Open mike 15/10/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 15th, 2019 - 105 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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

Step up to the mike …

105 comments on “Open mike 15/10/2019 ”

  • Comments are now closed

    • Anne 1.1
      15 October 2019 at 10:35 am

      Stalkers come in different guises and cover both genders. They are not always motivated by romantic obsessions or broken relationships. My stalker from years back was a woman who was prone to obsessive jealousies of others she perceived to be more successful in life than herself.

      They usually have other types of personality disorders and can be extremely cunning at carrying out their covert activities. Hence most of them get clean away with it. The situation is not helped by a NZ Police Force who don't seem to have much knowledge or understanding of the nature of covert stalking.

      More often than not it is the stalked who end up getting the blame and not the stalker.

      From the link:

      Frustrated, stigmatised, blamed

      Compounding victims' misery was a lack of help stopping their stalkers' reign of terror. Most said their experiences with police were negative.

      One wrote that trying to report her stalker was a "total joke".

      Only a small majority (54 per cent) of those who took part in the survey reported the stalking to police at any stage.

    • Dukeofurl 1.2
      15 October 2019 at 2:21 pm

      Yes . NZ does have a 'stalkers law'

      https://www.govt.nz/browse/law-crime-and-justice/abuse-harassment-domestic-violence/stalking-and-harassment/

      Harassment has a legal definition — on at least two separate occasions within a period of 12 months, the harasser needs to have committed "specific acts", like:

      • following you
      • entering your property without your permission
      • unwanted or threatening phone calls or letters
      • giving you offensive material
      • doing something that makes you fear for your safety.

      Saying things like NZ doesnt have a stalkers law, is misleading, as casual readers might think you are referring to something you know about

      Anybody can get a restraining order from the Court , doesnt require the police consent or even a judges order

      • Chris 1.2.1
        16 October 2019 at 9:18 pm

        "Anybody can get a restraining order from the Court , doesnt require the police consent or even a judges order"

        Really? I thought an application for a restraining order required a determination by a DC judge.

  2. ianmac 2
    15 October 2019 at 9:31 am

    Bridges/National defied the Speaker's ruling on National's attack ads just before 2pm. Today Mallard is expected to announce decision on what next. Could be $1000 fine or imprisonment but that is unlikely. More likely is a consultation and a bringing forward a discussion on the rules.

    I think Bridges will carry on in the meantime as perhaps the recent poll might have been a cause/effect of those ads?

    • Peter 2.1
      15 October 2019 at 9:54 am

      Everyone agreed to the rules (or were bound by them) yet someone broke them.

      I wonder what the reaction will be if Irish rugby players against New Zealand this weekend smack people around the head unpunished and win the match.

      I'm sure in that event all the National supporters will say the rules are stupid and the assaults on the head were okay.

      Surely it was only after good intellectual consideration and probity discussions they agreed to the use of video rule. Intellectual and probity factors have changed dramatically. i.e. they aren't in Government.

      They are as deep as a glob of phlegm in the gutter.

  3. Chris 3
    15 October 2019 at 9:40 am

    Megans Woods lost for words on Ninetonoon. No surprises there. Without nationalising the electricity industry there's nothing she or her government can say.

    • Pat 3.1
      15 October 2019 at 9:47 am

      The Minister either didnt understand the questions or chose not too…..concerning

      • Chris 3.1.1
        15 October 2019 at 11:50 am

        If she's a disciple of Jim Anderton she probably knows her government's attempts to bring electricity prices down won't work. Anderton wanted to nationalise the industry so she's possibly in a tight spot having to sell what she knows is bullshit.

    • tc 3.2
      15 October 2019 at 11:52 am

      Shonky knew exactly what the impact of getting private equity into the SOE generators would have and he told no end of porkys to ensure it came to pass.

      The numbers would be intruiging, take out the 4 levels of profit/external audit/regulatory/internal audit/management/duplicated systems (mostly the stonkingly expensive SAP) across generator/grid/lines/retailer.

      You could probably freeze power prices for some years, payout the private equity then consolidate them back to the NZED model.

      Labour lacks the bollocks to go anywhere near this.

      • Pat 3.2.1
        15 October 2019 at 11:58 am

        "Labour lacks the bollocks to go anywhere near this."

