Open mike 16/08/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 16th, 2023 - 93 comments
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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 …

93 comments on “Open mike 16/08/2023 ”

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  1. Tiger Mountain 1
    16 August 2023 at 7:27 am

    Mango Mussolini strikes again…

    https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-full-the-indictment-against-trump-for-his-efforts-to-overturn-the-2020-election

    With the mounting number of cases and actions, surely it is time for the authorities to require Mr Trump to surrender his travel documents and passports?–his political aspirations are likely to be extinguished at some stage–but given shame, reflection or self awareness are not his forte, perhaps he might actually campaign from a prison cell or while under house arrest.

  2. weka 2
    16 August 2023 at 7:56 am

    Someone in the past few days made a comment about a survey that showed a large proportion of NZers struggling with the cost of living, over 50% I think. Can anyone find the comment for me?

  3. Tiger Mountain 3
    16 August 2023 at 8:15 am

    Focus on this at RNZ this morning, elder poverty is a thing now, and 76% of young people felt serious financial stress in the last year.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/11/charity-says-hungry-and-struggling-elderly-new-zealanders-account-for-80-pct-of-calls.html

    This is why the Greens $385 basic income and other worthy policies deserve support in light of Cap’n Chippy’s retrograde call on wealth tax/CGT.

    • weka 3.1
      16 August 2023 at 8:20 am

      this isn't a new thing, but it makes sense it would be rising. With little to no ability to increase income, the cost of living will be biting along with the general degradation of services.

      This is connected to boomer rhetoric. When we do ageism hate, people in that age bracket are affected. The liberals who connected the baby boomers to wealth ignored all the people of that generation that have never had wealth and who are now living in poverty. Many of those elderly will have been on other kind of benefits before they turned 65, some will be slipping backwards later in life.

      • Visubversa 3.1.1
        16 August 2023 at 8:37 am

        Yes, and a large % of those people will be women.

        Women who had their access to employment restricted in the days when "Help Wanted" adverts in newspapers were divided into "Men's Jobs" and "Women's Jobs" and there was not any sort of equal pay.

        Women who could not get on the proper ladder because the Trading Banks would not lend single women $$$$ to buy property.

        Women who got told they had to leave their employment when they got married.

        Women for whom there was no maternity leave and no affordable childcare.

        Women who could not afford to keep the "family home" after divorce or desertion.

        All that has occurred within my lifetime.

        "Baby Boomer" women.

        • Blazer 3.1.1.1
          16 August 2023 at 9:04 am

          Living in the past…embrace your ..future.

        • Sabine 3.1.1.2
          16 August 2023 at 11:00 am

          women who have an under employemnet rate of 11.7 % as per Stats NZ in June 2023

          women who have an employment rate of 65.4% as per Stats NZ in June 2023

          women who have an unemployment rate of 3.8% as per Stats NZ in June 2023

          Women who often don't get full support as unemployed people because they are in a relationship, making them defacto dependend on a partner for basic survival.

          All women currently.

          and for what its worth, i would put an asterix to women as these stats may include women with penises.
          https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/

          • bwaghorn 3.1.1.2.1
            16 August 2023 at 12:23 pm

            """"women who have an under employemnet rate of 11.7 % as per Stats NZ in June 2023

            Does this include woman who could work full time but choose not to, or only woand who would work more but can't?

            • arkie 3.1.1.2.1.1
              16 August 2023 at 12:27 pm

              underemployment is definitionally people who want to work more but aren't able to:

              Underutilisation reflects people who:

              • do not have a job, but are available to work and are actively seeking employment – unemployed
              • are employed part time (fewer than 30 hours a week) and who both want and are available to increase the number of hours they work – underemployed
              • want a job and are available to work, but are not currently looking for a job – available potential jobseeker
              • are unavailable to start work but are looking for a job as they will be able to start work within the next month – unavailable jobseeker.

              https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/underutilisation-rate/

              Note: people who work 30 hours are 'fulltime' according to Statistics NZ and are not included regardless of whether they want more hours or not.

            • Sabine 3.1.1.2.1.2
              16 August 2023 at 12:40 pm

              That means people who are not working full time but would if they could, same as for men, their underemployment rate sits at around 7.4 %

              this is the criteria

              Underutilisation reflects people who:

              • do not have a job, but are available to work and are actively seeking employment – unemployed
              • are employed part time (fewer than 30 hours a week) and who both want and are available to increase the number of hours they work – underemployed
              • want a job and are available to work, but are not currently looking for a job – available potential jobseeker
              • are unavailable to start work but are looking for a job as they will be able to start work within the next month – unavailable jobseeker.

              Introducing underutilisation in the labour market explains the need for underutilisation measures, what underutilisation is, and how we measure it.

          • Visubversa 3.1.1.2.2
            16 August 2023 at 12:42 pm

            Makes the stats worthless then.

        • Patricia Bremner 3.1.1.3
          16 August 2023 at 4:39 pm

          Single men are finding costs difficult as well, but I had a friend suffer all your list.

          My Dad went as her guarantor when she borrowed a $40000 mortgage to buy a small property for $76000. 10 years later she turned up with a fairly substantial gift, to say thank you, and to say she was mortgage free and how much it meant.

          Costs in general really depend where you live, including having access to markets, gate sales, and gardens community or personal.

          • bwaghorn 3.1.1.3.1
            16 August 2023 at 5:41 pm

            10 years to mortgage free!!!!

