Open mike 18/12/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, December 18th, 2023 - 52 comments
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52 comments on “Open mike 18/12/2023 ”

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  1. Pat 1
    18 December 2023 at 7:51 am

    "The hard truth for those that believe in Rail is that it has never stopped being the Treasury view despite studies such as the Value of Rail in New Zealand study from EY in 2017. For all the talk of a balanced transport view there remains a underlying view in Treasury, MoT and NZTA Waka Kotahi that fundamentally outside of Wellington and Auckland Metro rail systems, and perhaps the Golden Triangle between Auckland Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand doesn’t need a rail network. Yet we trumpet the unrealistic view that Aviation and Air New Zealand can decarbonise in the relative near term whilst the most obvious decarbonisation of a transport network that already exists and is proven already to be able to be decarbonised – electrification and better use of the national rail network – is ignored. It is harmful to our international reputation and there is an argument from some that it should be broadcast to the World exactly what are our true emerging colours are as a nation in this regard – and it isn’t pretty."

    https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2023/12/18/guest-post-huge-existential-threat-for-new-zealands-rail-network-yet-again/

    We lost so much when Treasury defeated the MoWD in the eighties reforms….why cant we get anything done in NZ anymore?….because we have our infrastructure being designed by accountants…and dodgy ones at that.

    • Robert Guyton 1.1
      18 December 2023 at 8:19 am

      I got to thinking about how the rails on the ferry line up with the rails on land at the terminal and decided they must use a hydraulic system to align the 2 sets. Wikipedia corrected me by saying weights are used for the purpose, but it was interesting to give it some thought.

    • Ad 1.2
      18 December 2023 at 8:23 am

      There's no threat to metro rail or metro public transport services as they are. Auckland in particular is going through massive investment for a decade. Electrification is being extended to Pukekohe now and it's likely to push to Hamilton.

      But rail freight? Its entirely fair to put the question over which lines we really need in a post-coal world. Don't need the Nightcaps-Invercargill line. Don't need the little branch lines out of Greymouth post-coal. Don't need Stratford-Taumaranui line. Don't need the Waitara-Hawea line. Do businesses really use the Gisborne-Wairoa-Napier line? No need to electrify them either.

      But we need to keep the remaining lines from every dairy factory, most of which are new or refreshed. Also that little tourist line to Middlemarch seems to have gained some interest.

      It really is amazing the left aren't more skeptical about rail as a cheap bulk export heavy-carbon exporter and importer. It's like they're lost in the world of steam.

      • Bearded Git 1.2.1
        18 December 2023 at 9:30 am

        Some of us still have our anoraks from trainspotting the wonderful steam contraptions of the mid-sixties in the UK.

      • Sanctuary 1.2.2
        18 December 2023 at 10:05 am

        Narrow gauge is a major handbrake on long distance rail freight and especially passenger services.

        The selection of narrow gauge for New Zealand set the tone for the next 150 years of infrastructure development in NZ. Narrow gauge was seen as a no brainer by the engineers, who pointed out to the 1867 select committee we could leverage Australia for know-how (Queensland adopted narrow gauge in 1864) and it made a lot of projects a lot more feasible. The politicians noted it was much cheaper to build narrow gauge, since the tracks were cheaper than standard gauge and the tighter turning circle of narrow gauge meant the NIMT could cross the volcanic plateau using innovative engineering solutions (the Raurimu spiral was expensive but it was a lot cheaper than tunneling or use of extensive viaducts). None the less, the select committee didn't come to a decision, since the South Island had already built some lines using different gauges. It merely suggested we use narrow gauge in future.

        So engineers wanted what would get them the most work, politicians wanted it on the cheap but also they didn't want to upset vested interests so they chickened out snd some vague suggestions were made and nobody considered the implications for a hundred years out.

        Sound familiar?

        • Ad 1.2.2.1
          18 December 2023 at 11:52 am

          I think you mean the car happened.

        • Ghostwhowalks 1.2.2.2
          18 December 2023 at 12:03 pm

          It wasnt narrow gauge per se . It was the intial light line loadings or weight of trains per axle those lines could carry

          The line loadings per axle could be and were upgraded over time Its a bit of myth that that narrow gauge limited rail traffic in NZ .