        Agree…though addressing the distribution would be a major step in the right direction….and it was the distribution she really appeared unwilling/unable to address in that interview

    • Dukeofurl 3.3
      15 October 2019 at 2:25 pm

      "Megans Woods lost for words on Ninetonoon"

      Thats a bold claim. Any sort of background to the questions or even the words 'she should have said'

      At the moment all we have is a claim of silence ……

      • Chris 3.3.1
        15 October 2019 at 8:44 pm

        Apologies Dukeofurl. I should've said Woods' couldn't explain how the changes will bring prices down. And as far as what she should've said goes, well, she should've said the changes won't bring prices down because they won't.

    • The Chairman 3.4
      15 October 2019 at 4:00 pm

      Megans Woods lost for words on Ninetonoon.

      For the 60% of consumers on low-fixed charges and whom pay their bills on time it doesn't seem (going off that interview) prices will go down for them.

      In fact, it sounds as if prices will increase for this grouping so as to offset a drop in price for a number of high use consumers.

      Considering only 40% of power consumers are on a high use tariff, it seems the Government are going to piss off the majority of low use consumers when faced with power price hikes as a result of the Government's reform.

      That's going to hurt the Government come election time. Talk about shooting oneself in the foot. And talk about giving National another club to bash them with.

      • In Vino 3.4.1
        15 October 2019 at 6:15 pm

        Well, well, well. "this is going to hurt the Government" yet again…

        By the way, please stop using the word 'whom'. It is correct only in a few uses, and you tend to get it wrong. 'Who' is almost never wrong in modern English – much safer.

        • The Chairman 3.4.1.1
          15 October 2019 at 6:52 pm

          The Government is already copping the blame for higher fuel costs, rising rents/housing costs (via the lack of state homes being built, increased rental standards along with the talk of a CGT and the dropping of it encouraging investors, not to mention the Kiwibuild failure/reset) and now it seems they want to add higher power costs to the list.

          If they can't see the potential voter backlash from this (higher power costs) they are clearly out of touch. And the list is growing, there is now talk of higher rubbish disposal charges. They can't afford a growing list of costs they are adding onto voters while they sit on a surplus, thus they need to get this one (power reform) right and lower costs for the majority if not all.

  4. aom 4
    15 October 2019 at 10:07 am

    Here we go again. According to the DomPost headline, 'Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern distances Labour from failed Wellington mayoral candidate Justin Lester'. This is in the same realm of reality as depicting her as an apologist for sexual abuse. Lester didn't need to be thrown under a bus, he walked in the way and went under by himself. In essence, he never was a Labour man. In office, he proved to be at the beck and call of the likes of the developers and the Chamber of Commerce and appeared to be subservient to his CEO. Obviously, the PM has a better nose for reality than those of the party who compromised the 'Labour' brand by supporting Lester, who proved to many, that his self-belief exceeded his abilities. If any more proof is required that he wasn't up to it, it is provided by the election of Labour branded Councillors, including two new ones who were relative 'unknowns'. One of these succeeded in a 'true blue' ward and neither replaced 'red' predecessors.

    • OnceWasTim 4.1
      15 October 2019 at 11:23 am

      +100 !

      And now I think about it, nor was Lester that worried about standing up for the other elected representatives when they were calling out the administration’s inadequacies. (Case in point, Simon Woolf DARING to comment on street lighting problems. How very dare him to have pointed out the bleeding obvious!. And there are quite a few other examples)

    • Agora 4.2
      15 October 2019 at 11:43 am

      Forster's grinning pale blue image confronting Miramar travellers was an aesthetic crime and deserved a proportionate response.

      • Chris 4.2.1
        15 October 2019 at 11:56 am

        The perennial schoolboy. Just shows what can happen if you hang around long enough. Sights set high. Career councillor. Got there in the end. "Well, I started off mopping the floor…"

    • Paaparakauta 4.3
      15 October 2019 at 1:06 pm

      If that was the case why did they need to replace him with Andy ?

      • Chris 4.3.1
        15 October 2019 at 1:11 pm

        Andy's a Winston man, a conservative through and through.

      • aom 4.3.2
        15 October 2019 at 4:04 pm

        There were no other viable options apart from Diane Calvert, whose votes ended up going to Foster under STV anyway – her votes swung it for him. Seemingly, the Wellington voters were pretty savvy. Andy Foster's agenda will have to get past a far more critical and muscular Council than the previous one. Predictably, more than a few of his proposals will struggle to survive.