            Imagine

            • Patricia Bremner 3.1.1.3.1.1
              16 August 2023 at 10:25 pm

              She was a traffic officer, paid more than I was as a senior teacher. She taught me and one of my sons to drive. I think she adopted us because of my Dad's help. It was in the 70's devil

        • SPC 3.1.1.4
          16 August 2023 at 5:53 pm

          Yes, back in the 80's/90's sometimes two divorced women/widows would buy a 2 bedroom unit to prepare for retirement (when property was cheaper).

          This group should be a focus of government housing plans – assisting them with equity, so they do not have to keep working to pay rent (the government's equity being its asset). Women will have some KS to provide their equity.

      • Chris 3.1.2
        16 August 2023 at 11:50 am

        Labour's missed such an opportunity with tax, even putting aside the CGT and wealth tax debacles. The minimum wage is barely below the current $48k / 30% threshold. Labour didn't even have the balls to use wages going up as a basis for tax reform, let alone saying anything along the lines of what the Greens or Te Pāti Māori are saying. Labour needs 3 years in opposition to sort its shit out.

        • arkie 3.1.2.1
          16 August 2023 at 12:31 pm

          Labour needs 3 years in opposition to sort its shit out.

          Absolutely not, we cannot afford to have a NACT+NZF government. Labour voters that are upset with the lack of action by this government can express their feeling by voting for the reforms offered by the Greens and TPM. This is our only way of improving things, NACT+NZF represent a backwards step compared to Labours jogging on the spot.

          • observer 3.1.2.1.1
            16 August 2023 at 1:21 pm

            Agreed.

            "Need a spell in opposition" is one of those self-destructive delusions that recur in political history.

            Like UK Labour 1979 (the Tory government then lasted 18 years) or 2010 (13 years and still counting). Like the ALP at various times. Like NZ Labour in 1990.

            The usual outcome is a party that ends up more centrist than left, to get back to power.

      • SPC 3.1.3
        16 August 2023 at 5:44 pm

        This issue has been around awhile.

        Back in 1983 when questioning Anne Hercus about plans for a surtax – she said she preferred it to making super dependent on retirement because some people were working past age 60 to pay off the mortgage on the home. Then the importance of people retiring with property ownership was appreciated.

        Of course later between 1990-2000 National increased the age from 60-65 – this after/while many older workers had lost their jobs in the late 80's/early 90's (some people lost their homes).

        There has long been a need to allow single workers over 60, no longer able to work, access to a benefit at the super rate. Also those singles with lifelong disability.

        Those in these two categories with working partners should get the basic income support payment.

  4. Incognito 4
    16 August 2023 at 10:01 am

    National and NZ First have more in common than they may desire.

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/pro/national-party-donations-trio-appeal-convictions

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/donations-cases-back-to-haunt-national-nz-first

    Money talks, so follow the money and ask cui bono?

  5. Dennis Frank 5
    16 August 2023 at 10:57 am

    Green market thesis:

    The market: a multi-billion dollar (and growing) global vegan and vegetarian customer base, where non-animal products are being used to make everything from pavlovas and pizzas to no-meat sausages.

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/why-people-should-be-eating-new-zealand-grass

    Unfortunately the crazy grazier title got snaffled by an aussie PM in the seventies, but one could use the un-crazy grazier for a generic enterprise slogan. Sell enough grass products and you'll be recognised as one.

    The report, Unleashing Aotearoa New Zealand's next protein revolution, looked at 10 kinds of non-animal proteins, from lab-based products (cell-cultured meat and milk, and precision fermentation) to plant-based proteins (greens, hemp, oats, legumes) to fungi, insects, seaweed, air fermentation and microalgae. Then it gave each one a score out of five according to its strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities and challenges for large-scale production in New Zealand.

    Using pentadic framing in evaluation is inherently creative (but only denizens of alternative Aotearoa know that) so we get a viable basis for blue-green leading edge economy. That's because the enterprise is blue-green. Red greens having always been averse to collective economic enterprise, the field is wide open for the teal brand to scale up leverage. Since they've been flunking out for three decades of potential political leverage, success will be sufficiently incremental to underwhelm everyone.

    Which puts our resilience enterprise culture in the same square with National & Labour in the muddle through the middle, when we need Aotearoa to whack the ball out of the park by thinking outside that square.

    a few of the proteins scored four out of five, and Hatton chose four she believes deserve serious further investigation, development and funding, including money from government – grass and leafy greens, fungi, hemp, and seaweed.

    Sounds good but there's a problem:

    New Zealand has no plan, no national food strategy.

    Well, Labour & National are still stuck in market ideology. They are incapable of intergenerational resilience thought processes. I'd also be surprised if the Greens have developed such a plan – have they?

    Good news however:

    The roadmap, set to run until 2035 “will identify New Zealand’s comparative and competitive advantages related to the production of different protein sources, and suggest pathways for how we can leverage these … It aims to help us direct resources towards opportunities that will create the most economic, social, and environmental value”. It was due for release in March, but hasn’t arrived yet, Hatton says.

    It's in the pipeline!! Stuck since March. Labour's relief at having kicked that can down the road into the next electoral cycle too will be palpable. There was a real danger that it would seem progressive by proceeding. Whew! Dodged that bullet…

    • Incognito 5.1
      16 August 2023 at 11:08 am

      I’d also be surprised if the Greens have developed such a plan – have they?

      I’d be surprised if you even tried to look for it; I found it in about 5 secs.

      https://www.greens.org.nz/food_policy

      Your biases & intellectual laziness lower the quality of your comments.

      • Dennis Frank 5.1.1
        16 August 2023 at 12:13 pm

        Your biases & intellectual laziness lower the quality of your comments.

