffice.govt.nz/2.50

    Conduct, public duty, and personal interests

    Managing conflicts of interest

    2.69 Ministers must ensure that any conflicts of interest are promptly addressed. The Secretary of the Cabinet (and, where appropriate, the chief executive of the department concerned) should be kept informed of conflicts of interest as they arise.

    In addition, the Prime Minister should be advised in writing of conflicts that are of particular concern or that require ongoing management. If in doubt about the appropriate course of action, Ministers should consult the Prime Minister or the Secretary of the Cabinet.

    3) Please provide the information which confirms that this OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST will be dealt with, in the proper way, by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) , not your ‘National party political’ Chief of Staff, Wayne Eagleson, as clearly outlined on the DPMC website:

    http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/dpmc

    Administrative support to the Prime Minister

    This includes preparation of replies to Parliamentary questions, and dealing with Official Information Act requests and other correspondence. A totally separate body, the Office of the Prime Minister, also advises the Prime Minister: it is the primary point of responsibility for managing political issues and relationships with other political parties and for providing administrative and media support.

    STRUCTURE

    DPMC formally came into existence on 1 January 1990, as a result of a report which recommended establishing structures to provide two separate streams of advice to the Prime Minister; one, a new government department to supply impartial, high quality advice and support to the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC), and another, a Prime Minister’s Private Office (which is not part of DPMC), to provide personal support and media services, and advice of a party political nature.

    Please be reminded that I have still yet to receive an acknowledgement of receipt of the following ‘Open Letter’ /OIA request which I emailed to you on 6 March 2014.

    (It is now 14 March 2014.)

    6 March 2014

    NZ Prime Minister
    John Key

    OPEN LETTER / OIA request – re: the alleged ‘conflict of interest’ of Minister of Justice Judith Collin’s perceived endorsement of Oravida milk.

    Dear Prime Minister,

    Please provide a copy of the advice purportedly provided by the Cabinet Office, upon which you are relying, which substantiates your following reported statement:

    Prime Minister John Key said the Cabinet Office “unequivocally .. said no there’s no breach.”

    Yours sincerely,

    Penny Bright
    ‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’

    …………………….

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11214597

    Collins told Oravida its milk was ‘nice’

    By Claire Trevett

    Penny Bright

    Attendee: 2009 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
    Attendee: 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference
    Attendee: 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference

  28. karol 28
    14 March 2014 at 8:48 pm

    John Drinnan on Exceltium’s campaign to get better funding from the Auckland Council for Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust.

    So Michelle Boag is on the Helicopter Trust – Hooton was running PR for it with some help from WO.

    Drinnan then asks about WO’s funding, given that Slater says Hooton didn’t pay him.

    Then Drinnan gets onto how the Taxpayers Unions attacks on Mojo Mathers may have destroyed its credibility with the MSM. And he ends with this gem:

    Press gallery sources say the union was built largely on Farrar’s integrity, but
    but the Taxpayer’s Union reputation had diminished since the Mathers comments.

    DPF’s integrity?

    Edit: And Drinnan says this about the Taxpayers Union:

    The organisation was founded by David Farrar, who set up the right wing Kiwiblog website, and whose firm Curia carries out research for National. Its board also includes media trainer and PR man John Bishop – a regular on Radio New Zealand’s programme The Panel.

    His son, by the way, is Chris Bishop, a former PR man for tobacco company Phillip Morris who now works as the political adviser in the office of National election strategist Steven Joyce. Another board member is Gabrielle O’Brien, a sales executive with links to National.

  29. Ergo Robertina 29
    14 March 2014 at 8:48 pm

    Tribute to Tony Benn who has died, in London, aged 88.

  30. geoff 30
    14 March 2014 at 8:54 pm

    Yes.

  31. Penny Bright 31
    14 March 2014 at 9:51 pm

    Try reading this for yourselves – straight from the Oravida website so you can see for yourselves all the ‘conflicts of interest’ between the National Party and this company?

    http://www.oravida.com/lwl/newsen/

    New Zealand – ‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’?

    What a pile of steaming BULLSH*T!

    Seriously – you couldn’t make this up …………..

    Penny Bright

    ‘Anti-corruption /anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’

  32. xtasy 32
    15 March 2014 at 2:40 am

    People in NZ, apart from the few enlightened here, do simply not understand the historic importance of what happened before in similar countries like Chile. It is time to learn, to awake and take note:

    Mr Hartwich of the NZ Initiative or what it is called, in front of that David Cunliffe held a speech to today, is exactly another one of the Chicago Boys that drove Chile under Pinochet!

    It is time for New Zealanders to bloody wake up, to the experiment that is continuing here, to sell more souls by forcing them into slave work, to enrich the stake holders or corporations and private enterprises, making money everywhere, now even in education (charter schools) and also welfare (outsourced services). Are you all happy to “prostitute” yourselves even more than your people have?

    I cannot believe what is going on here, it is a total shocker.

  33. xtasy 33
    15 March 2014 at 4:02 am

    Astrud Glberto, one of the older school of the musica popular movement in Brasil, as I understand it, and I listened to some of it in my early years through the nights in bed, late at night, and with that into Brasilian radio stations on shortwave radio.

    That is something younger generations do not understand, but that kind of “exotic” music was almost inaccessible for most in those days, unless you knew special contacts and connections. So we have a more “global” society, but with all available, I still find most are not even exploring anything and rather shut out and walk around with blinkers. What a bloody shame, so much culture out there, all over the continents and places. Endeavour, explore and find.

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T00:56:58+00:00