Open mike 19/03/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 19th, 2012 - 44 comments
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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Step right up to the mike…

44 comments on “Open mike 19/03/2012 ”

  1. Pascal's bookie 1

    Aint nothin to see here. Move along see. Clouds I tell you. Hockey sticks. Fantastical new scienticious devices will appear in the nick of time, you’ll see. http://ind.pn/FPhdFH We got yer feedback loops right here.

    • Kotahi Tane Huna 1.1

      …and just keep right on moving!

    • Bill 1.2

      Just playfully thinking out loud over me morning coffee. Since methane persists for only about 12 years in the atmosphere (and given it is far more ‘lethal’ in terms of warming than CO2), then the spike in warming and the flow on effects could be the rude wake up needed to get to the absolute decisiveness needed with regards CO2 emmissions.

      Now, if only global warming and it’s effects were linear and reversable, we’d be sweet. Oh,well. Wonder what the most timely re-release date would be for this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyFH4S76ErU

      • Ianupnorth 1.2.1

        Avery long time ago I had a summer holiday in Menorca in the Balearic islands. At the beach there was a very foul odour that bubbled up from the sea bottom; that was methane from decomposing plant matter. Now, if it has been trapped by ice for thousands of years this must be like a mass release; I am surprised the Russki’s aren’t drilling and piping it!

        • Lanthanide 1.2.1.1

          They’re called methane clathrates and they are being investigated as yet another form of fossil fuel. The difficulty is that they’re generally very deep and very cold. There’s also the potential that if disturbed or there’s an accident that the gas could be released in an explosion, or the rate of release increased dramatically.

          Interestingly, though, CO2 is a weaker greenhouse gas than methane, so if we’re faced with a case where the methane is definitely going to be released at some point, then it’s actually better if we capture it and burn it up first, as this will produce a lower (although longer laster) effect on the environment.

      • lprent 1.2.2

        More like 70 years. 12 years is the half life…..

  2. Mike 2

    What happened to the ‘Remember 1984’ post?

    • lprent 2.1

      I suspect mike pressed the wrong button and released it before he finished it. It is currently in draft. Any comment that got attached when it was in view will be there when it returns.

  3. Nick Smith is considering mucking around with Auckland’s Super City’s rating system.

    The super city legislation decreed that all of Auckland had to have the same rating system introduced this year. Many complained about it and suggested that longer should be taken so that the changes could be more graduated but like so many other issues this was ignored.

    The introduction of the system has created the possibility of considerable change.  For instance out west there is the potential for large decreases to occur for most ratepayers.

    The areas most adversely hit were central Auckland and the Eastern Suburbs and North Shore, the richest areas and most able to handle any increase.

    Len Brown has very generously sought a law change so that the poor’s decreases will be slower than they would otherwise have been.  This will benefit the rich.  I am certain that Smith will accede to the request.

    Expect Smith to also attack the universal annual general charge, a standard amount charged to all ratepayers.  It was set at a relatively modest $350 per year.  The right always wants it as high as possible. 

    • framu 3.1

      not to mention he wants to implement act party policy re: directing councils to only focus on rubbish etc (but with the addition of libraries) and stay away from social issues and events

      if hes so concerned about rates rises why not give us more say? – not more control from wellington

    • ianmac 3.2

      On Morning Report Nick Smith refused to front so, in keeping with the new policy, if the Minister won’t front then give the Opposition a good run. Annette King gave a fluent compelling response to the expected proposals, including that if Local bodies do not pay for libraries, pools, sportsfields, then who does?

      • Lanthanide 3.2.1

        There was a ridiculous email read out from a likely investment property owner (probably upset that his tenants ‘don’t pay rates’) saying the rates system is outdated and should be replaced with something else, I suggested “user pays” to my boyfriend about 3 seconds before that was read out.

        Apparently it would be more efficient if we had people standing out on the corner, collecting 20c from all pedestrians that walk past.

    • Kotahi Tane Huna 4.1

      Key and English contradicting one another. Can they both be wrong? Probably.

      • vto 4.1.1

        bahahahaha…

        English: I don’t think there will be a housing boom.

        Key: I think there will be a housing boom.

        And these fools think they can run a country

  4. Campbell Larsen 5

    Help stop the TPPA from destroying our sovereignty – sign up for newsletters and information:

    http://tppwatch.org/what-can-we-do/register-your-support/

  5. Pascal's bookie 6

    ” PM sees no need for formal inquiry into ACC following latest allegations made against whistleblower in privacy breach case”

    https://twitter.com/#!/felixmarwick/status/181472030783324160

    So that’s all right then.

    https://twitter.com/#!/mcquillanatorz/status/181454760786923520

    Yup.