        Yeah I know. Life as a dilettante tends to be like that, I've found. smiley

        Thanks for the good news re the Greens, which will help me view them with less cynicism…

        • Incognito 5.1.1.1
          16 August 2023 at 3:50 pm

          What you gonna do about it?

          Here’s a suggestion: lift your game and do a little research before you comment to correct your own cynicism – less is more.

  6. newsense 6
    16 August 2023 at 11:32 am

    Whaddya know?

    As with film incentives and almost every other Treasury report there were a whole bunch of people who disagree with the economists.

    And from the perspective of healthy eating. Imagine if the Herald or Stuff had a journalist on pay roll who thought to get such a perspective on the policy before calling it stupid. Rather proves the point of discussion capture by a narrow band of thought.

    https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/axing-gst-food-%E2%80%98good-start%E2%80%99

  7. Anne 7
    16 August 2023 at 11:36 am

    I was sitting in a café yesterday alongside a couple of white male boomers. They were discussing the election. One said "they've had six years to sort it all out and they've done nothing". He almost sounded like he was going to cry with rage. The other concurred. I heard the word "chaos" time and again. Everything was a repeat of the Lux boy's slogans. Nothing was an original thought of their own.

    I left feeling a bit depressed. Is it any wonder we end up with too many awful and useless politicians.

    • Mike the Lefty 7.1
      16 August 2023 at 12:13 pm

      It kind of makes you laugh (silently) at those who had (virtually) free education, have subsidised buses, medical treatment and dental treatment complain about how cruel life has been under Labour while they sip their lattes and discuss their past and upcoming overseas trips.

      If National wanted them to chant "four legs good, two legs bad" they would do it like good little sheeple.

      • Anne 7.1.1
        16 August 2023 at 12:57 pm

        You forgot to mention the significant subsidy on their winter power bills. I'm sure I heard the Lux recently announce they would be wiping that subsidy – along with other assistance packages for those not as well off as themselves.

      • Anne 7.1.2
        16 August 2023 at 7:15 pm

        "… while they sip their lattes and discuss their past and upcoming overseas trips."

        Exactly. laugh

    • Dennis Frank 7.2
      16 August 2023 at 12:26 pm

      You could look on the bright side: no mention of co-governance. I'm intrigued by their focus on chaos. The big world out there seems to be actively promoting awareness of it as a happening thing so seems rather unfair to blame our govt.

      When I got my head around chaos theory back in '89 after reading Gleick's best-seller about it I was struck by how it explains creativity in nature as inherent in boundary regions where the competing influence of a forceful domain is in dynamic balance with another forceful domain adjacent. Same principle applies to social domains.

      The other factor that comes into play is the indeterminant trajectory inherent in any complex system. Small changes can trigger large systemic shifts via cascading influence spreading. In political systems the seemingly negligible influence of a single activist can scale up dramatically if they achieve resonance with others in their operational context (ecosystemic relations view). Gives us a sound basis for hope…

  8. tsmithfield 8
    16 August 2023 at 11:53 am

    I thought I would let you all know about a fairly dramatic situation I was involved with a month or so ago that really shook me up, and motivated me to get my heart health checked.

    I work with my brother who is four years younger than me, and incredibly fit in that he does extreme mountain biking.

    I stepped out of the office for a couple of minutes to get a cup of tea. When I returned, he was slumped over his desk making a gurgling sound. He was unresponsive and had no pulse. It was very fortunate that I was not out for any length of time, because it is unlikely he would have been noticed otherwise.

    Luckilly, there was a number of people in the building with first aid training, so we got CPR onto him straight away. The hospital must have sent out a message, because a guy in the immediate vicinity turned up with a defibrillator within a couple of minutes. Then within 10 minutes we had three ambulances, a fire truck, and two police arrive on the scene. Lol.

    It turns out he had a cardiac arrest. He had several stents put in at the hospital, and has now made a full recovery. Last week he had a meeting with the specialist and was told he could resume driving and mountain biking again.

    What freaked me out was that it drove home to me how vulnerable we are, especially if we are in the middle aged or older group. If there hadn't been a team of us immediately available, there is no chance he would have survived. So, he had is event in very favourable circumstances. It drove home to me that the only real defence we have is to take care of our own health, and get regular check ups.

    So, I arranged for a doctors appointment, got blood tests, and also a treadmill test. Fortunately, everything seems fine thus far. But this is probably something I will do every year or two. The treadmill test cost around $300. But, it is well worth it if people can afford to get that done.

    • AB 8.1
      16 August 2023 at 12:43 pm

      Pleased to hear your brother is OK and that you got yourself checked. Our two-tier health system (the insured and uninsured) means we are heading back towards a time when you got the healthcare you could afford – along with the housing, food and warmth you could afford. Human rights were not inherent in the person, but merely whatever you could grab for yourself in a competitive labour market. A Nat-ACT government will tend to accelerate that decline.

    • Muttonbird 8.2
      16 August 2023 at 1:05 pm

      Yeah, might want to thank the government for the health system that saved your brother's life.

      • tsmithfield 8.2.1
        16 August 2023 at 1:40 pm

        Certainly am very greatful. For all its faults, it is there when it is urgently needed by and large. I would far rather have our system compared to what they have in the US.

    • Anne 8.3
      16 August 2023 at 1:06 pm

      After the age of 60 it is a good idea to have check-ups with your doctor every six months if needs be. The doctor will know how often it should occur. It doesn't ensure that you will not get a serious health issue but it significantly reduces the odds.