  5. Agora 5
    15 October 2019 at 10:26 am

    The Ethics of Film.

    https://www.ethicsfilmfestival.com/

    [deleted links]

    [that many links is spam (which is why your comment got caught in the spam filter). Feel free to post again, but with some commentary of your own and less links – weka]

    • Agora 5.1
      15 October 2019 at 1:00 pm

      Digital is rapidly becoming the norm, transforming our work and behaviour across all sectors. It is now embedded in business models, integrated with processes and practices as organisations move towards digital-as-usual businesses. While organisations employ technology to increase productivity and efficiency, the big elephant in the room is ‘’Ethics’’. Organisations must be mindful of the risks of unethical practices, whose adverse impact can be amplified by digital connectivity.

      At ACCA’s Ethics Film Festival 2019, we will explore the “ABCD” of Ethics in a digital environment: AI, Blockchain, Cybersecurity and Data Governance; as we explore and discuss good practices and guidelines in the responsible adoption of technology and what accountants, financial and IT professionals of the future need to know.

      • greywarshark 5.1.1
        15 October 2019 at 1:41 pm

        That sounds interesting. ACCA is in Singapore. Perhaps some of the films can be accessed after the Festival and there are a bunch from previous years. Those trying to keep up with the thinking of the digital age may like to take this further – can they be seen here in NZ? On-line?

  6. Agora 6
    15 October 2019 at 10:36 am

    MPs at Westminster are more likely to have mental health issues than either the general public or other people in comparable professions/managerial posts, suggest the responses to a survey of parliamentarians, published in the online journal BMJ Open.

    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190701184622.htm

  7. Ngungukai 7
    15 October 2019 at 10:39 am

    NZ Herald Article states Organised Crime Evolving Rapidly in NZ

    I am not sure what the answer is obviously our Intelligence Services are analyzing this threat. The drug problem is helping breakdown NZ Society with much of the damage unseen ?

    The gangsters we see on the street and in the newspapers are mere cogs in the wheel or the tip of the iceberg ?

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12276597

  8. Pat 8
    15 October 2019 at 10:59 am

    " Indeed, the real question that is left hanging in the air after half-an-hour listening to Stephen Mills is not why anyone wanting real change would vote for the parties of the Left, but why they would bother voting at all."

    OUCH!

    https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2019/10/losing-labours-mills-tone.html

    • Sabine 8.1
      15 October 2019 at 11:07 am

      a few of us have been saying that, and literally we end up voting for 'kinder' and 'gentler' cause that is all they got. A bit of lube, a red ribbon, and see the screwing over of you does not hurt that much anymore, Right?

      there is absolutly no reason for anyone to vote for either of the assorted clown show that is NZ politics and its enablers.

      • Pat 8.1.1
        15 October 2019 at 11:21 am

        And the onus is on the current gov to provide one….sadly they seem incapable of such as the article notes (and recent polls indicate)

        • Sabine 8.1.1.1
          15 October 2019 at 12:28 pm

          i don't really care about news and articles and polls.

          i do however see what is happening around me, and literally what is happening around me is nothing. And i guess i am not the only one to see that.

          There is very little difference between either party – and i include all parties. they are more worried about keeping their jobs then they are worried about actually delivering measurable changes.

          In saying that we can have ineffective J.A or bullshit S.B or worse Paula Benefits.

          Great choices we have here, right? kinder gentler do nothing, or rude and brutal do nothing. and online voting or purple thumbs is not gonna change the fact that we are run by selfserving morons.

          • Pat 8.1.1.1.1
            15 October 2019 at 12:34 pm

            the news articles and polls can serve a purpose….I only see and interact with a tiny proportion of the country and therefore ask myself if what I observe is typical or not.

          • Jimmy 8.1.1.1.2
            15 October 2019 at 1:01 pm

            Perhaps we should pay politicians less. I know they say if you pay peanuts you get monkeys, but look at the lot of overpaid monkeys we have (and I am talking all parties). Many of these people will never get a job in the real world paying any near as much as they currently earn. Too many are just there for themselves milking it for as long as possible as they no they will never get as high paying a job.

            • Sabine 8.1.1.1.2.1
              15 October 2019 at 1:15 pm

              i have been saying that for a while.

              they should earn no more then minimum wage. That would go long ways towards weeding the likes of Paula Benefits and such out for ever. Only the truly dedicated would run, or the min wage would go to 75 $ per hour and ruin everyone who ever created a job.

              • McFlock …
                15 October 2019 at 4:48 pm

                flipside is that you'll get MPs who will be even more blatant about getting the payoffs on the back end.

                I don't mind paying MPs a couple of hundred thousand a year. I do mind it when they immediately get private sector jobs in the policy area they were negligent about, lobbying their former colleagues.