    • Lanthanide 6.1

      I heard it mentioned on some news bulletin or another, probably a snippet of Checkpoint on National Radio, that ACC managers had been emailing names of the sensitive claims clients among themselves for years. Apparently it is done for statistical purposes.

      So this means they aren’t following industry best-practice. For starters, emailing excel files around is terribly insecure, and it wouldn’t have been difficult to scrub the names out of the document at the very least. The proper way to do it would have been to use a specialised anonymous database, where it is impossible to ask queries that would reveal personal details about any individual case (or a combination of queries where details about an individual could be deduced).

      • McFlock 6.1.1

        Frankly, there should be much yelling in various offices. If they really needed to drill down the stats that deeply, adopting a standard private/public key encryption tool or other encryption method should have been mandatory. And that’s without sending sealed DVDs by registered courier.
              
        I would have thought there would have been some privacy paranoia that ACC had acquired from interactions with the Ministry of Health. Obviously not. 

  6. ianmac 7

    News to me. I thought that the decision on Leadership yet to be made but:
    “Catherine Isaac, who has been appointed to lead the charter schools trial, said terms of reference were yet to be finalised. But officials would look at overseas examples to try to avoid pitfalls.”
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/education/news/article.cfm?c_id=35&objectid=10792768

  7. vto 8

    When is the popular uprising against Saudi Arabia’s dictators and despots going to start?

    • Lanthanide 8.1

      When the oil runs out and they can’t afford to bribe the populace any more.

      Of course uprisings lead to reduced oil production so it’s somewhat self-defeating. Meanwhile the rest of the world will try and manage on $200-300/barrel oil!

    • Bill 8.2

      Maybe there will be a resurgence of protest leading to an uprising if and when ‘undesirables’ get released from jail? But don’t go holding your breath.

      Those individuals who did bravely demonstrate were swiftly arrested. Among them was 40-year-old Khaled al-Johani, the only man to demonstrate on the 11 March “Day of Rage” in Riyadh, who told journalists he was frustrated by media censorship in Saudi Arabia and predicted his own arrest.

      Charged with supporting a protest and communicating with foreign media, he is believed to have been held in solitary confinement for two months. Nine months on he remains in detention and has not been tried.

      A number of people who have spoken up in support of protests or reform have been arrested. Sheikh Tawfiq Jaber Ibrahim al-Amer, a Shi’a cleric, was arrested for the second time this year in August for calling for reform at a mosque. He has been charged with “inciting public opinion”.

      On 22 November 16 men, including nine prominent reformists, were given sentences by the Specialized Criminal Court ranging from five to 30 years in prison, on charges that included forming a secret organization, attempting to seize power, incitement against the King, financing terrorism, and money laundering.

      http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/saudi-arabia-protesters-and-reformists-targeted-name-security-2011-12-01

  8. Bored 9

    Private prisons here we come…as sure as day follows night the announcement yesterday that the regional prisons were going to be closed, et voila private prisons announced.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6597216/Privately-run-prison-to-replace-old-regional-jails

    I cannot express my level of contempt and disgust at this nasty profiteering from those incarcerated. Another sign of the ideological extremity of these corporatist lackies we call NACT.

    • Lanthanide 9.1

      Unfortunately it’s easy for governments to get away with this sort of bullshit because most voters take a very dim view of criminals and don’t care if removing regional prisons causes huge disruptions to families of the criminals.

      My bf pointed out that for a lot of people, losing links with their local community and family simply increases the likelihood of recidivism.

      • felix 9.1.1

        Your bf makes some good points.

        The trouble with these oafs in govt is they think crime is essentially a genetic flaw, so once you diagnose someone as criminal it doesn’t really matter what happens to them.

    • Kotahi Tane Huna 9.2

      Private prisons and everything that comes with them.

    • marsman 9.3

      Private prisons even though everyone knows they cost the taxpayer more than public prisons. Nasty, nasty NAct.

    • Jenny 9.4

      I cannot express my level of contempt and disgust at this nasty profiteering from those incarcerated. Another sign of the ideological extremity of these corporatist lackies we call NACT.

      Bored

      Bored in my opinion the crassness of this decision by the NACTs may be matched by the city fathers of the Town of Flora Ill. USA, who launched a campaign in 1987 under the banner, “All We Want’s A Prison.” It came with a music video featuring many of the town fathers.

      See these conservative worthies prostituting themselves in this U tube video.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5-d2WOgpfQ&feature=player_embedded

      The good news is, that these disgusting hucksters lost their bid to get the prison built in their town.

      Bored I think that if you go to the end of the link you may agree that your inexpressible contempt for the NACTS was matched by the citizens of Flora for their right wing political leaders.

  9. Jackal 10

    The Boag, Puller and ACC scandal gets stranger:

    Ms Pullar suffered a head injury in a 2002 bicycle accident which she believes left her unable to work fulltime. However, the report that Ms Pullar was the woman in the privacy breach prompted blogger Cameron Slater to publish emails sent to him by her seeking his help in a long battle with the corporation over its assessments of her ability to work.

