Open mike 16/07/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 16th, 2016 - 52 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

openmikeOpen 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 …

52 comments on “Open mike 16/07/2016 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Jenny 1
    16 July 2016 at 8:05 am

    Independence, Freedom, Democracy

    It is my opinion that the desire for less remote and more accountable governance, and a rejection of uncountable central authority, is what drives both the desire for Brexit in Britain and the desire for independence in Scotland.

    In an attempt to play one off against the other, Theresa May uses Scottish desire for independence from Britain, as an excuse to drag her heels over the Brexit.
    At the very least this vacillation and back tracking by the Tories, shows bad faith with the British electorate, and will weaken Britain’s hand in getting a good deal for the British people in the Brexit negotiations. And by becoming the gate keepers in defiance of the popular will, the Tory leader puts power back into the hands of the elite

    “I have already said that I won’t be triggering Article 50 until I think that we have a UK approach and objectives for negotiations – I think it is important that we establish that before we trigger Article 50,”
    British Prime Minister Theresa May

    The British Labour Party needs to step up.

    Instead of being silent on all these developments, Labour need to release a statement promising to allow the Scots to have their second referendum. And demanding that the tories also honour the wish of the British people Article 50 be triggered immediately.

    By showing respect for the desire for more independence and local democracy by both the British and Scottish people is where the British Labour could out flank the Tories.

    (Under the rules of the first referendum, a second referendum was supposed to be triggered if there was any major change in the Scottish/British political relationship.)

    In the wake of the Brexit vote, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon calls for second referendum on Scottish Independence.

    “If independence then turns out to be the best way for Scotland to remain an EU member, Sturgeon argues there should be another referendum on the issue. Polls suggest support for independence had risen since the Brexit vote.

    On Friday (Saturday NZT), Sturgeon said it would be inconceivable for a British prime minister to block a referendum voted for by the Scottish parliament.

    “I work on the basis that trying to block a referendum, if there’s a clear sense that that’s what people in Scotland want, would be completely the wrong thing to do,” Sturgeon told Sky News after the meeting with May on Friday (Saturday NZT).

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/82168082/theresa-may-says-she-wont-trigger-eu-divorce-until-ukwide-approach-agreed

    Sturgeon states that it is “inconceivable” for a British Prime Minister to block the second referendum.

    The British PM like her predecessor David Cameron, is a steadfast “Remainer”. No doubt she also intends to as much a possible to deny the democratic will of both the Scottish and British people.

    Instead of being used against each other, these two disparate strands need to be brought together.

    The Labour Party need to stand with the Scottish people and demand a second referendum and that a date be set for it to be held as soon as possible.

    At the same time Labour need to condemn Theresa May’s plan to use the Scots desire for independence as an excuse to thwart the democratic will of the British people, and immediately demand the start of the Brexit negotiations with the E.U.

    The British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn can also out flank the Right by demanding that they honour the democratic wish of the British People and that the government must pay the Brexit Dividend into National Health service, as promised by the Right Wing Leavers, but who have since backtracked on this promise.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-referendum-result-nigel-farage-nhs-pledge-disowns-350-million-pounds-a7099906.html

  2. save nz 2
    16 July 2016 at 8:42 am

    “Kennedy said famously, ‘Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable,'”

    http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/bill-maher-sick-police-brutality-tells-colbert-he-wants-cops-take-psychology-test?src=newsletter1060161

    • Stuart Munro 3.1
      16 July 2016 at 9:16 am

      This is big – if Turkey fragments Europe’s problems get another 2.5 million refugees added to them before any local displacement.

  5. Herodotus 5
    16 July 2016 at 9:28 am

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11675391
    At some stage our Govt will have to accept that there is a housing issue, especially when the likes of this is being reported
    “But it takes bottle to confront Key’s “kitchen Cabinet” – Bill English, Steven Joyce, Gerry Brownlee and Paula Bennett – and tell them that when it comes to the housing crisis, many in business are coming to the view that their emperor has no clothes.”
    Quite telling !!!

    • Sabine 5.1
      16 July 2016 at 9:59 am

      oh lookit, are they shopping for a different Prime Minister.

      I really would enjoy if the stenographers at the Herald would finally come away from the “John Key is in denial” to “John Key does not give a fucking fuck about you , me and or our children and the same counts for his “kitchen cabinet”. In “John Keys ownership society you are on your own”.