                • Sabine …
                  15 October 2019 at 5:01 pm

                  i do mind paying wages to people who don't deliver.

                  but then i do pay wages to people, and i do know that i have to make a whole lot of money already to just pay someone min wage +8 % holiday + 3 kiwi saver, and it bothers me endlessly if i have to pay someone for not pulling their weight and literally just occupying seats.

                  as for pulling one in the back or the front or by the side, they already do that quite openly and happily irrespective of their chosen side.

                  • McFlock …
                    15 October 2019 at 5:08 pm

                    they don't perform, they get voted out. Nobody will drop a mid-range career for a pay cut in a role that will probably only last three years, and then go back to what they were doing.

                    We have lots of low-level corruption in NZ, but we're beginning to get the US-style movement of politicians between elected representatives to profiting from special interests.

                    I'd keep the pay high, but think of something like registering lobbyists and banning former mps from such a role for at least three years.

          • sumsuch 8.1.1.1.3
            16 October 2019 at 12:45 am

            I note Simon Bridges's rival in his party, Judith Collins, seems to go to the left of him despite her reputation. At least the foulie rightos over the ditch haven't yet got a foothold here.

            • McFlock 8.1.1.1.3.1
              16 October 2019 at 1:02 am

              If she went right, she'd be in on ACT's territory. By going 2008-ish labour-lite, she boosts her preferred PM ratings.

  10. Sabine 10
    15 October 2019 at 11:25 am

    people might enjoy reading this article.

    https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-age-of-radical-evil/

    Immanuel Kant coined the term “radical evil.” It was the privileging of one’s own interest over that of others, effectively reducing those around you to objects to be manipulated and used for your own ends. But Hannah Arendt, who also used the term “radical evil,” saw that it was worse than merely treating others as objects. Radical evil, she wrote, rendered vast numbers of people superfluous. They possessed no value at all. They were, once they could not be utilized by the powerful, discarded as human refuse.

    We live in an age of radical evil.

    and i think really that once we see the current happenings world wide, we can see that clearly our overlords – elected, selected, instated, and tolerated – do see at best a profit centre – child care, education, health care, at worst a cost centre, aged care, unemployment / other benefits, pensions and such. And once us the public realises that we can start looking at these goons in parliaments and see them for what they are. Goons, that would let us die if only they could, so as long as they get re-selected/instated, so as long as they can cash in, in the hopes that when they turn in to cost centres they have amassed enough wealth and connections to go by. But it should be remembered that our 'human rights' that we like to claim are nothing more then artificial construct that we give each other, either to all of us, or them giving it to some of us.

    this one came out before the selection of the shitshow in the US

    might be a good reminder that nothing is new under the sun.



  11. greywarshark 11
    15 October 2019 at 12:01 pm

    Old birds slower to think around problems, whereas juvenile birds much better.

    And what she found was that young kaka are innovative and persistent problem solvers – whereas older birds are so set in their ways that they failed to solve several of the experiments. It turns out you can’t teach an old parrot new tricks, after all.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld/audio/201802744/smart-kaka-can-you-teach-old-parrots-new-tricks

  12. joe90 12
    15 October 2019 at 12:14 pm

    Surely they would've known about this shit when the engaged him.

    https://twitter.com/TalbertSwan/status/1183595323878449152

  13. greywarshark 13
    15 October 2019 at 12:16 pm

    Why can't we take academics seriously all the time? When they play at semantics that's when.

    author interview Why do we do terrible things? Listen duration 19′ :19″

    From Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan, 3:10 pm on 14 October 2019 https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018717648/why-do-we-do-terrible-things

    There is no such thing as evil. There are bad choices, very bad choices, that individuals can and do make. Dr Julia Shaw from University College London says heinous crimes are generally circus shows, not evil.

    Julia uses research to explain why we do terrible things in her book, Evil: The Science Behind Humanity's Dark Side.

    Haha – caught her out – she used the word 'evil' to describe evil. If we choose to describe 'terrible things' as 'evil' which involves the feeling of OTT viciousness of which we disapprove, that word is a valid choice from all other words to convey our opinion about something.

    Women with long hair with curls in it cannot, because they have been to university and call themselves (probably) an academic, state that a word does not apply to something to which it obviously refers and describes.

    There are more ways of looking at anything rather than one. Someone else will consider my pointing out that Dr Julia Shaw has long curly hair is inappropriate, and actually sexist. I wouldn't deign to say that there is no such word as sexist, and that instead I am just a silly, muddled, confused person.