          As you can see anytime , standard international containers are regularly now carried on the main lines

          The maximum weight of a locomotive and its ability to haul a normal train arent a big problem

          https://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/rail-network-needs-to-be-able-to-carry-39-more-weight-2008091920

          Another issue is getting higher containers through tunnels built in the 19th century. The restriction is height rather than width of tunnels though height and width interact if a tunnel roof is curved.

          Some lines cannot take 2.90m high containers, the modern "high-cube" standard. Most of the main lines can with the exception of Greymouth to Christchurch and North Auckland.

          • Bryan Dods 1.2.2.2.1
            18 December 2023 at 12:54 pm

            Rail tunnels north of Auckland have had their base lowered to enable the taller containers. Two years ago I met a surveyor who had been working on the project.

            • Ghostwhowalks 1.2.2.2.1.1
              18 December 2023 at 5:50 pm

              Yes. Japan was almost all narrow gauge until the Shinkansen introduced standard gauge.

              Example of the myth about narrow gauge meaning 'lessor development' of your rail systems

        • Scud 1.2.2.3
          20 December 2023 at 9:49 pm

          It's NZ's woeful loading gauge not the operating gauge of 3ft 6in.

          You should see the monsters here in QLD or in WA where they have increased the Loading gauge and QLD has a Inter- Regional Rail incl Hi Speed Rail on 3ft 6in because they upgraded the loading gauge.

    • Kay 1.3
      18 December 2023 at 9:26 am

      Some friends from the UK recently spent a couple of weeks driving around NZ. They commented on seeing airports (of all sizes) everywhere, but despite lots of rail lines, only saw one freight train the entire time, moving some logs. I tried my best to explain it, and was extremely embarrassed explaining the shift to trucking for freight. In the same way I've often found myself apologising to European tourists for the fact they need to rent a car to travel around NZ.

      • Ghostwhowalks 1.3.1
        18 December 2023 at 12:10 pm

        Population density.

        Netherlands is about same area of Hawkes Bay, plus Taranaki Plus Manawatu, and has 18 mill people not 1 mill.

        England alone is same size as South island but has 56 mill people as opposed to 1.25 mill.

        Even Wales with 3 mill people is same size as Waikato region alone with is dense by NZ standards but 525,000 people.

    • Pat 1.4
      18 December 2023 at 5:14 pm

      It appears the thrust of the article has been overlooked…..much like rail.

  2. Morrissey 2
    18 December 2023 at 8:08 am

    Along with the great journalists Gideon Levy (who spoke in Auckland six years ago) and Amira Hass, renowned scholars like Ilan Pappé and Avi Shlaim, and thousands of doctors, nurses, aid workers, and former conscripts in the Israeli military, one of the most brilliant Israeli dissenters is Miko Peled. He spoke in Melbourne the other day…

  3. Stephen D 3
    18 December 2023 at 9:22 am

    Is this the most anti science government ever, in Aotearoa at least?

    Going back to the early Covid years, Chris Bishop et al were all for ignoring the science and not using masks, no transport restrictions, and no control over the points of entry.

    Latterly we have Simeon Brown issuing edicts like some sort of low rent tsar to drive up fossil fuel car usage. Going against every climate scientist anywhere.

    Water quality is totally being watered down to keep faith with the groundswell type farming lobby.

    In the case of Luxon, Brown and some others, I'm wondering if their religious beliefs are playing a part here. Following the lead of the evangelicals in the USA, science is somehow anti god, and only the rich will get into the kingdom of heaven.

    Seymour etc are easier to diagnose. The short term financial gain overrides any long term thinking.

    Heaven only knows what will happen to their beloved farming lobby when Sainsburys decides not to buy our farm produce because of our appalling environmental record. But as long as the short term looks good, that's not David's problem.

    • Robert Guyton 3.1
      18 December 2023 at 9:32 am

      Their God is Trump. They are creating their own Truth and going hard on it, knowing that if they can hold fast to their story, they will prevail; the people will drift on-side. Same as it ever was, only now it's global and very quick. Demiurge.

      Those not enamoured must define and tell their story asap and without pause.