      A very unpleasant experience ts.

      • Tony Veitch 8.3.1
        16 August 2023 at 6:54 pm

        Just like my car, I go for a WOF every six months too.

        To Smithy – good to hear things worked out well.

    • Patricia Bremner 8.4
      16 August 2023 at 1:13 pm

      Glad it ended well for you both.

    • joe90 8.5
      16 August 2023 at 7:59 pm

      , got blood tests, and also a treadmill test

      You might consider coronary calcium screening, too.

  9. gsays 9
    16 August 2023 at 12:17 pm

    Your brother is fortunate, get him to buy a Lotto ticket for you.

    The mention of defibrillator reminded me of a typical short sighted, money centred decision made recently by Mid Central Health.

    A few years back there was a roll out of several of these life-saving machines by MCH. We ran wee awareness evenings in Cubs and Scouts.

    I have learnt that the Health PTB have decided not to renew the contract for the upkeep of these machines because … Neo-Liberalism.

    Once again they remind me of The Machine That Goes Ping.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VQPIdZvoV4g&pp=ygUjbW9udHkgcHl0aG9uIG1hY2hpbmUgdGhhdCBnb2VzIGJpbmc%3D

    • tsmithfield 9.1
      16 August 2023 at 1:47 pm

      After this event we ordered a defibrillator to keep on site here in case of a similar situation. The doctor at the hospital told me that getting that administered as quickly as possible is a key to a successful outcome in this situation.

      The other thing I think is good to have on hand is a good quality blood pressure cuff. We had another staff member who was feeling unwell. I happened to have my blood pressure cuff at work at the time. He was tested with that and found his blood pressure was really high. So, he ended up in hospital where they discovered some issues that needed attention.

      A lot of our workforces are aging, so likely to become more of a need in the future.

  10. Sabine 10
    16 August 2023 at 1:01 pm

    This shit could have been ended a long time ago by Labour, consisdering their full majority.

    In essence it represents a case of taxation but no representation, and yes, it not only affects women – who may be the majority of these cases, but it also affects males.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/300949904/weve-paid-taxes-all-our-life-out-of-work-63yo-says-its-unfair-he-cant-get-benefit

    The man, whom Stuff has agreed not to identify, has health conditions that limit the work he can do. He lost his job as Covid hit, and now at 63, he is finding it hard to get another.

    He and his partner had to give up their $450-a-week rental property in Christchurch and move to a smaller centre, where they found a cheaper place. She works and pays for their rent and food, and Andrew says he is left with nothing.

    “I’ve applied for a benefit and because my partner earns just over the threshold, I don’t receive any money. I don’t even get a Community Services Card.”

    Once a couple jointly earns $160 as week, it affects the amount of benefit they can get. A couple with no children receives no Jobseeker Support once they earn $981 a week jointly, before tax.

    thing is, this was an issue under Helen Clark, then John Key, and now again Labour.

    Median rent in CHCHC is 460 according to this, so they did not live lavishly to begin with. here https://www.wisemove.co.nz/post/the-cost-of-living-in-christchurch

    If people can prove that they paid taxes they should be entitled to unemployment benefits in their own name, this is simply shameful. But i guess changing that was in the too hard basket.

    • Incognito 10.1
      16 August 2023 at 1:13 pm

      please don't use a lot of bold, we need it for moderation.

      https://thestandard.org.nz/what-is-at-stake-this-election-housing/#comment-1964623

    • Tiger Mountain 10.2
      16 August 2023 at 1:21 pm

      Yes, unemployment benefits (heh, “Job Seeker Allowance”) should be personal to holder, regardless of relationships, partners being employed or who else may live at your dwelling. Unemployed advocates have long supported this.

      The Social Security Act had its roots in 1964 before blended families, and wide spread “defacto” relationships and sole parenting. Get the state out of citizens bedrooms!

      During peak COVID the Govt. managed to deliver a second tier benefit to predominantly middle class people–$490 a week, where one of a couple had lost their job or income, their partner was allowed to remain in work! So it can be done.

      The Greens are on the right track with their proposed $385 basic income, UB payments should be made direct by IRD and sadistic MSD/WINZ retired for good.

      • Sabine 10.2.1
        16 August 2023 at 1:47 pm

        That is nice of the greens, but for now we just want unemployment benefits for those that are actually unemployed for a start, have lost their jobs and paid taxes, and can prove that as required by Winz. You know, their earned benefits as a tax paying citizen/resident of this country.
        There are many reasons our economy does not do well, and denying people their earned due is one of them. Consider that this is not the only case of this State abuse of unemployed people in this country.

        Labour has a full majority, and could have fixed that to the thunderous applause of the Greens and TPM i would assume but for some reason did not.

        Just pay the earned benefits to people who have worked, can prove that they have worked and paid taxes.

        • weka 10.2.1.1
          16 August 2023 at 4:46 pm

          We don't have user pays welfare in NZ, and people don't have to 'earn' their benefit, it's a legal entitlement. We have, still, just, social security. Anyone is entitled to that support irrespective of how much tax they have paid.

          • Sabine 10.2.1.1.1
            16 August 2023 at 5:22 pm

            well i guess that dude then is shit outta luck and pays taxes for nothing, cause the greens will need a few more years for their UBI to become realiy.

            • weka 10.2.1.1.1.1
              16 August 2023 at 7:41 pm

              I suppose his taxes are for nothing if he never does things like drive on roads, or uses GP or hospital services.