    Those emails, sent in October 2010, include one Ms Pullar originally sent to then ACC Minister Nick Smith, in which she tells him that corruption “is alive and well within ACC”.

    “ACC is rotten to the core and I have numerous examples that could seriously embarrass you, over and above this.

    “This is just the beginning of a process to bring into the public arena the concerns about ACC’s new policies in their drive to reduce financial liability at the expense of injured claimants and their rights.”

    Why would Puller think Slater gives a damn about injured claimants and their rights?

    • just saying 10.1

      Probably because he also had a long drawn-out dispute regarding income replacement payments, and the insurers assessment about his capacity to work.

    • Treetop 10.2

      I am beginning to see why Boag advocated for Pullar, I suspect because of the way Pullar was not being taken seriously initially by ACC and then by Smith. I can also see why Pullar held back on not informing ACC of the 6700 emails which were sent to her in August 2011. Previously Pullar had made a complaint to Smith in October 2010 and I suspect that earlier breaches of privacy were in the complaint, (yet to be established). Irrespective of any complaint made by Pullar (head injury) any breach of privacy that Pullar mentioned to ACC, this appears to have been handled incompetently.

      Key needs to have an inquiry conducted as I suspect that Boag knows a lot more than she is saying and being Pullars friend for 15 years. The public also need to have confidence in ACC in particular regarding sensitive files. When a person has PTSD they need to feel safe, retell the trauma to intergrate it and to reconnect back into the community. ACC has done a disservice to every sensitive claimaint as the way they file share the information is not best practice.

      Yesterday I asked whether Boag told Smith of the privacy breach and when? (I am referring to the August 2011 emails). Smith could have even asked Boag to advocate for Pullar. When Smith was dropped as ACC minister last December was this because of something Key knew?

  10. Morrissey 11

    CON-MAN ALERT!

    In case you are thinking of throwing your money away, take a look at this…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpuB11d0Gog&feature=player_embedded

  11. Morrissey 12

    Truer word was never spoken…
    National Radio, Monday 19.3.2012, 3:52 p.m.

    “Whatever I say, I’m going to sound like a WANKER.”—Deborah Hill Cone

    Significantly, neither of her fellow Panelists (Jim Mora and Mike Williams) said anything.

  12. The Government has announced major changes to Local Government.  The timing of the announcement is something of a surprise.  I had understood that a confidential briefing for Councillors was going to occur on Thursday of this week.  There is nothing on the web and Farrar had to put up a pdf on Scribed so he had something to talk about.
     
    I wonder what the rush was?  On first blush the changes themselves are pretty radical.  Capping Councils’ ability to increase rates will mean that a lot of infrastructure is not going to be repaired …

    • Herodotus 13.1

      Capping Councils’ ability to increase rates will mean that a lot of infrastructure is not going to be repaired … – sad that councils within Auckland have been collecting contributions to cover the costs of maintenance of infrastructure and not conducting any maintanence e.g. The 100’s of Stormwater quality ponds that have been engineered in design & capacity to handle a 1:100 year event- yet to do this they have to be regularly “cleaned out” to maintain their designed holding capacity. Ask next time when was any pond cleaned out or for a maintenace schedule?
      How can power/phone utility coy dig trenches for ducts/cables etc destroy roads, kerbs & footpaths – Do a patch repair that fails or is inferrior to the original then council repairs these failures 2 years later. Or why councils have not enforce consent conditions on developers and the costs have by default fallen on rate payers?
      Rate payers are just dump cows that are always in season being milked.

    • prism 13.2

      But it’s greater change for councils than capping spending on infrastructure. Councils are not to be involved in working with citizens for things that are socially desirable.

      Much of local tourism depends on volunteers with council back-up or grants staging performances that are drawcards for tourists and make pleasurable living for the locals.

      What about libraries? I don’t believe that some of these just-do-it men read at all to inform themselves and are known to be low fiction readers. Without use of their imagination, their focus is so narrow they miss the points about being alive.

      This is another revolution. Perhaps younger people will realise what it means when their bread and their circuses disappear. The older age group won’t worry while their super comes through and they get their wants met without the shaming and blaming that other beneficiaries receive.. NZ as an entity to them is off the horizon.

  13. Treetop 14

    The world is going to end, there is a shortage of NZ Marmite.

  14. RedLogix 15

    Another perspective from National Radio this morning. Bit of a talking head but worth a listen.

    And another angle on the Universal Income idea as well.

  15. I can see National making even more savings by combining the Ministry of Education with the Treasury, we’re almost halfway there anyway…

    http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/treasury-head-hits-education.html

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  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
    This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti.  Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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