      • aj 3.1.1
        18 December 2023 at 12:35 pm

        You may find this an interesting short read, considering the religious beliefs you mention.

        The Hypatian Conundrum: the Estrangement of Science and the Church

        The Church has had a historically tumultuous relationship with science, which has both shaped the course of science and the doctrines and theology of the Church. The church was undoubtedly a patron of the sciences, believing that the gift of reason was a divine providence and an instrument of theology, championing science, believing it would confirm Church doctrine. But when scientific findings did not match the Church’s doctrinal or even political stands, this relationship soured into inquisition and condemnation.

        https://williamtemplefoundation.org.uk/the-hypatian-conundrum-the-estrangement-of-science-and-the-church/

  4. Ffloyd 4
    18 December 2023 at 10:06 am

    What do people think COCs Endgame is? Are they throwing everything on a bonfire to create a massive blaze to cover up a Bushfire that will be coming our way? I feel very disturbed by the frantic rush to pass all these repeals under urgency, ….canning Interisland Ferries upgrades, Judith Collins(FGS) achieving top job in the land in Friday dump whileWhinny was out of the country, nothing now for cyclists and walkers(children getting safely to school, the list goes on and on. Do they have early morning rituals to sacrificing all bottom feeder and other assorted nobodies to a lifetime of joblessness,no housing, food unaffordability etc. No handouts for the non believers they chant. What is the bottom line? What will be thrown at us as a fait accompli ? There must be a grand plan that will be abhorrent to all. But Given Luxor’s propensity to lie, duck shove, hide everything he can and his complete lack of moral fibre we won’t find out until it’s been done under urgency and under cover of darkness. I’m quite frightened by the lack of transparency and accountability he is able to be allowed.

    • roblogic 4.1
      18 December 2023 at 11:39 am

      It makes sense if you view it as a hostile takeover by corporate raiders– asset stripping and cutting "costs" for short term profit, pump up the share price, then dump it, i.e. socialise the losses.

      When the Left takes over again in 18 months or 3 years there will be an almighty mess to clean up and the tools of State will be significantly weakened

      Thus making NZ ripe for plunder

    • Grey Area 4.2
      18 December 2023 at 11:55 am

      I'm struggling to understand it too Ffloyd. The damage being done is immense.

      Is it like Robert says they believe by going hard at maximum retrogressive change people will accept it all as fait accompli and not fight back?

      Do they realise they will find a second term hard with all their spiteful turning back of the clock and putting the boot into so many sectors of the community already? So are they are going hard out to do, from our perspective, so much damage that when they are hopefully thrown out in 34 months it will be too hard to rebuild?

      Is there an overarching plan to explain their spite and cruelty?

      Or is their disparate "coalition" simply a coalescing of some horrible, corrupt, malignant aholes who are just gleeful about having the chance to hurt people other than them and their masters?

      Damned if I know. But where we are saddens and depresses me. I want to fight back but don't know how. Someone said here the other day the answer was to organise. I asked what they would mean for those of who live rurally (and have few networks like urban areas and find it hard to afford to travel for potential protests etc). I didn't get a reply.

      • Stephen D 4.2.1
        18 December 2023 at 12:47 pm

        What electorate are you in GA?

        I should be able to find Labour Party contact for you.

        • Grey Area 4.2.1.1
          18 December 2023 at 1:53 pm

          Thanks for the offer Stephen D but I've given up on the Labour Party.

          But I have said to the nearest Greens branch to put me back on their local email list. I left the party several years back because they seemed too focused on gender critical issues rather the climate crisis and inequality. They ran a good campaign and I was bit disappointed they didn't do better given the level of disillusionment with Labour. They seem to have the ship sailing in the right direction now so I will observe and re-engage locally (as in the branch centre being 70km away) and may rejoin.

          I have gotten to know another couple locally through shared community activity who I have learned are GP members and we have a shared perspective on where our country is currently at politically and socially. This will help.

          This election I gave my electorate vote to the Green candidate as a show of solidarity and party voted TPM.

          With the malignant muppets we have in the Beehive I feel like I have to get back to doing something in addition to my local community development involvement.

          Thanks again.

