Open mike 18/07/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 18th, 2024 - 36 comments
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36 comments on “Open mike 18/07/2024 ”

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  1. Dennis Frank 1
    18 July 2024 at 6:38 am

    The GP's lawyer has released her report:

    investigator Rachel Burt said she heavily doubted the credibility of both Tana and husband Christian Hoff-Neilsen, saying the evidence provided was "lengthy and often unclear"… Burt opined that it was "more likely than not" that Tana was aware of several allegations of migrant worker exploitation made against Hoff-Neilsen's business and that she was "operationally involved" in the e-bike business over a long period.

    Burt's investigation was not asked to review the substance of the allegations but to establish when Tana became aware of the claims, what actions she took, how involved she was with the business, and whether she informed the Green Party of the disputes. https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/07/17/green-party-releases-summary-of-darleen-tana-investigation/

    "Darleen described herself as a founder of the business in her CV provided to the Green Party 2022 and talked about the e-bike business as being her business in her candidate profile," Burt said in the report. "While, in her interviews with me, Darleen said from the outset, the business was Christian’s business, I find she was integrally involved from the early days as it developed into a much larger business stretched across multiple stores.

    "I find she became a 50% shareholder and director in recognition of her contribution to the business, and that over these years of 2014 to 2019 the business was a family business with Christian and Darleen heavily involved in all aspects of the business." Burt's investigation also concluded Tana worked both front of house with customers, assisting with basic repairs and sales, and undertook the more back office functions such as payroll, contracts, liaison with suppliers, and accounts.

    That does give the Greens a sound basis for ejecting her, so now she can provide her side of the story to the public if she wants to save her reputation. If she did relinquish her involvement in the business when she entered parliament, natural justice requires her to account for whatever migrant exploitation happened regardless. I suppose she could defer that until the complainants go to court though.

    • mikesh 1.1
      18 July 2024 at 9:23 am

      I see from this morning's paper that the business has now gone into liquidation, so it looks as if the business may not have been viable without the exploitation. So perhaps it may have been a case of no business no jobs.

    • Ad 1.2
      18 July 2024 at 1:18 pm

      If Swarbrick waits until the Green AGM to put to members to expell, Greens will be slapped around in Parliament next week.

      Really useful to keep sustained tactical leak of report to media, to ensure when they finally stick the fork in Darleen they'll know she's done.

      Slow weekly leak is the standard manoevre.

      • weka 1.2.1
        18 July 2024 at 1:33 pm

        you make it sound like CS can do what she wants. She can't (or she could, but it would cause another whole set of problems in the party).

        • bwaghorn 1.2.1.1
          18 July 2024 at 1:36 pm

          So not really the leader, more 1 of the head spokes people.

          • weka 1.2.1.1.1
            18 July 2024 at 1:51 pm

            co-leader of a caucus that uses a form of consensus decision making, which sits within a wider party that has particular processes for making decisions that stop leaders from being able to do stupid shit. It's a form of democracy that shares power rather than centering it on one person.

            • Obtrectator 1.2.1.1.1.1
              18 July 2024 at 2:06 pm

              It's a fine way of making policy and reaching decisions that are not time-critical, and mostly I'm wholly in favour of it. But in a crisis, you often can't afford all that faffing around. Sometimes the leadership has to have "somewhat of monarchical in it". It's why you have leaders in the first place.

              • weka …
                18 July 2024 at 4:56 pm

                I agree, but this isn't an immediate crisis and there are good reasons not to override protocol when under pressure.

      • Dennis Frank 1.2.2
        18 July 2024 at 1:37 pm

        Sensible advice but I'll be surprised if they apply it. They seem stuck in ideological stance-driven postures. Using a time-tested strategy is too much like realpolitik to them I suspect. However their poll rating continues to hold up, so they will confidently feel that they are doing politics effectively…

  2. Dennis Frank 2
    18 July 2024 at 6:48 am

    The govt dog triad uses Cerberus as model. He guarded the gates of hell in the minds of the ancient Greeks. Another of the three heads barked recently:

    he called himself an “old-fashioned lefty” on the New Zealand Herald’s The front page podcast on Friday. https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/17-07-2024/is-david-seymour-who-he-claims-to-be-an-old-fashioned-lefty

    He's so naive he still believes in education. Given that the system has trained young kiwis to prefer a career on the dole to working in bike shops – forcing kiwi bike shop businesses to employ migrants instead – he needs to think again.