              Not taxes without representation is an Americanism, but it doesn't make sense in this context. Weirdly, you would rather not vote than vote for a party that would solve the issue for the man you are so worried about.

              • Sabine …
                16 August 2023 at 10:19 pm

                If he paid taxes and he is now unemployed he should be entitled to a job seeker/social welfare benefit. Being married/in a partnership should not ruin the families finances to the point of couples splitting up.

                • weka …
                  16 August 2023 at 11:00 pm

                  It's nothing to do with him paying taxes. He is entitled to a benefit regardless.

                  And this election, there is a party to vote for that has been campaigning on individualising benefits so that couples aren't penalised.

        • Craig H 10.2.1.2
          17 August 2023 at 10:11 am

          In theory, that was one of the points of Unemployment Insurance as it provided a higher level of social security as a product of paying taxes/levies.

          • weka 10.2.1.2.1
            17 August 2023 at 12:30 pm

            it provided a higher level of social security for some people. Which is why it was a shit idea, it was going to entrench the disparity between workers and the underclass even further.

            • Craig H 10.2.1.2.1.1
              17 August 2023 at 1:33 pm

              The Greens' GMI policy is a better way to deliver general social security IMO, but without a significant increase in TAS that I haven't seen, is still going to fall short for middle to high income earners who are not eligible for mortgage or income insurance.

              • weka …
                17 August 2023 at 2:02 pm

                that's not a good reason to introduce a two tier system. Is the driver for unemployment insurance the high cost of housing in NZ? Mitigating that by looking after the middle classes at the expense of low income people will make society worse.

                • Craig H …
                  17 August 2023 at 3:22 pm

                  The cost of income protection insurance is a function of income (it usually pays out a percentage of income – similar to ACC), not costs, so house prices have no impact on it. Mortgage insurance obviously does get impacted by house prices.

                  That said, not eligible for insurance is not the same as unable to pay for it. Consequently, we already have a two tier system – the state system, and the private system.

                  I'm not sure how income insurance would look after the middle classes at the expense of low income people though? People pay in based on their income and are paid out based on their income, and the system would be independent of other state support which should continue to be available to low income people.

                  • weka …
                    17 August 2023 at 10:22 pm

                    If people want to buy private income insurance, they can. But the government bringing in a scheme whereby some people get looked after when they can't work and others get forced into poverty, that's fucked up. Labour's position on poverty is to protect the middle classes from dropping down, pull up those they can, and too bad about the rest.

                    As you point out, the Greens have a better solution. The GMI for people who can't work due to illness/disability is much higher (80% of min wage plus supplementary benefits. For those that can work, the GMI functions like a UBI, you can earn on top of the GMI without most of the current WINZ punitive bullshit, although there is a still a threshold for abatement. But the GMI has the option of supplementary benefits too.

                    My point about housing was that if costs weren't so high, the middle classes wouldn't be so precarious around job loss.

  11. Dennis Frank 11
    16 August 2023 at 1:13 pm

    Gordon Campbell points to a potential hinge of this campaign:

    Off hand, I can’t recall a single mainstream media article this year querying National’s tax proposal on social equity grounds. Here we are, less than two months out from the election, and National still has not released either the details of its tax cut carrot, let alone how it proposes to fund it.

    http://werewolf.co.nz/2023/08/gordon-campbell-on-the-elitism-framing-the-election-discourse/

    Timing is the key to the effect of a political tactic. That National are waiting to play this card is interesting. Leaving it until a couple of weeks prior to voting could be their plan but that depends on prior polling trends for effect maximisation. His point re equity is a good one but I dunno about whether it works well with mainstreamers to try and explain what the word means in respect to tax. They're confused enough already.

  12. Muttonbird 12
    16 August 2023 at 2:01 pm

    Look at this shit. Willis flouting WCC laws on hoardings is framed as being due to, "a change in advice". Nats say WCC changed advice but nowhere is that evident in the article, or from the statement by the WCC.

    National deputy leader Nicola Willis forced to take down double-sided billboards following change in advice

    Grant Robertson is right, she is a liar.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/08/national-deputy-leader-nicola-willis-forced-to-take-down-double-sided-billboards-following-change-in-advice.html

  13. Descendant Of Smith 13
    16 August 2023 at 2:39 pm

    Plenty of research to show that the neo-liberal reforms did nor result in the promised 20% to 40% cost savings. It did lead to stupid shit like this though.

    He said at the moment one person would mow lawns but would not empty rubbish bins even if they were full, because that was contracted to another person.

    Good on Christchurch rolling it back.

    https://www.thepress.co.nz/a/nz-news/350054990/council-ditches-parks-contractor-after-years-dissatisfaction-residents

    • gsays 13.1
      16 August 2023 at 5:07 pm

      In Feilding, the local council changed contractors for rubbish and recycling. Probably 5 years ago.

      They like the recycling bins facing a certain way, which one day my elderly Mum got wrong.

      Someone wrote in vivid marker on her bin a curt, abrupt message about what to do correctly. That gave her the yikes and she hasn't used it since. That's the private sector's efficiency for you.

  14. Dennis Frank 14
    16 August 2023 at 2:46 pm

    So, the big one?

    Michael Burry, the “Big Short” investor who became famous for correctly predicting the epic collapse of the housing market in 2008, has bet more than $1.6 billion on a Wall Street crash.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/15/investing/michael-burry-stock-market-crash/index.html

    A medical doctor who morphed into financial whiz kid:

    an American investor, hedge fund manager, and physician. He founded the hedge fund Scion Capital, which he ran from 2000 until 2008 before closing it to focus on his personal investments. He is best known for being among the first investors to predict and profit from the subprime mortgage crisis that occurred between 2007 and 2010.