      • Sanctuary 5.1.1
        16 July 2016 at 4:11 pm

        Interesting article, if you read it like a Soviet citizen would have read a dispatch from a party insider published in Pravda.

        For example, while the article is about the fall in tractor production a Soviet citizen would not have failed to notice the absense of Judith Collins from the “kitchen cabinet” of the central committee or the fact that clearly Key’s successor will be either Bennett or Joyce. A Soviet citizen would also note the emphasis on post-Key National, surely a crime if the head of the politburo was in full command. Finally, our comrade perusing Pravda would mull on the emphasis on the credentials of another candidate, similar to the current leader in being a leader of the militant business army, and conclude that no one on the favoured list is held in high regard by said army…

        • Wensleydale 5.1.1.1
          16 July 2016 at 5:12 pm

          Bennett or Joyce. That’s like being asked to choose between lung cancer or colon cancer.

  6. Andre 6
    16 July 2016 at 10:00 am

    Swallow your coffee and put your cup down before checking out the new Trump-Pence logo…

    https://twitter.com/darth/status/753983871880790016

    • save nz 6.1
      16 July 2016 at 10:17 am

      As bad as our tea towel flag designs…. but at least the public rejected our eyesores.

    • Colonial Viper 6.2
      16 July 2016 at 10:22 am

      Surely that can’t be serious…can it?

      • North 6.2.2
        16 July 2016 at 11:35 am

        Yes, it’s serious CV. As serious as your ‘tactical’ embrace of Trump. To teach Clinton ‘a lesson’. Fuck everything else. Just teach Clinton a lesson. Because it’d make CV feel good and vindicated.

        I’m expecting that your 40% of Sanders’ people going to Trump in high dudgeon is better than just pulled out of your arse……..Key/Smith/Bennett like CV. Is there a a poll or something ? Let’s be having it CV.

        • Colonial Viper 6.2.2.1
          16 July 2016 at 1:10 pm

          Hmmmm North, you full of shit.

          I believe Trump will be a better POTUS because he will shitcan the TPP, he will spend more money on US infrastructure and less on bailing out its banks and military industrial complex, and he will be less likely to start a shooting war in the Pacific against China and/or Russia.

          I believe that Killary will be a shit POTUS for NZ because she is bought and paid for by the big US investment banks and corporates, she is a neocon, and her decisions were partly responsible for the horrific implosion of and loss of civilian life in Libya and Syria.

          So, this is about a bit more than teaching Crooked Clinton a lesson.

          • Chooky 6.2.2.1.1
            16 July 2016 at 3:17 pm

            +100 CV…lol

          • swordfish 6.2.2.1.2
            16 July 2016 at 8:59 pm

            The always reliable Andrew Cockburn on Hillary and “Admiral Fabuloso”

            http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/07/15/admiral-fabuloso-hillary-syria-and-the-destructive-career-of-james-g-stavridis/

            “At least for a moment, Donald Trump seriously considered picking retired General Michael Flynn, fired as DIA chief for correctly predicting that Obama’s covert Syrian intervention would generate a jihadist monster such as ISIS.

            Hillary Clinton meanwhile is reportedly pondering the selection of retired Admiral James G. Stavridis, a former Rumsfeld lickspittle who helped destroy Libya and thinks it would be a fine idea to hook up with Al Qaeda in Syria.

            Clinton’s putative defense secretary, Michelle Flournoy, herself an ardent proponent of escalation in Syria and elsewhere, acclaims him as “one of the finest military officers of his generation.” One might think that for a candidate politically burdened by her vote for the invasion of Iraq, not to mention the Libyan disaster, Stavridis, currently Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, might not be the best choice.