    If he really is an old lefty he will get the govt to subsidise this, that & the other. He can use Helen Clark as a model. Subsidising a hip-hop tour to the USA was a brilliant idea. Clearly the yanks didn't have a clue about how to do hip-hop, so they needed kiwis to go over there to show them how. The parallel with Rocket Lab & NASA is obvious.

    • Ad 2.1
      18 July 2024 at 1:19 pm

      I'm so old-school I believe in education.

    • SPC 2.2
      18 July 2024 at 1:41 pm

      Given that the system has trained young kiwis to prefer a career on the dole to working in bike shops

      An unsubstantiated reckon.

      If there was a shortage of local bike mechanics, there would be a work visa – it was because the employee was not able to work in the job, they could be exploited (below MW …).

      For a local (getting more than the MW in Auckland) there would still be the issue of affording local housing cost on Waiheke Island, or travel over each day.

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 2.2.1
        18 July 2024 at 2:32 pm

        Yep. I would say there was no shortage of NZ Bike Mechanics. More like the Bikes and Beyond clown show didnt want to pay (well, as proven anyway !) Kiwi Workers. And "thought" they could get away ripping off migrants : (

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 2.3
      18 July 2024 at 2:19 pm

      Given that the system has trained young kiwis to prefer a career on the dole to working in bike shops – forcing kiwi bike shop businesses to employ migrants instead – he needs to think again.

      FFS ! Are you channelling Bill English and sir Key?

      IMO you were/are pretty disingenuous….or maybe just trolling?

      • Dennis Frank 2.3.1
        18 July 2024 at 3:55 pm

        Think what you like. I'd go for an alternative explanation if anyone were capable of producing it. All I've seen over the years is a total lack – from the msm as well, not just from leftists. Evidence-based would suffice…

  3. PsyclingLeft.Always 3
    18 July 2024 at 8:40 am

    The NACTFirst Govt and their Climate "Plan" is of course, nothing more than a fob off, Promise everything/Do the absolute minimum…and let them Future people sort it..as usual.

    Those who actually know say…

    The Government is facing heat over its draft emissions reduction plan – with climate experts saying it ignores decades of advice, places too much faith in technology that does not exist and will result in higher emissions.

    Massey University professor emeritus Ralph Sims was a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for five major climate mitigation reports.

    the science is very strong and we know we're getting more extreme [weather] events.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/522424/greenhouse-plan-not-realistic-places-nz-reputation-at-risk-experts

    On that, I found this an interesting read……

    How much of our extreme weather is due to climate change?

    a branch of science was born: extreme event attribution studies, or climate attribution for short.

    2023: the year of storms

    The project team worked out that 10–15 per cent more rain fell because of global warming.

    And ( I, and I'm sure most aware people are also)

    Professor Myles Allen

    says climate change is overwhelmingly caused by four products: coal, oil, gas, and cement. Those products are made and sold by fewer than 100 companies.

    “So that's where we need to focus the conversation.”

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld/audio/2018936992/how-much-of-our-extreme-weather-is-due-to-climate-change

  4. PsyclingLeft.Always 4
    18 July 2024 at 9:18 am

    And straight from the Tobacco Industries spokesperson Casey….

    NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products

    However, someone who I actually respect :

    Janet Hoek, a Professor of Public Health at the University of Otago, told RNZ that the move seemed weighted in favour of the tobacco industry.

    "Certainly that is something that tobacco companies would have been keen to see happen," Hoek said. "This is not advice that is coming from the Ministry (of Health). It certainly seems to be advice that is suiting tobacco industry interests."