    • In Vino 13.1
      15 October 2019 at 6:26 pm

      Heard part of the interview, and your last sentence sums up what I casually wondered about Dr Julia Shaw.

  14. marty mars 14
    15 October 2019 at 12:48 pm

    yep – they all bend the knee to money – sad bastards

    A day later, the ramifications of the momentous week that preceded the Kurds allowing the Assad regime to retake the province is still sinking in, across Syria and far beyond in Riyadh, Baghdad, Cairo and the Gulf.

    Something far bigger was at play here; the end of US influence in Syria and the plunge in its status elsewhere. The public handover on show was that between the Assad regime and the Kurds, but the real power shift was between Washington – whose fighting troops have all but left the region, 16 years after invading Iraq – and Moscow, whose reach and influence across the Middle East has now been cemented.

    As if to celebrate the moment, Vladimir Putin arrived in Riyadh for a state visit on Monday, his first in 12 years, hosted by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who three weeks earlier had similarly felt the humiliation of abandonment by US allies.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/14/russian-shadow-falls-over-syria-as-kurds-open-door-for-assad

    • mauī 14.1
      15 October 2019 at 9:08 pm

      How can it be that the brutal "regime" is the Kurds only saviour? What happened to those "opposition rebels" fighting for freedom alongside IS, surely they would help…

      • marty mars 14.1.1
        15 October 2019 at 9:21 pm

        dunno maybe they are all crisis actors eh spongehead bobpants

      • joe90 14.1.2
        15 October 2019 at 9:47 pm

        In Vlad's wildest dreams the U.S. would stand aside and green light Turkey's invasion, the Kurds would turn to Assad/Russia for support, the US would sanction Turkey, driving a wedge into NATO, strengthening a Russia/Iran/Turkey alliance.

        And lo!, his boy delivered.

        • mauī 14.1.2.1
          16 October 2019 at 7:38 am

          Syria and Russia are basically the only ones who can fix this mess, pushing the Turks out of Syria and returning the region to pre-coup stability.

          The Kurds made their own bed, supporting the US in destabilizing Syria, taking their oil and reneging on agreements. In response the regime is being very unregime like for not severely punishing them for that.

          • joe90 14.1.2.1.1
            16 October 2019 at 1:38 pm

            Syrian Kurds are an historically suppressed ethnic minority and you're on the same side as their oppressors.

            You really are a POS, aren't you.

            • mauī 14.1.2.1.1.1
              16 October 2019 at 8:25 pm

              Well, well, well… if it isn't Joe… How did the debate go today Joe? Avoid the questions on Ukraine did you?

              You know the Kurds were involved in the Armenian genocide and Saladins conquest…eh Joe? Probably not as oppressed as you think….

              • joe90 …
                16 October 2019 at 9:09 pm

                Under the thuggish Assad dynasty Kurds have been discriminated against because of their ethnicity, denied Syrian citizenship, had their language and culture suppressed and their land and property seized and resettled by Arabs.

                But then, you're a POS with a boner for authoritarian thugs so it's no surprise you think these people deserve to be the victims of the horrors of the Assad's inter-generational punishment.

                [Please control your language and please no more personal insults thanks – Incognito]

      • Brigid 14.1.3
        15 October 2019 at 11:01 pm

        And where have those White Helmets got to.

        Surely there's a dead baby mannequin around they could be filming at least.

  15. joe90 15
    15 October 2019 at 12:58 pm

    Fifty. Nuclear. Weapons.

    And over the weekend, State and Energy Department officials were quietly reviewing plans for evacuating roughly 50 tactical nuclear weapons that the United States had long stored, under American control, at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, about 250 miles from the Syrian border, according to two American officials.

    http://archive.li/cciES

  16. marty mars 16
    15 October 2019 at 1:04 pm

    Nice post on fbook by Auckland Peace Action

    Today marks the 12 year anniversary since the police raids in Tuhoe. On that day some 300 police descended on the community of Ruatoki. The police then terrorised the community locking up women and children, arresting community leaders and leaving the whole country in shock. As the sham history celebration of #Tuia250 rolls around the country sailing the death ship Endeavour, let us not forget the struggle against colonisation has never ended, either here or overseas. #Resist250 #EndWhiteSupremacy

  17. ianmac 17
    15 October 2019 at 2:10 pm

    The question of the attack ads by the National party has been referred to the Committee for revision soon.

    However Bridges will be restricted to just 5 supplementary questions each day this week in punishment for challenging the Speaker given that the Speaker is responsible for following the rules set by Parliament. No response yet from Opposition.