            … Stavridis’ military record exhibits all the signs of an accomplished courtier, ably negotiating the reefs and shoals of service politics as he shinned up the ranks faster even than David Petraeus …

            … Stavridis insisted on the provision of a special car for himself in motorcades, while junior officers, whom he importuned to do his shopping when traveling, staggered under the weight of his bags …

            In a gratifyingly acerbic memoir, “Speech-Less,” former Rumsfeld speech writer Matthew Latimer recalls Stavridis’ assiduous toadying, offering fawning toasts to the secretary at dinners on overseas trips and busying himself with such humble but career-enhancing tasks as fixing a squeak in his master’s office chair…

            … Promoting an image as a “warrior-scholar,” he wrote fluently in the pablum that passes for wisdom in the debased culture of the Washington defense-intelligentsia. Thus in 2005 his treatise “Deconstructing War,” which opened with the fatuous proposition that “War is changing, and not for the better” and headed downhill from there, won wide acclaim among the Osrics of the think-tank/op-ed circuit …

            …Meanwhile, and unfortunately for the people of Libya, he was given the opportunity to burnish the “warrior” part of his favored appellation. When Hillary Clinton fatefully bounced Obama into agreeing to attack Libya, Stavridis was on point, overseeing the deployment of Nato air power …

            Retiring from the military in 2013, Stavridis eased into the Deanship of the Fletcher School, a perfect platform for ponderous ruminations on modish topics such as “smart power” which he defines as combining “hard power” with “soft power.” Among his ongoing and remunerative connections to the former is his chairmanship of the International Advisory Board of mega-defense contractor Northrop-Grumman, whose overseers can find little fault with Admiral Fabuloso’s enthusiastic tub-thumping for the new cold war. From Ukraine to Syria, “Stav” is in the front lines, figuratively speaking, urging escalation against Russia. The Ukrainians should have “lethal aid” from the U.S., he announced in 2015, and when asked if that might not lead the Russians to escalate in turn, he conceded blithely, “when you release ordnance, everything changes.”…

            But it is the Syrian war that has excited the warrior-scholar’s most martial instincts, an ominous indication of where the wind is blowing in the national security set. So eager is he to show that he is firmly on board that he actually touts in public what others dare only murmur in private: in confronting Russia for mastery of Syria, it’s OK to ally with Al Nusra, as Al Qaeda calls itself in Syria …

            …Such is the intellectual bankruptcy of the Clinton campaign on national security that this dangerous time-server should be deemed a serious candidate for a slot on the ticket.”

            • swordfish 6.2.2.1.2.1
              16 July 2016 at 9:33 pm

              And from his brother, Patrick Cockburn …

              http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/07/15/how-a-hillary-clinton-presidency-could-let-isis-off-the-hook/

              “As political leaders across the world swear to engage in total war against Isis in the wake of the massacre in Nice, not enough notice is being taken of the fact that the long-term prospects of the group will be boosted if Hillary Clinton is elected as the next US President …

              … But Hillary Clinton’s expected choice as Defence Secretary, Michèle Flournoy, has just co-authored a report by the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS) in Washington that recommends that the destruction of Isis should no longer be the overriding objective of the US in Syria, but that equal priority should be given to taking military action against President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian Army …

              … This proposed change of policy by a Clinton administration is all too likely, going by her past record of choosing military solutions to complex problems even when it means fighting more than one war at a time and when the outcome is unclear. As a Senator, she voted for the Iraq war in 2003 and, as Secretary of State in 2011, she was the driving force behind the Nato military intervention in Libya that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi and handed over the country to criminalised warlords. Her opinions normally coincide with those on the hawkish end of the US foreign policy establishment …

              … A frightening preview of what is to come can be found in the CNAS report, which comes across as a caricature of Washington wishful thinking that is woefully detached from real conditions on the ground.”

    • Editractor 6.3
      16 July 2016 at 12:31 pm

      Wouldn’t give trumppence for it.

  7. Draco T Bastard 7
    16 July 2016 at 10:52 am

    For 90 years, lightbulbs were designed to burn out. Now that’s coming to LED bulbs.

    JB MacKinnon’s excellent New Yorker piece tells the story of planned obsolescence and home lighting, but only skims the surface of the Internet of Things future of “smart” bulbs. It’s been less than a year since Philips pushed out a firmware update that gave its light fixtures the ability to detect and reject non-Philips lightbulbs — and thanks to laws like the DMCA, which have metastasized in the IoT era, it’s a potential felony to alter your light fixture to override this behavior and force it to work with non-Philips bulbs.

    It seems that they’re also putting in light bulbs/sockets services that communicate with the manufacturer as well giving the manufacturer information about how you use the device.

    A lot of this should simply be illegal.

  8. newsense 8
    16 July 2016 at 10:58 am

    Bernie has got the Democrats to make a Kiwibank for America one of their platform pledges

    • Ad 8.1
      16 July 2016 at 11:45 am

      That’s pretty exciting.
      Can you cite the clause from the platform?