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/522429/nz-first-minister-casey-costello-orders-50-percent-cut-to-excise-tax-on-heated-tobacco-products

    Big Tobacco sure getting their moneys worth ….: (

  5. Karolyn_IS 5
    18 July 2024 at 12:52 pm

    Ah, well, as many of us expected, it's back to the future with our current govt. An increase in unhelpful beneficiary sanctioning. As Ricardo Menéndez March says, it'll just make it harder for those sanctioned to make ends meet and get out of poverty.

    Meanwhile increasing numbers of people are on benefits making jobs harder to get.

    • weka 5.1
      18 July 2024 at 12:55 pm

      this is madness. I want to know how all the layoffs play into this. I really don't understand policy that makes so many people redundant and then sanctions people that can't get a job anyway. What is the point?

      • Barfly 5.1.1
        18 July 2024 at 1:06 pm

        "The cruelty is the point" – Adam Serwer

        • weka 5.1.1.1
          18 July 2024 at 1:33 pm

          hard to reach any other conclusion.

          • aj 5.1.1.1.1
            18 July 2024 at 6:59 pm

            Willis et al would probably have some talking points for cover, like it's an opportunity for a career change and an improvement in earning potential. But they couldn't give a flying f**k, it's a basic lack of empathy.

            • weka 5.1.1.1.1.1
              18 July 2024 at 7:22 pm

              I just keep thinking all those redundant workers are doing to take up the jobs and the people down the 'skills ladder' get pushed further down and then onto the dole.

    • SPC 5.2
      18 July 2024 at 1:54 pm

      Payment reductions are only really appropriate for those living at home with parents.

      For others it impacts on whether they can remain housed, pay bills etc. Then it would be more appropriate to place them on a spending card (at full payment) for a time.

      Their other nonsense is taking money out of a benefit to pay back debts to W and I – these should be paid back on obtaining employment.

      • Karolyn_IS 5.2.1
        18 July 2024 at 1:57 pm

        Good points. I have an idea there may be problems with spending cards. But that goes back to my memories of the last Nat-led govt. Especially agree with your last point.

    • Rolling-on-Gravel 5.3
      19 July 2024 at 1:41 am

      This is why I consider Upston worse than Simmonds – Upston has to go.

      She has previously said heinous stuff about beneficiaries before especially cancer patients and it may be likely that she will make that particular dream come true someday soon.

  6. SPC 6
    18 July 2024 at 2:00 pm

    It seems that states in Oz are taking safe staffing on hospital wards seriously.

    Over 10,000 locals registering with them in the past year – to well over 20,000 in total.

    https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/07/17/its-just-better-why-kiwi-nurses-are-moving-to-australia/

  7. Mike the Lefty 7
    18 July 2024 at 2:24 pm

    The media have been crowing about falling inflation.

    The National government is taking credit for it whilst in reality it has just been the beneficiary of extraordinary good luck.

    A bumper produce crop for the last season sees vegetables and some fruit the lowest prices they have been for three years.

    Meat prices have fallen, slightly.

    Building construction costs have fallen slightly.

    The price of crude oil has fallen a bit over the last year.

    None of which is under National's control, anymore than it was under Labour's.

    Not that it stops National from claiming the credit for it, of course.

    Balanced of course by rising rates, double digit rates rises for most areas of the country. New prescription fees, new RUCs and if the rumour is correct, new RUCs will be introduced to ALL vehicles. Huge increases in insurance premiums. Doctors fees will also probably be rising in the next few months. Rents still rising well above the rate of inflation and (as we expected) NOT falling after National reinstated interest rates subsidies for landlords. The promised tax cuts will not compensate for all this.

    One thing I heard on Morning Report yesterday interested me: On their business news an economist stated that although overseas-sourced inflation is slowing, domestic inflation is still higher than it should be.

    That bit of news has been kept pretty quiet by people who don't want National's (dodgy) reputation as economic wizards put under the microscope.