    • Bearded Git 4.3
      18 December 2023 at 1:26 pm

      Luxon in his interview on Morning Report this morning in relation to dumping Get Wellington Moving said something to the effect "we are stuck with this huge cricket ground in the middle of the city" as though the best cricket ground in NZ had no value if it was hampering road development. He is a philistine.

      And of course they are not dumping GWM….they are dumping only the light rail and handing the golden mile development to the Council to develop. All other things such as bus transport routes seem to be going ahead using the design work done under GWM.

      And mayor Tory has said that when a sensible government gets elected light rail will be back on the agenda.

      So this is largely a U-turn that Luxon and Bishop are lying about.

      • gsays 4.3.1
        18 December 2023 at 6:09 pm

        While not specifically on the same subject, I heard the same interview.

        What struck me was Bishop's casual framing of cycle/bus ways as beautification.

        Like all these spin doctor types, they choose their words very deliberately. As much as it can be painful, I will be listening to him in the future to see if it happens again.

    • Heather Grimwood 4.4
      18 December 2023 at 4:58 pm

      To Ffloyd @ 4 : Couldn't agree more with your last sentence. The rushed law-passings heralded earlier are frightening enough, but more recent undebated introductions seem akin to dictatorship.

  5. Reality 5
    18 December 2023 at 10:52 am

    See in The Post today the PM's Te Reo lessons have been funded by the taxpayer. Well, well, do as I say, not as I do. Wonder if his religion makes any mention of hypocrisy in its teachings.

    • mary_a 5.1
      18 December 2023 at 11:20 am

      @ Reality (5) … God no doubt told the man of seven houses to dip his grubby paw into the public coffers to pay for his Te Reo lessonsfrown

      • Ghostwhowalks 5.1.1
        18 December 2023 at 11:54 am

        His actual words when criticising public servants who got work bonus for learning Te Reo

        "I've got a number of MPs, for example, that have made a big effort to learn te reo … they've driven that learning themselves because they want to do it.

        "In the real world outside of Wellington and outside the bubble of MPs, people who want to learn te reo or want to learn any other education actually pay for it themselves."

        https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/301028534/mori-language-edicts-strains-nz-government

        • weka 5.1.1.1
          18 December 2023 at 12:50 pm

          In the real world, people who can't afford to pay for it, make use of the various free te reo courses available.

          Luxon's an entitled arse.

          • gsays 5.1.1.1.1
            18 December 2023 at 6:12 pm

            It's jolly ironic that I took Te Reo courses at night school at a local High School before the Nats removed funding for it.

            I gained a hell of a lot from it beyond the improvement in vocabulary.

    • joe90 5.2
      18 December 2023 at 1:05 pm

      lol

      @HaydenDonnell

      Chris Luxon took advantage of the clean car discount he repealed and the free te reo Māori lessons he wants to take away from public servants, next you'll be telling me an independent adjudicator has been enforcing some kind of fair pay for him and his MPs

      10:39 AM · Dec 18, 2023

  7. Adrian 7
    18 December 2023 at 12:50 pm

    What are the chances ? Will Peters pull the plug, will the Nact scavengers appetite for destruction eventually be a bridge or ferry too far? Very little of what is happening now appears to have any rationale associated with previous NZ1st keenness for a NZ owned ny NZers. I may be wrong but very little of the Luxon/Willis plans for the future would have any resonance with previous iterations of Winston, in fact some of them seem remarkably similar to events that triggered him walking away from precious National administrations. Is it all a cunning plan, that one day in the near future hopefully, he will do just that, bring it all down by walking away while claiming to be the Saviour?

    • Anne 7.1
      18 December 2023 at 3:02 pm

      I think the chances Winston will pull the plug down the track is quite high. He appears (only appears at this stage) to be extricating himself from the fruit-loops who catapulted him back into parliament. He must surely intend to retire at the end of this term and he will want to go out on a high note. Bringing down a deeply unpopular government (which it probably will be by then) or forcing an early election for the same reason would give him enormous satisfaction. He can then claim to have "saved" NZ from some catastrophe – imagined or real.

      • gsays 7.1.1
        18 December 2023 at 6:14 pm

        Rest assured, Anne, the fruit loops aren't going anywhere.