    He has Rusyn ancestry… earned an MD degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine… Despite not practicing, Burry has kept his license as a physician active with the Medical Board of California, including continuing education requirements.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Burry

    Not just real clever, but also a healer ethos. Interesting combination.

    Burry is making his bearish bets against the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, according to Security Exchange Commission filings released Monday. Burry’s fund, Scion Asset Management, bought $866 million in put options (that’s the right to sell an asset at a particular price) against a fund that tracks the S&P 500 and $739 million in put options against a fund that tracks the Nasdaq 100… using more than 90% of his portfolio to bet on a market downturn, according to the filings.

    In the mid-2000s, Burry was famous for placing a wager against the housing market and profited handsomely from the subprime lending crisis and the collapse of numerous major financial entities in 2008. The event was chronicled by Michael Lewis in his bestseller The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine and later adapted into a film where Burry was played by Christian Bale… He is a fan of heavy metal music, including bands such as Obituary, Lamb of God, Amon Amarth, Slipknot, King Diamond & Pantera.

    Big play by the metaller! Time to expect market crashes tends to focus on October due to tradition, so he's getting in early. Big market plays shift market values (the principle of reflexivity according to Soros) so watch for any reported herding from now on…

    • joe90 14.1
      16 August 2023 at 3:10 pm

      So, the big one?

      Or another swing and miss

      Adam Khoo

      @adamkhootrader

      ·

      A look at all of Michael Burry's recent predictions. In 2005, Predicted the collapse of the subprime mortgage market -> Housing market crashes in 2008, Global Financial Crisis. On Dec 2015, he predicted that the stock market would crash within the next few months. -> SPX +11%… Show more

      https://twitter.com/adamkhootrader/status/1691397274524631040

      • tsmithfield 14.1.1
        16 August 2023 at 3:30 pm

        The market is not so likely to be performing well when interest rates are rising. That is because investors can make a fairly safe and reasonable return just by leaving their money in the bank rather than investing in shares.

        So, a market decline wouldn’t surprise me at all. Whether it will be a crash is another matter.

      • Dennis Frank 14.1.2
        16 August 2023 at 3:46 pm

        Yeah clever folk often misread situations due to burgeoning self-confidence warping judgment. Now AI is a player in the market:

        "It wouldn't take much of a shock to send the market into a tailspin," says Jason Mountford, trend analyst at Q.ai, an artificial-intelligence-powered investment platform. "Right now, I'm watching very closely for anything that could provide this shock, such as additional weakness in the banking sector or even macroeconomic or political events globally." https://money.usnews.com/investing/stock-market-news/will-the-stock-market-crash-again-risk-factors-to-watch

        Here's an inside look at the seven most significant stock market factors in play right now:

        • High inflation.
        • Volatile housing and construction trends.
        • Recessionary shadows.
        • High interest rates.
        • A "narrow" stock market.
        • Election cycle.
        • Technology stocks.

        Gotta watch them recessionary shadows! Using a heptad for framing is magical thinking due to 7 being the magic number.

        • gsays 14.1.2.1
          16 August 2023 at 5:19 pm

          "It wouldn't take much of a shock to send the market into a tailspin,"

          I am surprised that these things don't fall over more often. Considering trust is at the heart of it, and so many participants are untrustworthy, greedy and afflicted with FOMO.

    • tsmithfield 14.2
      16 August 2023 at 3:34 pm

      That could become a self-fulfilling prophecy, if enough investors are influenced by the positions Burry is taking. It would be interesting to know whether his put options are close to the money or well out of the money. Those that are a long way out of the money tend to be very cheap because crashes are reasonably rare. But, the ROI is huge on those if the market does crash.

      • Dennis Frank 14.2.1
        16 August 2023 at 3:55 pm

        This market update has the focus on China, not USA: https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/hedge-funds-dump-chinese-stocks-aggressively-growth-outlook-dims-2023-08-15/

        NEW YORK, Aug 15 (Reuters) – Global hedge funds "aggressively" sold Chinese stocks amid heightened concerns over the country's property sector and a weak batch of economic data, a Goldman Sachs report on Tuesday showed.

        All types of stocks were sold in early August, but A-shares, those listed in the domestic stock market, led the sell-off, comprising 60% of it, the bank said. "Hedge funds have net sold Chinese stocks in eight of the last 10 sessions on the prime book through 8/14," it said, adding its clients divested both their long and short positions.

        This is the largest net selling in Chinese equities over any 10-day period since Oct 2022 and one of the steepest moves in the past five years.

  15. Anne 15
    16 August 2023 at 4:14 pm

    Profoundly sad outcome but to be expected.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/495916/lauren-dickason-trial-jury-finds-mother-guilty-of-murdering-her-three-daughters

    Following the verdict, Dickason's parents said it was a debilitating mental illness which resulted in the deaths of her three young children.

    In a statement, her parents Malcolm and Wendy Fawkes said their beloved Lianè, Karla and Maya were taken from this life as a result of the "crippling disease" that is post-partum depression.

    "There are no winners in this tragedy. We would like to encourage families and individuals around the world to be aware of the symptoms of post-partum depression as early as possible, both for yourselves as well as close family and friends around you. If treated early and managed correctly, people can experience a full recovery.

    "The person experiencing depression and those closest to them may not be able to recognise the signs or how serious post-partum depression can become."

    They thanked the people of New Zealand, South Africa and from around the world for their support and understanding.