    • SPC 7.1
      18 July 2024 at 2:39 pm

      Domestic inflation is 5% – 4.5% rent, 10% rates – 15% insurance. Tradeables inflation is now near zero. But is now at c1% per quarter – so will come down to 4%. Thus the current 3.3 will come down to under 3%.

      The main driver is now lack of infrastructure (water for councils, for government old age care, school and hospital building and social housing) investment cost and climate change (and earthquake) threat to insurers and shortage in public health delivery (primary and hospital staffing).

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 7.2
      18 July 2024 at 2:43 pm

      I guess it depends on why inflation is falling. I'm no economist, but a collapse in consumer demand would act against inflation I expect. And people don't spend when jobs and government spending are being slashed.

    • aj 7.3
      18 July 2024 at 7:34 pm

      .. new RUCs and if the rumour is correct, new RUCs will be introduced to ALL vehicles.

      This is a very interesting 18 minute discussion and it sounds like being a far from simple exercise. My PHEV does about 50km on battery, fair enough for RUC to apply, but any longer trip I'm paying both RUC and fuel taxes.

      What would road user charges for all cars look like?

      Mark Stockdale principal technical advisor at the Motor Industry Association and Terry Collins, principal adviser in the transport policy and advocacy team at the Automobile Association, both join Kathryn for a discussion on the challenges to a universal RUC system.

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018947149/what-would-road-user-charges-for-all-cars-look-like

  8. SPC 8
    18 July 2024 at 2:45 pm

    It is sort of right to direct Pharmac to prioritise drugs to getting people work capable (ACC does this with by funding health care).

    The question is whether this is at the expense of the supply of drugs to others.

    This problem is avoided by funding it separately, or having this money come from ACC (including sickness where it impacts a workers ability to continue in work).

    https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/07/18/govts-pharmac-directive-could-exacerbate-inequity-expert/

    • KJT 8.1
      18 July 2024 at 4:38 pm

      It is called. "Eugenics". Something which should have been dustbinned in the past.

      • aj 8.1.1
        18 July 2024 at 7:44 pm

        "Eugenics"

        The ACT party has called for Pharmac to take a “productivity focus” to decisions on who gets funded medicine.

        “A lot of the treatments and the innovations being brought forward can actually deliver economic benefits because you’re treating people who can work longer or go back to work when that wasn’t possible.”

        “It would be good to be able to take a more holistic approach to what these treatments are bringing.”

        When asked if that meant more economically productive people should be prioritised for treatment, Stephenson said: “Not necessarily, but when you’re looking at the value of these treatments, that should be taken into consideration.”

        “If your treatment can return someone to work faster, how does that benefit the whole of society? And then those bodies that are making those value judgements can decide whether that should be put into the equation.”

        https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/09/03/act-calls-for-productivity-focus-for-pharmac/

  9. Bearded Git 9
    18 July 2024 at 4:08 pm

    I thought Gina Woolston was great when talking about the homeless on RNZ's First Up this morning.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/first-up/audio/2018947274/building-relationships-with-unhoused-using-empathy

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    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: James Shaw’s legacy keeps paying off

    One of the central planks of the previous Labour-Green government's emissions reduction policy was GIDI (Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry). This was basically using ETS revenue to pay polluters to clean up production, reducing emissions while protecting jobs. Corporate welfare, but it got the job done, and was often a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Gravity

    Oh twice as much ain't twice as goodAnd can't sustain like one half couldIt's wanting moreThat's gonna send me to my kneesSong: John MayerSome ups and downs from the last week of August ‘24. The good and bad, happy and sad, funny and mad, heroes and cads. The week that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Ditch the climate double speak and get real

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The Government announced changes to the Fast-Track Approvals Bill on Sunday, backing off from the contentious proposal to give ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to August 30

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest science of changing sea temperatures and which emissions policies actually work; on the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • This Govt’s infrastructure strategy depends on capital gains taxes & new road taxes

    Billions of dollars in value uplift was identified around the Transmission Gully project, but that was captured 100% by landowners and not shared to pay for the project. Now National is saying value capture should be used for similar projects. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/ Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 30-August-2024

    Kia ora and welcome to the end of another week. Here’s our regular Friday roundup of things that caught our eye, in the realm of cities and transport. If you enjoy these roundups, feel free to join our growing ranks of supporters by making a recurring donation to keep the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Table Talk: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.