        • Anne 7.1.1.1
          18 December 2023 at 7:00 pm

          You seem to think I regard you as a fruit loop. I certainly do not!

          I am referring to the likes of Liz Gann and her merry band who are living on a nebulous planet where reality doesn't exist, They are suffering from serious delusions and need to be pitied but it is hard to find sympathy for such stupidity.

          Hence the word "fruit loops" – a colloquial expression for denoting individuals of unsound mind. And in case you take that the wrong way too, I am not referring to people who have mental diseases. There but for the grace of God go any of us, just as in physical diseases.

  8. Morrissey 8
    18 December 2023 at 1:06 pm

    Libraries are supposed to be quiet.

    The great Gordon Campbell this morning satirizes the Peters-Seymour regime's war on the New Zealand people. He presents "a leaked document entitled In The Year 2025 that sets out the next phase of the coalition government’s plan to erase the last 30 years of New Zealand history."

    Most of these points will be chuckled at by sensible and intelligent people, i.e. those who don't support this horrendous shower in Wellington. But there is one item in it which I believe should indeed be enforced. I have highlighted it in bold red italics:

    Among the main points: the Public Health Coalition is to be disbanded, and replaced by the Radio Doctor, who will give brief talks on everything from colic to chilblains at 10am sharp on RNZ every Saturday morning. To restore media credibility, news bulletins will be voiced in future by holograms of Philip Sherry and Dougal Stevenson. Every Sunday night, state television will be required to broadcast a quality British drama. Each year, film festivals will be allowed to screen only one R18 movie, preferably from Sweden.

    In the public service, women will be allowed to work only as receptionists or in typing pools, which will be re-instituted. Skateboarding will be banned, as will the riding of bicycles by anyone aged 18 or over. Graphic novels will be removed from libraries. If allowed to exist at all, libraries will be expected to enforce silence at all times during operating hours. Female librarians will be encouraged to wear spectacles, and put their hair in buns. Farmers will once again receive state-guaranteed minimum prices for their produce.

    continues…

    http://werewolf.co.nz/2023/12/gordon-campbell-on-the-governments-politics-of-nostalgia/

    • Robert Guyton 8.1
      18 December 2023 at 1:30 pm

      Librarians are among the most liberal of all New Zealanders (it's the books, you see!)

      Sure, pick a fight with the gangs, but steer very clear of the Keepers of the Books!!

  9. Ffloyd 9
    18 December 2023 at 2:06 pm

    Morrissey. Oh no! Just as I feared. Dictatorship!!! Don’t mind a quality British Drama of an Evening though. I wonder if we will be allowed a small Sherry while we watch?…..Hmmm, probably not.

  10. Ffloyd 10
    18 December 2023 at 2:10 pm

    Just read a quote. ‘If you’ve just read a big story in the media….Look for what they are trying to distract you from.’

  11. SPC 11
    18 December 2023 at 3:32 pm

    In every National government this happens.

    Reti is being asked to end affirmative action in doctor training. This reminds one of Paula Bennett ending the Training Incentive Allowance for those on the DPB.

    At least Key did not try and sell off state houses …

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/301028581/shane-reti-to-review-affirmative-action-scheme-he-graduated-from-in-the-80s

    Mining the conservation estate, pollution of the waterways and the deliberately inept action on the Paris Accord to the point of facilitating another generation of car and road dependence.

  12. SPC 12
    18 December 2023 at 3:54 pm

    What is wrong about having access to learning Maori while a government trainee (LOTO) hoping for a real job?

    But subsidised learning of Maori should be not just be available for those in the public service, but also the wider public.

    This can be done for the public via free online education. Just basic drama (common place settings) with English sub-titles and then replay with some language instruction (absorption form a preparation for more formal learning – class teaching style).

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/labour-leader-chris-hipkins-taxpayers-union-among-pms-critics-over-publicly-funded-te-reo-lessons/MRBXZ7B7PFATZBNDUWZGSLX3AQ/

  13. adam 13
    18 December 2023 at 4:12 pm

    No climate change say the Tory idiots.

    Tell that to the people of far north Queensland, go on I dare ya.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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