    • Kat 15.1
      16 August 2023 at 4:24 pm

      Not the outcome/verdict I expected Anne…..I wonder what the jury saw as the motive. I see the judge advised murderous intent was motive enough.

      • Anne 15.1.1
        16 August 2023 at 4:42 pm

        I find it difficult to believe he would send her to a prison. She may not have been clinically insane but the level of depression would indicate she was very unwell. But I'm not clued up on such matters so maybe I am wrong.

        • Craig H 15.1.1.1
          17 August 2023 at 1:04 pm

          Insanity defenses are hard to prove because the bar is so high. https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0043/latest/DLM328219.html has the details, particularly (2):

          No person shall be convicted of an offence by reason of an act done or omitted by him or her when labouring under natural imbecility or disease of the mind to such an extent as to render him or her incapable—

          (a) of understanding the nature and quality of the act or omission; or

          (b) of knowing that the act or omission was morally wrong, having regard to the commonly accepted standards of right and wrong.

          Someone suffering from severe clinical depression will not usually meet that standard as depression does not usually reduce their reasoning to a point of not being able to understand what murder is or that murder is wrong.

          Infanticide is another defense that was tried here which significantly reduces the maximum sentence, but obviously the jury rejected it.

    • Molly 15.2
      16 August 2023 at 4:57 pm

      I didn't follow this trial closely, so won't comment on the verdict, but thought this article/post may be of interest to you:

      https://sararar.medium.com/lauren-dickason-the-devouring-mother-de1c8becad48

      "I am continually seeing posts written in defense of Lauren Dickason, the South African mother who killed her three children shortly after immigrating to Timaru, New Zealand. Despite trying to strangle her children with cable ties, and, when that didn’t work, smothering them to death with towels, Dickason has a bizarre string of compliments to her name. Apparently, Dickason was a “loving mother”. She was, in fact, “a good mother who was always organized and provided her children with everything they needed and wanted.” She also “had the prettiest home” and was very “quiet and humble.”

      Lauren Dickason’s defence team has argued that the killings were out of character. They maintain that she was insane at the time of the killings, and, more specifically, that her mind was disturbed due to the effects of childbirth. These kinds of defences have been used by other mothers who killed their children, notably Andrea Yates. On reading about these cases, however, a very different picture emerges- one that makes Dickason look very much like a murderer…"

      • Anne 15.2.1
        16 August 2023 at 5:47 pm

        Thank-you for the link but I chose not to read it all. I'll tell you why. I believe her parents. Parents usually know their children better than anyone else.

        • Blazer 15.2.1.1
          16 August 2023 at 7:24 pm

          'blood is thicker than ..water,.,,'very unreliable premise you mention..Anne.

          • arkie 15.2.1.1.1
            16 August 2023 at 7:29 pm

            What We Say:

            Blood is thicker than water.

            The Original:

            “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.”

            The saying means that chosen bonds are more significant than the bonds with family or “water of the womb.” More directly, it means that relationships you make yourself are far more important than the ones that you don’t choose.

            https://www.anythinklibraries.org/blog/misunderstood-sayings

            • Blazer 15.2.1.1.1.1
              16 August 2023 at 7:31 pm

              My post relied on the generally accepted understanding of the..term.

              • arkie …
                16 August 2023 at 7:53 pm

                Sure. Just showing that the generally accepted understanding of the phrase is as unreliable as the understood premise, as you note.

                • Blazer …
                  17 August 2023 at 11:15 am

                  Generally accepted terms are quite reliable…because they are …generally accepted.

                  I should have used the word generalisation instead of premise…perhaps.

            • Molly 15.2.1.1.1.2
              16 August 2023 at 9:13 pm

              Thanks, arkie.

              Something new.

        • Molly 15.2.1.2
          16 August 2023 at 9:11 pm

          "Thank-you for the link but I chose not to read it all."
          All good. Others may find it of interest.

          • Anne 15.2.1.2.1
            17 August 2023 at 11:05 am

            My apologies Molly. I didn't have the time to read your link "Lauren Dickason, The Devouring Mother" yesterday. I have now and it is an eye-opener.

            I had the experience of one such woman 30 odd years ago. In this case the victims were people she knew well. I was one of them. She was clever at disguising her real nature and much of her activity was covert. She was selfish and malicious. She destroyed friendships, relationships, people's careers and damaged property where she could. Some well known people were among the targets. She also committed unlawful acts such as stalking, breaking in to property and covertly harassing her targets. In my case, she also attacked two of my pets. Because of the covert nature I was not able to identify her at the time.

            She was prone to resentments, frustration, jealousy and a desire to control people. She lost her bearings when she didn't succeed….

            Time will tell where on the scale of things this current case will fall.

            • Molly 15.2.1.2.1.1
              17 August 2023 at 11:17 am

              "My apologies Molly. "

              No need for apologies, it is a very distressing case and I understand your reluctance. I'm glad you found it of interest. As I mentioned, I thought it worthwhile to share – even though I didn't follow the trial closely. I'm sure more in depth articles will be written now the trial has finished.

              "I had the experience of one such woman 30 odd years ago."

              As life progresses, the chance of meeting such people unfortunately increases, but we don't necessarily recognise it at the time. The devastation caused can be significant and widespread. I'm sorry you have had that experience.

              "Time will tell where on the scale of things this current case will fall."

              True. There will always be unanswerable questions about cases like this.

      • Anker 15.2.2
        16 August 2023 at 5:50 pm

        That's an extraordinary article Molly.