    “That’s the sort of constitutional reform he favours: conceived in secret; revolutionary in intent; implemented incrementally without fanfare; and under no circumstances to be placed before the electorate for democratic ratification.”TO SAY IT WAS RAINING would have understated seriously the meteorological conditions. Simply put, it was pissing down. One of ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Big Norm and Chris Hipkins

    It’s 50 years ago today that “Big Norm” Kirk died of a heart attack in Wellington’s Home of Compassion. Home of Compassion. Although he was Prime Minister for only 623 days, he has an iconic place in New Zealand history, particularly Labour history. When Labour leaders like Jacinda Ardern recite ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #35 2024

    Open access notables Arctic glacier snowline altitudes rise 150 m over the last 4 decades, Larocca et al., The Cryosphere: We mapped the snowline (SL) on a subset of 269 land-terminating glaciers above 60° N latitude in the latest available summer, clear-sky Landsat satellite image between 1984 and 2022. The mean SLA was extracted ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Unravelling the String of State: New Zealand Sovereignty and the Treaty of Waitangi

    Oh dear. Sometimes people just need to prod the sleeping dog. We currently have a parliamentary dispute over the nature of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, as signed between the British Crown and New Zealand Maori: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/526451/sovereignty-debate-split-on-party-lines Specifically, the National Government takes the traditional view that Maori ceded sovereignty ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago

  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
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    4 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
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    5 days ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

    The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Delivering priority connections for the West Coast

    A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington

    A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...
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    6 days ago
  • Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Waikato through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more efficient, safe, and resilient roading network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With almost a third of the country’s freight travelling into, out ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Building reliable and efficient roading for Taranaki

    A record $808 million for transport investment in Taranaki through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Taranaki’s roads carry a high volume of freight from primary industries and it’s critical we maintain efficient connections across the region to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Supporting growth and resilience in Otago and Southland

    A record $1.4 billion for transport investment in Otago and Southland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more resilient and efficient network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in Otago ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Delivering connected and resilient roading for Northland

    A record $991 million for transport investment in Northland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s connections and support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that every transport dollar is spent wisely on the projects and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Top of the South to benefit from reliable transport infrastructure

    A record $479 million for transport investment across the top of the South Island through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will build a stronger road network that supports primary industries and grows the economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We’re committed to making sure that every dollar is ...
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    6 days ago
  • Government delivering reliable roads for Manawatū-Whanganui

    A record $1.6 billion for transport investment in Manawatū-Whanganui through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s importance as a strategic freight hub that boosts economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. ...
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    6 days ago
  • Restoring connections in Hawke’s Bay

    A record $657 million for transport investment in the Hawke’s Bay through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support recovery from cyclone damage and build greater resilience into the network to support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We are committed to making sure that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Transport resilience a priority for Gisborne

    A record $255 million for transport investment in Gisborne through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and restore the cyclone-damaged network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With $255 million of investment over the next three years, we are committed to making sure that every transport ...
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    6 days ago
  • Prioritising growth and reduced travel times in Canterbury

    A record $1.8 billion for transport investment Canterbury through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Christchurch is the economic powerhouse of the South Island, and transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and ...
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    6 days ago
  • Supporting growth and freight in the Bay of Plenty

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Bay of Plenty through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and unlock land for thousands of houses, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in the Bay of ...
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    6 days ago
  • Getting transport back on track in Auckland

    A record $8.4 billion for transport investment in Auckland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will deliver the infrastructure our rapidly growing region needs to support economic growth and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Aucklanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, phantoms projects, ...
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    6 days ago
  • Record investment to get transport back on track

    A record $32.9 billion investment in New Zealand’s transport network through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more reliable and efficient transport network that boosts economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “New Zealanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, ...
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  • Consultation is open on gambling harm strategy

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