    PS: So the Deputy Leader of National was able to just ask the supplementary questions which would have been otherwise asked by Bridges. Just a blip then.

  18. Peter 18
    15 October 2019 at 2:19 pm

    Five supplementary questions? A number reaching the IQ score of those who think can't see the vacuity, gormlessness and hypocrisy of the position of Bridges and his motley crew regarding the use of Parliamentary video.

  19. AB 19
    15 October 2019 at 3:00 pm

    Naomi Klein from 35:30 onwards on her new book ‘On Fire’

    Saying that the response to CC will open new frontiers for profiteering. Which means that without a Green New Deal, CC doesn’t just involve the world becoming hotter, but also that it becomes meaner and more unequal – a place where resource scarcity is forced first onto the underserving (the poor, people of colour or the ‘wrong’ religion) in a new configuration of austerity. The coming “climate barbarism." She also links this to the “eco-fascism” of the Christchurch shooter as part of a larger movement to eliminate those who don’t deserve to survive in the new world of scarcity.

    (Before that there’s also the brilliant Elif Sarican on Rojava)

    • greywarshark 19.1
      15 October 2019 at 3:19 pm

      Oh. That's the sort of thing I have been thinking. How mean we have got in NZ and for instance, thinking how willing we are to put up with the oppressive WINZ moralistic actually neoliberal puritan-like approach that is invasive of women's freedom and right to be a person. All that work for feminism and it only seems to have continued in the ability of some women who fit into the system getting to the upper echelons and getting big salaries.

    • Andre 19.2
      15 October 2019 at 4:08 pm

      Unfortunately, that kind of position just gives ammo to the deniers and the let's-be-fast-followers claiming climate activists are just using climate change as a stalking horse for social engineering.

      • greywarshark 19.2.1
        15 October 2019 at 4:25 pm

        Ignoring, in their denying-thought inept way, that we are being socially engineered all the time, including by them.

      • AB 19.2.2
        16 October 2019 at 9:05 am

        I think Klein's point is that we inevitably face a choice between two different forms of social engineering. That there isn't
        going to be a 'no social engineering' option.

        • Andre 19.2.2.1
          16 October 2019 at 9:18 am

          Maybe if you take Klein's position at the moment in isolation. But anyone that takes even a cursory look at Klein's history will soon become aware she's long been about social engineering. In contrast, she's a relative latecomer to climate activism, and her transition was clearly about using climate change to leverage her social views.

          • greywarshark 19.2.2.1.1
            16 October 2019 at 9:59 am

            I consider that any reasoned person would consider that considering climate change and society culture are interlocked as the vital areas of focus in thinking about the path to whatever future we will have, and may help to get us closer to the one we hope for.

            • Andre 19.2.2.1.1.1
              16 October 2019 at 10:55 am

              That's great if you're just looking for a rousing "right on" from already committed activists. But if you're interested in persuading undecideds that action is necessary, it's not helpful to link two unrelated issues. The negatives an undecided may feel about one of the issues transfers too easily into rejection of arguments about the other.

              When each of the two separate issues has standalone arguments about their merits, far better to argue each issue separately.

              In the case of climate change, there really are conservative-oriented arguments for taking action against climate change change that don't require wholesale rejection of the existing economic framework. Just like there are very good arguments for seriously modifying the current socio-economic framework that is currently so heavily tilted in favour of the already wealthy and powerful that don’t require reference to climate change. The likes of Klein and Sanders have been making those arguments for decades before climate change became a popular issue.

              That climate change as a factual problem has been turned into a political identity issue is as much the fault of activists like Klein falsely conflating them as it is the fault of big corporate underhanded manipulation.

              • greywarshark …
                16 October 2019 at 4:19 pm

                Yes, wise folks will look at every avenue for pushing change that is good for us including the planet, And to be aware that many people can't see it holistically is a necessary to getting effective action quickly. I agree that tackling the problem at whatever level people are on is more essential than harping on about the connectedness of all. No time for campfies and singing kumbaya, jut choose your group, and add your tuppence worth of sense to ensure that a workable plan with a defined goal and a practice and method of courteious delivery, that is spelled out with regular checks for design flaws is adopted.

  20. Kevin 20
    15 October 2019 at 3:23 pm

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/116574054/defence-minister-trumps-environment-court-decision-on-whenuapai-airbase-engine-noise

    Defence Minister Ron Mark has over written an Environment Court decision on noise restrictions for aircraft engine testing at Whenuapai Airbase, and advised anyone moving into the area to accept military aircraft noise.