      Very interesting to see how it’s differentiated structurally from Freddie May and Freddie Mac.

    • b waghorn 9.1
      16 July 2016 at 8:45 pm

      The tea party will love it.

      • Sabine 9.1.1
        16 July 2016 at 8:49 pm

        the tea party and the republicans are the same.
        and yes it is a party of mindfuckery the only sex they approve of. That and screwing over the poor. that too is permitted. Just all the other stuff the sweaty fun kind of fuckery is verboten. Only to make little babies 🙂 white ones of course.

  10. North 10
    16 July 2016 at 12:25 pm

    Fran O’Sullivan’s getting a bit hoha with The Weak Man. The bit questioning whether the Weak Man will even let himself hear Stephen Jennings’s unequivocal warning is very telling. Fran in today’s Herald…….

    ” Rich-lister Stephen Jennings’ warning that “we are facing an iceberg” deserves to shatter business complacency on housing.
    It should also shatter the complacency of the Prime Minister – if he allows himself to hear it. Jennings has confronted the business elite with some unpalatable truths: rising house prices and immigration-fuelled economic growth are masking an underlying “iceberg that lies ahead”.

    “We are sleepwalking into an economically ugly place,” he warns. How can we look at ourselves in the mirror and say how can we live with having one of the most unequal education systems in the Western world – and even if you are very selfish you better say to yourself that is not sustainable. Those chickens are going to come home to roost.”

    With many chickens already here, and many more arriving daily, whom is the Weak Man going to blame ? Sixteen months out from the election the knives must be out. An emperor cannot go so struttingly, so remorselessly, so revoltingly unclothed.

  11. Jack Ramaka 11
    16 July 2016 at 12:50 pm

    National is a chicken without wings relying on mass Asian immigration and inflated housing prices to prop up an economy wallowing in $120 Billion debt $108 Billion increase since National became the Government in 2008.

  12. Ad 12
    16 July 2016 at 12:54 pm

    Today I am exceedingly glad that we live in such a politically boring country.

  13. Chooky 13
    16 July 2016 at 3:35 pm

    Saudis working with who on an inside job.?

    (…so Travellerev was correct after all?)

    ‘Congress releases long-secret ’28 pages’ indicating Saudi ties to 9/11′

    https://www.rt.com/usa/351327-congress-releases-pages-saudi/

    “The long-awaited 28 pages of a 2002 congressional report on the 9/11 attacks have been released. The document indicates that prominent members of the Saudi Arabian were involved in planning and financing the terror attacks.

    The declassified documents were released by Congress on Friday and released them the same day, release of the documents confirmed suspicions that the terrorists involved in the 9/11 attacks – most of whom were Saudi nationals – likely received support from high-ranking Saudi intelligence officers…

  14. Peter Swift 14
    16 July 2016 at 4:22 pm

    “gets upset because he accidentally exposed his ugly side”

    Not for the first or the last time one suspects.

    “Jackboot Billy” lol

    • te reo putake 14.1
      16 July 2016 at 4:52 pm

      I think there’s a corollary with the coup plotters. If its the cult that was identified earlier behind the coup attempt, then, on the surface, they appear to be religious moderates. However, one of the the first things they intended to do was suspend the secular constitution and replace it with one of their own.
      The mask quickly slipped.

  16. Jenny 16
    17 July 2016 at 2:00 am

    Many New Zealanders have been pondering this question; “Where are the jobs and economic benefits for New Zealanders in the Deep Sea Oil industry?”

    The Labour and National Party supporters of this extreme fossil fuel technology have either been silent on the issue of jobs, or admitted that there may be none.

    But now at last, thanks to an oil industry environmental impact report, the question about jobs for New Zealanders in this industry has been answered.

    “The Draft Environmental Impact Statement identifies many economic impacts arising from an accident associated with Project operations, but fails to recognize economic activity that would be generated by spill response,”

    http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/07/15/3798835/oil-spills-good-for-economy-nature-vancouver/

    “When a spill occurs, new economic activity occurs to clean-up contaminated areas, remediate affected properties, and supply equipment for cleanup activities. Anecdotal evidence from recent spills suggests that such activity can be potentially large.”

    http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/07/15/3798835/oil-spills-good-for-economy-nature-vancouver/

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-24T00:15:06+00:00