        The defence of insanity is based on a person experiencing delusions and hallucinations as illustrated by the other cases the author mentioned.

        Although some of the experts implied Laureen was experiencing psychosis, psychotic symptoms were never clearly showen.

        I think it is so hard to imagine that a mother killed her three children, that the only explaination is that she was out of touch with reality.

        She certainly had a significant depression, but failed to prove that she didn't know what she was doing and that it was morally wrong.

        The saddest of cases

        • Anne 15.2.2.1
          16 August 2023 at 7:01 pm

          Agree Anker.

          I have to confess I didn't follow the trial closely. Too distressing

          It is true she appears to have had a desire to kill her children. But she was so totally out of touch with the consequences of what she was doing that she must have had a serious mental dislocation at the time.

          An indication will come at the time of the judge's sentencing decision.

        • Molly 15.2.2.2
          17 August 2023 at 9:07 am

          The saddest of cases, indeed.

  16. Anker 16
    16 August 2023 at 7:13 pm
    • Indeed Anne. I can understand why you didn’t follow the case
  17. Muttonbird 17
    16 August 2023 at 8:48 pm

    Should patients who are seriously mentally ill be held accountable for ensuring they take their prescribed medication? In some cases they are just as dangerous as those who kill and maim when they are on methamphetamine or alcohol.

    • Molly 17.1
      17 August 2023 at 9:16 am

      I don't know if there is an existing line in the sand, even if it is a de-facto one in terms of the justice system.

      I envision it'd be hard to outline a definitive threshold there, that can fairly and consistently address that circumstance, given the issues we have regarding access to appropriate mental health assessments and treatments.

      Perhaps it is easier to look at it from the consequence side. That is, if the judgement is not guilty in terms of some form of mental psychosis, does the resulting treatment take in not just the medical factors and effectively treat them but acknowledge the harm caused as well?

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    Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Thursday May 9
    Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • The non-woke $3 Lunch.
    I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Labour’s chickens come home to roost
    The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • Calvin Reviews Lord of The Rings
    Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago

  • Climate Adam: How to visualise Climate Change (ft. Katharine Hayhoe)
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • The wrong direction
    Some good news on climate change today: the energy transition away from fossil fuels is picking up speed, and renewables now make up 30% of global electricity supply. Meanwhile, in Aotearoa, we're moving in the opposite direction, with Genesis Energy announcing that it will resume importing Indonesian coal. Their official ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • National hates democracy
    Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • No Tikanga Please, We're Lawyers.
    Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Member’s Day
    Today is a Member's Day, and it seems we've entered the slowdown as things emerge from select committee. First up is the committee stage of Greg O'Connor's Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Government Agency Registration) (Overseas Travel Reporting) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the second readings of Stuart ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Hurrah for coal – Shane Jones welcomes Genesis Energy’s import plans as natural gas production s...
    Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Following the political money
    “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • A Left-Right ranking of universities in NZ: a practical guide for students and parents
    Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim. Extreme Left   Auckland University of Technology Evidence The ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  •  Inflation and GST thresholds
    Eric Crampton writes –  I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Green Party grapples with persistent scandals
    Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes –  Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • A law school to be avoided – Auckland University of Technology
    Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 17 people in Malaita stand in way of China’s takeover of the Solomons
    Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the Hamas Ceasefire Offer, and Mark Mitchell’s Incompetence
    With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    6 days ago

  • Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Wednesday May 8
    Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • A few PT announcements
    There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago

  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Green Party grapples with persistent scandals
    Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago

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

  • Nothing to sneer at
    Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • Still on their bullshit
    When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Drawn
    A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • A nod and a wink that will unnecessarily cost Aucklanders tens of millions per year
    Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Correcting the Corrections announcement – a fiscal farce that should bother the OECD
     Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  •  Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into ‘Pillar 2’ – or they are going to China
    Chris Trotter writes –  Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • A balanced and an unbalanced article
    David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Deeply unserious country
    Every bit of this seems insane. And people wonder why productivity is falling through the floor. Energy News reports that the Environment Court finally threw out Allan Crafar’s appeal against a solar farm. From the story: Consent was granted in 2022. Crafar appealed November 2022. On what grounds? That ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students
    The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…  Gary Judd KC writes –  I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/?p=77196
    The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, May 7
    TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • HM Prison Aotearoa.
    A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • Get Your Webworm Merch!
    Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    7 days ago

  • Top OECD economist puts Willis between a rock and a hard place
    The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Report provides insights into marine recovery
    New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • NZ to send political delegation to the Pacific
    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region.   The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu.    “New Zealand has deep and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Low gas production threatens energy security
    There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co.  Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Defence industry talent, commitment recognised
    Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Speech to the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry
    Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Speech to the Sixth Annual New Zealand Government Data Summit
    It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government.  I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Ceasefire agreement needed now: Peters
    New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Daily school attendance data now available
    A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour.  The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Ambassador to United States appointed
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America.    “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says.    “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • New permit proposed for recreational gold mining
    The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • NZ and the UAE launch FTA negotiations
    Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • New Zealand Sign Language Week an opportunity for anyone to sign
    New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Next stop NASA for New Zealand students
    Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • $1.9 billion investment to keep NZ safe from crime
    New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • OECD reinforces need to control spending
    The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Agreement delivers Local Water Done Well for Auckland
    The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with Germany
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today.    "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of Plenty
    The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Speech to New Zealand China Council
    Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today.    Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi households
    The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Government recommits to equal pay
    The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says.  “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Transforming how our children learn to read
    Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.  “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • NZ not backing down in Canada dairy dispute
    Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
    The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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