    • lprent 20.1
      15 October 2019 at 5:15 pm

      pre-existing land usage.

      I’d get as far if I started to try to be that kind of a NIMBY about the eagle helicopter that hangs around the motorway junctions a lot.

      Or since I’m in a mixed use area, if I started to complain about the bin pickups at 0400 at the businesses in our area.

      • greywarshark 20.1.1
        15 October 2019 at 9:17 pm

        Pre-existing land usage should be spelled out to possible purchasers, and made very clear to house speculators. Live near the rural area, know that in winter they will have helicopters or giant fans stirring the air to keep the frost from killing the crop. Orchards do a lot of spraying etc.

        • Ad 20.1.1.1
          15 October 2019 at 11:05 pm

          OMG Whenuapai purchasers could have it explained by looking out the fucking window.

          And have done so since 1937.

          • greywarshark 20.1.1.1.1
            16 October 2019 at 10:03 am

            But they don't look out the window till they have purchased or built and then can act on unreasonable laws that allow them to complain and try to alter pre-existing conditions that are the resuslt of whatever business or enterprise is established there or should be able under intelligent town planning to be in a suitable business zone there.

            • lprent 20.1.1.1.1.1
              17 October 2019 at 9:11 am

              It is really hard, if not realistically impossible, to alter pre-existing conditions where these were well known and part of the existing legal rights before a new purchaser started to occupy their property. Which is the case here.

              The reason for this is obvious. The litigants trying to gain a property right at the expense of another without permission or recompense. Now the environment court can look at it without looking at property rights, but the courts it would have been immediately appealed to have would not.

              It is possible where the original occupiers are doing something outside their rights, or doing something illegal, or doing something that is dangerous.

              If a council wants to change the conditions of someone's property rights, then they will ultimately have to recompense for taking those rights unless they can show immediate danger.

              Which is why councils try not to do it because the compensation is usually pretty extreme. What usually happens instead is that the rates rise with the value of the property as it gets built up, eventually the cost plus the value of the property rises to the point where someone sells up.

              In this case Ron Mark will have simply short-circuited it. Had the environmental courts decision been taken to appeal (and it would have been), it would have been overturned on property rights and prior usage alone. The environmental court decision and the factors behind it probably wouldn’t have even really entered into the legal argument.

              In the event that the appeal court decided that there was a public health or safety issue, then the blame should have fallen squarely on the council for letting those housing buildings to be built. Personally as a Auckland city ratepayer, I wouldn’t have wanted to pay for the NIMBYs on the North Shore. I’d have been wanting that the whole cost of compensation to the defense department be levied directly in the suburbs concerned.

  21. The Chairman 21
    15 October 2019 at 5:19 pm

    News headlines are used to grab your attention.

    They help set/frame a narrative. And tend to stick in people's minds.

    When taken together, the two misleading headlines used for the two recent polls paint a picture that Labour have taken a huge drop in the polls with National increasing and as a result, National (along with ACT) are currently in a position to win.

    Unfortunately, for a good number of those that don't follow politics too heavily, this is the picture that will now stick in their minds and may influence their support going forward.

    As swordfish highlighted the other day, Newshub's headline for their Jan 2018 Poll (which recorded near-identical results to their most recent poll) was dramatically different.

  22. Eco maori 22
    16 October 2019 at 8:33 am

    Kia Ora Breakfast.

    Its great that pressure is getting put on the companys that makes our clothes too provide a living wage and a humane work environment.

    That is a great idea getting Wahine in the trades carpenter plummer electricion. These days with the Lithuaniam battery powered tools the jobs are no were as labour intensive as they used to be actually I say that the jobs are quite easy now days . We just need to teach the Tane to respect Wahine on the job site actually teach Tane to respect Wahine fullstop.

    Tiny houses is the way of the future lowering the cost to get into a Whare and drastically lowering our carbon footprint.

    All consumer products need to be made in a sustainable way. I agree closed loop system for consumer goods. We have to learn to stop making a MESS of our own back YARD.

    Papatuanuku food day there is no reason for tangata to be starving on the Papatuanuku in the year 2019. There is enough food growing on Papatuanuku to feed everything.

    Ka kite Ano

  23. Eco maori 23
    16 October 2019 at 1:58 pm

    We came from our natural environment we depend on the other creatures of our environment for food there are many factors of our Papatuanuku that needs all the diverse creatures to function effectively. It baffles me why a lot of people don't get those facts that people need other creatures to survive.

    The age of extinction

    Biodiversity touches every aspect of our lives – so why has its loss been ignored?

    The evidence is unequivocal: biodiversity, important in its own right and essential for current and future generations, is being destroyed by human activities at a rate unprecedented in human history.

    Governments around the world recognised this at the Earth summit in Brazil in 1992 and established the Convention on Biological Diversity to protect and conserve biodiversity. But the situation has become more and more dire. I have chaired or co-chaired three international assessments on the state of knowledge of biodiversity, and all have repeated the same message – we are destroying it at an alarming rate. Each time we have called for action, only to be largely ignored

    The continued loss of biodiversity is not only an environmental issue. It risks undermining the achievement of most of the UN sustainable development goals. It is central to development, through food, water and energy security. It has significant economic value, which should be recognised in national accounting systems. It is a security issue in so far as loss of natural resources, especially in developing countries, can lead to conflict. It is an ethical issue because loss of biodiversity hurts the poorest people, further exacerbating an already inequitable world. And it is also a moral issue, because we should not destroy the living planet.

    In addition to playing a critical role in providing food, fibre, water, energy, medicines and other genetic materials, biodiversity is equally important in regulating climate, water quality, pollution, pollination, flooding and storm surges. It has vital social value, providing wellbeing when walking through forests or by rivers, or green spaces in cities.

    The youth of today are standing up and demanding action. School strikes and marches are sending a loud and clear message: “You are destroying our future, we demand action now”. Every one of us who lives in a democratic society must vote for politicians who care about these issues.

    • Robert Watson is the former chair of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/19/biodiversity-touches-every-aspect-of-our-lives-so-why-has-its-loss-been-ignored

  24. Eco maori 24
    16 October 2019 at 3:39 pm

    I think this is a great idea for energy companies to have Open source software to help speed up the process in changing to a low /no carbon environment

    To Go Green, the Energy Industry Goes Open Source

    Challenges around renewables are prompting players in the “traditional” sector to collaborate on software they can modify to address their changing needs

    The European Union aims to reduce carbon emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050. Former California Governor Jerry Brown signed an executive order last year calling for the state, the fifth-largest economy in the world, to go carbon neutral by 2045. Meeting these goals, or even the less ambitious goals set by other governments, will require utilities to buy more energy from sustainable sources like wind and solar power. That shift is already creating logistical challenges for utilities. Unlike more predictable sources of energy, the energy produced by a wind farm can vary from day to day, forcing utilities to offload excess supplies and make up for shortages. The solar panels on residential rooftops that feed into the grid pose their own challenges because the grid wasn't designed to facilitate a two-way flow of energy

    To meet those technological challenges, the energy sector is turning to open source software. Open source, which anyone can modify or share, helped power the rise of internet giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Ostensible competitors worked together to develop software like the data-crunching platform Hadoop because it enabled them to solve difficult computing problems. Now all sorts of companies, ranging from Microsoft to Walmart to JP Morgan Chase use and make open source software.

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://www.wired.com/story/go-green-energy-industry-open-source/

  25. Eco maori 25
    16 October 2019 at 6:32 pm

    Kia Ora 1 News

    Its great that Japans passion for Wahine and Tane Rugby is rising.

    Condolences to Blairs Vining Whanau.

    Its great that a New Space radar is being built in Aotearoa to track space debris.

    Ka kite Ano.

  26. Eco maori 26
    16 October 2019 at 6:55 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    I agree that that Oranga tamariki should work with the local Iwi.

    It would be good to see more Maori donating there organs when they pass.

    Yes that is a high number of tangata whenua tamariki passing by there own hands and still some organisations keep putting the bads things about Maori to the front.????.

    The Mit teaching Rangatahi there cultures is awesome one must know there culture and whakapapa.

    Maori and Pacific are over represented in the tangata needing to get food donations .

    Te Arawa buying Makatu pies is great.

    Ka kite Ano

  27. Eco maori 27
    17 October 2019 at 8:27 am

    Kia Ora The Breakfast Show.

    Wai is A taonga of life if we taonga our NATURAL environment Te Papatuanuku will pay a premium to enjoy our Taonga everything will be excellent so long as Te rewards are shared with Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa.

    There you go Hone.

    I new were that was coming from Mr Poneke Te Carbon

    Tiny Whare is the way to go low cost low carbon.

    Archeologyst find 20 Sarcophagus that's cool they are a very ancient culture.

    Sharlet is qute looks like a wild one

    Assumption.

    Ka kite Ano

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
    36 mins ago
  • Ticket To Anywhere

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T01:02:41+00:00